Commercial use with "essentials" of ArcGIS Developer Subscription?

[tobwen]

Dear community,

My problem

I've built a website based, which displays statistical data on ESRI Basemaps and ESRI Leaflet. It uses chart libraries and you can also select non-ESRI basemaps and layers. I now want to sell accounts to customers to use the website.

The API key I'm using is from my ArcGIS Developer Subscription in plan "essentials". Since I'm using an API key, the credits would get billed, so I won't steal anything. But am I allowed to use "essentials" for a commercial application at all?

1. ArcGIS Developer FAQ

ArcGIS Developer FAQ  (https://developers.arcgis.com/) says:

Can I deploy a commercial application with my ArcGIS account?

Yes, as long as your solution uses ArcGIS location services.

Please note that you are required to passaccess token authenticationwith all ArcGIS location services used by your application, including basemaps and geocoding. Refer tosecurity and authenticationin theMapping APIs and location servicesguide for more information.

To learn more, visit theProduct specific terms of use.

2. Product-Specific Terms of Use (E300)

Here, ESRI calls commercial use "Value-Added Applications" (VAA) and the Developer Subscriptions have those restrictions:

• They may only be used for the purposes of development, testing, and demonstration of a prototype.
• A commercial deployment license is required when the VAA isn't for use soleley with a ArcGIS Online or Enterprice license and don't have yet been migrated to ArcGIS Platform location services and
• a commercial deployment license isn't required when the VAA is solely for use with ArcGIS Online and/or ArcGIS Enterprise license.

So what?

So what plan do I need to sell my website, which uses ESRI Leaflet and basemaps? Where do I get this "commercial deployment license"?

How do YOU run the applications, you've developed? Or do you give them out for free to not generate any value? 

Best,
Tobias

[John-Foster · Accepted solution]

@tobwen As long as you are using Esri Leaflet basemap layer services as documented here along with an API key from your Developer Subscription account, you are good. That covers your first point, you are already using ArcGIS location services with the correct authentication (your API key.) You are using ArcGIS Platform by way of your Developer Subscription.

The second point you bring up applies to the use of ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise licenses that are deploying commercial apps, but that does not apply to your use case.

[tobwen]

@John-Foster Thanks for your reply.

I guess the E300 is wrong then (or at least something is messed up). On page 1, it says that those points apply to "Developer Subscription (all plans"): 16, 24, 26, 66, 68, 77, 89, 91, 94, 95 and 97.

And point 24 on page 3 clearly says that "Developer Subscription" may only be used for the purposes of development, testing, and demonstration of a prototype. The second point, I've mentioned is documented in point 77. 

That's highly confusing 😞

[John-Foster]

@tobwen footnote 77 says "Includes a Commercial App Deployment license", so you are good, you have the commercial deployment license with your Developer Subscription.

I agree it is a bit confusing and hard to follow. I'll take it up and see if we can do anything to make this easier to understand.