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Maps · head to head

Atlas.co vs ArcGIS Survey123

Atlas.co logo

Atlas.co

Maps

Browser-based collaborative GIS with published per-seat pricing and a free tier

From
Free
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

  • Only Atlas.co has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Atlas.co analytical depth is a long way short of a mature GIS: there is no serious raster analysis, network analysis, topology editing or geodetic control, so complex work still goes back to QGIS or ArcGIS.; 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: Atlas.co covers Browser GIS, ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Atlas.co and ArcGIS Survey123 actually diverge.

Attributes where Atlas.co and ArcGIS Survey123 differ
AttributeAtlas.coArcGIS Survey123
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthPer user per year by ArcGIS user type
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, Windows

Identical on both: 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 Atlas.co

  • Browser GIS
  • Workflow builder
  • Geocoding
  • Collaboration
  • Data import
  • Cheap viewer seats
  • Export and embed
  • AI credits

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.

Atlas.co

  • A renewables developer screening sites against constraint layers who needs an answer this afternoon and has no GIS analyst availablenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A planning or property team that mainly needs colleagues to view and comment on maps, where $7 viewer seats replace expensive read-only GIS licencesnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A consultancy producing client-facing maps and embeds without maintaining desktop GIS installs across a distributed teamnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • An analyst with an address spreadsheet who needs geocoding, buffering and a shareable map without learning a desktop GISnot 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 Atlas.co
  • A local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an ArcGIS dashboardnot Atlas.co
  • An environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in XLSForm and completed offline in areas with no signalnot Atlas.co
  • A field crew already licensed for ArcGIS Field Maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendornot Atlas.co

Where each one falls short

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

Atlas.co

  • Analytical depth is a long way short of a mature GIS: there is no serious raster analysis, network analysis, topology editing or geodetic control, so complex work still goes back to QGIS or ArcGIS.
  • Geocoding and workflow runs are metered per tier, and a single large address batch can exhaust a month’s Pro allowance in one afternoon, forcing an upgrade for a one-off job.
  • The company is at pre-seed stage with roughly $2m raised and a small team, so buyers embedding it in a business process carry meaningful continuity risk.
  • Annual billing is required to get the advertised prices, which removes the flexibility that would otherwise make a young vendor a low-risk trial.
  • There is no offline or field capability at all, so any organisation whose spatial work includes data collection needs a second tool alongside it.

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

Atlas.co

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 3 projects
    • 3 editors
    • 1 GB storage
  • Pro$23/month
    • 10 projects
    • 10 GB storage
    • 10,000 geocoding runs
  • Team$72/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Viewer seats at $7 per month
    • 25,000 geocoding runs
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited storage and workflows
    • 100,000 geocoding runs
    • White-labelled embeds

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 Atlas.co if

  • You need browser gis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want workflow builder.
Atlas.co 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 Atlas.co or ArcGIS Survey123 better?
Neither clearly leads. Atlas.co starts at Free and ArcGIS Survey123 at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Atlas.co or ArcGIS Survey123?
Atlas.co has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Atlas.co and On request for ArcGIS Survey123.
Does Atlas.co or ArcGIS Survey123 run on more platforms?
Atlas.co runs on Web. ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
Can I use Atlas.co for free?
Yes. Atlas.co has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request.
What is Atlas.co best used for?
Atlas.co is most often used for a renewables developer screening sites against constraint layers who needs an answer this afternoon and has no gis analyst available, a planning or property team that mainly needs colleagues to view and comment on maps, where $7 viewer seats replace expensive read-only gis licences, a consultancy producing client-facing maps and embeds without maintaining desktop gis installs across a distributed team, an analyst with an address spreadsheet who needs geocoding, buffering and a shareable map without learning a desktop gis. Of those, a renewables developer screening sites against constraint layers who needs an answer this afternoon and has no gis analyst available and a planning or property team that mainly needs colleagues to view and comment on maps, where $7 viewer seats replace expensive read-only gis licences are not what ArcGIS Survey123 is typically brought in for.
What can Atlas.co do that ArcGIS Survey123 cannot?
Atlas.co covers Browser GIS, Workflow builder, Geocoding, Collaboration. ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Atlas.co: How much does Atlas.co cost?

Starter is free, Pro is $23 per user per month and Team is $72 per editor per month with viewers at $7, all billed annually. Enterprise is quoted.

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.

Atlas.co: Can it replace ArcGIS or QGIS?

For visualisation, light analysis and sharing, often yes. For raster, network or geodetic work, no.

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.

Atlas.co: What is the viewer seat?

A read-only seat at $7 per month on the Team plan, intended for stakeholders who consume maps rather than build them.

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.

Atlas.co: Where is the company based?

Oslo, Norway. It was founded in 2021 and has raised around $2m in pre-seed funding.

ArcGIS Survey123: Does it work offline?

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

Atlas.co: Is there a free tier?

Yes, Starter gives three projects, three editors and 1 GB of storage with metered geocoding and workflow runs.

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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