[GIS] ArcGIS for Server or its alternative

arcgis-servergeoserverweb service

I am trying to develop a GIS web application. I am using ArcGIS for desktop as the database. I need to use existing ArcGIS Restful services but also need to publish some new services. I think that ArcGIS for server would be the best choice for me. But I cannot afford it.
And I want to know:

  1. If there is a free lightweight version of ArcGIS for server?
  2. Does a open source alternative such as GeoServer have APIs to use ArcGIS Restful services?

Best Answer

The answer to what you are asking, is that there is no other geoserver which has the exact same REST API as ArcGIS Server. There are several license-levels for ArcGIS Server, and the price differs accordingly.

Now coming to solving your actual problem. You say that "I need to use existing ArcGIS Restful services". I would ask why?

Other FOSS servers like Geoserver & MapServer, have their own API/protocol called the WMS which is used in web maps. It is an OGC standard, and many clients/libraries including Openlayers, Leaflet, and even ArcGIS Web APIs support it.

Depending on your requirements, you could serve out your data as a WMS/WFS service and consume it in a JavaScript Web App.

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