--- 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 GIS software 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/gis-software/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 GIS software 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**: GIS software - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Esri ArcGIS Share of Search**: 29.2% - **QGIS Share of Search**: 41.6% ## Is Esri ArcGIS or QGIS more popular in search? - In September 2026, QGIS had more branded searches than Esri ArcGIS among GIS software worldwide. QGIS had about 450,000 branded searches, while Esri ArcGIS had 316,000. QGIS made up 41.6% of all GIS software searches we track, and Esri ArcGIS accounted for 29.2%. - 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 GIS software worldwide moved from 27.8% to 29.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 316K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QGIS’s share of searches among GIS software worldwide moved from 39.5% to 41.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K. ## Top GIS software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Esri ArcGIS and QGIS showed up in all five answers. QGIS was listed before Esri ArcGIS in three of them. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | QGIS | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Esri ArcGIS | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | GRASS GIS | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Google Earth Engine | 4th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | CARTO | 5th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Mapbox | 6th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Maptitude | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about GIS software - Asked ChatGPT "Which GIS software should I use?": 1. QGIS, 2. Esri ArcGIS, 3. Google Earth Engine, 4. GRASS GIS - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best GIS software options?": 1. QGIS, 2. Esri ArcGIS, 3. Google Earth Engine, 4. GRASS GIS - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best GIS software for map analysis?": 1. QGIS, 2. Esri ArcGIS, 3. GRASS GIS, 4. Google Earth Engine - Searched Google, AI Overview "geographic information system": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. QGIS - Searched Google, AI Overview "gis software": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. QGIS, 3. GRASS GIS, 4. CARTO, 5. Mapbox Not named in any answer: Maptitude. 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 GIS software worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Esri ArcGIS gained share of searches among GIS software worldwide, from 23.8% to 29.2%. - In September 2026, QGIS gained share of searches among GIS software worldwide, from 41.1% to 41.6%. ## 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 | 27.8% | 2 | 450K | 39.5% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | 311K | 27.5% | 2 | 450K | 39.7% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | 256K | 28.4% | 2 | 368K | 40.8% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | 264K | 25% | 2 | 450K | 42.7% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | 261K | 25.6% | 2 | 450K | 44.1% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | 316K | 28.5% | 2 | 450K | 40.7% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | 313K | 27.7% | 2 | 450K | 39.7% | 1 | | May 2026 | 261K | 24.9% | 2 | 450K | 42.9% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | 213K | 24.1% | 2 | 368K | 41.7% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | 213K | 24% | 2 | 368K | 41.4% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | 213K | 23.8% | 2 | 368K | 41.1% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | 316K | 29.2% | 2 | 450K | 41.6% | 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 GIS software worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/gis-software): 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 GIS software worldwide. QGIS had about 450,000 branded searches, while Esri ArcGIS had 316,000. QGIS made up 41.6% of all GIS software searches we track, and Esri ArcGIS accounted for 29.2%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Esri ArcGIS vs QGIS: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/gis-software/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/gis-software/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.