--- 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 Mapping and location 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/mapping-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 Mapping and location 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**: Mapping and location platforms - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Esri ArcGIS Share of Search**: 30.9% - **QGIS Share of Search**: 44.1% ## Is Esri ArcGIS or QGIS more popular in search? - In September 2026, QGIS had more branded searches than Esri ArcGIS among mapping and location platforms worldwide. QGIS had about 450,000 branded searches, while Esri ArcGIS had 316,000. QGIS made up 44.1% of all mapping and location platform searches we track, and Esri ArcGIS accounted for 30.9%. - 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 mapping and location platforms worldwide moved from 28.5% to 30.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 316K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QGIS’s share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide moved from 40.6% to 44.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K. ## Top mapping and location platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Esri ArcGIS was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. QGIS was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Esri ArcGIS was listed before QGIS in every answer that named either. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Google Maps Platform | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Mapbox | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Esri ArcGIS | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | HERE Technologies | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Felt | 5th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | CARTO | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | QGIS | 7th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about mapping and location platforms - Asked ChatGPT "Which location mapping platform should I use?": 1. Google Maps Platform, 2. Mapbox, 3. Esri ArcGIS, 4. HERE Technologies - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best location mapping platforms?": 1. Google Maps Platform, 2. Mapbox, 3. Esri ArcGIS, 4. HERE Technologies, 5. CARTO, 6. QGIS, 7. Felt - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best location mapping platform for a map app?": 1. Google Maps Platform, 2. Mapbox - Searched Google, AI Overview "location map software": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. Mapbox, 3. Google Maps Platform - Searched Google, AI Overview "location mapping platforms": 1. Esri ArcGIS, 2. Felt, 3. Mapbox, 4. Google Maps Platform, 5. CARTO, 6. HERE Technologies, 7. QGIS 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 mapping and location platforms worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Esri ArcGIS gained share of searches among mapping and location platforms worldwide, from 25.3% to 30.9%. ## 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 | 28.5% | 2 | 450K | 40.6% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | 311K | 28.7% | 2 | 450K | 41.6% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | 256K | 28.8% | 2 | 368K | 41.4% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | 264K | 25.5% | 2 | 450K | 43.5% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | 261K | 26.2% | 2 | 450K | 45.2% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | 316K | 29.7% | 2 | 450K | 42.3% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | 313K | 29.6% | 2 | 450K | 42.5% | 1 | | May 2026 | 261K | 26% | 2 | 450K | 44.9% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | 213K | 25.5% | 2 | 368K | 44% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | 213K | 25.1% | 2 | 368K | 43.3% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | 213K | 25.3% | 2 | 368K | 43.6% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | 316K | 30.9% | 2 | 450K | 44.1% | 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 mapping and location platforms worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/mapping-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 mapping and location platforms worldwide. QGIS had about 450,000 branded searches, while Esri ArcGIS had 316,000. QGIS made up 44.1% of all mapping and location platform searches we track, and Esri ArcGIS accounted for 30.9%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Esri ArcGIS vs QGIS: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/mapping-platforms/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/mapping-platforms/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.