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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs Fleet Complete

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

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

From
On request
Free plan
No
Fleet Complete logo

Fleet Complete

Fleet Management

Telematics and asset tracking sold mainly through mobile network operators

From
On request
Free plan
No

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Fleet Complete because most contracts are sold through a carrier, the commercial relationship, the service levels and the renewal date belong to the carrier, so a pricing dispute or a support escalation goes through a reseller who did not build the software.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Fleet Complete covers Vehicle tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Survey123 and Fleet Complete actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and Fleet Complete differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123Fleet Complete
Pricing modelPer user per year by ArcGIS user typequote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMapsFleet Management

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

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 ArcGIS Survey123

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

Only in Fleet Complete

  • Vehicle tracking
  • Hours of service
  • Asset trackers
  • Field dispatch
  • Dashcams
  • Maintenance reminders

What people use each for

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

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 Fleet Complete
  • A local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an ArcGIS dashboardnot Fleet Complete
  • An environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in XLSForm and completed offline in areas with no signalnot Fleet Complete
  • A field crew already licensed for ArcGIS Field Maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendornot Fleet Complete

Fleet Complete

  • A mid-size fleet already under a national carrier contract that wants tracking added to an existing telecoms agreement rather than a new vendor relationshipnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Mixed fleets that need to track unpowered assets such as trailers and generators alongside vehicles in one consolenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Canadian operators wanting a domestic vendor with local support and Telus channel billingnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Service businesses that want basic dispatch and vehicle tracking without buying a separate field service platformnot ArcGIS Survey123

Where each one falls short

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

Fleet Complete

  • Because most contracts are sold through a carrier, the commercial relationship, the service levels and the renewal date belong to the carrier, so a pricing dispute or a support escalation goes through a reseller who did not build the software.
  • Hardware is bundled into the subscription over a multi-year term, so a fleet that shrinks mid-contract keeps paying for units that are sitting in a store cupboard unless it negotiated a downsizing clause up front.
  • The product line was assembled by acquisition, so hours of service, European tracking and the core platform originated as separate products, leaving overlapping apps, duplicate logins and features that exist in one region but not another.
  • The third-party integration ecosystem is far smaller than the marketplaces run by Geotab or Samsara, so bespoke connections to a maintenance or payroll system usually mean building against the API yourself.
  • The web console and reporting look and behave like software designed a decade ago, and administrators who have used a newer platform will find the reporting builder slow and the exports rigid.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Fleet Complete

On request
  • Fleet Complete$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription, hardware included
    • Term length usually tied to the reselling carrier agreement
    • Asset trackers priced separately from vehicle units

Which should you pick?

Choose ArcGIS Survey123 if

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

Choose Fleet Complete if

  • You need vehicle tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want hours of service.

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or Fleet Complete better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Fleet Complete at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or Fleet Complete?
ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Fleet Complete at On request.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or Fleet Complete run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Fleet Complete runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is ArcGIS Survey123 best used for?
ArcGIS Survey123 is most often used for a water utility recording hydrant inspections that must appear on the corporate asset map the moment they are submitted, not after a nightly import, a local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an arcgis dashboard, an environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in xlsform and completed offline in areas with no signal, a field crew already licensed for arcgis field maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendor. Of those, a water utility recording hydrant inspections that must appear on the corporate asset map the moment they are submitted, not after a nightly import and a local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an arcgis dashboard are not what Fleet Complete is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that Fleet Complete cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. Fleet Complete covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Asset trackers, Field dispatch.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Fleet Complete: Do I buy Fleet Complete directly or through my mobile operator?

Both are possible, but the majority of North American customers buy through AT&T or Telus. Check which entity the contract is with, because it determines your support path, your billing cycle and your renewal date.

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.

Fleet Complete: What happens to the hardware if I cancel?

Devices supplied as part of a subsidised subscription are normally recovered or charged for on early termination. Ask for the exact clause before signing, because it is where the real cost of leaving sits.

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.

Fleet Complete: Is it a fit for a fleet of five vans?

It will work, but small fleets get a better deal from vendors that publish pricing and sell month to month. Fleet Complete pricing improves with volume and a carrier relationship.

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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