ArcGIS vs GE Smallworld Comparison
Compare ArcGIS vs GE Smallworld features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
ArcGIS
7.2/10
Esri's GIS platform for mapping, spatial analysis and field data collection, used by utilities, governments and infrastructure owners to manage networks and assets.
GE Smallworld
6/10
GE Vernova's Smallworld is a geospatial network management (GIS) platform that electric, gas, water and telecom utilities use to model, plan and maintain their physical networks.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.2/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 3/10 | 2/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Asset Registry | ||
| GIS and Mapping | ||
| Engineering Design | Not listed | |
| Engineering Simulation | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose ArcGIS
- Higher Analytics score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Cost score (3/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for small business (4/10 vs 2/10)
Why choose GE Smallworld
Our data shows no clear advantage over ArcGIS.
Pros & Cons
ArcGIS
Pros
- One platform covers desktop, cloud, self-hosted and mobile GIS, so office and field teams work from the same data.
- Field Maps works fully offline for maps, forms, tasks and utility network tracing.
- Integrates with Cityworks, Salesforce, Power Automate and offers APIs for custom systems.
- G2 reviewers praise how it handles layers and datasets and how easy cloud access makes remote work.
Cons
- No public pricing, and reviewers cite subscription and credit costs as the main complaint.
- Credits are consumed by premium services, which can limit heavy use.
- ArcGIS Online lacks some geoprocessing tools found in ArcGIS Pro and Desktop.
- Reviewers report a steep learning curve without training.
GE Smallworld
Pros
- Purpose-built connected network model for utilities, with industry-specific applications such as Electric Office and Gas Distribution Office.
- Its Version Managed Datastore supports concurrent long-running edits and merges them without data loss.
- It is highly customizable through Magik and Java on the JVM.
- It integrates with GE Vernova GridOS and ADMS, and with SAP and IBM Maximo through Business Integrator.
- It can run on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud and offers browser-based role interfaces.
Cons
- Reviewers describe license and maintenance costs as very high, and there is no public pricing.
- Reviewers say the desktop interface looks dated and is not friendly.
- Exporting data is awkward and often needs a conversion tool such as FME.
- Its value-added tools focus narrowly on utility networks, and one reviewer found its general mapping and spatial queries limited.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
ArcGIS scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 7.2/10 against 6/10 for GE Smallworld. The largest gap is in Analytics: 9/10 for ArcGIS and 6/10 for GE Smallworld.
No, neither ArcGIS nor GE Smallworld lists a free plan.
ArcGIS is the better fit for small business: we rate it 4/10 for them, against 2/10 for GE Smallworld.
