---
title: ArcGIS API for JavaScript Reviews
meta_title: 'ArcGIS API for JavaScript Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features
  | G2'
meta_description: Filter 23 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to
  find out how ArcGIS API for JavaScript works for a business like yours.
aggregate_rating:
  rating_value: 4.5
  review_count: 23
  scale: '5'
date_modified: '2026-07-12'
parent_category:
  name: Development
  url: https://www.g2.com/categories/development
---

# ArcGIS API for JavaScript Reviews
**Vendor:** Esri  
**Category:** [Other Development Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/other-development)  
**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0  
**Total Reviews:** 23
## About ArcGIS API for JavaScript
ArcGIS API for JavaScript is designed to maximize your productivity for building engaging, beautiful web mapping applications. The API combines modern web technology and powerful geospatial capabilities enabling you to create high-performing apps and smarter visualizations of your data.




## ArcGIS API for JavaScript Reviews
  ### 1. evolving platform for providing a custom map product

**Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Jeffrey S. | GIS analyst, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 11, 2019

**What do you like best about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

The transition from 3.x to 4.x provided the api with more flexability.  Its resources make standing up an application easy

**What do you dislike about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

The transition from 3.x to 4.x was difficult for me as it was a paradigm shift in how the map works and I had trouble getting started, retooling some existing apps

**Recommendations to others considering ArcGIS API for JavaScript:**

Start with 4.x and use the developer materials, they are extremely helpful

**What problems is ArcGIS API for JavaScript solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Without enough AGO accounts for our organization, custom map products deliver a viewer & editor expereince without much cost

  ### 2. JavaScript Review

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Government Administration | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 09, 2019

**What do you like best about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

The ability to custom develop apps outside of Web AppBuilder and AGO. The customization is a lot more effective when it comes to popups, tables , geoprocessing tools.

**What do you dislike about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

The fact that there are so many different versions and a lot of the Samples are out of date or don't work when you are on the API page.

**Recommendations to others considering ArcGIS API for JavaScript:**

Look up open source Templates like the 'Configurable Map Viewer' to save a lot of time desiging the base set up of he app.

**What problems is ArcGIS API for JavaScript solving and how is that benefiting you?**

we have utilized the API to create an in house mapping software that utilizes over 200+ data layers, connects to 8 different databases and incorporates all of the departments of our city in one main app.

  ### 3. Excellent for robust needs, but not complete enough to use.

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 10, 2019

**What do you like best about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

I like the ESRI JS API because it has so many robust out-of-the-box and ready-to-use features. I focus mainly on 2D visualization, but I do like the 3D globe view for realism.

**What do you dislike about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

I dislike the lack of native clustering support, lack of native in-map bar-chart symbology, and 4.x's general lack of parity with 3.x. I also wish ESRI would allow more customizability. I often use Leaflet because of how much more customizable it is.

**What problems is ArcGIS API for JavaScript solving and how is that benefiting you?**

I have used the ESRI ArcGIS API as a portal for data availability. It's useful because of how many options come ready-made out of the box.

  ### 4. Major Features Still Missing

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Bradley L. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 10, 2018

**What do you like best about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

The dojo framework is fun to work with. I also really qppreciate the EsriRequest method. It's an easy way to communicate with my database.

**What do you dislike about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

I needed to use the 4.X version of the API in order to leverage some of the drawing tools. Some very basic GIS tools are still not built out for the 4.X API. I have had to spend days building basic selector tools, highlight functionality, and tables to give my users the "GIS feel" that they expect. The 4.X API is great for visualization, but it doesn't make interacting with or editing data very easy.

**Recommendations to others considering ArcGIS API for JavaScript:**

The 4.x verion is great for visualization of 3D data, otherwise continue to use 3.x which has much more standard GIS functionality.

**What problems is ArcGIS API for JavaScript solving and how is that benefiting you?**

I have used the JS API to build an in house web app for a county government. They used to have one interface across different divisions for utility asset management.

  ### 5. Custom Web Apps

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Hamish K. | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 18, 2018

**What do you like best about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

Very good documention, with lots of examples and great community support on the forums. Allows for a huge range of customisation. They leave a lot of scope for the developer to choose how to do things. Can also quickly and easily incorporate it with other libraries such as Jquery and angular

**What do you dislike about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

With the change over from 3.x to 4.x, not all of the functionality was directly replicated. Esri is slowly bring features from 3.x to 4.x

**Recommendations to others considering ArcGIS API for JavaScript:**

Great tool, allows for alot of customisation and works flawlessly on all platforms and browsers

**What problems is ArcGIS API for JavaScript solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Lightweight, custom webmaps that suit a very specific need

  ### 6. Generally good API

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Government Administration | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 18, 2018

**What do you like best about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

Options available for customization.  Easy to add the layers that are needed for the application. 

**What do you dislike about ArcGIS API for JavaScript?**

Occasional issue with freezing. It may be a hardware issue, but we’ve contacted ESRI a few times and they think that it might be a permissions glitch. 

**What problems is ArcGIS API for JavaScript solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Creating interactive maps for use with municipal utility workers on issued laptops with relevant info.  Same for Parks personnel. 


## ArcGIS API for JavaScript Discussions
  - [What is ArcGIS API for JavaScript used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-arcgis-api-for-javascript-used-for)
  - [Can you recommend migrating to ArcGIS JavaScript API 4 from version 3 at this stage?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-you-recommend-migrating-to-arcgis-javascript-api-4-from-version-3-at-this-stage) - 1 upvote

- [View ArcGIS API for JavaScript pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/arcgis-api-for-javascript/reviews?filters%5Bnps_score%5D%5B%5D=4&section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-03+01%3A04%3A53+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=1fbbabe2-047d-4282-9e87-cb49a945868b&secure%5Btoken%5D=bcfe45d6fc6758acbe187172a402b082ae92763dd58140422a1a5afa83dc8b1e&format=llm_user)


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