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ArcGIS

ArcGIS

Overview

What is ArcGIS?

Esri in Redlands, California offers ArcGIS, a geographic information system.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

ArcGIS is widely used across various industries and departments for a range of tasks. Users have found it valuable for assessing distances …
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Trusted Leader

10 out of 10
May 22, 2022
Incentivized
ArcGIS integrates with mapping and staking platform provided by NISC and is used to map services and is used in multiple iVUE applications …
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Happy Esri User

7 out of 10
October 22, 2019
Incentivized
We are an R&D Center at a University. Our applications are both internal and external:
Internally, we use ArcGIS to manage university …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

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Pricing

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Viewer

$100

On Premise
per year

ArcGIS for Personal Use

$100

On Premise
per year

ArcGIS for Student Use

$100

On Premise
per year

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

ArcGIS Online Join Features Demo 3 – Join to a table based on common attribute

YouTube

How to use Symbology demo in ArcGIS 10 - GT-101 - Washington College

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ArcGIS Collector App (iOS & Android)

YouTube

ArcGIS Maps for Power BI Demo - Drive Time Analysis

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Introduction to Python in ArcGIS Pro

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Curso online DEMO: ArcGIS aplicado a la Cartografía Geológica l Explorock

YouTube
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Product Details

ArcGIS Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Esri in Redlands, California offers ArcGIS, a geographic information system.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of ArcGIS are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(139)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

ArcGIS is widely used across various industries and departments for a range of tasks. Users have found it valuable for assessing distances between clinic sites and patient locations, generating maps, integrating data, and conducting spatial data analysis. It has become the go-to tool for logistics network optimization at FedEx and is extensively used in architecture, engineering, and civil engineering projects. In educational settings, ArcGIS is commonly used for completing projects and research tasks. It also plays a crucial role in research projects related to geography and groundwater chemistry analysis. Furthermore, ArcGIS facilitates collaboration between different fields of research and offers sophisticated visualization and statistical analysis capabilities. The software is integrated with mapping platforms to optimize operations across industries. Additionally, it has been instrumental in solving location and planning problems, promoting organized development, facilitating cartography, creating infographics, and presenting data in a visually engaging manner.

Versatile Tool: Users have found ArcGIS to be a versatile tool for planning and promoting organized development in various territories. It allows for the visualization, management, editing, calculation, and analysis of georeferenced entities and attributes. Many reviewers appreciate its wide range of possibilities with geographic data.

Intuitive Interface: ArcGIS is praised for its easy-to-use interface and intuitive menus. Users find it easy to learn, with localized tools that make navigation straightforward. The intuitive user interface has been mentioned by multiple reviewers as a positive aspect of using ArcGIS.

Powerful Integration: Reviewers highly value ArcGIS's powerful integration with other systems. They appreciate the continuous enhancement and upgrades that keep the software up-to-date. Additionally, the rock-solid ArcGIS.com cloud technology has been commended by users for its reliability and convenience.

Confusing User Interface: Many users have expressed frustration with the user interface of ArcGIS, finding it confusing and difficult to get used to. Some reviewers have suggested that a usability study should be conducted to improve the work process.

Expensive Cost: The high cost of ArcGIS is a common concern among users, especially for small companies and professionals in underdeveloped countries. Reviewers mention the expensive price of the software itself as well as the high annual maintenance fees compared to the new features provided.

Installation and Technical Support Issues: Users have reported problems with the installation process for new versions of ArcGIS, often requiring technical support. They have requested training materials and user-friendly videos to better utilize and understand the software.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(26-39 of 39)
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Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
ArcGIS is used by my department in the earth sciences. It allows sophisticated visualization and statistical analysis of geospatial data. It is also used by some other departments (e.g. astronomy and archaeology) for ad-hoc needs.
  • ArcGIS can handle multiple data types natively and usually without error. This mixing allows for more in-depth analysis than with a less robust software suite.
  • ArcGIS has ready-to-use basemaps that save time when doing quick work.
  • ArcGIS often allows multiple solutions to a problem. This user flexibility makes for a more comfortable experience.
  • There are frequently errors when using some tools, and the descriptions on these errors are often vague and unhelpful. This makes troubleshooting very difficult.
  • ArcGIS is slow for many tasks, which makes for an annoying experience - particularly with large datasets.
  • ArcGIS is expensive. Licenses may be out of reach for some researchers or organizations.
ArcGIS is the industry standard for geospatial analysis because nothing else has such a large suite of features. This robustness is the software's greatest strength and is why it's used everywhere from academia to industry. One useful scenario is in performing network traces from thousands of different points - model builder or Python can automate this process. However, ArcGIS' high cost and memory/slowness issues preclude it for being perfect for all scenarios. Some open source competitors offers 90% of the functionality without the headache.
Rafael Becemberg | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Initially is was used by me to analyze and characterize the historical trajectories of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
Its versatility and ability to work phenomena in geographical coordinates and across different time zones allowed me to analyze the behavior of hurricanes since 1851. With other programs such as AutoCAD it would have been impossible to do so. It is currently being used to characterize the rainfall pattern in Venezuela. Different people of the company are being trained in the use of this tool, with the local commercial representative (Esri).


  • It allows to work and analyze phenomena on a large scale.
  • The fact that one is able to work in geographical coordinates makes it much more versatile for these tasks than programs such as AutoCAD or similar, designed to work in smaller domains.
  • The interpolation functions that it has can be extended and improved.
  • The interface with the user can also be improved so that any user who uses it for the first time, can access to understand the program more easily.
It is the most functional program that I have found so far, both because of the variety of georeferencing datums and coordinate systems, allowing to pass from one datum to another with great ease. In global meteorological and oceanographic studies, its value is very high because it allows the complete visualization of the phenomenon that is to be studied, and at the same time it allows sensitivity analysis when turning off or igniting certain variables in certain years or areas.

Its weakness, in my opinion, lies in the methods of interpolation that it has because they can lead to erroneous interpretations, depending on the skill and experience of the user.

March 16, 2018

The best GIS tool

Isabel Huamani | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In my performance as a geography professional I have used ArcGis for the regionalization of the territory, the analysis of the regional urban system of different territorial areas, and the construction of topographic and thematic cartography for territorial diagnosis.
  • I think it's easy to use, has a friendly interface and a wide range of geoprocessing tools available.
  • I also like that it has several options to achieve the same result, being able to choose the best one according to the circumstances
  • In addition, the cartographic output is very professional. It is incomparable.
  • It can be very slow. It requires a powerful computer to execute tasks quickly, because It uses a lot of RAM
  • The costs of this software are enormous for the initial purchase price and the subsequent yearly fees for the product.
  • Limited options for incorporating graphics into maps
ArcGis is an excellent tool for spatial analysis. It allows you to reduce response times. Once you invest in training your staff, you will realize the benefits that using ArcGis can bring to your business.
Julio A Rivas | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Currently, ArcGIS is used with several product options. First are maps for a specific theme; there are maps for hydraulics systems and there are heat maps for population behavior. My company, has two main users; the other three people are field professionals, and they are always are looking for the latest information of some focused theme, like a traffic mobility or flood risk near Caracas.
  • Cartographic output
  • Data process
  • Attribute fields
  • Load field data information
  • Create raster procesed information from basic data
  • Every project occupied lots of computer memory
  • Makes the computer run slow
  • It's a very expensive software
ArcGIS worked the best when our company did a job on roadmaps for Zamora's Mayor Office, with a pump stations risk map and a first response and hospital map, at the end we finished with an all-in one-map. It was very hard to see the problems that the Mayor's Office has to deal with. ArcGIS has a high price for a small business like ours.
Dmitry Galkin | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Several people throughout our company use ArcGIS to create visual stories through maps. We often work with cities, because of which we need to make maps using parcel data.
  • ArcGIS is very good at allowing one to incorporate data from different sources, for example matching parcel shapefiles to Excel-based data on certain parcels.
  • When used properly, ArcGIS can be good at showing compelling stories visually. This is useful when one needs to convey geographical information quickly.
  • ArcGIS does a good job of maintaining a consistent interface over different updates. This makes it easier for someone, once trained in ArcGIS, to adapt quickly to a new version.
  • ArcGIS can be a difficult interface to get used to for new users. There are many tools at one's fingertips, but it takes a while to learn them. A standard tutorial program may be available, but should be marketed more to companies that use ArcGIS.
  • I'd like to see ArcGIS connect more to publicly available shapefile data that could be accessed and incorporated directly through the program.
  • I think a user forum, with input from administrators, similar to what IMPLAN provides, would be very useful. This could help users ask questions and get answers on tips for using ArcGIS.
  • I don't really like the credit-based subscription system to which ArcGIS transitioned. Perhaps it's more fair overall, as it links usage to cost, but the fact that credits do not carry over seems like a punishment for the subscribers who use ArcGIS moderately.
ArcGIS is very suitable for situations when you need to create detailed maps. It is not suitable if you do not need to create a map and you have limited or no experience in the program already.
Cesar A Siso L | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Well, ArcGIS has been used in my organization since 2010, when happened de Mayon change in the municipality, with the intention of obtaining real data of the urbanization and people for making them pay taxes. The software is only used in the Catastral Department, not in other locations. The main problem that is the transition from a trial version for one that had been paid, it was very expensive for the organization and limit the number of users.
  • ArcGIS has an excellent core of tools to make possible everything you need in spatial analysis, from analysis of raster data to the conversion of CAD file to shapefile to simplify their use
  • The simple use of the software is its other great virtues, it is very easy to use, very friendly with the user, the localizations of the tools, the intuitive nature of the menus and the facility to open and save the files
  • The exit format of the maps maybe it is other of the great advantages of ArcGIS in comparison with other GIS, you have a big range of formats to save your map images, and that allows you to uses in any way you like
  • The first thing is the cost, it is a very expensive software for countries of the underdeveloped world, so the professionals of GIS who want to use it, sometimes observe a big range of limitations, because we can use only a few tools that the organization pay and our analysis sometimes are limited because of that.
  • For a rookie user, maybe the software can be overwhelming, seeing so many tools and so many options and features maybe can be afraid or do not know where to start, so it is necessary to prepare a big range of tutorials for people that do not know anything about the GIS, because they can be a possible users but maybe they can be afraid of the software
  • The process of installation of a new version in our case bring us a big problem because the software does not want to be uninstalled so we have to contact technical support to make the transition from version 9.3 to 10 and that delay many of our work
ArcGIS can be used possibly in any private or public organization that needs a kind of spatial analysis, the software allows you to use a big range of tools to analyze everything you have in your territory or market, like people, frequency of buying, transit, transportation, pollution, green areas, urbanization, soil use, travelers, etc. All these categories allow us to make plans or organize a budget and generate a better use of information.

On the other hand, maybe ArcGIS can be a threat to politicians because the big quantity of data you allow makes an analysis of everything you want including the behavior of people and what their needs are. Sometimes that is something that politicians do not want the public to know for security reasons.
yixiang Shan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
ArcGIS from the ESRI has become the Fedex corporate standard. We use its Geo-location services, Mapping services, helping operational research, and engineering planning, for optimizing the Fedex express/logistics network. Fedex uses ArgGIS to provide the geospatial solutions that are extensible to multiple business applications by providing GIS infrastructure to enable rapid integration of GIS capabilities into global FedEx business applications.
  • ArcGIS is a great for displaying large amounts of geographic data. The online interactive platform ArcGIS Online is very useful.
  • The documentation of ArcGIS is very helpful and detail.
  • The graphical interface of ArcGis is user friendly.
  • ArcGIS is an powerful suite of applications and tools that all work together seamlessly for a complete desktop, mobile, and web solution.
  • The Python integration and REST API are make it more powerful and flexible, allowing you programmatically to access the data in a variety of ways.
  • The online help/forum changes too frequently.
  • Being the major paid GIS software, there is no real competition. But sometimes random crush will make the user disappointed.
  • Little bit too "black-box", any processes completed, ranging from geocoding to slope interpolations, do not have an exhaustive list of steps taken to reach the specific geo-coordinates, making understanding very difficult.
Very good for the big enterprise to study and improve the logistics network which is related to the GIS domain. Not suitable for the small business or study as the license fee is relatively high.
Nikardi Jallah | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
ArcMAP/ArcGIS is new for the department that I work with. I, on the other hand, have previous experience working with ArcGIS from my university. I currently use ArcGIS as a way to map prevalence and incidence estimates of several behavioral risk factors in my state. The prevalence and incidence estimates can be entered or uploaded to the attribute table in ArcGIS, where differences are illustrated using symbols (graduated colors or polygons). Spatial mapping is also important for our team. Hotspot analysis, address geocoding, and spatial rate and smoothers are easily done on the ArcGIS system. ArcGIS does a great job mapping X,Y coordinates which you can then spatially join on your map. In addition to spatial analysis, ArcGIS allows you to use python code to run the geo-processing tools that allow you to do the spatial analysis, buffers, joins, and much more!
  • ArcGIS is great at mapping geo-coded data (specifically data with X,Y coordinates like addresses or events in certain places).
  • Using ArcToolbox on GIS allows you to do many different analyses including spatial analysis, spatial statistics, hot-spot analysis, and joins with the many geo-processing tools.
  • ArcGIS is a great application for mapping health-related data, visually. Incidence and prevalence data can easily be visualized by using symbols or colors on your map. The layout view allows you to customize your map by adding a North arrow, legend, and scale bar.
  • ArcGIS can sometimes freeze or perform tasks slowly when too many geo-processing tools have been used on the MAP.
  • ArcGIS could be improved by having a better support page. It is difficult to get the answers you need if you are unsure of how to, for example, perform spatial auto-correlations on your map.
  • ArcGIS is only for data that can be spatially represented, and that is its limitation.
ArcGIS is great for data that can be spatially illustrated, primarily in the health or environment sector. ArcGIS does not do well with data that is better off seen on a graph or table. It is also important that you have X,Y coordinates if you want to correctly plot data on a map.
October 24, 2017

The good old ArcGIS

Flávio Carmo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our GIS department uses as the main GIS tool, as an individual and collaborative tool. Our use is supported by our clients' needs. We use it to make vectorial databases for cities and states in urban and rural areas. ArcGIS provides to us a full set of tools to make our work organized and productive.
  • Full set of tools
  • Interoperability
  • Collaboration
  • Tools are too bureaucratic
  • Toolbox tools have a slow interface
It is suited for large applications with a complex server side integration, that makes ArcGIS desktop and ArcGIS server a perfect pair, with great collaborative tools for GIS teams.

It falls short when the job is simple, such as making a small vectorial database, when tools like QGIS are more suited or when the client has money issues, because it is a pricey solution.
September 11, 2017

ArcGIS Software Review

Lance Huntley | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I can't discuss in any detail how we use ArcGIS to address problems as it would compromise our competitive advantage. Suffice it to say, we are very pleased with the overall performance of the software. Let there be no doubt, we are winning business because of ESRI's ArcGIS. Other than that I am not really at liberty to say. I do hope you understand.
  • Spatial analysis.
  • Mapping.
  • Customer Support is some of the best I have ever received, ever!
  • Secondary data for use with it's products. Good as it is, but add more to it if you could, that would be great.
  • I have used ArcGIS for a long time, it does everything I need it to. In fact it has WAY more features than I will ever use.
  • Add more secondary data.
  • Demonstrate space time boxes... what are they, when are they being used.
Everyone knows where it should be used and where it shouldn't! It's mapping and spatial analytics software, you use it to do that. If you need to map some locational data then ArcGIS can help, if you want to understand socioeconomic characteristics around a particular location, you can do that as well. There are tons of spatial tools, from analysis to creation to joining, whatever you need, spatially, this is the program to get. There are free online add-ons as well, so you can go the cloud route if you want.
Tiffany Puett, GISP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
ArcGIS provides the tools for both our customers and our team to catalog, visualize, and analyze spatial data. When training, I always ask my class what industry wouldn't benefit from spatial data and it's really a trick question because I believe there isn't one. In other words, being able to add dimension and depth to data that an organization already has from a spatial perspective is invaluable. Let's say you have some addresses of all of your customers in a database. With a flat table, there isn't much more you can do. But with GIS, you can map those addresses and come up with hot spots or areas where most of the customers are concentrated. For retail, it may be beneficial to put new stores in these areas. Further, you could introduce things like household income, age range of population, driving distance, and more that may help you make that decision.
  • ArcGIS has some really strong cartographic aspects. Users can print or export to various formats such as pdf for sharing with decision makers Or they may leverage some of the interactive capabilities of an ArcGIS Online app which can be made public or secured by logins.
  • The current state of ArcGIS Desktop is intuitive and user-friendly. Users can add data, symbolize it and start working with tables in rapid time. In addition, users can easily push their data to a web map with a couple of clicks.
  • My favorite aspect of ArcGIS is being able to quickly query out data based on a certain criteria. Users can also merge the data into another layer based on its location. For example, you may have a bunch of building all over the map that need a situs address. Users can merge the building data with underlying parcel data and grab the situs address. The number of buildings per parcel can then be extracted from the data to see if it matches the tax listing. The buildings that don't match up can then be extracted for field work.
  • It would be nice if more functions from the Desktop application worked on a tablet. I understand that it is a beefy application so this would be dependent on the capabilities of the device.
ArcGIS is well suited to those who need more than just a map as a visual representation of some data. Users will benefit from the vast amount of tools available for modeling and analyzing spatial trends. That said, if you just need a map, then there are many more affordable options out there.
Manik Mitra PE, CFM, CPESC | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
HR Green uses ArcGIS for all kinds preliminary engineering purposes and making exhibits. It is being used across the whole organization for planning, exhibits, design etc.
  • Making plans to prepare exhibits so that the clients can make decisions wisely and efficiently.
  • In terms of shape file editing ArcGIS could add some new features like Civil 3D.
[It's well suited for] making exhibits and planning purposes(data representation, analysis, and other planning). It's less suited for design purposes. You have to depend on other software for design purposes.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
ArcGIS is used across the organization and in many departments. It is a fantastic tool for any kind of georeference.
  • A wealth of options - this is a powerful piece of software.
  • Many ways to display data which is critical in getting your findings across.
  • Easy to share work with others.
  • It can be slow so be prepared to wait if you have complex data/maps.
  • Very expensive. If it was not provided to students many simply have no means to access it.
  • Very large piece of software - an SSD is recommended.
  • It has crashed on occasion - which can be frustrating when working with complex data.
ArcGIS is useful in almost every case where you need to demonstrate something with a map. It is incredibly powerful and can produce amazing analysis. Since these are on maps, they make great tools for presentations or talks. However, using it is not easy and the software is expensive. If you would like to map some data only once or twice it is probably not worth the time or money.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Previously, I used ArcGIS in an educational capacity as a student. For a number of years I learned ArcGIS and used it to complete projects, assignments, and other tasks as required for my classwork.

Currently, I use ArcGIS in a personal/educational capacity as a tool to complete my thesis reseach. ArcGIS has proven to be absolutely critical in my thesis research as it is a fully functional GIS suite that in many regards is the industry standard (analogous to the Adobe Suite in the creative fields). Due to its long legacy, ArcGIS contains a huge suite of varied tools for analysis, display, and sharing of my data and results.

Over the years, ArcGIS has transitioned to being a bit more open in many regards. One of the biggest changes was switching the tools over to Python to ease scripting, updating, and modification of the internal tools and analyses. ArcGIS has also improved its ability to import/export various proprietary and open data formats and sources.
  • Fully-featured and powerful GUI.
  • Large library of integrated tools for analysis and visualization.
  • Large community of experts, novices, and academics to provide tons of examples, help, and guidance for users.
  • Excellent documentation.
  • Industry-wide acceptance and usage means ease of deployment and exchange with others.
  • Fully x64 native client is needed for large/complex datasets, which are not uncommon in GIS.
  • GPU-accelerated analyses is needed as it will reduce analysis times orders of magnitude in most every case.
  • Fully multi-threaded analyses where possible. Currently, analyses are almost exclusively single-threaded on the CPU with ArcGIS' GUI running in a separate thread to prevent lockup.
  • Better interchange capabilities with Open Data formats and sources like OpenStreetMap.
  • Product stability could use some improvement, especially when working on a very large project file.
If you work in the industry, I do not believe you can go wrong with ArcGIS, especially if your company is willing to license it for you. The power of ArcGIS combined with its industry-wide presence means it is the defacto tool in many companies and institutions. It also has an incredibly intuitive (for a GIS suite) GUI, which eases the learning curve when compared to other offerings which historically have had more obtuse GUIs. ArcGIS manages to strike an impressive balance between functionality and intuitiveness.

For home use, I think ArcGIS could potentially be overkill, though recently ESRI has offered a home-use single-seat license for $100 which is an excellent deal. For use-cases like this, I would recommend QGIS from OSGeo as it would be more than sufficient for home or hobbyist uses without carrying any cost for licensing.
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