Google Earth Pro Drops From $399 Per Year To Free

Google dropped its pay model for Google Earth Pro this week, opening all of the software’s advanced mapping tools to the public. You can now measure buildings, records your “flights” around the virtual globe, and print hi-res photos of any location. For existing Google Earth Pro users, that means the end of a $399 annual subscription.


Putting Google Earth Pro on your computer isn’t difficult, but there’s more to it than simply downloading the software. You’ll need to visit the Google Earth Pro page, click Download, and create an account. You then install the software and enter your username and a license key that Google emails you, at which point you’re ready to go.


If you aren’t using Google Earth Pro for business purposes, the standard Google Earth software probably has all the features you need: you can fly to whatever location you’d like and check it out from almost any angle. But Google Earth Pro has a couple features that even casual users will like. One is movie maker, which lets you create your own virtual tour and share it with friends, and the other is a map making tool. Whether you’ve been dying to try these new features or not, the price is certainly right.