ArcGIS vs Pointly Comparison
Compare ArcGIS vs Pointly 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.
Pointly
6.8/10
Pointly is AI software from Berlin that classifies large LiDAR point clouds and extracts vector objects for utilities, railways, mapping agencies and surveyors.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.2/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 3/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 9/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | €99/mo Professional S |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Digital Twin | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| LiDAR Processing | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
| Power Line Inspection | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
ArcGIS vs Pointly cost by team size
| Team size | ArcGIS | Pointly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
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 5/10)
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for government (9/10 vs 7/10)
Why choose Pointly
- Has a free plan (ArcGIS does not)
- Higher Cost score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 7/10)
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.
Pointly
Pros
- Monthly prices are published, from 99 euros for 500 million points, and there is a free tier for testing
- Pointly Box allows on-premise and air-gapped processing for data-sensitive operators
- It holds ISO 27001 certification, and cloud processing defaults to EU data centers on Azure
- Custom classifiers can be trained on a customer's own class catalog
- There are extensions for Esri ArcGIS and Bentley MicroStation, and it exports in many formats
Cons
- It only covers classification, with no asset management, work orders or maintenance tools
- Vectorization and custom classifier training are quoted per project, not list-price items
- There are few independent user reviews on G2, Capterra or Reddit
- The pricing page has a yearly billing toggle but shows no annual prices
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 6.8/10 for Pointly. The largest gap is in Analytics: 9/10 for ArcGIS and 5/10 for Pointly.
Pointly has a free plan; ArcGIS does not list one.
ArcGIS is the better fit for government: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Pointly.
