--- title: "Esri ArcGIS vs QGIS: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Esri ArcGIS or QGIS more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Geospatial analytics platforms set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/geospatial-analytics-platforms/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Esri ArcGIS vs QGIS: Which is searched more? Is Esri ArcGIS or QGIS more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Geospatial analytics platforms set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Esri ArcGIS and QGIS - **Competitive set**: Geospatial analytics platforms - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Esri ArcGIS Share of Search**: 27.4% - **QGIS Share of Search**: 39.1% ## Is Esri ArcGIS or QGIS more popular in search? - In September 2026, QGIS had more branded searches than Esri ArcGIS among geospatial analytics platforms worldwide. QGIS had about 450,000 branded searches, while Esri ArcGIS had 316,000. QGIS made up 39.1% of all geospatial analytics platform searches we track, and Esri ArcGIS accounted for 27.4%. - QGIS was ahead of Esri ArcGIS in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Esri ArcGIS’s share of searches among geospatial analytics platforms worldwide moved from 26.5% to 27.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 316K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QGIS’s share of searches among geospatial analytics platforms worldwide moved from 37.8% to 39.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K. ## Top geospatial analytics platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both Esri ArcGIS and QGIS showed up in all four answers. Esri ArcGIS was listed before QGIS in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Esri ArcGIS | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | CARTO | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | QGIS | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Google Earth Engine | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Mapbox | 5th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Foursquare | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | SafeGraph | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about geospatial analytics platforms - Asked ChatGPT "Which geospatial analytics platform should I use?": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. QGIS, 3. CARTO, 4. Google Earth Engine, 5. Mapbox - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best geospatial analytics platforms?": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. CARTO, 3. Google Earth Engine, 4. QGIS, 5. Mapbox - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best geospatial analytics platform for location analysis?": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. CARTO, 3. QGIS, 4. Mapbox - Searched Google, AI Overview "geospatial analytics platform": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. Google Earth Engine, 3. CARTO, 4. QGIS, 5. Mapbox Not named in any answer: Foursquare and SafeGraph. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for geospatial analytics platforms worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Esri ArcGIS gained share of searches among geospatial analytics platforms worldwide, from 22.6% to 27.4%. ## Month by month | Month | Esri ArcGIS estimated searches | Esri ArcGIS Share of Search | Esri ArcGIS rank | QGIS estimated searches | QGIS Share of Search | QGIS rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 316K | 26.5% | 2 | 450K | 37.8% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | 311K | 26.2% | 2 | 450K | 37.9% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | 256K | 26.7% | 2 | 368K | 38.4% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | 264K | 23.8% | 2 | 450K | 40.6% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | 261K | 24% | 2 | 450K | 41.3% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | 316K | 26.1% | 2 | 450K | 37.2% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | 313K | 26% | 2 | 450K | 37.4% | 1 | | May 2026 | 261K | 23.3% | 2 | 450K | 40.2% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | 213K | 22.7% | 2 | 368K | 39.1% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | 213K | 22.8% | 2 | 368K | 39.4% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | 213K | 22.6% | 2 | 368K | 39.1% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | 316K | 27.4% | 2 | 450K | 39.1% | 1 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Esri ArcGIS’s and QGIS’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Esri ArcGIS**: Measured on the search terms “arcgis” and “esri arcgis”, summed into one figure. - **QGIS**: Measured on the search term “qgis”. - [Esri ArcGIS profile](/demand/global-en/brands/esri-arcgis) - [QGIS profile](/demand/global-en/brands/qgis) - [All geospatial analytics platforms worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/geospatial-analytics-platforms): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Esri ArcGIS or QGIS more popular in search? In September 2026, QGIS had more branded searches than Esri ArcGIS among geospatial analytics platforms worldwide. QGIS had about 450,000 branded searches, while Esri ArcGIS had 316,000. QGIS made up 39.1% of all geospatial analytics platform searches we track, and Esri ArcGIS accounted for 27.4%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Esri ArcGIS vs QGIS: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/geospatial-analytics-platforms/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/geospatial-analytics-platforms/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.