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Compare Esri ArcGIS and Surfer 
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At a Glance
Market Segments
Mid-Market (38.4% of reviews)
Small-Business (53.2% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$$$ per year/per user
$599.00 1 License Per Year
Esri ArcGIS
Star Rating
(534)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (38.4% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$$$ per year/per user
Browse all 2 pricing plansSurfer
Star Rating
(126)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (53.2% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Not enough data
Entry-Level Pricing
$599.00 1 License Per Year
Browse all 3 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that Esri ArcGIS excels in Spatial Analysis with a score of 9.3, making it a preferred choice for users needing advanced geospatial analytics. In contrast, Surfer's score of 8.5 in the same category indicates it may not offer the same depth of analysis capabilities.
- Reviewers mention that Surfer shines in Ease of Setup with a score of 9.1, which is significantly higher than Esri ArcGIS's score of 7.3. This suggests that users find Surfer more user-friendly when it comes to initial installation and configuration.
- G2 users highlight Esri ArcGIS's superior Data Manipulation capabilities, scoring 9.0 compared to Surfer's 6.7. This indicates that users can perform more complex data operations effectively with ArcGIS.
- Reviewers mention that Surfer offers a better Quality of Support with a score of 9.2, while Esri ArcGIS scores 8.1. This suggests that users may find more responsive and helpful customer service with Surfer.
- Users on G2 report that Esri ArcGIS provides robust Data Visualization tools, scoring 9.0, which matches Surfer's score. However, the overall user experience in visualization may still favor ArcGIS due to its extensive mapping features.
- Reviewers say that while both products have strong Map Creation features, Esri ArcGIS's score of 9.0 in Overlaying and 9.1 in Map Design indicates a more comprehensive suite of tools for creating detailed and layered maps compared to Surfer.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Esri ArcGIS
ArcGIS Online Subscription Plan Information
$$$
per year/per user
- Plans are renewed on a yearly basis.
- Technical Support is included as part of the subscription.
- Service credits are consumed when you use certain services in Esri's cloud, such as geocoding, hosted feature or tile services, or spatial analysis.
Surfer
Surfer® single -user subscription
$599.00
1 License Per Year
Billed annually
- Access to the latest version of Surfer and Surfer Beta
- Free upgrades, updates, and fixes during the term of your subscription
- Access to Surfer on two personal devices
Free Trial
Esri ArcGIS
Free Trial is available
Surfer
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.8
442
8.6
102
Ease of Use
7.3
443
8.7
106
Ease of Setup
7.4
132
9.1
48
Ease of Admin
7.5
125
8.9
47
Quality of Support
8.1
409
9.2
90
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.3
119
9.3
45
Product Direction (% positive)
8.4
426
8.4
107
Features by Category
Reports
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Self Service
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Advanced Analytics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Building Reports
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Platform
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Data Management
9.0
122
7.8
6
8.7
129
6.9
6
9.0
130
6.7
6
9.0
134
9.0
7
Map Creation
8.7
112
7.8
6
8.9
119
7.7
5
9.0
132
7.9
7
8.8
129
8.6
7
Analysis
9.2
127
8.5
8
8.5
110
Feature Not Available
7.9
72
Feature Not Available
Cartography
9.1
57
Not enough data
9.3
53
Not enough data
9.0
54
Not enough data
9.3
55
Not enough data
Analysis
8.4
48
Not enough data
8.8
52
Not enough data
9.3
53
Not enough data
8.7
37
Not enough data
Reporting
8.4
49
Not enough data
8.4
34
Not enough data
8.2
37
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Geology and Seismic
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Oil and Gas Engineering
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Oil and Gas Simulation and Modeling
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Esri ArcGIS and Surfer are categorized as GIS
Unique Categories
Esri ArcGIS is categorized as Location Intelligence
Surfer is categorized as Mining, Oil and Gas Engineering, Geology and Seismic, and Oil and Gas Simulation and Modeling
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Esri ArcGIS
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Surfer
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Government Administration
15.5%
Higher Education
9.6%
Environmental Services
9.6%
Civil Engineering
9.4%
Utilities
6.3%
Other
49.6%
Environmental Services
29.0%
Oil & Energy
15.3%
Research
12.9%
Mining & Metals
11.3%
Civil Engineering
9.7%
Other
21.8%
Alternatives
Discussions
Where can I learn more about the technical details of ArcGIS Pro?
2 Comments
Official Response from Esri ArcGIS
Please visit: http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/ for more technical information on ArcGIS Pro.Read more
what is price of the software
2 Comments
MG
This depends on the product you would like to purchase. For more information please refer to this product page....Read more
Where can I learn more about options for software developers?
1 Comment
Official Response from Esri ArcGIS
Please visit: https://developers.arcgis.com/ for information about the software development tools that Esri has to offer. Read more
How much does Surfer cost? Are there ongoing maintenance and support fees?
2 Comments
Official Response from Surfer
A full license of Surfer costs $849US. Licenses are perpetual and have no ongoing maintenance and support fees. All maintenance updates are provided free of...Read more
Do you offer a trial version of Surfer?
1 Comment
Official Response from Surfer
Yes - a free, 2 week Surfer trial is available: http://www.goldensoftware.com/products/surfer/trial
Read more
What license options are available?
1 Comment
Official Response from Surfer
A single-user license grants one user the right to use the software license. For each single user license you purchase, you will receive a unique product...Read more
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