CARTO vs Global Mapper
CARTO
carto.com
Global Mapper
bluemarblegeo.comSide by side
| Figure | CARTO | Global Mapper |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $49.92/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · GIS and Mapping Software | 8.0 (#3) | 8.1 (#2) |
| Spec score · GIS Software | 8.1 (#17) | 8.3 (#9) |
| Spec score · Geo Tools | 8.0 (#8) | 8.1 (#4) |
| Founded | 2012 | 1993 |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | Hallowell, Maine, United States |
| Integrations | CARTO connects to Google BigQuery, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, PostgreSQL, Databricks, and Oracle data warehouses. | The product supports data exchange with ArcGIS formats and can export to Avenza Maps for offline field use; MAPublisher provides a workflow with Adobe Illustrator. |
| Security | CARTO is SOC 2 Type II certified and undergoes annual audits by an independent third-party certified auditor. | The installation help page states that there are no known security vulnerabilities in the current version of Global Mapper. |
| Support | CARTO offers support options ranging from onboarding to ongoing platform guidance, plus professional services for spatial data science, app development, GIS, and cloud architecture. | Technical support is included with Global Mapper purchase and covers the current software version; the policy lists security patches, bug fixes, feature enhancements, and standard support. |
Plans
CARTO
- CustomPrice not published
- EnterprisePrice not published
- Pay As You GoPrice not published
- StrategicPrice not published
Global Mapper
- Essentials$599 a year
- Advanced$1,199 a year
- Professional$2,199 a year
In their own words
Global Mapper
Global Mapper is a desktop GIS application for geospatial data processing, spatial analysis, geodetic workflows, and preparing maps for deployment. It supports more than 300 vector, raster, elevation, and point cloud formats without add-ons or additional licenses. The Essentials plan covers data viewing and conversion, coordinate transformation and reprojection, and streamed online data sources. Advanced adds terrain and vector analysis, scripting, geodetic analysis, and cartographic production. Professional adds lidar and point cloud processing, drone photogrammetry, complex imagery and raster analysis, automated breakline extraction, and AI/ML image classification. Lidar tools include feature classification, noise removal, point cloud thinning, and vector feature extraction. GeoCalc provides more than 12,000 geodetic definitions and supports modernized NSRS and CSRS. AI-assisted extraction can identify roads, buildings, vegetation, power lines, and other features. It exchanges data with ArcGIS formats, exports to Avenza Maps for offline field use, and supports a workflow with MAPublisher and Adobe Illustrator. Plans start at $599/user/yr; a 14-day trial is listed.