ArcGIS AI Assistant vs QGIS AI Agents in 2026. Published October 28, 2026 The ArcGIS AI assistants are free only if you already pay for ArcGIS: Esri includes them in its user types, which start at $700 a user a year for ArcGIS Pro. They live in ArcGIS Online, and the ArcGIS Pro assistant was still in beta on 28 October 2026. In, which is free, you have two routes: a free plugin that runs on your own AI key, or AI Agent, which Terra Lab build, with the model included and a free plan. Quick picks. * Whole QGIS tasks without an API key: AI Agent, model included, 5 free tasks a month. * Your organization already pays for ArcGIS: Esri's assistants, included in your licence. * You want to choose and pay the model yourself: AI Copilot, OpenGeoAgent or QGIS Agent. * Nothing may leave your computer: one of those plugins with a local model through Ollama. Compared at a glance. | / | ArcGIS AI assistants | QGIS plugins with your own key | AI Agent by TerraLab (ours) | | Made for | Teams already on ArcGIS | People who want to choose the model | A whole GIS task done in QGIS | | Software price | Included in a paid ArcGIS user type | Free | Free plan, Pro $55 a month | | Model bill | None, no credits used | You pay your provider, or run a local model | Included | | Where it runs | ArcGIS Online; Pro assistant in ArcGIS Pro 3.7 (beta) | QGIS, often QGIS 4 only | QGIS 3.28 to 4, Windows, macOS, Linux | | Multi-step tasks | Not yet as one request (Esri, Pro beta) | Depends on the plugin and the model | Yes, from one sentence | | Setup | An ArcGIS Online named user | A plugin plus an API key or Ollama | A plugin and a sign-in | How I compared them. I read Esri's own announcements, the plugin pages in the official QGIS repository and its own documentation on 28 October 2026, and I reused two tests I ran myself in October: a timed task in Lyon and a public benchmark. I build AI Agent, so weigh my pick with that in mind. One case is simple: if your organization already pays for ArcGIS and your data sits in ArcGIS Online, use Esri's assistants. They cost you nothing extra and they know Esri's apps. This page is for everyone else. 1. The ArcGIS AI assistants. Esri has added chat helpers across its apps. Since 24 June 2026, three of them are generally available and included in ArcGIS user types at no extra cost: Survey123, Business Analyst and translation. Using them does not consume credits, though a workflow they suggest can. The others were still in beta: the ArcGIS Pro assistant, Notebooks, Arcade, documentation, Solutions and Item Details. Except for Item Details, Esri says all of them run only in ArcGIS Online. * Made for: an organization that already has ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro licences. * Not for: a QGIS user, a freelancer without a licence, or anyone off Windows, since ArcGIS Pro runs on Windows. * Price: included in an ArcGIS user type. ArcGIS Pro itself costs $700 (Creator), $2,200 (Professional) or $4,200 (Professional Plus) per user a year, read on Esri's store on 22 October 2026. * What the Pro assistant does: runs listed actions ("zoom to the earthquakes layer", "open the buffer tool"), answers documentation questions, and writes ArcPy, SQL and OpenCypher. Where it wins * No model bill and no credits for the chat itself. * Built by the company that makes the software, inside the apps your team already uses. Where it falls short * Esri's own beta notes say complex, multi-step workflows "aren't yet supported as a single request". * Nothing here works in QGIS. ArcGIS Pro 3.7, an ArcGIS Online named user and the Semantic Search install option are required for the Pro assistant. 2. QGIS plugins that use your own API key. Since September, several free QGIS plugins have appeared that connect a model you choose to your project. You paste an API key from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or DeepSeek, or point them to a local model through Ollama. * AI Copilot, by Aidos Nazhmiden: turns a request into PyQGIS code and runs it. Version 1.5.2, 22 October 2026, QGIS 3.28 to 4. * AI Agent by mzarov: reads the project, runs Processing and builds layouts, with a plan to approve before changes. QGIS 4 only, about 2,080 downloads. Same name as ours, different plugin. * OpenGeoAgent, by Qiusheng Wu: the most open about the model, with a ChatGPT sign-in or a local model. * QGIS Agent, by bunkmr: a chat panel that can also act as an MCP server. The plugin is free, the model is not. Each request is billed by your provider, unless you run a local model, which needs a capable machine. * Made for: someone who wants to pick the model, read the code, or keep everything on a local model. * Not for: someone who has no API key and does not want to manage one. * Price: free plugin, plus your provider's usage bill. * Where your data goes: to the model you configure. The mzarov plugin page says plainly that what the agent reads, attribute values and map images included, is sent to it. Where it wins * Full choice of model, including models that never leave your computer. * Open source code you can read and change. Where it falls short * The result depends on how well the plugin's tools and instructions fit the model you plug in. On the benchmark below, a strong general model driving QGIS through an MCP bridge scored 24.9 out of 100. 3. AI Agent by TerraLab. This is ours, AI Agent. It is a chat panel docked in QGIS with the model included: you write the task in plain words, and it finds the data, runs the QGIS tools, styles the layers and checks the map before it answers. * Made for: a QGIS user who wants a whole task done in the open project, with no key and no second app. * Not for: a machine with no internet, since the model runs on its service. * Price: free plan with 5 tasks a month, no card. Pro is $55 a month for 300 tasks. Try Pro free for 7 days: add a card, cancel before the end and nothing is charged. * Model: included. You pick an effort level, not a provider. * Install: plugin manager, search AI Agent by TerraLab, sign in. QGIS 3.28 to 4, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Where it wins * Multi-step tasks from one sentence: in Lyon it found the official school layers, filtered them by distance, styled the map and counted 80 schools. * On 41 public questions from GeoKTools and GeoExpertQueries, benchmarks published by Google Research, it scored 43.8 out of 100, the top score of the agents Terra Lab tested in QGIS (chart below, full benchmark). * 89 open data sources are built in, it asks before deleting or overwriting, and one click undoes a whole message. Where it falls short * It sends your request and a description of the open project to its service in the EU. Your layers and files stay on your machine, but it needs a connection and an account. Why pay when the other two look free. Neither of them is free. The ArcGIS assistants are paid for inside the licence, and a plugin with your own key is paid for in model usage, request by request. The real question is what you get for the money. A key gives you a model. It does not give you the QGIS tools, the instructions, the open data catalogue and the checks that turn a model into an agent. Its benchmark shows the size of that gap: the same model scored 21.0 on its own and 43.8 inside AI Agent. You also skip the key, the billing account with a model provider and the setup. With the free plan, you can check this on your own project before paying anything. Questions people ask. Is the ArcGIS AI assistant free? Does the ArcGIS Pro assistant work in QGIS? Is there an AI assistant for QGIS like ArcGIS has? Can I use my own OpenAI or Claude key in QGIS? Is the AI Agent plugin for QGIS 4 made by TerraLab? Do I need an API key for AI Agent by TerraLab? For the full software comparison, prices over three years included, read QGIS vs ArcGIS Pro. For every AI plugin in QGIS, see the AI for QGIS hub. Do it in QGIS by asking for it. AI Agent carries out the task you describe, in your own QGIS project. Free, no card.

What's new in the Communications Utility Network Foundation. By Cody Becker ArcGIS Solutions helps you make the most of your GIS by providing purpose-driven, industry-specific configurations of ArcGIS. In September 2026, Esri released Communications Utility Network Foundation version 2.0. This represents a significant update that includes a new data model built using the telecom domain network, along with updated maps, workflows, and documentation. If you're new to the solution, here's a quick overview: The Communications Utility Network Foundation accelerates utility network implementation for telecommunications organizations by providing a preconfigured data model, styles, and map. Like all Esri's solutions, Communications Utility Network Foundation is fully supported and included with your ArcGIS Online subscription or ArcGIS Enterprise licensing at no additional cost. Designed for the telecom domain network. Introduced in the September 2026 ArcGIS Solutions release, this update expands the Utility Network's capabilities for modeling and managing telecommunications networks. It is designed to handle the complexities of managing large numbers of features and to support advanced circuit modeling. Version 2.0 of the Communications Utility Network Foundation is built on the new telecom domain network rather than a traditional domain network. This change helps organizations model how modern communications networks are built and operated. It also supports network analysis to meet telecommunications needs while improving system performance. More than 200 participants helped test and refine the version 2.0 data model through Esri's Early Access Community. Their involvement helped improve the data model and user experience. Designed for modern communications networks. Modern communications networks combine fiber, coax, copper, and wireless infrastructure to deliver services. The Communications Utility Network Foundation supports this combination rather than focusing on a single network type. Its flexible framework allows organizations to model communications infrastructure and connectivity, represent assets and relationships consistently, and support a wide range of operational workflows as networks evolve. Support for circuit modeling. Beyond physical connectivity, communications organizations need to understand the services running across their infrastructure. Version 2.0 introduces support for circuit modeling and management, with capabilities for network diagrams, path tracing, circuit assignment status, and leased capacity. These capabilities help organizations understand how services traverse physical infrastructure, providing a foundation for service-oriented workflows. Updated documentation and resources. The Communications Utility Network Foundation includes more than just a data model. It also provides a comprehensive set of tools and resources to help you implement, configure, and manage your network: * Step-by-step workflows in the documentation * Sample data to help you learn key processes and test workflows * A data dictionary to explore and understand the model structure * Preconfigured map and symbology to get you or your organization running faster The latest release of the Communications Utility Network Foundation represents an important step forward for managing modern communications networks with ArcGIS. Explore the resources below to learn more about the solution and get started. telecommunications arcgis for telecommunications communications arcgis pro arcgis solutions arcgis utility network Cody Becker Cody is a Product Engineer on the ArcGIS Solutions team. Before coming to Esri, he worked in the contract engineering field using GIS to assist in a variety of utility project types. In his spare time, Cody enjoys 3D printing, flying UAS, and spending time with the local Makerspace community.

PwC and Esri expand alliance for AI-powered geospatial insights. NEW YORK - PwC and Esri today announced an expanded alliance to bring geospatial insights to the intelligent enterprise, helping energy and infrastructure organizations connect strategy, operations, and technology through AI and rich location intelligence. As part of this new collaboration, PwC becomes the first of a small group of select system integrators (SI) that have demonstrated sustained excellence in GIS implementation and client delivery to collaborate with Esri at the highest levels of both business and technology engagements. The designation reflects PwC's deep systems integration expertise and its commitment to scaling AI solutions that geo-enable the intelligent enterprise, with a focused emphasis on the energy and infrastructure markets. The Esri Partner Network (EPN) helps customers around the world utilize the benefits of the ArcGIS enterprise platform to enhance their planning, design and operations with location intelligence. For over 50 years, the Esri Partner Network has supported users with business solutions, implementation services, and dynamic content by leveraging GIS technology across industries - and PwC's expanded strategic alliance with Esri reflects a shared focus on expanding the future value of GIS for energy and infrastructure organizations. "Esri is excited to collaborate with PwC as the first premier SI to enter into this new level of strategic relationship," said Brian Cross, Esri Corporate Director of Services. "We are proud to recognize PwC's commitment to advancing the impact of ArcGIS, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration to bring AI and geospatial capabilities to the intelligent enterprise for our mutual customers across energy and infrastructure. We see this as an important step in scaling the impact of GIS to more of the world's most pressing challenges." Bringing AI development expertise to the GIS industry. PwC is bringing its AI development capabilities to the GIS industry, building and deploying AI-enabled solutions on top of ArcGIS to help clients extract more value from spatial data and scale intelligent decision-making across the enterprise. The Platinum designation reflects PwC's commitment to scaling these AI geospatial solutions as a core part of how it helps clients geo-enable the intelligent enterprise. Geo-enabling the intelligent enterprise for energy and infrastructure sectors. PwC and Esri are helping energy and infrastructure organizations connect strategy, technology, operations, and governance into a single geo-enabled system, turning location intelligence into a driver of the intelligent enterprise. PwC's Platinum designation reflects a shared focus with Esri on advancing the intelligent enterprise specifically for energy and infrastructure customers, where connecting spatial data to operational decision-making carries outsized value. "We're excited to build on our relationship with Esri as we step into Esri's Platinum tier for systems integrators," said Imran Ilyas, PwC US Business & Supply Chain Operations Platform Principal. "Together with Esri, we're bringing geospatial capabilities to the intelligent enterprise - pairing PwC's AI development expertise with ArcGIS to help clients connect strategy, operations, and technology through location intelligence and turn that intelligence into business results." Scaling systems integration and utility network delivery. For more than 14 years, PwC's GIS team has provided geospatial strategy, spatial data analytics, network information management system implementations (utility network), and enterprise system integration for a wide range of customers. That track record of systems integration delivery, now paired with PwC's AI development expertise, is what positions PwC to advance the industry and help clients realize the most value out of their ArcGIS investments. About esri. Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in hundreds of thousands of organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial technology and analytics, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions that leverage a geographic approach to solving some of the world's most complex problems by placing them in the crucial context of location. Visit us at esri.com. About PwC. At PwC, we help clients build trust and reinvent so they can turn complexity into competitive advantage. We're a tech-forward, people-empowered network with more than 364,000 people in 136 countries and 137 territories. Across audit and assurance, tax and legal, deals and consulting, we help clients build, accelerate, and sustain momentum. Find out more at www.pwc.com.