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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs Transit

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transit logo

Transit

Maps

Public transit trip planning and real-time arrivals for buses, trains and shared bikes and scooters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Transit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Transit coverage depends entirely on whether the local transit agency publishes a real-time feed, so quality swings sharply between well-funded metro systems and smaller regional operators.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Transit covers Real-time arrivals.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and Transit differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123Transit
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per year by ArcGIS user typeFree to riders; revenue from agency data and fare-payment transaction fees
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsiOS, Android, Web

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 Transit

  • Real-time arrivals
  • Multi-modal trip planning
  • Service alerts
  • In-app fare payment
  • Offline schedules
  • GO transit and micromobility layers

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

Transit

  • A commuter in a city with a well-maintained GTFS-realtime feed wanting live bus and train arrivalsnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A rider comparing a transit trip against a bike share or scooter leg for the last milenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A visitor needing offline-capable static schedules in a city with patchy data coveragenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • Someone wanting to buy a transit fare inside the same app used to plan the trip, in supported citiesnot 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.

Transit

  • Coverage depends entirely on whether the local transit agency publishes a real-time feed, so quality swings sharply between well-funded metro systems and smaller regional operators.
  • The company earns its revenue by selling agencies a paid analytics product built from rider trip data, which means the free app functions partly as a data-collection layer for a business customer, not only as a public service.
  • In-app fare payment is only available in a limited set of cities, so the headline feature is not something most riders can actually use.
  • Static schedule fallback in low-data cities is only as accurate as the agency last published, and service changes can go unreflected for weeks.
  • The app has no offline routing without a cached area, so it is not reliable for navigation in areas with poor mobile signal.

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

Transit

Free
  • Rider appFree
    • Real-time arrivals and trip planning
    • No ads shown to riders
    • In-app fare purchase where supported

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 Transit if

  • You need real-time arrivals.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want multi-modal trip planning.
Transit review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or Transit better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Transit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or Transit?
Transit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ArcGIS Survey123 and Free for Transit.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or Transit run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Transit runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Transit for free?
Yes. Transit 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 Transit is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that Transit cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. Transit covers Real-time arrivals, Multi-modal trip planning, Service alerts, In-app fare payment.

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.

Transit: Does Transit cost anything to use?

No. The rider app is free with no subscription and no ads; the company earns money separately by selling agencies a paid data and communication platform.

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.

Transit: Does it work in every city?

No. Coverage depends on whether the local transit agency publishes a GTFS or GTFS-realtime feed; some smaller markets have static schedules only.

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.

Transit: Can I buy a bus or train ticket in the app?

Only in cities where the local agency has integrated fare payment; elsewhere you still need the agency app or a physical ticket.

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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