Brandwave

How popular isCARTO?

In September 2026, people searched for CARTO by name about 40,500 times worldwide, a 22.4% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 4% of all global mapping and location platform searches, placing CARTO fifth out of seven platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mapping and location platforms, CARTO appeared in two of the five answers and was the sixth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

CARTO is the fifth most searched of 7 competitors and the sixth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. QGISShare of searches 44.1%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
  2. Esri ArcGISShare of searches 30.9%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. MapboxShare of searches 13.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. Google Maps PlatformShare of searches 6%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  5. CARTOShare of searches 4%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th

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Top mapping and location platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, CARTO was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. CARTO is the sixth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Google Maps Platform1st
  2. Mapbox2nd
  3. Esri ArcGIS3rd
  4. HERE Technologies4th
  5. Felt5th
  6. CARTO6th
  7. QGIS7th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Mapbox5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Google Maps Platform5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Esri ArcGIS4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • HERE Technologies3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • QGIS2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • CARTO2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Felt2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about mapping and location platforms

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which mapping and location platforms compete with CARTO?

CARTO against mapping and location platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for QGIS, Esri ArcGIS, Mapbox, Google Maps Platform, CARTO. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthQGISEsri ArcGISMapboxGoogle Maps PlatformCARTOHERE TechnologiesFelt
Oct 202540.6%28.5%14.9%11.5%3%1.3%0.26%
Nov 202541.6%28.7%15.3%9.7%3.1%1.4%0.22%
Dec 202541.4%28.8%15.2%10%3%1.4%0.27%
Jan 202643.5%25.5%15.9%10.2%3.2%1.4%0.23%
Feb 202645.2%26.2%16.6%7.6%2.7%1.5%0.29%
Mar 202642.3%29.7%15.5%7.4%3.1%1.7%0.34%
Apr 202642.5%29.6%15.6%7.4%3.1%1.4%0.34%
May 202644.9%26%16.5%7.5%3.3%1.5%0.36%
Jun 202644%25.5%16.1%9%3.2%1.8%0.43%
Jul 202643.3%25.1%15.9%9.7%3.9%1.7%0.34%
Aug 202643.6%25.3%16%8.5%4.8%1.4%0.34%
Sep 202644.1%30.9%13.2%6%4%1.4%0.35%

  1. 1.QGIS

    44.1%

    Held 1st. 450K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  2. 2.Esri ArcGIS

    30.9%

    Held 2nd. 316K estimated branded searches, +48.2% vs prior month. Share +5.7 points.

  3. 3.Mapbox

    13.2%

    Held 3rd. 135K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -2.8 points.

  4. 4.Google Maps Platform

    6%

    Held 4th. 61.6K estimated branded searches, -14.1% vs prior month. Share -2.5 points.

  5. 5.CARTO

    4%

    Held 5th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  6. 6.HERE Technologies

    1.4%

    Held 6th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Felt

    0.35%

    Held 7th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, +24.1% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between CARTO and its closest rivals

Every comparison with CARTO

15 comparisons

How has branded search demand for CARTO changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for CARTO worldwide rose from 33.1K to 40.5K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CARTO’s share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide increased from 3% to 4%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CARTO’s share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide peaked at 4.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 2.7% in February 2026.

How did search popularity change for mapping and location platforms worldwide in September 2026?

5 changes

  1. In September 2026, Esri ArcGIS gained share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide, from 25.3% to 30.9%.

  2. In September 2026, Mapbox lost share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide, from 16% to 13.2%.

  3. In September 2026, Google Maps Platform lost share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide, from 8.5% to 6%.

  4. In September 2026, CARTO lost share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide, from 4.8% to 4%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Felt worldwide rose 24.1% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 3.6K in September 2026.

How are CARTO’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CARTO’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • carto

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does CARTO compete?

CARTO is ranked in four competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Geospatial analytics platforms6th of 73.5%Show ranking
GIS software5th of 73.7%Show ranking
Mapping and location platforms5th of 74%Shown above
Foot traffic analytics platforms2nd of 731%Show ranking
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