ArcGIS Pro: Esri's professional desktop GIS. Global Mapper: Affordable desktop GIS with strong format support and terrain tools.
| ArcGIS Pro | Global Mapper | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Desktop GIS | Desktop GIS |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | See website | See website |
| Free tier | Free trial; personal use licence available | Free trial |
| Open source | No | No |
| Software licence | — | — |
| API | — | — |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Made by | Esri | Blue Marble Geographics |
| Commercial use | Check terms | Check terms |
| Export / print images | Check terms | Check terms |
| Offline / caching | Check terms | Check terms |
| Visits from MapTools | 9 | 7 |
| Visit | Visit |
ArcGIS Pro features
- 2D and 3D mapping
- Extensive geoprocessing tools
- Extensions for spatial, network and image analysis
- Publishing to ArcGIS Online and Enterprise
Global Mapper features
- Hundreds of supported formats
- Terrain and contour generation
- Lidar module
- Digitising and analysis
Summary based on public information. Check each provider's current pricing and terms.