Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Plotly VS Esri ArcGIS

Compare Plotly VS Esri ArcGIS and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Plotly logo Plotly

Low-Code Data Apps

Esri ArcGIS logo Esri ArcGIS

ArcGIS provides contextual tools for mapping and spatial reasoning so you can explore data & share location-based insights. ArcGIS is the heart of the Esri Geospatial Cloud. Try ArcGIS for free with 21-day trial.
  • Plotly Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-31
  • Esri ArcGIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-14

Plotly features and specs

  • Interactivity
    Plotly offers highly interactive plots that allow users to pan, zoom, and hover over data points for more information. This enhances the user experience and provides deeper insights.
  • High-quality visualizations
    It provides aesthetically pleasing and highly customizable charts, making it suitable for publication-quality visuals.
  • Versatility
    Plotly supports multiple chart types including line charts, scatter plots, bar charts, and 3D plots, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
  • Python integration
    Plotly is well-integrated with Python and works seamlessly with other popular data science libraries like Pandas, NumPy, and Scikit-learn.
  • Web-based
    The plots can be easily embedded in web applications or dashboards, making it ideal for sharing insights over the internet.
  • Open-source
    Plotly offers an open-source version, which allows users to create and share visualizations without any cost.

Possible disadvantages of Plotly

  • Performance
    Rendering very large datasets can sometimes be slow, which may not be suitable for real-time data visualization requirements.
  • Learning curve
    Even though the library is well-documented, the extensive range of features can have a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Cost for advanced features
    While the basic functionality is free, more advanced features, such as export to certain formats and additional customizable options, require a paid subscription.
  • Dependency management
    Plotly has a number of dependencies that need to be managed properly, which can sometimes complicate the setup process.
  • Complexity
    For simple visualizations, Plotly might be overkill and simpler libraries like Matplotlib or Seaborn could be more appropriate.

Esri ArcGIS features and specs

  • Comprehensive Toolset
    ArcGIS offers a wide range of tools for mapping, spatial analysis, data management, and more, making it a versatile platform for various GIS needs.
  • Scalability
    ArcGIS can scale from individual use on a desktop to extensive enterprise deployments, allowing it to meet the needs of small projects as well as large organizations.
  • Integration Capabilities
    The platform supports integration with other software systems and databases, as well as various APIs, enabling seamless data sharing and workflow integration.
  • Robust Support and Documentation
    Esri provides extensive documentation, a comprehensive support system, and a vibrant user community, which can be invaluable for troubleshooting and learning.
  • Advanced Spatial Analysis
    ArcGIS includes powerful spatial analysis tools and machine learning capabilities to reveal patterns and insights from spatial data.
  • Regular Updates and Innovations
    Esri regularly updates ArcGIS, introducing new features, tools, and improvements to keep up with technology advancements and user requirements.
  • Cloud Services
    ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise offer cloud-based solutions, providing robust data hosting, sharing, and collaboration capabilities.

Possible disadvantages of Esri ArcGIS

  • Cost
    ArcGIS can be expensive, especially for small organizations or individuals, as it requires a subscription or purchase of licenses for access to its full range of features.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its comprehensive toolset, ArcGIS can have a steep learning curve, requiring significant time and training to master.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Running ArcGIS, particularly for large datasets and complex analyses, can require powerful hardware, which might necessitate additional infrastructure investment.
  • Complexity
    The software's extensive capabilities can sometimes be overwhelming, making it challenging for users to find and employ the right tools for their specific needs.
  • Licensing Complexity
    ArcGIS has multiple products and licensing options, which can be confusing and might require careful consideration to choose the best suited for the user's needs.
  • Dependency on Internet
    Some of the cloud-based features of ArcGIS require a stable internet connection, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Proprietary Software
    ArcGIS is not open-source, which means that users do not have full control over the software and its customizability might be limited compared to open-source GIS platforms.

Analysis of Plotly

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Plotly is a strong choice for those looking to create dynamic and interactive data visualizations, thanks to its range of features and ease of integration with web technologies.

Why this product is good

  • Plotly is considered good because it offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating interactive visualizations that can be used in web applications, reports, and dashboards. It supports many different types of plots, is easy to use for both beginners and experienced developers, and integrates well with popular programming languages like Python, R, and JavaScript.

Recommended for

    Plotly is recommended for data scientists, analysts, and developers who need to create interactive and visually appealing data visualizations. It's particularly useful for those who work with Python or R and want the ability to embed their visualizations in web applications or dashboards.

Plotly videos

Create Real-time Chart with Javascript | Plotly.js Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Introducing plotly.py 3.0
  • Review - Is Plotly The Better Matplotlib?
  • Tutorial - Plotly Tutorial 2021
  • Review - Data Visualization as The First and Last Mile of Data Science Plotly Express and Dash | SciPy 2021

Esri ArcGIS videos

No Esri ArcGIS videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Plotly and Esri ArcGIS)
Data Visualization
100 100%
0% 0
Maps
0 0%
100% 100
Data Dashboard
100 100%
0% 0
Mapping And GIS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Plotly and Esri ArcGIS

Plotly Reviews

Best 8 Redash Alternatives in 2023 [In Depth Guide]
Plotly is specifically designed for companies who want to build and deploy analytic applications like dashboards using Python, Julia, or R without needing DevOps or Javascript developers.
Source: www.datapad.io
5 Best Python Libraries For Data Visualization in 2023
Plotly is a web-based data visualization toolkit that comes with unique functionalities such as dendrograms, 3D charts, and also contour plots, which is not very common in other libraries. It has a great API offering scatter plots, line charts, bar charts, error bars, box plots, and other visualizations. Plotly can even be accessed from a Python Notebook.
Top 8 Python Libraries for Data Visualization
Plotly is a free open-source graphing library that can be used to form data visualizations. Plotly (plotly.py) is built on top of the Plotly JavaScript library (plotly.js) and can be used to create web-based data visualizations that can be displayed in Jupyter notebooks or web applications using Dash or saved as individual HTML files. Plotly provides more than 40 unique...
5 top picks for JavaScript chart libraries
Plotly is a graphing library that’s available for various runtime environments, including the browser. It supports many kinds of charts and graphs that we can configure with a variety of options.

Esri ArcGIS Reviews

6 Best GIS Software 2024
On the flip side, utilizing Esri software may necessitate a significant time investment to master its intricate features, and is considered costly when compared to more budget-friendly alternatives. Ultimately, Esri ArcGIS stands as a strong GIS and data visualization ecosystem. Nevertheless, it is essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons to determine if it aligns with...
Source: www.caliper.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Plotly seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 33 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Plotly mentions (33)

  • Python for Data Visualization: Best Tools and Practices
    Plotly is perfect for interactive visualizations. You can create interactive charts and graphs that allow users to hover, click, and zoom in. Plotly is also great for web-based visuals, making it easy to share your findings online. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Generative AI Powered QnA & Visualization Chatbot
    Front End: A React application that leverages React-Chatbotify library to easily integrate a chatbot GUI. It also uses the Plotly library to display the charts/visualizations. The generative AI implementation and details are entirely abstracted from the front end. The front-end application depends on a single REST endpoint of the backend application. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Build a Stock Dashboard in less than 40 lines of Python code!🤓
    In this tutorial, Mariya Sha will guide you through building a stock value dashboard using Taipy, Plotly, and a dataset from Kaggle. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Essential Deep Learning Checklist: Best Practices Unveiled
    How to Accomplish: Utilize visualization libraries like Matplotlib, Seaborn, or Plotly in Python to create histograms, scatter plots, and bar charts. For image data, use tools that visualize images alongside their labels to check for labeling accuracy. For structured data, correlation matrices and pair plots can be highly informative. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Python equivalent to power bi/power query?
    For dashboards: - https://plotly.com/ is probably my favourite, but there are others like streamlit, voila and others... Source: over 1 year ago
View more

Esri ArcGIS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Esri ArcGIS yet. Tracking of Esri ArcGIS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Plotly and Esri ArcGIS, you can also consider the following products

D3.js - D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS.

ArcGIS Pro - Explore ArcGIS Pro resources such as tutorials, videos, documentation, instructor-led classes & more. Find answers, build expertise and connect with the ArcGIS Pro community.

Chart.js - Easy, object oriented client side graphs for designers and developers.

Maptitude - Maptitude is a mapping software that is fitted with GIS features that avail maps and other forms of data regarding the surrounding geographical areas. Read more about Maptitude.

RAWGraphs - RAWGraphs is an open source app built with the goal of making the visualization of complex data...

Google Earth Pro - Google Earth Pro allows you fly anywhere around the earth to view satellite imagery, maps, 3D building, and terrain, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean.