Comparison

ArcGIS Earth vs Touch GIS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ArcGIS Earth

Explore and visualize geographic data in an intuitive 3D environment. Supports a wide range of data sources, including online services and local files. Offers tools for analysis, placemark management, and creating immersive tours.

Highlights
  • 3D geographic data visualization
  • Connect to ArcGIS Online/Enterprise
  • Support for local data files
  • Interactive analysis tools
  • Placemark collection and sharing
  • Create and share tours
Features
Read full description

ArcGIS Earth is designed for everyone and provides user-friendly 3D experiences. Data support ArcGIS Earth allows you to use a variety of items from ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, local data, and web services: • Browse web scenes, map services, image services, scene services, and feature services. • Browse local files including mobile scene packages (MSPK), KML, KMZ, tile packages, and scene layer packages (SLPK). • Support has been added for Living Atlas of the World. Key features • Connect to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. • Tap to identify features. • Support has been added for collecting, editing, and sharing placemarks. • Interactive analysis tools include Measure, Line of Sight, and Viewshed. • Create and share tours with geotagged photos. • Search for places and switch locators. • Start-up tips and guidance for hand gestures are included. • Record and preview GPS tracks, and share with your organization.

About

Touch GIS

This professional tool simplifies field data collection and mapping. It allows users to create and customize data forms, collect various data types offline, and export them to standard GIS formats. Professionals across diverse fields utilize it to enhance their fieldwork.

Highlights
  • Create Points, Lines, Polygons, Circles
  • Customizable attribute forms
  • Offline map tile saving
  • Export to industry standard formats
  • Attach photos to locations
  • Clinometer tool for orientation
  • Add custom base maps and overlays
Read full description

Touch GIS is the most intuitive professional field data collection and mapping tool. It's a super-powered field notebook enabling you to collect any kind of data, in any environment, online or offline, and transfer it easily to your preferred desktop GIS. We believe your data collection tools should amplify your capabilities, not limit them, which is why we focus on keeping your forms and attributes totally customizable in the field. Join thousands of professionals utilizing Touch GIS as their mobile GIS app to enhance their field work in geologic mapping, ecological mapping, civil engineering, mineral exploration and mining, natural resource management, landscape architecture, and more. FEATURES - Easily capture new Points, Lines, Polygons, and Circles in the field. - Quickly and accurately draw new lines and polygons with free draw mode and vertex snapping. - Adjust feature class attribute forms in the field at any time. - Get multiple perspectives by switching between basemaps in the field. - Download basemaps for offline use. - Export to many industry standard formats. - Snap, mark up, and attach photos to locations. - Measure planar and linear feature orientation using our clinometer tool with strike/dip, dip/dip direction, or trend/plunge formats. - Add custom base maps with WMS/WMTS. - Add raster images like Geospatial PDFS or GeoTiffs and other overlays to your map to see your location in context. - Add team members so your whole team has access. Supported file types: - Shapefiles - KML and KMZ - Geospatial PDF / GeoPDF - GeoPackage (GPKG) - GeoJSON - GPX - CSV - World File - Geotiff - JPG - PNG Customizable attribute types: - Description - Date & Time - Photos - List Of Values - Checkbox - Address - Number - Website - Phone Number - Attitude / Orientation for Geologic features Pre-loaded feature classes supporting many different use-cases: - Forestry - Geology - Real Estate - Stream Surveys - Water Infrastructure - Wetlands management - Create your own fully customizable data attribute forms, and update them in the field as needed. Terms of Service: https://www.touchgis.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://www.touchgis.app/privacy

Screenshots

ArcGIS Earth4 screens
Touch GIS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ArcGIS Earth at none against Touch GIS's 2. Touch GIS's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Touch GIS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. ArcGIS Earth asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Touch GIS holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 32 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of ArcGIS Earth's written reviews are positive against 50% of Touch GIS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcGIS Earth ships an update every 3 months, Touch GIS every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ArcGIS Earth versus Touch GIS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcGIS EarthTouch GIS
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (45 ratings)4.0 (32 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.3% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings45 — better32
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size145 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperESRITouchGIS

Customer experience

ArcGIS Earth

All ratings44 ratings
Positive52.3%
Neutral13.6%
Negative34.1%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive35.3%
Neutral26.5%
Negative38.2%

Touch GIS

All ratings32 ratings
Positive68.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative36.7%

In-app purchases

None

ArcGIS Earth

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Touch GIS

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Subscription (Monthly)$29.991 Month
  • Pro License (Annual)$299.991 Year

Questions

Is ArcGIS Earth free?
ArcGIS Earth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Touch GIS free?
Touch GIS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ArcGIS Earth or Touch GIS?
Touch GIS is rated higher. ArcGIS Earth averages 3.5 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Touch GIS averages 4.0 from 32 ratings.
Do ArcGIS Earth or Touch GIS have ads?
Neither ArcGIS Earth nor Touch GIS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcGIS Earth or Touch GIS?
ArcGIS Earth ships an update every 3 months, and Touch GIS every 3 weeks. Most recently, ArcGIS Earth was updated on November 2, 2026 and Touch GIS on November 6, 2026.

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