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Maps · head to head

Esri ArcGIS vs ArcGIS Survey123

Esri ArcGIS logo

Esri ArcGIS

Maps

Geographic Information System Platform

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: Esri ArcGIS no specific pricing information published on the product page; 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: Esri ArcGIS covers Mapping & Visualization, ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Esri ArcGIS and ArcGIS Survey123 actually diverge.

Attributes where Esri ArcGIS and ArcGIS Survey123 differ
AttributeEsri ArcGISArcGIS Survey123
Pricing modelquotePer user per year by ArcGIS user type
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (field apps), DesktopWeb, iOS, Android, Windows
Founded1969Unknown

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 Esri ArcGIS

  • Mapping & Visualization
  • Spatial Analysis
  • Data Management
  • Field Operations
  • Real-time Analytics
  • AutoCAD
  • SAP
  • Microsoft Office

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.

Esri ArcGIS

  • Geospatial mapping and spatial analysisnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Enterprise data governance and managementnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Real-time field data collectionnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • AI-assisted geospatial analysisnot 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 Esri ArcGIS
  • A local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an ArcGIS dashboardnot Esri ArcGIS
  • An environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in XLSForm and completed offline in areas with no signalnot Esri ArcGIS
  • A field crew already licensed for ArcGIS Field Maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendornot Esri ArcGIS

Where each one falls short

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

Esri ArcGIS

  • No specific pricing information published on the product page
  • Customers directed to Esri Store or sales contact to learn about purchasing options
  • Pricing model not disclosed online; requires direct contact with sales

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

Esri ArcGIS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Esri ArcGIS 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 Esri ArcGIS if

  • You need mapping & visualization.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (field apps), Desktop.
  • You also want spatial analysis.
Esri ArcGIS 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 Esri ArcGIS or ArcGIS Survey123 better?
Neither clearly leads. Esri ArcGIS 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, Esri ArcGIS or ArcGIS Survey123?
Esri ArcGIS starts at On request and ArcGIS Survey123 at On request.
Does Esri ArcGIS or ArcGIS Survey123 run on more platforms?
Esri ArcGIS runs on Web, Mobile (field apps), Desktop. ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
What is Esri ArcGIS best used for?
Esri ArcGIS is most often used for geospatial mapping and spatial analysis, enterprise data governance and management, real-time field data collection, ai-assisted geospatial analysis. Of those, geospatial mapping and spatial analysis and enterprise data governance and management are not what ArcGIS Survey123 is typically brought in for.
What can Esri ArcGIS do that ArcGIS Survey123 cannot?
Esri ArcGIS covers Mapping & Visualization, Spatial Analysis, Data Management, Field Operations. ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Esri ArcGIS: How much does ArcGIS cost?

ArcGIS pricing is not displayed on the main product page. Customers can view self-service options through the Esri Store at https://www.esri.com/en-us/store/overview or contact sales at 1-877-228-1724 for custom enterprise pricing.

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.

Esri ArcGIS: How do I purchase ArcGIS?

ArcGIS is available through multiple purchasing channels: self-service online ordering through the Esri Store for standard user types and apps, or contact the sales team at 1-877-228-1724 (7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday-Friday) for enterprise solutions and custom licensing arrangements.

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.

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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