Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving CARTO.
Want the closest match?
AtlasMost similar to CARTO in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Atlas in a new tab)Need a free plan?
ArcwiseHas a free plan, rated 4.1 out of 5. CARTO has none.
Visit (opens Arcwise in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
Amazon QuickSight QFrom $3/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens Amazon QuickSight Q in a new tab)Want the best rated?
AnomaloRated 4.3 out of 5 in our review, against 4.3 for CARTO.
Visit (opens Anomalo in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than CARTO, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CARTOBaseline | 4.3 | Not listed | No | Cloud-native GIS platform for spatial analysis that runs inside BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift or Databricks, with AI Agents that answer location questions and build maps from natural-language prompts. | |
| Atlas | 4.0−0.3 | Free | YesCARTO has none | AI-native GIS platform that builds maps, dashboards, and spatial analysis from a conversation. | vs CARTO |
 Coginiti | 4.2−0.1 | $15.75/mo | No | Coginiti pairs an AI SQL assistant with a governed semantic layer so data teams and AI agents work from the same trusted metrics. | vs CARTO |
 Faraday | 3.4−0.9 | Free | YesCARTO has none | 1,400+ data points on 240 million US adults, sub-200ms API responses, custom churn and conversion-propensity models - a B2B customer-context platform, not a chat product. | vs CARTO |
 Hightouch | 4.2−0.1 | Not listed | No | Reached unicorn status syncing warehouse data back out to the marketing and sales tools teams already use | vs CARTO |
| Arcwise | 4.1−0.2 | $29.99/mo | YesCARTO has none | AI copilot embedded in Google Sheets that turns plain-language requests into pivots, charts, and cleaned data. | vs CARTO |
| Amazon QuickSight Q | 4.2−0.1 | $3/mo | No | Natural-language querying layered onto AWS's existing BI tool | vs CARTO |
| Anomalo | 4.3Same | Not listed | No | Data quality platform that detects and explains anomalies across enterprise data warehouses without manual rule-writing. | vs CARTO |
 Quadratic | 4.2−0.1 | Not listed | No | Spreadsheet that runs Python and SQL, connects to your database, and answers in plain English. | vs CARTO |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches CARTO.
Atlas
4.0Free
vs CARTO−0.3Free plan
AI-native GIS platform that builds maps, dashboards, and spatial analysis from a conversation.
- Navi AI assistant that builds maps and spatial analysis from natural-language requests
- 50+ built-in analysis operations including buffer, clip, dissolve, and hotspot analysis
- Real-time collaborative editing with changes syncing across team members instantly
Natural-language interface removes the need for specialized GIS training to build maps
Advanced spatial analysis features may still require GIS domain knowledge to interpret correctly
Coginiti
4.2$15.75/mo
vs CARTO−0.1
Coginiti pairs an AI SQL assistant with a governed semantic layer so data teams and AI agents work from the same trusted metrics.
- AI SQL assistant for query generation and optimization
- Governed semantic layer shared between humans and AI agents
- Connectors to 21+ database and warehouse platforms
Broad database connector coverage spans legacy and modern platforms
No perpetual free plan, only a 14-day trial
Faraday
3.4Free
vs CARTO−0.9Free plan
1,400+ data points on 240 million US adults, sub-200ms API responses, custom churn and conversion-propensity models - a B2B customer-context platform, not a chat product.
- 1,400+ consumer/identity data points on 240M U.S. adults
- Sub-200ms real-time API responses
- MCP support for direct AI agent integration
Massive, specific, verifiable data scale rather than a vague "big data" claim
Enterprise tier requires a sales-led process for complex needs
Hightouch
4.2Not listed
vs CARTO−0.1
Reached unicorn status syncing warehouse data back out to the marketing and sales tools teams already use.
- Reverse ETL sync from cloud warehouses to marketing, sales, and ad platforms
- Warehouse-native architecture avoids duplicating customer data into a separate CDP
- Audience building and identity resolution layered on top of the sync engine
Warehouse-native design avoids the data-duplication problem separate CDPs create
Custom enterprise pricing means no self-serve tier for a small team to try quickly
Arcwise
4.1$29.99/mo
vs CARTO−0.2Free plan
AI copilot embedded in Google Sheets that turns plain-language requests into pivots, charts, and cleaned data.
- $AI.TRANSFORM, $AI.CLASSIFY, and $AI.EXTRACT custom functions for running AI operations on cell ranges
- Chat-style assistant that builds pivot tables, charts, and summary reports from natural-language requests
- PDF upload with automatic extraction of tables and data into spreadsheet rows
Works inside Google Sheets directly, avoiding an export/import workflow
Limited to Google Sheets, with no native Microsoft Excel version
Amazon QuickSight Q
4.2$3/mo
vs CARTO−0.1
Natural-language querying layered onto AWS's existing BI tool.
- Natural-language querying of connected data
- Native integration with AWS data services (Redshift, S3, RDS)
- Built on top of QuickSight's existing dashboard infrastructure
Native AWS integration removes a separate data pipeline step
No free tier for Q specifically
Anomalo
4.3Not listed
vs CARTOSame
Data quality platform that detects and explains anomalies across enterprise data warehouses without manual rule-writing.
- Automated anomaly detection across data warehouses
- "Unknown unknown" issue discovery without manual rules
- Data validation and governance dashboards
Flags data issues nobody thought to write a rule for
Pricing is not published anywhere public
Quadratic
4.2Not listed
vs CARTO−0.1
Spreadsheet that runs Python and SQL, connects to your database, and answers in plain English.
- Python, SQL and formulas in the same grid
- Live connections to Postgres, Snowflake, BigQuery and more
- Natural-language questions that generate the code
Removes the export-to-CSV step where analysis goes stale
No pricing figures published, only a free trial
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is CARTO free?
CARTO does not list a free plan. Check its pricing page for current plans.
What is the best free alternative to CARTO?
Arcwise is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.1 out of 5). Other free options: Atlas, Faraday.
What is the cheapest alternative to CARTO?
Among paid plans, Amazon QuickSight Q has the lowest starting price (from $3/mo). If you need it free, start with Arcwise.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.