Softwr

Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Field Maps vs Trailforks

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
Trailforks logo

Trailforks

Maps

Mountain-bike-specific trail database and navigation app owned by Outside Inc

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Trailforks 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; Trailforks the free tier only allows one offline region downloaded at a time, which is limiting for a rider visiting multiple trail areas.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Trailforks covers Mountain bike trail database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ArcGIS Field Maps and Trailforks differ
AttributeArcGIS Field MapsTrailforks
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelIncluded with an ArcGIS user type licenceFreemium, standalone Pro or bundled with Outside+
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: 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 Trailforks

  • Mountain bike trail database
  • Community trail reports
  • Offline maps
  • Premium basemaps
  • Heatmap overlay
  • Weather and fire overlays

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

Trailforks

  • A mountain biker planning a ride on unfamiliar singletrack who needs direction-of-travel and difficulty datanot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Someone riding in an area with no signal who needs an offline downloaded trail mapnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • A rider checking recent community trail condition reports before heading outnot ArcGIS Field Maps
  • Someone comparing several mountain bike regions using the usage heatmap before choosing where to 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

Trailforks

  • The free tier only allows one offline region downloaded at a time, which is limiting for a rider visiting multiple trail areas.
  • Pro pricing appears to be shifting toward bundling with the wider Outside+ media subscription, making the standalone price less stable and worth checking directly before buying.
  • Its focus on mountain biking means it is a weaker choice than Ride with GPS for road or gravel route planning.
  • Trail data quality depends on community contribution, so newer or less-ridden regions can have sparse or outdated information.
  • Being owned by a media company with a broader outdoor content bundle strategy introduces some uncertainty about how the standalone app product is prioritised long term.

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

Trailforks

Free
  • Trailforks FreeFree
    • Trail database access
    • Basic basemaps
    • One offline region at a time
  • Trailforks Pro$undefined/year
    • Unlimited offline regions
    • Premium basemaps including Gaia and ArcGIS satellite
    • Heatmap, weather and fire overlays

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 Trailforks if

  • You need mountain bike trail database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want community trail reports.
Trailforks review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Field Maps or Trailforks better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Field Maps starts at On request and Trailforks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Field Maps or Trailforks?
Trailforks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ArcGIS Field Maps and Free for Trailforks.
Does ArcGIS Field Maps or Trailforks run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Trailforks for free?
Yes. Trailforks 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 Trailforks is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Field Maps do that Trailforks cannot?
ArcGIS Field Maps covers Offline map areas, Smart forms, High-accuracy GNSS, Location sharing. Trailforks covers Mountain bike trail database, Community trail reports, Offline maps, Premium basemaps.

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.

Trailforks: Is Trailforks free?

A free tier exists with trail data and one offline region at a time; Pro removes that limit and adds premium map layers.

ArcGIS Field Maps: What replaced Collector and Workforce?

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

Trailforks: Who owns Trailforks?

Outside Inc, which also owns Pinkbike and CyclingTips, acquired it in 2021.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Does it work offline?

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

Trailforks: Is it only for mountain biking?

Mountain biking is the core focus, though it has secondary support for hiking, gravel and motorised trail use.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on ArcGIS Field Maps

More on Trailforks

Keep looking

Other head to heads