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Maps · head to head

Emlid Studio vs ArcGIS Field Maps

Emlid Studio logo

Emlid Studio

Maps

Free desktop GNSS post-processing that works with other manufacturers' receivers as well as Emlid's

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ArcGIS Field Maps logo

ArcGIS Field Maps

Maps

Esri field data collection that cannot be bought on its own, only with an ArcGIS user type

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Emlid Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Emlid Studio it is free but it is not open source, so if Emlid changes direction or ends the product there is no community fork and no way to keep it maintained; ArcGIS Field Maps field Maps has no price of its own, so a project budget built from the product page misses the Creator seats, the Mobile Worker seats and the ArcGIS Online credits or Enterprise infrastructure that actually cost money
  • They diverge on capability: Emlid Studio covers RINEX conversion, ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Emlid Studio and ArcGIS Field Maps actually diverge.

Attributes where Emlid Studio and ArcGIS Field Maps differ
AttributeEmlid StudioArcGIS Field Maps
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree of charge, no licence feeIncluded with an ArcGIS user type licence
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOSiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Emlid Studio

  • RINEX conversion
  • Static post-processing
  • Kinematic post-processing
  • Drone PPK geotagging
  • Third party receiver support
  • Emlid Flow point extraction
  • Solution quality reporting

Only in ArcGIS Field Maps

  • Offline map areas
  • Smart forms
  • High-accuracy GNSS
  • Location sharing
  • Assignment dispatch
  • Indoor positioning
  • Direct editing of authoritative data

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Emlid Studio

  • A drone operator whose RTK link dropped to float during a flight and needs to recover centimetre accuracy from the logs afterwardsnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A surveyor establishing a base station coordinate from a two hour static occupation against a national CORS stationnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A research team with mixed brand receivers that cannot justify a manufacturer office suite licencenot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • An archaeologist geotagging survey photography to a local grid without buying a commercial photogrammetry pipelinenot ArcGIS Field Maps

ArcGIS Field Maps

  • A water utility whose inspectors update the same asset feature service the office GIS runs on, rather than filling in forms that someone re-keysnot Emlid Studio
  • A county carrying out a sign inventory where crews work in areas without mobile coverage and need offline maps that sync laternot Emlid Studio
  • An environmental team needing sub-metre positions from an external GNSS receiver recorded directly against the authoritative datasetnot Emlid Studio
  • An organisation consolidating from Collector, Explorer, Tracker and Workforce onto a single app after Esri retired themnot Emlid Studio

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Emlid Studio

  • It is free but it is not open source, so if Emlid changes direction or ends the product there is no community fork and no way to keep it maintained
  • Support is a community forum with no service level, which is a problem for a commercial survey firm that needs an answer before a deliverable deadline rather than when someone volunteers one
  • It only post-processes; there is no network adjustment, no project management, no least squares reporting suitable as a survey record, so it does not replace an office suite
  • The software exists to sell Emlid receivers, so features that matter to owners of competing hardware are unlikely to be prioritised even though third party RINEX is accepted
  • Results depend on the quality of the base data and on the user understanding fix, float and single solutions, and the interface will happily produce a poor solution without stopping an inexperienced operator

ArcGIS Field Maps

  • Field Maps has no price of its own, so a project budget built from the product page misses the Creator seats, the Mobile Worker seats and the ArcGIS Online credits or Enterprise infrastructure that actually cost money
  • It only works against Esri feature services, so an organisation whose data is in PostGIS or a database without an ArcGIS layer must publish through Esri first, which is a platform decision rather than an app choice
  • Named user licensing means occasional or seasonal field staff still consume a full annual seat, and organisations with a large pool of infrequent collectors pay for capacity they use a few weeks a year
  • As a forms tool alone it is more rigid and more expensive than dedicated mobile forms products, so its value collapses if you are not already committed to ArcGIS
  • The consolidation of four apps into one changed established workflows, and organisations that had built processes around Collector or Workforce have had to rework them on Esri's timetable rather than their own

Pricing, plan by plan

Emlid Studio

Free
  • Emlid StudioFree
    • No licence fee and no seat limit
    • Windows and macOS
    • Works with RINEX from non-Emlid receivers

ArcGIS Field Maps

On request
  • Mobile Worker user type$undefined/year
    • Field editing in Field Maps included with no additional purchase
    • Cannot author maps; requires a Creator seat elsewhere in the organisation
    • Priced per named user per year
  • Creator user type$undefined/year
    • Required to author and publish the maps that field workers use
    • At least one Creator needed before Field Maps can be deployed
    • Includes Field Maps editing as well as authoring
  • ArcGIS Enterprise deployment$undefined/year
    • Field Maps against self-hosted ArcGIS Enterprise instead of ArcGIS Online
    • Server licensing and infrastructure priced separately
    • Quoted through Esri or a distributor

Which should you pick?

Choose Emlid Studio if

  • You need rinex conversion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want static post-processing.
Emlid Studio review

Choose ArcGIS Field Maps if

  • You need offline map areas.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want smart forms.
ArcGIS Field Maps review

Questions people ask

Is Emlid Studio or ArcGIS Field Maps better?
Neither clearly leads. Emlid Studio starts at Free and ArcGIS Field Maps at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Emlid Studio or ArcGIS Field Maps?
Emlid Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Emlid Studio and On request for ArcGIS Field Maps.
Does Emlid Studio or ArcGIS Field Maps run on more platforms?
Emlid Studio runs on Windows, macOS. ArcGIS Field Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Emlid Studio for free?
Yes. Emlid Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request.
What is Emlid Studio best used for?
Emlid Studio is most often used for a drone operator whose rtk link dropped to float during a flight and needs to recover centimetre accuracy from the logs afterwards, a surveyor establishing a base station coordinate from a two hour static occupation against a national cors station, a research team with mixed brand receivers that cannot justify a manufacturer office suite licence, an archaeologist geotagging survey photography to a local grid without buying a commercial photogrammetry pipeline. Of those, a drone operator whose rtk link dropped to float during a flight and needs to recover centimetre accuracy from the logs afterwards and a surveyor establishing a base station coordinate from a two hour static occupation against a national cors station are not what ArcGIS Field Maps is typically brought in for.
What can Emlid Studio do that ArcGIS Field Maps cannot?
Emlid Studio covers RINEX conversion, Static post-processing, Kinematic post-processing, Drone PPK geotagging. ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Smart forms, High-accuracy GNSS, Location sharing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Emlid Studio: Is Emlid Studio really free?

Yes, with no seat limit and no paid tier. Emlid makes its money on GNSS receivers.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Can I buy Field Maps on its own?

No. It is included with the Mobile Worker, Creator and GIS Professional user types, and you need at least one Creator in the organisation to author maps.

Emlid Studio: Does it work with receivers from other manufacturers?

Yes. It accepts standard RINEX logs, so a base or rover from another brand can be processed.

ArcGIS Field Maps: What replaced Collector and Workforce?

Field Maps. Esri merged Collector, Explorer, Tracker and Workforce into it and retired the separate apps.

Emlid Studio: Is it open source?

No. It is free of charge but proprietary, so there is no community fork if the product is discontinued.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Does it work offline?

Yes. Map areas are downloaded in advance and edits synchronise when connectivity returns.

Emlid Studio: Can I use it as my survey office software?

No. It handles post-processing only. Network adjustment, drafting and deliverable production need other tools.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Can it write to a non-Esri database?

Not directly. The data must be published as an ArcGIS feature service, which may sit over an enterprise geodatabase you already run.

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