ArcGIS StoryMaps vs Felt

ArcGIS StoryMaps is a web-based tool for sharing maps, apps, and multimedia as narrative content. Authors can create stories, slide-based briefings, mobile-first frames, and collections with reusable themes. The builder supports configured 2D web maps and 3D web scenes, as well as ArcGIS apps created by organization members. Stories can draw on existing ArcGIS maps and scenes, Esri demographic and lifestyle data, and curated ArcGIS Living Atlas maps. Published items can be shared with an organization, selected groups, or everyone; organization members can co-author through groups. Changes save automatically, and authors can republish edits when ready. Creator, Professional, and Professional Plus user types provide full storytelling capabilities; Viewer, Contributor, and Mobile Worker can view shared content but cannot create it. Public accounts are free, with usage limits and some advanced features unavailable. A free plan and a 21-day trial are listed. ArcGIS StoryMaps is also included with ArcGIS Enterprise starting at version 10.8.1, including deployment in disconnected environments.

Felt is a cloud-based GIS platform for building maps, dashboards, and apps from spatial data. It combines spatial SQL and cross-table analysis with plain-language analysis through Felt AI. Connections include Amazon S3, BigQuery, Databricks, Esri, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, MS SQL, Postgres, Snowflake, STAC, WFS, WMTS, Wherobots, and Amazon Redshift. A QGIS plugin carries styling, symbology, and layer structure into Felt when publishing. Its iOS and Android Field App supports surveys, GPS capture, geotagged photos, offline work, and later syncing. Teams can collaborate on maps in real time, share them, use threaded comments, and manage permissions. The Personal plan is free forever and allows unlimited maps and sharing, but it is for personal use and excludes uploads of your own data files. Professional and Enterprise are annual contracts with prices not published; Professional lists 25 GB monthly data processing and 100K monthly map views. A seven-day trial is listed. Felt supports web, desktop, mobile, API, and self-hosted platforms.