The short version: when you'd say "X" in AGO, here you'd say something else. Same thing, different label. We renamed where the plain-English word was clearer; we kept the original where the Esri vocabulary was already the clear word.
Item types
| AGO term | GratisGIS term | Notes |
|---|
| Feature service | Data layer | The native, PostGIS-backed dataset item. |
| Hosted feature layer | Data layer | Same as above. |
| Web map | Map | An item composing layers, basemap, viewport. |
| Web AppBuilder app | Web app | Widget layout builder. Not a Web AppBuilder drop-in. |
| Experience Builder app | Web app | Nearby surface for a single-page widget layout. Not an Experience Builder drop-in. |
| Survey (Survey123) | Form | XLSForm import exists on the form designer. Not a Survey123 drop-in. The ArcGIS Online content importer skips surveys. |
| Survey responses | The form's Responses tab, backed by a paired data layer | A standalone form-submission item is not built. |
| Operations Dashboard | Web app (KPI Dashboard or Operations Board) | Dashboards are web-app layouts. There is no dashboard item type. |
| Field Maps | Field PWA and data collection | Offline capture and sync. Not a Field Maps drop-in. |
| Story Map | (no direct equivalent yet) | Future scope. |
| Notebook | (not built in; use a Tool item or external Jupyter against the data API) | Hosted notebooks deferred indefinitely. |
| Tile layer (cached map service) | Tile layer | Same term. PMTiles at rest. |
| Vector tile layer | Tile layer (vector kind) | Same item, different content. |
| Imagery layer | (no direct equivalent today) | Raster imagery support is on the roadmap; out of v1. |
| Geoenrichment / Routing services | (not built in) | Bring your own service via a tool item. |
| Solution template | (not built) | Layer packages and widget packages are reserved types with no editor. |
Roles
| AGO role | GratisGIS role | Notes |
|---|
| Viewer | Viewer | Read-only access to shared items. |
| Data Editor | Data editor | Read + edit features on shared layers. |
| User | User | Standard signed-in user; same as AGO User. |
| Publisher | Contributor | Renamed because "publish" already means "make public." |
| Administrator | Admin | Full org control. |
Sharing levels
| AGO sharing | GratisGIS sharing | Notes |
|---|
| Owner | Owner only | Item is private to you. |
| Organization | Organization | Visible to everyone in your org. |
| Public (everyone) | Public | Visible to anyone, including not signed in. |
| Groups | Group | Custom subsets within an org; same idea as AGO groups. |
Geometry / data terms
| AGO term | GratisGIS term |
|---|
| Feature | Feature (same) |
| Attribute | Field (when talking schema) / Attribute (when talking row) |
| Domain (coded values) | Pick list (when shared across items) / Field domain (when inline) |
| Subtype | Field subtype (not a separate item type) |
| Relationship class | Related sublayer |
| Attachment | Feature attachment (same idea) |
Operational terms
| AGO term | GratisGIS term |
|---|
| Credits | (none; self-hosted, no metering) |
| Tile generation job | Tile layer upload (we don't generate; you pre-tile and upload) |
| Geocoder service | Geocoder (a config, not a per-call charged service) |
Why we renamed where we did
Two reasons. First, trademark hygiene: we're a different project, and using Esri's specific vocabulary verbatim invites confusion. Second, plainness: "data layer" tells you what the thing is in a way "feature service" doesn't. "Contributor" is a recognizable word; "publisher" is overloaded with "publish to the public."
Type names come from one place, so a chip, a badge and a list will always call the same thing by the same name.