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Compare Global Mapper and Surfer 
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At a Glance
Market Segments
Mid-Market (40.0% of reviews)
Small-Business (53.2% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Not enough data
Not enough data
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $700.00 With One-Time Purchase
$599.00 1 License Per Year
Global Mapper
Star Rating
(30)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (40.0% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Not enough data
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $700.00 With One-Time Purchase
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 Surfer excels in data visualization, with a rating of 9.0, allowing for detailed and visually appealing maps, while Global Mapper, rated at 8.7, offers solid visualization but may not match the aesthetic quality of Surfer's outputs.
- Reviewers mention that Surfer's ease of setup is notably high, scoring 9.1, which is a significant advantage for new users, whereas Global Mapper lacks a specific score for setup, indicating potential challenges in this area.
- G2 users highlight Surfer's quality of support with a score of 9.2, suggesting that users feel well-supported, while Global Mapper's support is rated lower at 8.2, indicating room for improvement in customer service.
- Users on G2 note that Global Mapper shines in data storage capabilities, scoring 8.3 compared to Surfer's 6.9, which suggests that Global Mapper may handle larger datasets more efficiently.
- Reviewers mention that Surfer's product direction is viewed positively at 8.4, indicating a strong roadmap for future features, while Global Mapper's lower score of 7.4 suggests some uncertainty about its future development.
- Users say that both products perform well in spatial analysis, with Surfer scoring 8.5 and Global Mapper at 8.0, but Surfer's higher score indicates a slight edge in analytical capabilities.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Global Mapper
Global Mapper
Starting at $700.00
With One-Time Purchase
Perpetual license with annual Maintenance and Support
- Single User Node-Locked license
- Single User Floating license
- USB Dongle License
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
Global Mapper
Free Trial is available
Surfer
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.5
26
8.6
102
Ease of Use
7.8
25
8.7
106
Ease of Setup
Not enough data
9.1
48
Ease of Admin
Not enough data
8.9
47
Quality of Support
8.2
22
9.2
90
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
Not enough data
9.3
45
Product Direction (% positive)
7.4
27
8.4
107
Features by Category
Data Management
8.7
5
7.8
6
8.3
5
6.9
6
7.7
5
6.7
6
8.7
5
9.0
7
Map Creation
Not enough data
7.8
6
Not enough data
7.7
5
8.0
5
7.9
7
7.7
5
8.6
7
Analysis
8.0
5
8.5
8
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
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
Global Mapper and Surfer are categorized as GIS
Unique Categories
Global Mapper is categorized as Drone Analytics
Surfer is categorized as Mining, Oil and Gas Engineering, Geology and Seismic, and Oil and Gas Simulation and Modeling
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Global Mapper
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
Oil & Energy
26.7%
Civil Engineering
23.3%
Information Technology and Services
6.7%
Environmental Services
6.7%
Wireless
3.3%
Other
33.3%
Environmental Services
29.0%
Oil & Energy
15.3%
Research
12.9%
Mining & Metals
11.3%
Civil Engineering
9.7%
Other
21.8%
Alternatives
Discussions
Global Mapper has no discussions with answers
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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