Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are apps that combine data and visual graphics, mainly in the form of maps.  Two of the biggest players in this field are ESRI’s ArcView and Alphabet’s Google Earth Pro, but they are dramatically different offerings.  Depending on what you want to achieve and who your audience is, you will have to choose which one is the best fit.

The biggest difference between the two GIS systems is cost:

ArcGIS Professional Standard (the lowest level that allows for database manipulation)= $3000/yr per PC subscription, so if you need 3 machines/users, around $8000/yr (multiple license package).  You also need to have someone who is trained in the app to oversee and coordinate input.

Google Earth Pro is a free download app, also available as free Net app.

They are very different products designed with very different functions and goals:

ArcGIS is designed for controlled access and general public viewing, not editing.  Look but don’t touch.

Google Earth Pro is designed so that any user can modify and edit data.  View and edit.

ArcGIS is great in situations where you want to control data, such as archaeological sites, tax/census information, environmental data.  You want everyone to be able to view it, but you don’t want people messing with the data presented.  ArcGIS is what Federal-State-County agencies use, to provide public access to data without any chance of it getting messed up.  Unfortunately that means that it has limited utility in cooperative or dynamic projects, as getting access is very difficult, cost and time-consuming.  It also requires a high level of specialized skill to use effectively.  You need a high-end PC to effectively run the Pro Standard version, though static viewing can be done from any platform.

Google Earth Pro has morphed into a high-end version of Google Maps.  Everyone can view, use and modify data, with no effective control.  Being free means that accessibility is much higher, but of course that also generates vulnerabilities to misuse.  A relatively low-end PC or high-end tablet can run GEarth Pro, but it does a poor job with large databases (such as our project), as it isn’t designed with large data sets as it’s primary function.  One advantage many aren’t aware of is that GEarth has an extensive collection of historic maps built into the system, which (depending on location) are geolocated into the base map system.  This is also true of satellite coverage, which can be dialed back to older images of the same location.  All locations in Google Earth can be translated/edited into standard GIS location formats (so can be transferred into ArcGIS if so desired).

Bottom Line: ArcGIS is a true option-rich GIS system, but requires realistically around $7-10k/yr for multiple licenses.  It is very complex and requires skilled specialists to input data and manage.  Very complex, great data presentation, but only if you can afford it.

GEarth Pro is a simplistic GIS system, minimal cost involved, most data operations can be learned in a short amount of time.  Very simple, limited data presentation (mainly in size of data files), but free to all users.

For our projects we have gone with Google Earth Pro.  In 2008 we began work on the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Atlas Project, under the auspices of the Shaanxi Provincial Preservation Offices.  This project entails moving the Zhongguo Ditu Wenwu Shaanxi (Archaeological Atlas of Shaanxi Province), published in 1989 from it’s paper form into GIS form.  As the goal was to have a robust GIS system in which a number of users would be able to access the Atlas data, we needed a cost-effective solution.  We started with DeLorme’s XMap 5.0, which at the time was a robust product with a large range of China-specific topographic maps.  However they were shut down in 2012 (or so), so we had to look to an alternative app was both cost-effective and accessible both to our Chinese and foreign colleagues.  At this time PRC governmental ministries were still building out their current GIS systems (which we couldn’t access), so the move to Google Earth allowed everyone to access the data.  We decided to accept the limitations since any partner could convert the locations/data into standard GIS (universal) locations when desired (such as conversion to the PRC official GIS systems).

In 2012 we started work on the Old Hawai’i Google Earth Project (compiling archaeological site data in Hawai’i into Google Earth) as a Service Learning project for our Chaminade University students.  In 2017 we added the Mahele Cultural Landscape Project (originally as part of the campus Palolo Project).  Despite the limitations of data file size which had become apparent with the Chinese data, we felt that staying with a app platform that allowed open access was key to both student and community involvement.  The ability of any partner access, share and shape the information to suit their specific needs vastly outweighs the limitations, especially given the cost constraints all of our groups operate within.  This becomes even more critical as we currently will have to add State Tax Map data to input more LCA award information.