Experience Builder apps require more resources than Web AppBuilder apps

[berniejconnors]

Under the ArcGIS JavaScript API 3.x the Web AppBuilder (WAB) was the best tool to configure online map viewers.  My organization, GeoNB, created many WAB apps.  Under the newer ArcGIS JavaScript API 4.x the Experience Builder (ExB) is the best tool to configure map viewers.  GeoNB has released one ExB app and is planning to replace more WAB apps with ExB apps.  Unfortunately, ExB apps require a GPU, WebGL support, and 8 GB RAM.  WAB apps do not require WebGL support and run very well on older computers with low resources and no GPU.

Feature	Web AppBuilder	Experience Builder
JS API	3.x	4.x
Rendering	DOM/Canvas (2D)	WebGL (GPU)
Depends on GPU	❌Minimal	✅Heavy
Browser requirements	Lower	Higher
Typical weak point	CPU	GPU / VRAM / drivers
Compatibility	Older browsers fine	Needs modern GPU and WebGL support

We have just begun to discover that we have a significant number of users that cannot run the new ExB version of the GeoNB Map Viewer.  This may become a big issue for GeoNB and other GIS teams that are migrating apps from WAB to ExB.

When we released the ExB version of the GeoNB Map Viewer we also allowed users to continue to use the WAB version.  We expected some users were just accustomed to the old interface and reluctant to change.  We did not expect to find many users unable to run the ExB version.  We may keep the WAB version and call it "GeoNB Map Viewer Lite".  But is this sustainable?  Can we maintain WAB and ExB versions for all GeoNB apps?

To help identify users that cannot run the ExB version I have created a simple web page that will report the WebGL capabilities of a user's computer.  You can access the web page here:

WebGL Capability & Performance Test.

GeoNB Map Viewer ExB

⁠GeoNB Map Viewer WAB

Please tell me, are you also experiencing problems with users that cannot run ExB apps?  What are you doing to accomodate users with older/weaker computers.

Best regards,

Bernie.

[JeffreyThompson2]

WebAppBuilder in ArcGIS Online will vanish completely Q1 2026 and will not be available in ArcGIS Enterprise 12.0. If you are hosting a WebAppBuilder application built in Developer Edition, it will keep working indefinitely, but it is no longer receiving any updates including for security and browser updates, so it may stop functioning at any time. 

Experience Builder requirements are higher than WebAppBuilder, but they are pretty similar to a lot of modern websites. 

[TD1]

@berniejconnors same thing here. Quite unacceptable for ESRI to force users to have a GPU to run a web app. Worked perfectly fine on WAB. Noticing poor performance on Exp Builder and pushing ESRI for improvements. I created a thread where many other users have the same issue here: Poor Slow Performance with Experience Builder

Definitely getting ESRI's attention as the product team is communicating on this thread. Feel free to comment on that thread as well.

[berniejconnors]

@TD1 I have added a comment on your thread: Poor Slow Performance with Experience Builder

It's great that ExB and JS API 4.x provides support for more complex graphics for 3D scenes, etc.  But it's very bad that publishing simple 2D maps with ExB increases hardware requirements for everyone.

Would it be possible to have an option in ExB to limit the published app to basic graphics?

Bernie.

[TD1]

@berniejconnors Could be an option. I just know ESRI needs to do something about it. I can't be going around spending thousands replacing user computers just so users can use EXB when WAB worked perfectly fine.