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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs Leica Infinity

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Leica Infinity logo

Leica Infinity

Maps

Office software that combines total station, GNSS, level, UAV and scanner data into one survey project

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Leica Infinity leica publishes no pricing at all and sells through dealers, so identical firms in different regions pay different rates for the same modules and cannot benchmark a quote.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Leica Infinity covers Multi-sensor project.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Survey123 and Leica Infinity actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and Leica Infinity differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123Leica Infinity
Pricing modelPer user per year by ArcGIS user typequote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWindows

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 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 Leica Infinity

  • Multi-sensor project
  • Network adjustment
  • GNSS baseline processing
  • Point cloud handling
  • Surface and volume
  • Field data exchange
  • Imaging and UAV workflow
  • CAD, GIS and BIM export

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

Leica Infinity

  • A survey practice running Leica instruments that wants control adjustment, GNSS post-processing and scan registration in one project rather than three packagesnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A contractor computing monthly earthworks volumes from drone and GNSS data measured against a design surface for payment applicationsnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A monitoring job comparing repeated survey epochs of a structure or slope where the adjustment history and residuals must be defensiblenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • An office preparing stakeout data and control for field crews on Leica Captivate and receiving as-built observations back into the same projectnot 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.

Leica Infinity

  • Leica publishes no pricing at all and sells through dealers, so identical firms in different regions pay different rates for the same modules and cannot benchmark a quote.
  • It is modular, which means the advertised capability list is not what you get: sensor and processing modules are licensed separately and the useful configuration costs considerably more than the entry one.
  • Third-party instrument data is supported but always second-class; a mixed Leica and Trimble fleet will have one manufacturer’s raw data going through a lossier import path.
  • Windows only, with no macOS, Linux or browser option, which is a hard constraint for organisations moving field and office work to tablets or cloud desktops.
  • Perpetual licences require an ongoing customer care contract to receive updates and support, so the perpetual option saves less over five years than it first appears.

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

Leica Infinity

On request
  • Infinity perpetual licence$undefined/year
    • Bought once, owned outright
    • Modular by sensor and processing capability
    • Annual customer care contract needed for updates
  • Infinity subscription$undefined/year
    • Annual or multi-year term
    • Includes updates for the term
    • Modules added or removed at renewal

Which should you pick?

Choose ArcGIS Survey123 if

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

Choose Leica Infinity if

  • You need multi-sensor project.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want network adjustment.
Leica Infinity review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or Leica Infinity better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Leica Infinity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or Leica Infinity?
ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Leica Infinity at On request.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or Leica Infinity run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Leica Infinity runs on Windows.
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 Leica Infinity is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that Leica Infinity cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. Leica Infinity covers Multi-sensor project, Network adjustment, GNSS baseline processing, Point cloud handling.

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.

Leica Infinity: Is Leica Infinity available as a perpetual licence?

Yes. Leica sells Infinity both as a subscription and as a perpetual licence, though updates on a perpetual licence require an active customer care contract.

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.

Leica Infinity: How much does it cost?

Leica does not publish prices. Infinity is quoted per module through authorised dealers.

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.

Leica Infinity: Does it work with non-Leica instruments?

It imports common third-party and standard formats, but Leica raw data is the first-class path. Expect reduced fidelity with competing raw formats.

ArcGIS Survey123: Does it work offline?

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

Leica Infinity: Is there a free version?

No, only a 30-day trial.

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.

Leica Infinity: Does it replace Cyclone for scanning?

No. Infinity handles scan data in a survey context; heavy registration and modelling work still belongs in Leica Cyclone.

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