10 free Google Earth alternatives that might even be better

Key Takeaways

Google Earth offers historical imagery, while NASA Worldview provides live satellite views and timelapse videos.
USGS provides real-time data on earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters on a global scale.
Various platforms like Esri Landsat Explorer offer unique mapping features to explore locations with detailed information.

Learning as much as we can about the Earth is beneficial to everyone. Understanding how our actions can affect the world around us is vital to helping preserve the planet. Not only can you learn a lot about geography from looking at a map, but it also will help you understand more about the world itself. But not every map is going to just show you where to locate Connecticut.

There are hundreds of thousands of data sets, satellite views, and maps of the world. Google Earth is arguably the most famous application that highlights the world and what each location looks like. WIth the amount of footage that Google has collected in order to make Google Earth the best it can be, it’s no wonder why it is the top search option.

But all that you’re looking for is not going to be found on Google Earth. Sure, you’ll be able to see a 3D view of a street corner. But will it give you census information? Can it tell you where the nearest volcanic eruption took place? No, it can’t. That’s why we’ve collected a list of free maps, satellite views, and data sets to help you understand more about the world around you.

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1 NASA Worldview

Check out what Earth looks like from space

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NASA Worldview

Offers live views and time-lapse videos from space, updating users with recent weather events and environmental changes for free.

Google Earth is not a live view of the Earth. It has collected data over years to show us what many parts of the world have looked like. But it doesn’t provide you with a live look at the world. NASA Worldview does and will show you over 800 layers of satellite imagery, many of which is as current as a few hours ago. It can show you when and where major weather events have taken place recently and display timelapse videos of areas throughout the globe.

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2 United Nations Clear Map

See exact borders of countries

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United Nations Clear Map

Offers detailed, free maps with defined country borders and regions, ideal for educational use.

As one would expect, the United Nations has a good handle on global issues. That’s why you can find multiple versions of world maps on their website. The Clear Map and the Carto Tile are services used by the United Nations offer clearly defined countries and territories for educational use. Users can zoom in and out to see each country individually as well as the regions they are located.

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3 USGS

Find out where the latest earthquake was

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USGS

Provides real-time monitoring of earthquakes and volcanoes globally.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) goes through rigorous standards and procedures to bring you the most up-to-date information when it comes to earthquakes and other worldwide catastrophes. The interactive maps show earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, wildland fire, landslides, and droughts. This can provide valuable information on a global scale.

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4 Sentinel

Check out the Copernicus Browser

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Sentinel

Allows free, specific satellite views of Earth changes over time.

The Sentinel Earth observation satellites were launched by the European Space Agency in 2015. These satellites are a part of the Copernicus program and the Copernicus Browser allows you to see what a region of the world looked like through the eyes of the Sentinel satellites. You can select a specific day and time and choose the view that you are looking for, with multiple layer options to choose from.

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5 U.S. Census

Check out an interactive map of the country

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U.S. Census

Delivers a detailed, free map based on the latest U.S. demographics, offering socio-economic data not found on Google Earth.

Based on the U.S. Census from 2020, you’re able to get a better view of the United States by understanding its population. Compare states and their stats on a variety of different levels, including country governments by population size of state, how many grandparents by race are in a certain state, and more. This is a wealth of knowledge and is entirely free to look through.

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6 NATO

Understanding more about geopolitics

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NATO

Provides a free overview of geopolitical alliances and security details among member countries.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is built with member countries across Europe and North America. The alliance works together to improve security and defense for its members. The United States was one of the 12 founding members of NATO back in 1949. This map will bring up each member and provide a list of facts about each country. This is meant to highlight the support that NATO uses.

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7 CIA World Factbook Maps

The intelligence agency is sharing its knowledge

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CIA World Factbook Maps

Shares free, detailed maps on global politics, terrain, and populations, offering structured global intelligence.

The Central Intelligence Agency is sharing its intelligence with the rest of us in the form of factbook maps. These can be downloaded and categorized in different topics, such as the terrain of each country, the political allegiances, population distribution, and the physical layout and terrain. While these aren’t interactive like some others, they provide up-to-date information.

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8 ArcGIS World Imagery

Layer upon layer of the world

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ArcGIS World Imagery

Enables free, high-resolution exploration of the globe, with zoom capabilities down to three centimeters.

The ArcGIS interactive world map is a world imagery layer that is incredibly accurate and remains up-to-date. This allows you to zoom around the world and zoom in very closely, up to three centimeters to understand the land. This has been stitched together from images uploaded by contributors. You can choose between low resolution and high resolution images as you search for a location.

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9 Esri Landsat Explorer

One of the most unique maps

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Esri Landsat Explorer

Uses 50 years of data for free, detailed environmental mapping with customizable overlays like temperature or agriculture.

The Esri Landsat Explorer is built on a database that has been collecting data for over 50 years. It provides you with in-depth knowledge of locations that you may be looking at, giving you facts about interesting places and the option to turn the map different colors based on things like surface temperature, agriculture and more. With the Dynamic View, you are able to get the most recent and cloud-free images of a location. To pick what a location looked like on a specific day, you can choose the Find A Scene feature.

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