Brandwave

How popular isGoogle Maps Platform?

In September 2026, people searched for Google Maps Platform by name about 61,600 times worldwide, a 51.9% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 6% of all global mapping and location platform searches, placing Google Maps Platform fourth out of seven platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mapping and location platforms, Google Maps Platform appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Google Maps Platform is the fourth most searched of 7 competitors and the 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, Google Maps Platform appeared in all five answers. Google Maps Platform is the 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 Google Maps Platform?

Google Maps Platform 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 Google Maps Platform and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Google Maps Platform

9 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Google Maps Platform changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Google Maps Platform worldwide fell from 128K to 61.6K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Maps Platform’s share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide decreased from 11.5% to 6%.

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 Google Maps Platform’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

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

  • google maps api
  • google maps platform

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Google Maps Platform?

Google Maps Platform is owned by Google. Brandwave also tracks AppSheet, Chrome Remote Desktop, Display & Video 360, Firebase, Fitbit, Gemini, Gmail, Google, Google Ads, Google Alerts, Google Analytics, Google Artifact Registry, Google Authenticator, Google Chat, Google Chrome, Google Chromecast, Google Classroom, Google Cloud, Google Cloud Dataflow, Google Cloud Identity, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, Google Cloud Run, Google Cloud Secret Manager, Google Cloud Speech-to-Text, Google Cloud Storage, Google Cloud Vertex AI, Google Colab, Google DeepMind, Google Display & Video 360, Google Document AI, Google Drive, Google Earth Engine, Google Family Link, Google Forms, Google Keep, Google Keyword Planner, Google Maps, Google Meet, Google Meridian, Google Nest, Google Nest Wifi, Google Project Management Certificate, Google Rich Results Test, Google Security Operations, Google Slides, Google Tasks, Google Threat Intelligence, Google Translate, Google Vault, Google Veo, Google Workspace, Looker, Looker Studio, Material Symbols, NotebookLM, Snapseed, TensorFlow Serving, YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube Studio and YouTube TV, owned by the same company, worldwide.

Do you work for Google Maps Platform? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

Where does Google Maps Platform compete?

Google Maps Platform is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Mapping and location platforms4th of 76%Shown above
Geolocation APIs3rd of 613%Show ranking
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