Why is CARTO the best Location Intelligence platform?
The leading cloud-native spatial analytics and GIS platform for companies using modern cloud data stacks.
CARTO scales on demand with all data stored within your existing cloud data warehouse. Avoid the cost of expensive GPU server-based infrastructures and wasting time on data transfer or complex ETL. CARTO is a unified platform (available as SaaS, self-hosted and hybrid deployments) - providing an end to end solution for organizations looking to visualize & analyze geospatial data, at scale.
CARTO vs. HEAVY.AI at a glance
CARTO
The cloud-native Location Intelligence platform for teams of all sizes
HEAVY.AI
General and geospatial analytics using GPU accelerated technologies
CARTO
Direct cloud connections with no limitations on multiple data warehouses and databases. All queries are run natively on the data warehouse and no data is stored in CARTO.
Esri
Data is stored in the GPU powered database. Connection service to data sources via foreign data wrappers, foreign tables, and foreign servers. Data is replicated in HeavyDB.
CARTO
CARTO Data Observatory provides over 12,000 public and premium datasets from a variety of vetted data providers.
Esri
No data offering.
CARTO
Analysis is run natively using Spatial SQL directly in the cloud data warehouse environment.
Esri
Analysis via SQL statements against the HeavyDB proprietary database.
CARTO
Create cached map tiles using native data warehouse connections in SQL or in the CARTO Workspace UI. Render tiles on the fly within CARTO Builder. Vector tile support and no server callback.
Esri
Render tiles using GPU services in Heavy Render. Currently supports raster tiles only. All renders require a callback to the rendering service.
CARTO
More than 100 geospatial functions run natively using spatial SQL, directly in the data warehouse connection.
Esri
38 geospatial functions for basic analysis, measurement, relationships, and geometry construction.
CARTO
Complete enrichment support for all 12,000+ datasets in the CARTO Data Observatory, including area weighted interpolation.
Esri
No data enrichment available.
CARTO
Fully cloud-native with serverless connections and deployment.
Esri
Not cloud-native. Uses a GPU accelerated database hosted within cloud services.
CARTO
SaaS cloud hosted or a self-hosted option deployed with Docker Compose or Kubernetes.
Esri
Deployments in CentOS, Docker, and Ubuntu. Pre-built versions in AWS, GCP, and Azure.
CARTO
Data is not stored in CARTO, only returned via API. Flexible enterprise pricing plans, with all inclusive pricing.
Esri
Data must be stored in the HeavyDB to use Heavy.AI.
CARTO
Single API layer used in all platform products.
Esri
No API offering. Some Command Line Interface tools.
CARTO
CARTO uses and contributes to open source libraries such as Deck GL, React, Geoparquet…
Esri
Open source version is available with some constraints.
CLOUD CONNECTIVITY
Easily connect your spatial data
CARTO integrates with the leading cloud data platforms and analytics tools, including Google BigQuery, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift and Databricks.

DATA ENRICHMENT
Access more than 12,000 geospatial datasets
Our Data Observatory makes it simple for enterprise organizations to access thousands of "always-on" public & premium datasets, enhancing their spatial analysis with data such as demographics, POIs, human mobility, credit card transactions and much more.
SPATIAL ANALYTICS
Rapidly carry out spatial analysis
Data Analysts starting out in location analytics or Data Scientists creating machine-learning models can use CARTO’s services (including geocoding, routing, isolines and basemaps) to speed up the process. Workflows let you design, execute and automate analytics using a visual, no-code tool. Carry out analysis from Jupyter notebooks, or run advanced cloud-native analysis with our Analytics Toolbox.

SOLUTIONS & VISUALIZATION
Build intuitive Location Intelligence apps
Visualization shouldn’t just be pretty maps, it should answer a business question. With CARTO, you can rapidly build Location Intelligence apps or use one of our app templates, providing a solution that your business stakeholders will actually want to use in their day to day, whether it’s for Market Analysis, Site Selection, Out of Home Advertising or Supply Chain Optimization.
WHAT OUR PARTNERS SAY
You're in good company
Market leaders rely on CARTO to solve spatial problems.