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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs Polaris Navigation GPS

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Polaris Navigation GPS logo

Polaris Navigation GPS

Maps

Professional GPS navigation for outdoor professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Polaris Navigation GPS covers Precision GPS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Survey123 and Polaris Navigation GPS actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and Polaris Navigation GPS differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123Polaris Navigation GPS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per year by ArcGIS user typefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsAndroid
FoundedUnknown2010

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 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 Polaris Navigation GPS

  • Precision GPS
  • Multiple coordinate systems
  • Waypoint averaging
  • Area measurement
  • NMEA output
  • External GPS receivers
  • Bluetooth GPS
  • Local data storage

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

Polaris Navigation GPS

  • Land surveyingnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Search and rescuenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Geocachingnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Field data collectionnot 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.

Polaris Navigation GPS

Nothing recorded yet. See the Polaris Navigation GPS review.

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

Polaris Navigation GPS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic GPS tracking
    • Waypoint management
    • Multiple coordinate formats
  • Pro$5.99/one-time
    • NMEA output
    • External GPS support
    • Waypoint averaging

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 Polaris Navigation GPS if

  • You need precision gps.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android.
  • You also want multiple coordinate systems.
Polaris Navigation GPS review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or Polaris Navigation GPS better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Polaris Navigation GPS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or Polaris Navigation GPS?
Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ArcGIS Survey123 and Free for Polaris Navigation GPS.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or Polaris Navigation GPS run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Polaris Navigation GPS runs on Android.
Can I use Polaris Navigation GPS for free?
Yes. Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request.
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 Polaris Navigation GPS is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that Polaris Navigation GPS cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. Polaris Navigation GPS covers Precision GPS, Multiple coordinate systems, Waypoint averaging, Area measurement.

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.

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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