Google Earth Pro

Google Earth Pro is Google's desktop version of Google Earth for users who need more than the browser and mobile apps offer. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It can import GIS data such as shapefiles, CSV files and KML. It can show historical satellite imagery, measure radius, area and 3D paths, run viewshed analysis, print and export high-resolution images, and record video tours. Businesses mostly use it for quick site evaluation and planning. Users describe mapping farms, fences and water lines, and planning underground utility work for municipalities. Engineering and construction firms often use it to view project locations alongside imagery before they move to full GIS or CAD tools. The software costs nothing: Google once charged 399 dollars a year for the Pro licence but now offers it free, with no paid tiers or add-ons. Its main open format is KML, which most GIS, drone and survey packages can read and write. It is not an asset management system. It has no work orders, maintenance scheduling, sensor connections, collaboration or version control, and reviewers call its analysis basic compared with QGIS or ArcGIS. The biggest limitation is its future. In July 2026 Google announced that the desktop app will no longer be available for new downloads from June 25, 2027, and it is steering users to the web and mobile versions. Existing installs are expected to keep working, but sources disagree on whether Google will keep releasing updates. Teams that rely on desktop-only features should plan a migration.