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Maps · head to head

Apple Maps vs ArcGIS Survey123

Apple Maps logo

Apple Maps

Maps

Web mapping and navigation application developed by Apple Inc

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

Form-centric field data collection that writes straight into an ArcGIS organisation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apple Maps live traffic updates, public transit info, and satellite view all require an active internet connection, offline mode (iOS 17+) is limited to pre-downloaded areas for driving, walking, cycling, and transit directions; ArcGIS Survey123 the app is free and the licensing is not: every person completing a secure survey needs a paid ArcGIS user type, so a hundred-person field programme costs tens of thousands a year before anyone counts credits.
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Maps covers Core Functionality, ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Maps and ArcGIS Survey123 actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Maps and ArcGIS Survey123 differ
AttributeApple MapsArcGIS Survey123
Pricing modelfreemiumPer user per year by ArcGIS user type
PlatformsiOS, macOS, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Windows
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apple Maps

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in ArcGIS Survey123

  • XLSForm authoring
  • Web designer
  • Offline collection
  • Direct ArcGIS write
  • Repeats and nested records
  • Media and signature capture
  • Webhooks and integration
  • Reports

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apple Maps

  • Turn-by-turn driving, walking, and cycling navigationnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Public transit directions with real-time schedules (subways, buses, trains, ferries)not ArcGIS Survey123
  • Offline turn-by-turn directions for pre-downloaded areas (iOS 17+)not ArcGIS Survey123
  • Augmented-reality immersive walking directions in supported citiesnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Saving custom hiking/walking routes, including U.S. national park hikes, for offline accessnot ArcGIS Survey123

ArcGIS Survey123

  • A water utility recording hydrant inspections that must appear on the corporate asset map the moment they are submitted, not after a nightly importnot Apple Maps
  • A local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an ArcGIS dashboardnot Apple Maps
  • An environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in XLSForm and completed offline in areas with no signalnot Apple Maps
  • A field crew already licensed for ArcGIS Field Maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendornot Apple Maps

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apple Maps

  • Live traffic updates, public transit info, and satellite view all require an active internet connection, offline mode (iOS 17+) is limited to pre-downloaded areas for driving, walking, cycling, and transit directions
  • Apple Maps for the web is only in public beta, not a full-featured release
  • Feature depth (e.g. immersive walking AR directions, detailed transit) is strongest on newer iPhones/iOS versions, leaving older devices with a reduced experience

ArcGIS Survey123

  • The app is free and the licensing is not: every person completing a secure survey needs a paid ArcGIS user type, so a hundred-person field programme costs tens of thousands a year before anyone counts credits.
  • Esri does not publish user type prices on its main pricing pages, so buyers reconstruct the cost from marketplace listings or a sales conversation, which makes budgeting an ArcGIS rollout unnecessarily opaque.
  • Credits are consumed by geocoding, storage and some analysis, and a data collection programme that generates heavy attachment volumes can burn through the bundled allowance and trigger a mid-year top-up.
  • It is useless without ArcGIS. There is no standalone deployment, so the decision to use Survey123 is really a decision to buy or keep an ArcGIS estate.
  • Form authoring splits between a web designer that is easy but limited and XLSForm plus Survey123 Connect that is capable but requires learning a spreadsheet syntax, and teams routinely start in the wrong one and rebuild.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Maps

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Apple Maps review.

ArcGIS Survey123

On request
  • Survey123 appFree
    • No separate charge for the app itself
    • Requires an ArcGIS Online or Enterprise organisation
    • Public surveys can be completed without a licence
  • Creator user type$undefined/year
    • Required to author and publish surveys
    • Foundational user type, can administer the organisation
    • Includes an annual credit allowance
  • Mobile Worker user type$undefined/year
    • Required for each person completing a secure survey
    • Dependent user type, must be added to an organisation with a foundational licence
    • Public marketplace listings have shown around $400 per year

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple Maps if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You work on iOS, macOS, Web.
  • You also want user interface.
Apple Maps review

Choose ArcGIS Survey123 if

  • You need xlsform authoring.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want web designer.
ArcGIS Survey123 review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Maps or ArcGIS Survey123 better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Maps starts at On request and ArcGIS Survey123 at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Maps or ArcGIS Survey123?
Apple Maps starts at On request and ArcGIS Survey123 at On request.
Does Apple Maps or ArcGIS Survey123 run on more platforms?
Apple Maps runs on iOS, macOS, Web. ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
What is Apple Maps best used for?
Apple Maps is most often used for turn-by-turn driving, walking, and cycling navigation, public transit directions with real-time schedules (subways, buses, trains, ferries), offline turn-by-turn directions for pre-downloaded areas (ios 17+), augmented-reality immersive walking directions in supported cities. Of those, turn-by-turn driving, walking, and cycling navigation and public transit directions with real-time schedules (subways, buses, trains, ferries) are not what ArcGIS Survey123 is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Maps do that ArcGIS Survey123 cannot?
Apple Maps covers Core Functionality, User Interface. ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple Maps: Is there a cost to integrate Apple Maps into my app?

The Apple Maps pricing page does not disclose whether MapKit or MapKit JS integration is free or paid. You would need to consult Apple's developer documentation for current pricing and licensing terms.

Source
ArcGIS Survey123: Is Survey123 free?

The app is. Using it is not, unless your surveys are public. Authoring needs a Creator licence and each person completing a secure survey needs a Mobile Worker, Editor, Creator or GIS Professional user type.

Apple Maps: What are the usage limits for Apple Maps integration?

The pricing page does not specify any rate limits, monthly minimums, or usage caps for MapKit or MapKit JS. This information is available in Apple's developer documentation.

Source
ArcGIS Survey123: How much are the user types?

Esri does not list them on its main pricing pages. Public marketplace listings have shown roughly $700 a year for Creator and $400 for Mobile Worker; confirm with Esri or a distributor for your region.

Apple Maps: Are there different pricing tiers for MapKit and MapKit JS?

The Apple Maps page mentions MapKit for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS apps, and MapKit JS for websites, but does not provide pricing details or tier information for either option.

Source
ArcGIS Survey123: Can respondents fill in a survey without a licence?

Yes, if the survey is shared publicly. Secure surveys require a licensed user type.

ArcGIS Survey123: Does it work offline?

Yes, in the mobile app, with sync when connectivity returns.

ArcGIS Survey123: Is it the same as ArcGIS Field Maps?

No. Field Maps is map-centric editing; Survey123 is form-centric. Many organisations license both, which doubles nothing because user types cover the whole app suite.

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