What replaces Google Earth Pro?

OpnEarth replaces it for the job most people used it for: opening a large KML or KMZ file and looking at it. It keeps the author's styling and needs no project file or projection settings. On a high-end Mac it draws a 56 MB KMZ holding 374 MB of KML in 3.5 seconds. It does not show Google's satellite imagery, which no third-party product is licensed to do.

Is Google Earth Pro slow with large KMZ files?

On large files, yes. We timed both on one Windows PC with the same 56 MB KMZ: Earth Pro took 30.4 seconds to draw it and OpnEarth took 7.6.

Is OpnEarth easier to use than QGIS for opening a KMZ?

For that task, yes. In QGIS a KMZ goes through an import dialog and projection settings, and the styling often has to be redone before it looks like what the sender saw. In OpnEarth you drag the file onto the window and it draws with its own styling. For geoprocessing or reprojection, QGIS is still the tool to use.

How large a KMZ file can OpnEarth open?

Desktop editions do not impose a local file-size cap; available memory still limits what can open. Web uploads have separate limits. Our reference file is ISED's National Broadband Internet Service Map, a 56 MB KMZ that expands to 374 MB of KML. If yours is larger, tell us about it and we will test with it.

Does OpnEarth have Google's satellite imagery?

No. Google's imagery is licensed data. Its terms do not allow the imagery on a non-Google map or cached for offline use, and having your own API key does not change that. OpnEarth ships with open imagery and elevation data that can be used commercially.

Does my data get uploaded anywhere?

When you choose sharing, uploads, sync, collaboration or remote AI, the relevant content is transmitted. Opening and viewing a file sends nothing about it anywhere. Publishing uploads the features' geometry at the precision you choose, along with the attributes you select. Feature names are included unless you turn them off. The KMZ itself is uploaded only if you switch on file sync for that one file (Pro), encrypted so only your computers can read it. Separately, the application checks in with our server from time to time to confirm your plan.

Does OpnEarth work offline?

Yes, for your own files. KML and KMZ files on your disk open and draw with no connection. The basemap imagery needs a connection unless you have saved an area for offline use. The application also checks in from time to time to confirm your plan, and that check carries nothing about your files.

When can I use OpnEarth?

OpnEarth is in early access. Builds for macOS and Windows exist and are being tested, and we are letting people in one group at a time. Register at https://opnearth.com/waitlist and we will email you when your turn comes. Sign in and open Help & guides for supported formats, or ask us for the full KML support matrix.

Desktop and web · Early access

High-performance
collaborative maps.

OpnEarth keeps large maps moving and your team working together. Open KML and KMZ files, edit shared maps live, and keep comments and review in the same place. On Mac, Windows and the web.

Request early access

Early access, one group at a time. macOS 13+ and Windows 10+. On a Mac?

The OpnEarth window showing a large KMZ rendered over satellite imagery, with the layer tree on the left

Sharing & collaboration · Pro and Enterprise

Edit the same map. See each other’s changes.

Invite people to work on a shared map. Edit together, leave comments and review previous versions.

Illustrated collaboration demo with example data. Live editing, presence and comments are available in OpnEarth.

Live editing

Shared map edits
Collaborator presence
Version history

Map comments

Comments tied to places
Replies and mentions
Notifications

Browser sharing

Share by link or invite
Viewer and editor access
No installation for viewers

Open the web app Compare plans

Web portal

Projects, files and people in one place.

Manage shared maps in your browser. Enterprise adds organisation projects, circuits, groups and guest access.

OpnEarth project portal with circuits, files, people and shared map navigation — Actual Enterprise portal with example data.

Sharing example

Choose who gets access

MMayaProject ownerOwner

LLeoTeam memberEditor

AAlexCustomerViewer

People, groups and guest access. Manage permissions from the portal.

Web app

Open and edit maps in your browser
Use the same account as the desktop app
Available with Pro and Enterprise

Open the web app →

Enterprise projects

Maps, files and circuits
Organisation members and groups
Project sharing with customers

Open projects →

Lite is the desktop edition. Sharing and the web app require Pro or Enterprise. Modules are separate add-ons; none are included with a plan.

3.5 s

Opens huge maps

56 MB KMZ archive; about 374 MB of uncompressed KML.

4×

Faster than Google Earth Pro

Same file, same Windows PC.

No cap

On file size

Even in the free Lite edition.

Offline

Your files stay yours

Files on your computer open with no connection and stay there unless you choose to share.

Speeds measured with the same 56 MB KMZ: 3.5 s on a high-end Mac, and 7.6 s against 30.4 s for Google Earth Pro on a high-end Windows workstation.

Who it is for

Built for teams who get sent big maps

A vendor or a contractor sends the file. You need answers from it today, without waiting on a GIS team.

Telecom and fibre

Answer a quote request in minutes, not days.

See which addresses sit near your network, how far the connection runs and what it costs. When the carrier sends a new version, see exactly what changed.

Engineering and surveying

Put the plan in front of everyone.

Open the site plan on a map anyone can read, check the contractor's as-built against the design, and hand the crew a clear list of what is off.

Utilities and pipelines

Keep sensitive network maps in-house.

Files open from your own computer and are not uploaded. When you do share a map, you pick exactly what goes out.

Government and broadband programs

Build the funding case from the map.

Count the buildings a proposed route passes, and open even national coverage maps without the screen freezing.

Request early access

Mac and Windows. Web app with Pro and Enterprise.

In brief

What OpnEarth is

OpnEarth brings high-performance maps and live collaboration together. Open large map files, work together and share maps with your team or customers.

Lite is free for non-commercial use, with no edition-based size cap for local desktop files.
Pro is for work: totals by owner, what changed between versions, near-net quotes, map sharing and AI with any provider.

On a Mac? Preview KML and KMZ in Finder with Quick Look.

Compare

How OpnEarth compares

The main points, side by side. OpnEarth is the only one with AI built in that can run privately on your own computer.

OpnEarth compared with Google Earth Pro, Google Earth Web, QGIS, ArcGIS and GeoLibre: the main points
Feature	OpnEarth Lite	OpnEarth Pro	OpnEarth Enterprise	Google Earth Pro	Google Earth Web	QGIS	ArcGIS (Pro / Online)	GeoLibre ^**
Opening a very large KMZ ^*	Same speed as Pro, no size limit	In seconds: 7.6 s on a high-end Windows workstation	Same as Pro	30.4 s on the same workstation	Import limit of 250,000 points	An import step first	Pro adds it; Online takes KML up to 10 MB	Not yet timed
Keeps the original styling	Yes	Yes: colours, icons and pop-ups	Same as Pro	Yes	Partly	Needs restyling	Yes; editing needs a conversion	Mostly: styles, folders and overlays
Runs on ^**	Mac and Windows	Mac and Windows	Same as Pro	Windows; ending on Mac	A web browser	Mac, Windows and Linux	Pro on Windows; Online in a web browser	Mac, Windows, Linux, phones and a web browser
Web app, no install needed	No	Yes, in your browser	Same as Pro	No	Yes	No	Online, yes	Yes
AI built in, private on your own computer	Yes, on your own computer	Yes, or any provider you choose	Same as Pro	No	No	No built-in	Cloud assistants	Yes, with Ollama
Share a map for approval	No	A web link, with comments	Same as Pro	Send the file	Shares the project	Send the file	Online shares web maps with groups	A web link, with comments
Works offline	Yes: your files, saved map areas and a built-in map	Yes, and shares wait for a connection	Same as Pro	Your files, and a cache of places you viewed	No	Yes, with local data	Pro yes; Online no	Your files in the desktop app, and map areas you extract
Preview KML and KMZ in Finder (Quick Look)	Yes, on Mac	Yes, on Mac	Same as Pro	No	No	No	No	No
For your organisation	No	No	Admin console, members and roles, shared maps and themes	No	No	No	Yes, in ArcGIS Online	Not documented
Price	Free for non-commercial use	Yearly plan for commercial use	On request: contact us	Free	Free	Free and open source	Paid yearly licence	Free and open source

Sources

Timings: one 56 MB KMZ, opened in each application in turn on the same high-end Windows workstation. Google Earth Pro: Google's notice on downloads ending June 25, 2027, and Apple's notice that macOS 27 is the last release to run Intel-only apps. GeoLibre: its features list and the web app, checked September 29, 2026; the full comparison lists every source.

See the full comparison Request early access

Speed

Fast on the files that matter

Recorded desktop benchmarks using a 56 MB KMZ archive (about 374 MB of uncompressed KML). Results depend on the computer and file.

3.5 seconds on a Mac

The same 56 MB KMZ, containing about 374 MB of uncompressed KML, drawn in 3.5 seconds on the tested Mac.

7.6 seconds on a PC

On a high-end Windows workstation: about 4 times faster than Google Earth Pro on the same machine (30.4 seconds).

No edition-based desktop file-size cap

No edition-based size cap for local desktop files. Available memory limits what can open; web uploads have separate limits.

Where you left it

Reopen a file you were looking at and the camera and layers come back as you left them.

Request early access

Try it on your own biggest file.

4 times faster, on the same PC

The same 56 MB KMZ on the same Windows PC: OpnEarth draws it in 7.6 seconds, Google Earth Pro in 30.4.

Platform

On your desktop. In your browser.

The web app

Open and explore your map files directly in your browser, with nothing to install. Sign in with Pro, Enterprise or an active Pro trial to get started.

Open the web app

Pro & Enterprise

The desktop app

A fast 3D globe for Mac and Windows. Open large local files with the sender’s styling, measure distances, draw an elevation profile, and sketch or edit lines.

Lite: free for personal use

Work the attributes

See kilometres and counts by owner or status, filter and edit the data, and join your own spreadsheet. Send the results to Excel.

Pro

Tools for carrier files

See what changed between two versions of a route, count the buildings it passes and quote a list of addresses or trace each carrier's fibre path between two. Print a map book, or a route package with the crossings and permit forms.

Pro

Share a map on the web

Send a link instead of the file. Your client opens the map in a browser with nothing to install, and you choose what they see and who gets in.

Pro

Live layers beside your files

Bring in live map data published by cities, utilities and agencies, and see it beside your own files.

Pro

Ask AI about your map

Ask in plain words, such as how many kilometres each owner has, and the answer points to the places on the map. Pro works with any AI provider and with Claude or Codex. Lite runs it privately on your own computer.

Pro

Manage shared maps, projects and your team in the web portal. Need more? Explore add-on modules for Pro and Enterprise.

Request early access

Mac and Windows. Web app with Pro and Enterprise.

FAQ

Common questions

Short answers about speed, AI, privacy and getting started.

How fast does OpnEarth open large files?+

Very fast. A 56 MB carrier KMZ opens in 7.6 seconds on a high-end Windows workstation, about 4 times faster than Google Earth Pro on the same machine.

How large a file can it open?+

Big ones. OpnEarth opens map files with over 300 MB of data without a hitch, even in the free Lite edition, and no edition has a file-size limit.

Is OpnEarth easier to use than QGIS?+

Yes. Drag your file in and it opens, looking exactly like the sender made it. No setup, no import steps, no GIS training.

Can I ask questions about my map with AI?+

Yes. Ask in plain words and the answer highlights the places on the map. Lite uses Ollama or LM Studio on your own computer; Pro adds any AI provider and works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Codex.

Does it work offline, and do my files stay private?+

Yes. Files on your computer open with no connection and stay there. Only a map you choose to share goes online, with just the details you pick.

Can I share a map with someone who does not have OpnEarth?+

Yes, with Pro. Send a link and they open the map in any browser, with nothing to install. You choose what they see and who can open it.

What satellite imagery does it use?+

OpnEarth comes with open satellite imagery and elevation that you can use for work. Google's own imagery is licensed to Google's apps only.

When can I start, and what does it cost?+

Now, in early access. Lite is free for non-commercial use and Pro is for work. Request access and we will email your download link.

Request early access

Request early access
for Mac or Windows.

OpnEarth is in early access for Mac and Windows. Request access and we will email your download link when your group opens.

We only email you about your access. No spam.

Can't install apps? Use OpnEarth in your browser with Pro.

High-performancecollaborative maps.

Edit the same map. See each other’s changes.

Live editing

Map comments

Browser sharing

Projects, files and people in one place.

Choose who gets access

Web app

Enterprise projects

Built for teams who get sent big maps

Telecom and fibre

Engineering and surveying

Utilities and pipelines

Government and broadband programs

What OpnEarth is

How OpnEarth compares

Fast on the files that matter

3.5 seconds on a Mac

7.6 seconds on a PC

No edition-based desktop file-size cap

Where you left it

4 times faster, on the same PC

On your desktop. In your browser.

The web app

The desktop app

Work the attributes

Tools for carrier files

Share a map on the web

Live layers beside your files

Ask AI about your map

Common questions

Request early accessfor Mac or Windows.

High-performance
collaborative maps.

Request early access
for Mac or Windows.