ArcGIS vs QGroundControl Comparison
Compare ArcGIS vs QGroundControl 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.
QGroundControl
5.7/10
QGroundControl is a free, open-source ground control station for flight control and mission planning of MAVLink drones running PX4 or ArduPilot.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.2/10 | 5.7/10 |
| Analytics | 9/10 | 3/10 |
| Cost | 3/10 | 10/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 9/10 | 4/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Free Open Source |
| Features | ||
| Work Orders | ||
| GIS and Mapping | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| Inspection Automation | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| LiDAR Processing | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
ArcGIS vs QGroundControl cost by team size
| Team size | ArcGIS | QGroundControl |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeOpen Source |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeOpen Source |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | FreeOpen Source |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | FreeOpen Source |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | FreeOpen Source |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose ArcGIS
- Higher Analytics score (9/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Scalability score (9/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Includes Work Orders, which QGroundControl lacks
Why choose QGroundControl
- Has a free plan (ArcGIS does not)
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 8/10)
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.
QGroundControl
Pros
- Free to use, and the Apache 2.0 license lets companies build commercial products on it.
- Runs natively on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, unlike Mission Planner, which only runs fully on Windows.
- The Survey tool supports custom camera definitions, overlap targets, and terrain following for mapping flights.
- Forum users prefer it for field work on tablets and for resuming missions.
Cons
- Has no fleet management, role-based access, or audit logging for enterprise operations.
- Has no built-in image processing or AI defect detection, so separate tools are needed for those.
- Support comes only from the community, with no vendor SLA.
- Setup and tuning can take time when configuring a vehicle for the first time.
Not sold on either?
Air Inspection Automation (AiA)Our product
Plans DJI drone inspection missions for power line towers from LiDAR scans: it finds the towers, places photo stops, checks clearance, and splits the route into battery flights.
Made by the team behind b stack radar. Shown here because it fits this topic. It is not part of our rankings. How we rank tools
Frequently Asked Questions
ArcGIS scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 7.2/10 against 5.7/10 for QGroundControl. The largest gap is in Cost: 3/10 for ArcGIS and 10/10 for QGroundControl.
QGroundControl has a free plan; ArcGIS does not list one.
ArcGIS is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 4/10 for QGroundControl.
ArcGIS has Work Orders, which QGroundControl lacks.
