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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Field Maps vs Lytx

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
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Lytx logo

Lytx

Fleet Management

Video telematics with human event review and a structured driver coaching programme

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Lytx the driver-facing lens is the main deployment obstacle, and fleets have faced formal union objections, grievance procedures and driver resignations over interior cameras regardless of how the data is used.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Lytx covers Machine vision event detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ArcGIS Field Maps and Lytx differ
AttributeArcGIS Field MapsLytx
Pricing modelIncluded with an ArcGIS user type licencequote
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMapsFleet Management

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Lytx

  • Machine vision event detection
  • Reviewed events
  • Driver coaching workflow
  • Risk scoring
  • Continual recording option
  • Fleet tracking and compliance

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

Lytx

  • A haulage or waste fleet with rising insurance premiums that needs defensible video evidence and a documented coaching programme to renegotiate covernot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • An operator facing repeated nuisance claims where exonerating footage settles disputes before they reach litigationnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A safety team that wants reviewed, filtered events rather than an alert stream its managers will stop reading within a fortnightnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A fleet already running Geotab or Samsara for telematics that wants a dedicated video safety layer on topnot 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

Lytx

  • The driver-facing lens is the main deployment obstacle, and fleets have faced formal union objections, grievance procedures and driver resignations over interior cameras regardless of how the data is used.
  • Agreements are normally 36 months per device, so a fleet that shrinks or reassigns vehicles mid-term keeps paying for units it no longer runs, and the hardware has no resale value.
  • Human review introduces a delay between the event and the coachable clip, so it is not the tool for real-time intervention, and vendors offering instant in-cab alerts do that part better.
  • Core telematics such as maintenance, routing and asset tracking is thinner than on dedicated fleet platforms, so many customers run Lytx alongside another system and pay twice for GPS tracking.
  • The programme only pays back if managers hold coaching sessions consistently, which is a recurring labour cost the business case usually omits, and fleets that cannot staff it see no measurable change in incident rates.

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

Lytx

On request
  • Lytx$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle per month, device and review service bundled
    • Terms are typically 36 months per installed device
    • Continual recording and extended retention priced as upgrades

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 Lytx if

  • You need machine vision event detection.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want reviewed events.
Lytx review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Field Maps or Lytx better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Lytx at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Field Maps or Lytx?
ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Lytx at On request.
Does ArcGIS Field Maps or Lytx run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Field Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. Lytx runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Lytx is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Field Maps do that Lytx cannot?
ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Smart forms, High-accuracy GNSS, Location sharing. Lytx covers Machine vision event detection, Reviewed events, Driver coaching workflow, Risk scoring.

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.

Lytx: Can I run Lytx without a driver-facing camera?

Yes, road-facing only configurations are available and are what most fleets deploy first to reduce resistance. You lose distraction and seatbelt detection, which is a large part of the risk model.

ArcGIS Field Maps: What replaced Collector and Workforce?

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

Lytx: Who watches the footage?

Flagged events go to Lytx reviewers, then to your safety managers. Continuous footage is not routinely watched; it is retained and pulled on request for incidents and claims.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Does it work offline?

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

Lytx: Does it replace my telematics platform?

It can, but most large fleets keep their existing tracking platform and integrate Lytx for video and coaching. Budget for both if that is the plan.

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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