Global Mapper vs GRASS GIS
Global Mapper
bluemarblegeo.com
GRASS GIS
grass.osgeo.orgSide by side
| Figure | Global Mapper | GRASS GIS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $49.92/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · GIS Software | 8.3 (#9) | 8.2 (#13) |
| Spec score · GIS and Mapping Software | 8.1 (#2) | 8.0 (#4) |
| Spec score · Geo Tools | 8.1 (#4) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Data formats | It supports over 300 file formats, including vector, raster, elevation, and point cloud data, without add-ons or additional licenses. | GRASS supports nearly all common GIS file formats through the GDAL-OGR library. |
| Founded | 1993 | 1982 |
| Integrations | 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. | GRASS integrates with QGIS and R, and supports PostgreSQL and SQLite database interfaces. |
| Purpose | Global Mapper is a desktop GIS application for geospatial data processing, spatial analysis, geodetic workflows, and deployment-ready mapping. | GRASS is a computational engine for raster, vector and geospatial processing, including terrain, ecosystem, hydrology, data management and imagery work. |
| Security | The installation help page states that there are no known security vulnerabilities in the current version of Global Mapper. | The roadmap commits to vulnerability detection tools, fixing reported security issues and maintaining CI workflows for standards compliance. |
| Support | 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. | GRASS offers worldwide community support plus commercial consulting, training and custom-development services. |
Plans
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.
GRASS GIS
GRASS GIS is a geospatial processing system for raster, vector, and other geographic data, including terrain, ecosystem, hydrology, data management, and imagery work. It contains more than 500 modules for processing and rendering geographic data, with tools for 3D voxel, temporal, image-processing, and spatial-statistics tasks alongside raster, terrain, hydrological, and vector analysis. Through GDAL-OGR, it supports nearly all common GIS file formats. Interfaces include a graphical user interface, command line, C API, Python, Jupyter Notebook, and WPS. GRASS integrates with QGIS and R and provides PostgreSQL and SQLite database interfaces; its official Addons repository has more than 300 extensions. It is free and open source under GPL (>=v2), with no warranty. The listed platforms include Linux, macOS, Windows, API, web, and self-hosted deployment. Prebuilt macOS applications are signed and notarized. Support includes a worldwide community as well as commercial consulting, training, and custom development.