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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs Motive

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

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

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Motive logo

Motive

Fleet Management

ELD compliance, AI dashcams and spend management for North American commercial fleets

From
On request
Free plan
No
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.; Motive contracts are multi-year and per vehicle with hardware embedded, so a fleet that shrinks keeps paying for units that are sitting in a yard.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Motive covers ELD compliance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and Motive differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123Motive
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 Motive

  • ELD compliance
  • AI dashcams
  • GPS tracking
  • Driver safety scoring
  • Vehicle diagnostics
  • Spend management

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

Motive

  • A trucking fleet that must run FMCSA compliant electronic logs and wants cameras from the same vendornot ArcGIS Survey123
  • An operator facing an insurance renewal that requires evidence of a driver coaching programmenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A construction fleet tracking both vehicles and unpowered assets such as trailers and generatorsnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A fleet suspecting fuel card misuse and wanting transactions matched against vehicle locationnot 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.

Motive

  • Contracts are multi-year and per vehicle with hardware embedded, so a fleet that shrinks keeps paying for units that are sitting in a yard.
  • Driver facing cameras generate real workforce resistance, and fleets in tight labour markets have lost drivers over the rollout rather than the technology.
  • Installation and calibration across a distributed fleet takes weeks of vehicle downtime, which is rarely costed into the comparison at the point of purchase.
  • The rebrand from KeepTruckin means older documentation, integration guides and third-party references are inconsistent, which slows technical work on connections.
  • Coverage depends on cellular networks, so remote route segments produce gaps in tracking and delayed log uploads that drivers then have to reconcile.

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

Motive

On request
  • Motive$undefined/year
    • Per-vehicle subscription over a multi-year term
    • Hardware supplied within the agreement rather than purchased outright
    • Dashcams, asset trackers and spend management priced as separate lines

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 Motive if

  • You need eld compliance.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ai dashcams.
Motive review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or Motive better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Motive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or Motive?
ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Motive at On request.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or Motive run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Motive 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 Motive is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that Motive cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. Motive covers ELD compliance, AI dashcams, GPS tracking, Driver safety scoring.

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.

Motive: Is Motive the same company as KeepTruckin?

Yes. KeepTruckin renamed to Motive in 2022. The products and account relationships carried over.

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.

Motive: Can hardware be bought outright?

It is normally supplied inside a multi-year subscription rather than sold, which is why the exit cost of a shrinking fleet is high.

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.

Motive: Does it work outside the United States?

Canada and Mexico are supported, including Canadian electronic logging requirements. Coverage elsewhere is limited.

ArcGIS Survey123: Does it work offline?

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

Motive: Are the driver facing cameras optional?

Yes, road facing only configurations are available, and fleets worried about driver retention often start there.

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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