OpnEarth
Desktop viewer
Drag the file in and it opens in seconds, styled exactly as the sender made it. Works offline, needs no setup, and answers your questions with AI.
Mac build in early access
Google Earth Pro is ending on macOS.
Google Earth Pro is ending on macOS.
OpnEarth opens the same KMZ files.
OpnEarth is a desktop globe for KML and KMZ files that runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Drag a file onto the window and it draws with the sender's styling. Big maps open in seconds: a 56 MB KMZ archive containing about 374 MB of uncompressed KML in 3.5 seconds on a high-end Mac.
macOS 13 Ventura or later · Apple Silicon and Intel · System requirements · On Windows?
Quick Look
See inside a KMZ without opening it
Select a KML or KMZ file in Finder and press Space. The map appears right away, with its places, lines and areas counted, where it sits and its folders.
- Works in Finder, on Mail attachments and anywhere else you can press Space on a file.
- KMZ files show their own map as the Finder icon, so you can tell them apart at a glance.
- One click on Open with OpnEarth opens the full map.
- Included in every edition, even the free Lite.
What's happening
Google Earth Pro desktop is ending on macOS
Google is ending support for the Earth Pro desktop app on macOS. An existing install may keep launching for a while, but it will not be maintained. For many people in telecom and utilities, it was the easiest way to open a large KMZ of fibre routes or site plans and look at it.
KML and KMZ are open formats, so the files stay readable. What you need is a viewer that handles them at that size on a current Mac. OpnEarth runs on macOS and Windows, and on the same Windows PC it opened a big carrier KMZ about 4 times faster than Google Earth Pro (7.6 against 30.4 seconds).
3.5 s
Opens huge maps
56 MB KMZ archive; about 374 MB of uncompressed KML.
Universal
Apple Silicon and Intel
One download runs on both. Code signing is planned.
No cap
On file size
Even in the free Lite edition.
Offline
For local files
Local files open with the Wi-Fi off.
Alternatives
Other options on a Mac
The usual suggestions for replacing Google Earth Pro on a Mac, for the job it did best: opening a big KMZ someone sent you.
Google Earth Web
Google, in a browser
Free, and it has Google's imagery. It runs in a browser with a connection, and it refuses any import over 250,000 vertices.
QGIS
A full GIS
A powerful GIS for analysts. Opening a KMZ takes an import and some restyling first.
ArcGIS Pro
Windows only
ArcGIS Pro is a Windows application, so a Mac needs a virtual machine to run it. It is a large paid GIS, which is more than you need to look at a KMZ.
On the Mac
Details for Mac users
File formats
Besides KML and KMZ, it opens the other map, spreadsheet and drawing files vendors send.
Mac conventions
Open a file with ⌘O or by dropping it on the window. Your open documents are listed in a sidebar you can resize, and reopening a file puts the camera back where it was.
Retina screens
Map labels and lines are drawn at the full resolution of the screen, so small carrier labels stay readable.
Updates
When a new version is ready, one click installs it and OpnEarth reopens as the new version. Updates are signed, and one that fails the check is refused.
Files from outside
Files from vendors are read by a sealed-off reader that cannot touch the rest of your Mac, and it is tested against broken and hostile files.
What leaves your Mac
Local files open with no network connection. Sharing a map on the web, a Pro feature, uploads the geometry and the attributes you pick. The KMZ you were sent is never uploaded.
FAQ
Google Earth Pro on Mac: questions
Five common questions about replacing Google Earth Pro on a Mac.
Is Google Earth Pro being discontinued on macOS?+
Yes. Google is ending support for the Google Earth Pro desktop app on macOS. OpnEarth opens the same KML and KMZ files on a current Mac.
What is the best Google Earth Pro alternative for Mac?+
OpnEarth. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, opens big KMZ files in seconds with the sender's styling, and needs no setup.
Can I still open my old KMZ files?+
Yes. KML and KMZ are open formats, and OpnEarth opens them with their styles, folders and pop-up balloons intact.
Does it run natively on Apple Silicon?+
Yes. One universal app runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. On a high-end Mac it opens a 56 MB KMZ archive containing about 374 MB of uncompressed KML in 3.5 seconds.
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.
Get the Mac build
in early access.
We let people in one group at a time. Request access and we will email your download link when your group opens.
macOS 13 or later. We email you when your turn comes.