# ArcGIS Earth vs SW Maps

The clearest difference is rating: SW Maps at 3.8 against ArcGIS Earth's 3.5. SW Maps also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SW Maps holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 25 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of ArcGIS Earth's written reviews are positive against 30% of SW Maps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ArcGIS Earth ships an update every 3 months, SW Maps every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArcGIS Earth | SW Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcgis-earth/id1442724282/reviews) | **[3.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **35.3% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 145 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ESRI](https://appshunter.io/developer/379687933) | [Aviyaan Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653343736) |

## What reviewers say

### ArcGIS Earth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcgis-earth/id1442724282)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SW Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083)

This app allows users to collect, present, and share geographic information. It supports recording points, lines, polygons, and associated data like photos and audio. High-accuracy GPS surveys are possible with external receivers, and data can be shared in various standard formats.

**Highlights:** Collect points, lines, and polygons, Attach custom attributes (text, photo, audio, video), High-accuracy GPS surveys with external receivers, Offline map support, Export data in multiple formats (Shapefile, GeoPackage, CSV), Create and share project templates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArcGIS Earth free?

ArcGIS Earth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SW Maps free?

SW Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ArcGIS Earth or SW Maps?

SW Maps is rated higher. ArcGIS Earth averages 3.5 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while SW Maps averages 3.8 from 25 ratings.

### Do ArcGIS Earth or SW Maps have ads?

Neither ArcGIS Earth nor SW Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArcGIS Earth or SW Maps?

ArcGIS Earth ships an update every 3 months, and SW Maps every 2 months. Most recently, ArcGIS Earth was updated on October 27, 2026 and SW Maps on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*