ArcGIS Field Maps vs QL Local
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ArcGIS Field Maps
This app provides mobile workers with interactive digital maps to understand their surroundings, locate assets, and collect data. It features smart forms for efficient data entry, offline capabilities, and location sharing for coordination and safety. Designed for organizational use, it supports fieldwork for various teams.
- Interactive digital maps
- Smart forms for data collection
- Offline map capabilities
- Location sharing and tracking
- Geofence alerts
- Asset scanning and annotation
- Data editing and syncing
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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.
QL Local
This app provides field technicians with precise control over HFC network devices. It enables on-site diagnostics, firmware management, and troubleshooting without disrupting network operations. Technicians can securely access device data, push updates, and monitor network performance through a user-friendly mobile interface.
- Localized device access
- Real-time diagnostics
- Firmware updates
- Configuration management
- Ingress and power monitoring
- Asset validation
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QuantumLink™ Local Mobile Application empowers field technicians with precision control over HFC network devices. Built on AOI’s industry-leading LoRaWAN architecture, QuantumLink Local allows on-site diagnostics, firmware management, and troubleshooting without disrupting network operations. Field engineers can securely access amplifier and node data, push configuration updates, monitor ingress levels, and perform asset validation — all through a rugged, technician-friendly mobile interface. Key Features: • Localized device access via secure wireless interface • Real-time diagnostics and telemetry monitoring • Firmware updates and configuration management • Ingress, ALSC, and power monitoring • Historical change tracking and geo-tagging • Standards-compliant with DOCSIS® 4.0 and SCTE specifications QuantumLink Local integrates seamlessly with QuantumLink Node and QuantumLink Central, delivering unmatched operational efficiency across the HFC plant. AOI’s solution reduces truck rolls, minimizes network downtime, and puts powerful tools in the hands of technicians where they work best — in the field.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: QL Local at 3.0 against ArcGIS Field Maps's 2.1. QL Local also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.5). ArcGIS Field Maps's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (58 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
QL Local holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcGIS Field Maps has 58 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 11% of ArcGIS Field Maps's written reviews are positive against 0% of QL Local's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ArcGIS Field Maps ships an update monthly, QL Local every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ArcGIS Field Maps | QL Local |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (58 ratings) | 3.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.4% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 58 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 161 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ESRI | APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC. |
Customer experience
ArcGIS Field Maps
QL Local
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
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- 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
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- 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
QL Local
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ArcGIS Field Maps
No in-app purchases
QL Local
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ArcGIS Field Maps free?
Is QL Local free?
Which has better reviews, ArcGIS Field Maps or QL Local?
Do ArcGIS Field Maps or QL Local have ads?
Which is updated more often, ArcGIS Field Maps or QL Local?
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