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ArcGIS is Esri’s geographic information system (GIS) platform. Esri describes it as “a comprehensive geospatial platform for professionals and organizations” that connects and integrates data through geography. In practice it is used to create, manage, analyse, map and share location-based data (Esri, ArcGIS overview, checked 2026-10-29). The sections below separate what the platform is used for, how its desktop application is installed and licensed, and what free alternatives exist.
What ArcGIS is used for in research
Esri lists five capability areas: mapping, spatial analytics, field operations, data management, and imagery and remote sensing. It lists these application areas: asset and network management; urban planning, including digital twins that combine geographic data with BIM and 3D models; public safety and situational awareness; natural resource management; transportation and logistics; and risk analytics.
For a researcher, those areas translate into a few recurring jobs. Placing study sites or survey responses on a map is mapping. Testing whether values cluster or vary across places is spatial analytics. Collecting observations in the field belongs to field operations. Organising spatial datasets in a database is data management. Working with satellite or aerial imagery is imagery and remote sensing; for the discipline background see what is remote sensing and what is geography.
A university IT page gives a similar institutional view. The University of Kent describes ArcGIS as software for creating and using maps, gathering geographic data, analysing mapped information, sharing and finding geographic information, using maps in other applications, and managing geographic data in a database. It notes the software suits presenting geographical statistical analysis and is used in its Schools of Social Sciences and Anthropology (University of Kent software page, checked 2026-10-29).
Install or access ArcGIS Pro (official source only)
ArcGIS Pro is the desktop application. Esri’s documentation states that “you need an authorized license to use ArcGIS Pro”, and that by default you start it with a Named User license; a Single Use license is available for organizations that use a different license type. Institutions may provide access under their own arrangement. The University of Kent, for example, offers it on university Windows PCs or through a software request form under a site-wide license, which is that institution’s own arrangement and should not be assumed elsewhere. Check with your institution’s IT service before buying anything. This guide does not cover pricing.
Step by step: install ArcGIS Pro
The steps below follow Esri’s current documentation, Install and sign in to ArcGIS Pro (checked 2026-10-29).
- Run the downloaded .exe file and choose a folder for the extracted files.
- Launch the setup, or run ArcGISPro.msi later.
- Accept the master agreement.
- Choose a per-machine or per-user installation. A per-machine installation requires administrative privileges.
- Select the features to install. Semantic Search is installed by default on new installations; other AI models are optional.
- Confirm the install location.
- Choose whether to join the Esri User Experience Improvement program and send error reports.
- Select Install, then Finish.
Output and how to read it
Esri frames the platform’s work as creation, management, analysis, mapping and sharing of geographic data, so the typical outputs are maps, analysed spatial datasets and shared geographic information. For research reporting, record the software name and exact version alongside the data sources and coordinate system used, so another team can reproduce the map.
Troubleshooting
- Installation will not complete for all users: a per-machine installation needs administrative privileges. If you do not have them, ask IT or choose a per-user installation.
- The application will not open or work after installation: Esri states an authorized license is required. Confirm with your institution that your account holds a Named User license or that a Single Use license has been supplied.
Free alternatives
| Software | Licence and cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| QGIS | Free and open-source GIS; QGIS.org states it is licensed under GNU GPLv2+ | QGIS.org, checked 2026-10-29; see also the CASRAI guide how to use QGIS software |
For other no-cost analysis tools, see free statistical software.
FAQ
What is ArcGIS used for?
It is used for mapping, spatial analysis, field data collection, spatial data management, and imagery and remote sensing, according to Esri’s own overview of the platform.
Do I need a license to use ArcGIS Pro?
Yes. Esri’s documentation says an authorized license is required, and that ArcGIS Pro starts by default with a Named User license.
Do I need administrator rights to install it?
A per-machine installation requires administrative privileges; the installer also offers a per-user installation.
Is there a free alternative to ArcGIS?
QGIS is a free and open-source GIS licensed under GNU GPLv2+, according to QGIS.org.
Sources
- Esri, ArcGIS overview, checked 2026-10-29.
- Esri documentation, Install and sign in to ArcGIS Pro, checked 2026-10-29.
- University of Kent, ArcGIS software page, checked 2026-10-29.
- QGIS.org, QGIS home page, checked 2026-10-29.
