Softwr

Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs Zonar Systems

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
Zonar Systems logo

Zonar Systems

Fleet Management

Telematics for school buses and vocational fleets, built around verified physical inspections

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.; Zonar Systems the product is shaped around pupil transport and heavy vocational work, so light commercial van fleets pay for inspection and ridership machinery they will never use.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Zonar Systems covers EVIR.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Survey123 and Zonar Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and Zonar Systems differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123Zonar Systems
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 Zonar Systems

  • EVIR
  • Z Pass
  • MyView
  • Zonar Logs
  • Fault code monitoring
  • Zonar Coach

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

Zonar Systems

  • A school district that must evidence pre-trip inspections to a state regulator and cannot rely on a driver ticking boxes on a screennot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A pupil transport operation that needs to answer parent queries about which bus a child boarded and whennot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A waste or utilities fleet with heavy vehicles where a missed defect becomes a liability question in courtnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A public sector fleet running a formal tender where verified inspection records are a scored requirementnot 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.

Zonar Systems

  • The product is shaped around pupil transport and heavy vocational work, so light commercial van fleets pay for inspection and ridership machinery they will never use.
  • EVIR requires RFID tags fitted at zones on every vehicle plus a handheld or tablet, so installation labour and ongoing tag replacement are real costs that a plug-in competitor does not carry.
  • Continental has been separating its automotive divisions into standalone businesses, which leaves the long-term ownership and investment path for Zonar uncertain just as districts sign multi-year agreements.
  • The interface and reporting are dated next to newer platforms, and administrators moving from a modern dashboard find report building and data export unnecessarily manual.
  • Pricing is quoted rather than published and bundles hardware into multi-year terms, so comparing it fairly against a month-to-month competitor requires modelling total cost across the whole contract rather than the monthly figure.

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

Zonar Systems

On request
  • Zonar Systems$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware and installation quoted separately
    • RFID inspection tags and rugged tablets priced per vehicle
    • Student ridership and parent app licensed per district

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 Zonar Systems if

  • You need evir.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want z pass.
Zonar Systems review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or Zonar Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Zonar Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or Zonar Systems?
ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and Zonar Systems at On request.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or Zonar Systems run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Zonar Systems 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 Zonar Systems is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that Zonar Systems cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. Zonar Systems covers EVIR, Z Pass, MyView, Zonar Logs.

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.

Zonar Systems: What does EVIR actually prove?

That a person carrying the scanning device was physically next to each tagged zone on the vehicle in sequence. It does not prove they looked carefully, but it removes the common defence that an inspection was recorded from the cab.

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.

Zonar Systems: Is Zonar only for school buses?

No. It is used across waste, utilities, construction and transit, but pupil transport is where its ridership and parent-facing features have no direct equivalent.

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.

Zonar Systems: How disruptive is the installation?

More disruptive than a plug-in device. Expect a vehicle out of service for a fitting appointment, tags mounted at several points, and a rolling programme across the fleet rather than a same-day rollout.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on ArcGIS Survey123

More on Zonar Systems

Keep looking

Other head to heads