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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Field Maps vs Leaflet

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
Leaflet logo

Leaflet

Maps

Leading open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps, used by millions of developers worldwide

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Leaflet has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Leaflet 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Leaflet covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ArcGIS Field Maps and Leaflet differ
AttributeArcGIS Field MapsLeaflet
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelIncluded with an ArcGIS user type licenceUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

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 ArcGIS Field Maps

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

Only in Leaflet

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

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 Leaflet
  • A county carrying out a sign inventory where crews work in areas without mobile coverage and need offline maps that sync laternot Leaflet
  • An environmental team needing sub-metre positions from an external GNSS receiver recorded directly against the authoritative datasetnot Leaflet
  • An organisation consolidating from Collector, Explorer, Tracker and Workforce onto a single app after Esri retired themnot Leaflet

Leaflet

  • Embedding interactive maps in a web pagenot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsersnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 KB of JavaScriptnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platformnot ArcGIS Field Maps

Where each one falls short

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

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

Leaflet

  • 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation
  • Performance degrades when rendering large datasets of complex vector geometries without optimization
  • Limited dynamic styling support; style is fixed on the server when using raster tiles
  • Lacks native support for WMS features; requires plugins like Leaflet.WMS and complex feature identification is cumbersome
  • Requires external tile service for map imagery; does not provide map tiles natively

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Leaflet

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Leaflet review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Leaflet if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
Leaflet review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Field Maps or Leaflet better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Leaflet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Field Maps or Leaflet?
Leaflet has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ArcGIS Field Maps and Free for Leaflet.
Does ArcGIS Field Maps or Leaflet run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Field Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. Leaflet runs on Web.
Can I use Leaflet for free?
Yes. Leaflet has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request.
What is ArcGIS Field Maps best used for?
ArcGIS Field Maps is most often used for a water utility whose inspectors update the same asset feature service the office gis runs on, rather than filling in forms that someone re-keys, a county carrying out a sign inventory where crews work in areas without mobile coverage and need offline maps that sync later, an environmental team needing sub-metre positions from an external gnss receiver recorded directly against the authoritative dataset, an organisation consolidating from collector, explorer, tracker and workforce onto a single app after esri retired them. Of those, a water utility whose inspectors update the same asset feature service the office gis runs on, rather than filling in forms that someone re-keys and a county carrying out a sign inventory where crews work in areas without mobile coverage and need offline maps that sync later are not what Leaflet is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Field Maps do that Leaflet cannot?
ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Smart forms, High-accuracy GNSS, Location sharing. Leaflet covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Leaflet: Is Leaflet free and open source?

Yes. Leaflet is open-source JavaScript library licensed for free use. Over 400 plugins add capabilities like marker clustering, heatmaps, drawing tools, geocoding, and routing.

Source
ArcGIS Field Maps: What replaced Collector and Workforce?

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

Leaflet: How do I include Leaflet in my project via CDN?

Leaflet is available on multiple free CDNs including unpkg, cdnjs, and jsDelivr. Include the CSS stylesheet from https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/leaflet.css and JavaScript from https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/leaflet.js in your HTML head.

Source
ArcGIS Field Maps: Does it work offline?

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

Leaflet: What mapping services does Leaflet support?

Leaflet integrates seamlessly with various mapping services including OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Bing, and other custom tile providers, allowing developers to choose the best base layer.

Source
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.

Leaflet: What is the file size of Leaflet?

Leaflet weighs about 42 KB of JavaScript.

Source
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