ArcGIS AppStudio Player vs Bad Elf Flex
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ArcGIS AppStudio Player
Instantly view and test mapping applications created with ArcGIS AppStudio. Sign in with your ArcGIS credentials to access and evaluate your own creations or those shared with you before distribution.
- View mapping applications
- Test app creations
- Sign in with ArcGIS credentials
- Download shared applications
- Evaluate before distribution
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AppStudio Player lets you instantly view mapping applications created with ArcGIS AppStudio. It offers you a great way to quickly test your own creations before you build and distribute them. To get started: 1. Install the ArcGIS AppStudio for Player app 2. Open and sign in with your ArcGIS Online or Enterprise credentials. 3. Select, download and test the mapping applications you have created or that have been shared with you.
Bad Elf Flex
This utility app enhances the functionality of Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. It allows users to monitor hardware health, adjust settings, and update firmware. For the Flex model, it also enables the purchase and application of tokens for advanced features and correction sources like SBAS and RTK.
- Monitor GNSS receiver health
- Change hardware settings
- Perform firmware updates
- Purchase and load Flex Tokens
- Enable hardware-based features
- Access correction sources
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This is the free companion utility app for the flexible, intuitive, and affordable Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. Designed for GIS and survey professionals, the Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini connect to your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth and provide high-accuracy location data to ANY and ALL field data collection apps in your workflow. This app allows you to view the health of the Flex and Flex Mini hardware, change settings, and perform firmware updates. For the Bad Elf Flex, the app also supports purchasing and loading Flex Tokens into the hardware for enabling hardware-based features and correction sources. Several correction sources are supported including SBAS, RTK via NTRIP, and Atlas (L-band) satellite corrections. Visit https://bad-elf.com/ to learn more about the Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. NOTES: * This app requires a Bad Elf Flex or Flex Mini to operate. * Our "Bad Elf GPS" companion app supports our legacy mapping-grade receivers: Bad Elf GPS Pro, GPS Pro+, Surveyor, and GPS for Lightning dongle. * Continued use of the GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArcGIS AppStudio Player at 100% against Bad Elf Flex's 40%. ArcGIS AppStudio Player also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ArcGIS AppStudio Player holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ArcGIS AppStudio Player's written reviews are positive against 40% of Bad Elf Flex's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on August 31, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ArcGIS AppStudio Player | Bad Elf Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (12 ratings) — better | 3.6 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 14 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 174 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ESRI | Bad Elf, LLC. |
Customer experience
ArcGIS AppStudio Player
Bad Elf Flex
In-app purchases
ArcGIS AppStudio Player
No in-app purchases
Bad Elf Flex
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ArcGIS AppStudio Player free?
Is Bad Elf Flex free?
Which has better reviews, ArcGIS AppStudio Player or Bad Elf Flex?
Do ArcGIS AppStudio Player or Bad Elf Flex have ads?
Which is updated more often, ArcGIS AppStudio Player or Bad Elf Flex?
Other comparisons
