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Maps · head to head

CesiumJS vs ArcGIS Survey123

CesiumJS logo

CesiumJS

Maps

Open-source JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps with support

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 CesiumJS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CesiumJS the free Community tier does not permit commercial use; 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: CesiumJS 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 CesiumJS and ArcGIS Survey123 actually diverge.

Attributes where CesiumJS and ArcGIS Survey123 differ
AttributeCesiumJSArcGIS Survey123
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcePer 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 CesiumJS

  • 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.

CesiumJS

  • Streaming 3D terrain, imagery and building data into web applicationsnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasetsnot 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 CesiumJS
  • A local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an ArcGIS dashboardnot CesiumJS
  • An environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in XLSForm and completed offline in areas with no signalnot CesiumJS
  • A field crew already licensed for ArcGIS Field Maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendornot CesiumJS

Where each one falls short

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

CesiumJS

  • The free Community tier does not permit commercial use
  • The cheapest commercial plan is $149 a month for an individual and $524 for a team
  • Team accounts are capped at 5 members on both the Commercial and Premium plans
  • Three separate quotas apply at once, being storage, monthly streaming and monthly reality modelling gigapixels, and exceeding any one of them constrains the account
  • Streaming is capped at 15 GB a month on the free tier

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

CesiumJS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CesiumJS 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 CesiumJS if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
CesiumJS 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 CesiumJS or ArcGIS Survey123 better?
Neither clearly leads. CesiumJS 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, CesiumJS or ArcGIS Survey123?
CesiumJS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CesiumJS and On request for ArcGIS Survey123.
Does CesiumJS or ArcGIS Survey123 run on more platforms?
CesiumJS runs on Web. ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
Can I use CesiumJS for free?
Yes. CesiumJS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request.
What is CesiumJS best used for?
CesiumJS is most often used for streaming 3d terrain, imagery and building data into web applications, tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasets. Of those, streaming 3d terrain, imagery and building data into web applications and tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasets are not what ArcGIS Survey123 is typically brought in for.
What can CesiumJS do that ArcGIS Survey123 cannot?
CesiumJS covers Core Functionality, User Interface. ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CesiumJS: Is Cesium ion free for commercial use?

Cesium offers a free Cesium ion community account, but the page does not explicitly state whether the free tier is permitted for commercial use or if restrictions apply to business applications.

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.

CesiumJS: What are the limits of the free Cesium ion community account?

The page only mentions that a free community account is available but does not disclose usage limits, storage quotas, or feature restrictions for the free tier.

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.

CesiumJS: What do paid Cesium ion tiers cost?

The page does not provide specific pricing for paid tiers. It directs users to sign up for a free community account or contact Cesium directly for detailed pricing information.

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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