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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Field Maps vs Ride with GPS

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
Ride with GPS logo

Ride with GPS

Maps

Cycling route planning and navigation with a genuinely usable free tier and two paid tiers above it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ride with GPS 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; Ride with GPS turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are locked behind the paid tiers, so the free tier alone is not enough for navigation in an area without signal.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Ride with GPS covers Route builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Field Maps and Ride with GPS actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Field Maps and Ride with GPS differ
AttributeArcGIS Field MapsRide with GPS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelIncluded with an ArcGIS user type licenceFreemium, per user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android

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 Ride with GPS

  • Route builder
  • Global heatmap
  • Turn-by-turn navigation
  • Offline maps
  • Garmin sync
  • Extra map layers

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

Ride with GPS

  • A cyclist planning a multi-day touring route who needs offline maps for areas without signalnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Someone who wants turn-by-turn voice navigation on unfamiliar roads rather than checking a screennot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A rider who wants to see popular local routes via the heatmap before committing to a paid tiernot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A cyclist syncing custom routes directly to a Garmin computer for a big ridenot 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

Ride with GPS

  • Turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are locked behind the paid tiers, so the free tier alone is not enough for navigation in an area without signal.
  • There are two separate paid tiers rather than one, and some navigation-adjacent features are split between Basic and Premium in ways that are easy to misjudge before subscribing.
  • It is general cycling focused, not mountain-bike trail specific, so a trail rider is better served by Trailforks for singletrack detail.
  • The web-based route builder is more capable than the mobile app for planning, so serious route creation is awkward to do purely from a phone.
  • Exact free-tier limits, such as any cap on saved routes, are not clearly published, so a heavy free-tier user may hit an undocumented limit unexpectedly.

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

Ride with GPS

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Route creation
    • Ride recording
    • Global heatmap access
  • Basic$7.99/month
    • Turn-by-turn navigation
    • Offline route maps
    • ETA and advanced route planning
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Extra map layers: wind, air quality, cell coverage

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 Ride with GPS if

  • You need route builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want global heatmap.
Ride with GPS review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Field Maps or Ride with GPS better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Ride with GPS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Field Maps or Ride with GPS?
Ride with GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ArcGIS Field Maps and Free for Ride with GPS.
Does ArcGIS Field Maps or Ride with GPS run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Field Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. Ride with GPS runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Ride with GPS for free?
Yes. Ride with GPS 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 Ride with GPS is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Field Maps do that Ride with GPS cannot?
ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Smart forms, High-accuracy GNSS, Location sharing. Ride with GPS covers Route builder, Global heatmap, Turn-by-turn navigation, Offline maps.

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.

Ride with GPS: Is Ride with GPS free?

A free Starter tier exists with route creation and the heatmap, but turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps require the Basic or Premium paid tier.

ArcGIS Field Maps: What replaced Collector and Workforce?

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

Ride with GPS: What is the difference between Basic and Premium?

Premium includes everything in Basic plus extra map layers such as wind, air quality and cell coverage.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Does it work offline?

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

Ride with GPS: Is it mountain-bike specific?

No, it is general road, gravel and touring focused; Trailforks is the mountain-bike trail specific option.

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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