Distributing applications

The license and distribution requirements for deploying your application are determined by the type of application you develop and the API you use. There may also be limitations based on the type of ArcGIS account you have.

Web applications

Web applications are built with ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, open source, or other APIs.

To build and deploy a web application, you need:

  1. An ArcGIS account.
  2. To follow the General guidelines.
Example applications
  • Client-side, static, and single web page applications
  • Dynamic web applications using front-end and back-end technologies
  • Progressive web apps
  • RIAs (desktop or mobile hybrid apps encapsulating)
  • Browser and IDE extensions

NOTE: There may be other types of web applications you can develop that are not listed here.

Native applications

A native application is built with one of the ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps and deployed to desktops, mobile devices, or embedded systems. Native applications may be deployed using a variety of installer technologies, such as Microsoft Windows Installer (.msi), or to the Google Play store, Apple App Store, Microsoft Store, or ArcGIS Marketplace.

To build and deploy a native application, you need:

  1. An ArcGIS account.
  2. To follow the General guidelines.
  3. To have an ArcGIS Runtime license string or implement user authentication. This "unlocks" applications and removes the "Licensed for Developer use Only" watermark on maps and from the console log.

To learn how to get an ArcGIS Runtime license string, visit the Licensing and deployment sections below:

Example applications
  • Mobile apps for phones or tablets
  • Desktop apps (Linux, macOS, or Windows)
  • Smart devices (Smart watches, bands, Apple TV)
  • Embedded (custom hardware devices, Arduino, Raspberry, ...)

NOTE: There may be other types of native applications you can develop that are not listed here.

Game engine applications

A game engine application is built with one of the ArcGIS Maps SDKs and deployed to any supported device, operating system, or embedded system.

To build and deploy a game engine application, you need:

  1. An ArcGIS account.
  2. To follow the General guidelines.
  3. Review Deployment in the ArcGIS Maps SDK for Unity guide.
Example applications
  • Apps for Android or iOS phones or tablets
  • Stand alone Windows Platform or Universal Windows apps
  • macOS applications
  • AR/VR applications for XR platforms

NOTE: There may be other types of game engine applications you can develop that are not listed here.

Service-based applications

Service-based applications are those that use ArcGIS location services and may not have an end-user interface. They can consume location services, APIs, libraries, or other back-end functionality. A service-based application can be triggered by user interactions, such as services or processes built with non-Esri client-side APIs, webhooks, or other scheduled processes.

Typically these applications are built using REST API service endpoints, modules from ArcGIS REST JS or ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript inside a Node.js app, the ArcGIS API for Python, or ArcPy.

To build and deploy a service-based application, you need:

  1. An ArcGIS account.
  2. To follow the General guidelines.
Example applications
  • Web Services
  • REST applications
  • Scripting applications
  • Internal libraries
  • Developer APIs
  • Machine-to-machine

NOTE: There may be other types of service-based applications you can develop that are not listed here.

For more information about accounts, licensing, pricing, and service usage, visit the FAQs.

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