Comparison

ArcGIS Field Maps vs Arbster

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

Head to head
About

ArcGIS Field Maps

This app provides field workers with interactive maps to understand their surroundings, collect data, and perform inspections. It offers features like location sharing, smart forms, geofence alerts, and offline capabilities for efficient fieldwork.

Highlights
  • Interactive GIS maps
  • Smart forms for data collection
  • Location sharing
  • Geofence alerts
  • Offline map support
  • Asset tracking and management
  • Inspection record documentation
Features
Read full description

ArcGIS is available on your desktop, in a browser, and now on your iPhone or iPad. ArcGIS Field Maps is Esri’s premier maps app on mobile devices. Field Maps helps mobile workers understand their surroundings, find assets, collect data, and perform inspections, leveraging interactive digital maps that contain up-to-date GIS data from their organization. It includes powerful features like location sharing, smart forms for efficient data collection, geofence alerts, and the ability to complete fieldwork even when offline. Whether you're part of a utility crew, a conservation team, or a city inspection unit,Field Mapsis designed to support the work you do on the ground. Note about permissions:Field Maps is designed for organizational use. This app requires you to have an ArcGIS organizational account to collect and update data. Public maps shared by organizations can be viewed without signing in. Understand your surroundings: - View assets and surrounding landmarks or places on GPS-enabled maps. - Search for assets and access important information about them. - Use compass guidance to lead you directly to assets and locations. - Scan barcodes or QR codes to pull up asset records instantly. - Annotate directly on the map with your finger or stylus to create personal notes. - Leverage integration with voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation apps to get to your assets. - Stay safe with geofence alerts as you enter fire zones, wildlife habitats, work areas, etc. - Measure distances and areas in the map. - Gain advanced understanding by viewing and tracing utility networks. - View stationing information along linear assets. - View assets and locations in floor-aware indoor maps. Perform data capture and inspections: - Create new or edit existing asset data. - Connect to external GNSS receivers for high-accuracy data. - Digitally document inspection records. - Capture photos, videos, and other attachments. - Speed up data capture with smart forms and reduce manual entry by automatically filling in fields like date or inspector name and making automated calculations. - Share your updates instantly with your organization when using an online map and automatically sync stored updates to offline maps when connected. - Collect assets and perform inspections indoors. Share your location for coordination & safety: - Share your location with supervisors and teammates (when enabled). - View teammate locations to coordinate efforts and ensure safety (when enabled). - Tracks show where you’ve been so you can visually see what area you’ve covered. Work offline in remote or disconnected areas: - Download offline map areas created for you. - Create your own offline map areas on device (if enabled). - Sync edits automatically or manually when connected. Coordination and collaboration: - View edits and contributions from others as they are synced with your map. - Use tasks to view and complete field assignments from a to-do list. - Stakeholders can view fieldwork progress in the office and make data-informed decisions. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

Arbster

Features
Read full description

Arbster - Your Ultimate Arborist Assistant Arbster is the must-have app for professional arborists. With its comprehensive job planning and management features, gear management capabilities, and built-in risk assessments for arborist job sites, Arbster is the perfect tool for managing your workload and staying organized on the job. Arbster makes it easy to plan and track your work, from initial consultations to job completion. You'll have access to all the information you need to stay on top of your schedule and get the job done right the first time. Plus, with its intuitive gear management feature, you can keep track of all your tree climbing gear and ensure that everything is in good working order. In addition to its powerful job management tools, Arbster also includes valuable safety information to help you and your team stay safe on the job. And with its data export options to PDF, CSV, and Calendar, you can easily share your work progress and schedule with colleagues and clients. Whether you're a seasoned arborist or just starting out, Arbster is the essential tool for managing your workflow, improving your efficiency, and growing your business. Download Arbster today and experience the benefits for yourself! Some of the key features of Arbster include: **Job Planning and Management: Easily plan and track your work from start to finish, including scheduling appointments, assigning tasks to team members, and setting reminders for important deadlines. **Risk Assessments for Arborist Job Sites: With built-in risk assessments, you can quickly identify potential hazards on the job site and take steps to minimize risks for you and your team. **Gear Management: Keep track of all your tree climbing gear in one place, including inspection dates and maintenance schedules, to ensure everything is in good working order. **Safety Information: Access valuable safety information to help you and your team stay safe on the job, including guidelines for working at heights, safe use of equipment, and more. **Data Export Options: Export your job data to PDF, CSV, and Calendar formats for easy sharing with colleagues and clients. **User-Friendly Interface: Arbster's user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and use all of its powerful features, even for those with limited technical expertise.

Screenshots

ArcGIS Field Maps4 screens
Arbster4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ArcGIS Field Maps at none against Arbster's 3. Arbster's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.5). On price, update cadence, 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. Arbster sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. ArcGIS Field Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcGIS Field Maps ships an update every 6 weeks, Arbster every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ArcGIS Field Maps versus Arbster: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcGIS Field MapsArbster
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (59 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews11.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings59 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.511.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size268 MB76 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperESRINordic Social Media AB

Bugs and requests

ArcGIS Field Maps

Reported bugs

20 issues
  • App crashes on startup and during use
  • Layers fail to load intermittently
  • Offline map downloads fail or hang indefinitely
  • Authentication errors and keyboard not appearing on login
  • Maps load only 30% of the time
Show 15 more
  • Search functionality broken
  • Markup files lost after updates
  • Multiple markup layers no longer supported
  • Touch/tap detection inaccurate requiring multiple attempts
  • Photo EXIF direction data captured at wrong time
  • Location tracking bounces around map
  • App freezes when rotating screen
  • Syncing issues with offline edits
  • Feature class save errors
  • Arcade expression errors in feature classes
  • Raster layer display issues
  • Text rendering problems
  • Battery drain up to 10% per minute
  • Required token errors appearing randomly
  • Cooldown period between POI data entry updates

Requested features

13 requests
  • Stylus support for drawing features
  • Landscape mode for iPhone devices
  • Apple Watch integration and capabilities
  • Export functionality (GPX, KMZ formats)
  • Improved offline area size and quality selection
Show 8 more
  • Better cone of vision visibility
  • Attribute table visibility in field
  • CarPlay compatibility
  • Share individual features, not just map center
  • Notification when position collection completes
  • Permanent UI customization options
  • More markup colors and customization
  • Improved search functionality

Arbster

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ArcGIS Field Maps

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Arbster

Subscriptions3
  • Arbster Premium$29.991 Month
  • Arbster Premium7 Days trial$72.003 Months
  • Arbster Premium14 Days trial$214.991 Year

Questions

Is ArcGIS Field Maps free?
ArcGIS Field Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Arbster free?
Arbster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ArcGIS Field Maps or Arbster have ads?
Neither ArcGIS Field Maps nor Arbster shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArcGIS Field Maps or Arbster?
ArcGIS Field Maps ships an update every 6 weeks, and Arbster every 2 months. Most recently, ArcGIS Field Maps was updated on November 12, 2026 and Arbster on November 7, 2026.

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