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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Field Maps vs Radar

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
Radar logo

Radar

Maps

Geofencing, trip tracking, and location-based search APIs that power location features in

From
$0.02/per monthly tracked user
Rated
-
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; Radar no free tier available
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Radar 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 Radar actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Field Maps and Radar differ
AttributeArcGIS Field MapsRadar
Starting priceOn request$0.02/per monthly tracked user
Pricing modelIncluded with an ArcGIS user type licenceusage-based

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (iOS, Android, Web), 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 Radar

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

Radar

  • Detecting and preventing fraud with geolocation verificationnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Tracking pickups and deliveries in real-time with geofencingnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Engaging customers with location-based marketing campaignsnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Managing geographic compliance and hyper-accurate location trackingnot 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

Radar

  • No free tier available
  • Annual contracts required with committed monthly quotas
  • Volume discounts applied manually; no public discount tiers

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

Radar

$0.02/per monthly tracked user

No published plan breakdown. See the Radar 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 Radar if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want user interface.
Radar review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Field Maps or Radar better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Radar at $0.02/per monthly tracked user, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Field Maps or Radar?
ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Radar at $0.02/per monthly tracked user.
Does ArcGIS Field Maps or Radar run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Radar is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Field Maps do that Radar cannot?
ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Smart forms, High-accuracy GNSS, Location sharing. Radar 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.

Radar: What is Radar's core function?

Radar is an all-in-one location platform providing SDKs and APIs for geofencing, trip tracking, geocoding, and location search. It handles 100+ billion annual queries from 100+ million devices.

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.

Radar: Who uses Radar?

Companies like Sleeper, Panera, DICK's Sporting Goods, T-Mobile, and Zillow use Radar's geofencing SDKs and maps APIs for location-based solutions.

Source
ArcGIS Field Maps: Does it work offline?

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

Radar: How is Radar's pricing structured?

Radar does not publicly disclose pricing. Custom quotes are required based on usage and requirements, meaning pricing varies per customer.

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.

Radar: What are Radar's security and privacy features?

Radar prioritizes enterprise-level security, privacy, and customer support. It maintains high uptime, low latency connections for reliable monitoring of location data across platforms.

Source
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