Softwr

Maps · head to head

Geographic Calculator vs What3words

Geographic Calculator logo

Geographic Calculator

Maps

Geodetic coordinate conversion and datum transformation for survey, seismic and pipeline data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
What3words logo

What3words

Maps

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Geographic Calculator no pricing is published for any edition, so buyers negotiate blind and the perpetual versus subscription decision is made without a public list to anchor against.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Geographic Calculator covers Geodetic parameter database, What3words covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Geographic Calculator and What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where Geographic Calculator and What3words differ
AttributeGeographic CalculatorWhat3words
Pricing modelquotefreemium
PlatformsWindows, WebWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Geographic Calculator

  • Geodetic parameter database
  • Batch coordinate conversion
  • Datum transformation with accuracy reporting
  • Time-dependent transformations
  • Seismic and well data handling
  • File translation
  • Job files and audit reports
  • GeoCalc and GeoCore SDK

Only in What3words

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Geographic Calculator

  • An offshore survey contractor delivering positions to an operator that requires a documented transformation path and residual accuracy, not just a reprojected filenot What3words
  • A pipeline operator reconciling decades of legacy survey data captured in several superseded datums into one current reference framenot What3words
  • A seismic processing team converting SEG-P1 navigation and SEG-Y headers between local grids and a global frame without silently losing metresnot What3words
  • A software vendor that needs correct geodesy inside its own product and licenses the GeoCalc SDK rather than building and maintaining a transformation cataloguenot What3words

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot Geographic Calculator
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot Geographic Calculator
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot Geographic Calculator

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Geographic Calculator

  • No pricing is published for any edition, so buyers negotiate blind and the perpetual versus subscription decision is made without a public list to anchor against.
  • Licence mobility is tied to being current on maintenance and support, which means a customer who lapses maintenance on a perpetual licence cannot move it to a new machine, effectively turning a perpetual purchase into a recurring cost.
  • It is a transformation engine, not a GIS: there is no meaningful analysis, cartography or editing, so most buyers end up also owning Global Mapper and paying twice for overlapping data handling.
  • The desktop product is Windows only, which is awkward for organisations standardised on macOS or Linux geospatial pipelines despite the cloud option covering only part of the workflow.
  • Blue Marble acquired Avenza in 2026 and is integrating a field data collection product, so engineering attention is spread across a wider portfolio than when Geographic Calculator was one of two products.

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

Pricing, plan by plan

Geographic Calculator

On request
  • Geographic Calculator (node-locked)$undefined/year
    • Perpetual or subscription licence
    • Locked to a single machine
    • Annual maintenance and support required to transfer a licence
  • Geographic Calculator (floating)$undefined/year
    • Shared across a team from a licence server
    • Higher price than node-locked
    • Suited to occasional users across several offices
  • GeoCalc SDK$undefined/year
    • Embed the geodetic engine in your own application
    • Developer and runtime licensing
    • Quoted per deployment

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Geographic Calculator if

  • You need geodetic parameter database.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want batch coordinate conversion.
Geographic Calculator review

Choose What3words if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
What3words review

Questions people ask

Is Geographic Calculator or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. Geographic Calculator starts at On request and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Geographic Calculator or What3words?
Geographic Calculator starts at On request and What3words at On request.
Does Geographic Calculator or What3words run on more platforms?
Geographic Calculator runs on Windows, Web. What3words runs on Web.
What is Geographic Calculator best used for?
Geographic Calculator is most often used for an offshore survey contractor delivering positions to an operator that requires a documented transformation path and residual accuracy, not just a reprojected file, a pipeline operator reconciling decades of legacy survey data captured in several superseded datums into one current reference frame, a seismic processing team converting seg-p1 navigation and seg-y headers between local grids and a global frame without silently losing metres, a software vendor that needs correct geodesy inside its own product and licenses the geocalc sdk rather than building and maintaining a transformation catalogue. Of those, an offshore survey contractor delivering positions to an operator that requires a documented transformation path and residual accuracy, not just a reprojected file and a pipeline operator reconciling decades of legacy survey data captured in several superseded datums into one current reference frame are not what What3words is typically brought in for.
What can Geographic Calculator do that What3words cannot?
Geographic Calculator covers Geodetic parameter database, Batch coordinate conversion, Datum transformation with accuracy reporting, Time-dependent transformations. What3words covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Geographic Calculator: Is Geographic Calculator the same as Global Mapper?

No. Global Mapper is a general desktop GIS. Geographic Calculator is a dedicated geodetic conversion and datum transformation tool with audit reporting.

Geographic Calculator: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

Yes. Blue Marble offers perpetual as well as subscription licensing, but a perpetual licence can only be moved between machines while maintenance is current.

Geographic Calculator: Why not just use QGIS or PROJ?

For routine reprojection they are fine. Geographic Calculator is bought when the transformation path, its accuracy and a documented audit trail must be defensible to a client or regulator.

Geographic Calculator: Is there a cloud version?

Yes, Geographic Calculator Cloud provides browser access to the transformation catalogue.

Geographic Calculator: What changed with the Avenza acquisition?

Blue Marble acquired Avenza Systems in 2026, adding Avenza Maps mobile field data collection to the portfolio. Ask about roadmap commitments before signing a long maintenance term.

Share

Related pages

More on Geographic Calculator

More on What3words

Keep looking

Other head to heads