ArcGIS Alternatives for Mac

ArcGIS is not available for Mac but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on macOS with similar functionality. The best Mac alternative is QGIS, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to ArcGIS and 11 are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to ArcGIS are R (programming language), GRASS GIS, SAGA GIS and gvSIG Desktop.

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Alternatives list

  1. QGIS icon

    QGIS

     116 likes

    A fully featured, user friendly, open source Geographic Information System (GIS) with similar power to ArcGIS and MapInfo.

    56 QGIS alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    QGIS main window while editing a project
     
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    10
    Comments about QGIS as an Alternative to ArcGIS
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    4

    QGIS can read geodatabases. The software is frequently updated and print composer is very good alternative to ArcGIS for map layouts.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    powerfull, stable, userfriendly, beautiful rendering and free.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    The GUI is pretty simple and intuitive and it runs decent on windows (at least as fast as ArcMap), but on GNU/Linux it flies. And since the license is GPL you can use it for different purposes (from educational to research or commercial) without worrying for a sue.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 10 comments
    QGIS icon
    QGIS icon
    • QGIS is Free and Open SourceArcGIS is Paid and Proprietary
  2. R (programming language) icon

    R (programming language)

     225 likes

    R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. It is a GNU project which is similar to the S language and environment which was developed at Bell Laboratories (formerly AT&T, now Lucent Technologies) by John Chambers and colleagues. R can be consider.

    96 R (programming language) alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    R (programming language) screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about R (programming language) as an Alternative to ArcGIS
    chtfn
    Positive
    0

    Even though this programming language is not specific to spatial data, the vast collection of R packages available for importing, processing, analysing, converting and visualising spatial makes it an excellent alternative that can create fully reproducible processes. Searching "R Spatial" online will bring up a wealth of books, tutorials and resources.

    R (programming language) icon
    R (programming language) icon
    • R (programming language) is Free and Open SourceArcGIS is Paid and Proprietary
    • R (programming language) is Customizable and LightweightArcGIS is not according to our users
  4. GRASS GIS icon

    GRASS GIS

     26 likes

    GRASS GIS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) is an open source, free software (FOSS) Geographical Information System (GIS) with raster, topological, vector, image processing, and visualization functionality.

    37 GRASS GIS alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Attribute table manager under the Tcl/Tk GUI
     
  5. SAGA GIS icon

    SAGA GIS

     5 likes

    SAGA - System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses - is a Geographic Information System (GIS) software with immense capabilities for geodata processing and analysis. SAGA is programmed in the object oriented C++ language and supports the implementation of new functions with a...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    SAGA GIS screenshot 1
     
  6. gvSIG Desktop icon

    gvSIG Desktop

     5 likes

    gvSIG is a Geographic Information System (GIS), that is, a desktop application designed for capturing, storing, handling, analyzing and deploying any kind of referenced geographic information in order to solve complex management and planning problems.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    gvSIG Desktop
     
  7. Mapserver icon

    Mapserver

     4 likes

    MapServer is an Open Source platform for publishing spatial data and interactive mapping applications to the web. Originally developed in the mid-1990’s at the University of Minnesota, MapServer is released under an MIT-style license, and runs on all major platforms (Windows...

    38 Mapserver alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  9. PostGIS icon

    PostGIS

     23 likes

    PostGIS adds support for geographic objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database. In effect, PostGIS "spatially enables" the PostgreSQL server, allowing it to be used as a backend spatial database for geographic information systems (GIS), much like ESRIs SDE...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Preview in DB Manager
     
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    1
    Comments about PostGIS as an Alternative to ArcGIS
    Guest
    Negative
    4

    While PostGIS can collect GIS data, its primary functionality is that of a database and doesn't provide most of the feature set that ArcGIS has.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    PostGIS icon
    PostGIS icon
    • PostGIS is Free and Open SourceArcGIS is Paid and Proprietary
  10. Spotzi icon

    Spotzi

     1 like

    Spotzi is an easy-to-use online geomarketing platform you can try for FREE. Spotzi has a short learning curve, so you don't have to be a data scientist to work with Spotzi. Our main goal is to find your best-fit customers in just a few clicks.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    Select one of the geomarketing tools to visualize the areas with your best-fit customers.
     
  11. Mapline icon

    Mapline

     25 likes

    Maximize the use of your Excel spreadsheet data. Make mapping the easiest. Transform Excel data into visual analysis. We lead in data simplification and presentation. We are committed to deliver the tools needed to outpace competition.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    Mapline screenshot 1
     
  12. OpenJUMP GIS icon

    OpenJUMP GIS

     Like

    OpenJUMP is an open source Geographic Information System (GIS) written in the Java programming language. It is developed and maintained by a group of volunteers from around the globe.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    OpenJUMP GIS screenshot 1
     
  13. Magic Maps icon

    Magic Maps

     Like

    Magic Maps is a simple mapping and data-analysis package for macOS, with a focus on ease-of-use and clean, Mac-native graphics.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Magic Maps screenshot 1
     
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