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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs SW Maps

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SW Maps logo

SW Maps

Maps

Free Android GIS data collector that pairs with external RTK GNSS receivers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SW Maps 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.; SW Maps android only. There is no iOS version and no sign of one, which rules it out for organisations that issue iPhones and iPads to field staff.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, SW Maps covers Custom feature layers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Survey123 and SW Maps actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and SW Maps differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123SW Maps
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per year by ArcGIS user typeOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsAndroid

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 SW Maps

  • Custom feature layers
  • External GNSS support
  • Offline basemaps
  • Geospatial PDF layers
  • Vector import
  • Photo and media capture
  • Export formats
  • NTRIP client

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

SW Maps

  • An NGO or municipal utility mapping water points, pipe networks or road assets on a budget that cannot absorb per-user GIS subscriptionsnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A survey team pairing a low-cost RTK receiver with Android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seatsnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A university field course teaching GNSS data collection where every student needs the tool on their own devicenot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A consultant doing a one-off asset inventory who needs shapefile or GeoPackage output and does not want to start an annual subscription for a three-week jobnot 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.

SW Maps

  • Android only. There is no iOS version and no sign of one, which rules it out for organisations that issue iPhones and iPads to field staff.
  • There is no back end: no user management, no central project sync, no audit trail. Data lives on the device until someone exports it, and a lost tablet is lost data.
  • No commercial support contract exists, so an organisation with a compliance requirement for vendor support cannot use it for regulated work regardless of technical fit.
  • It is maintained by a small consultancy as a side product of its own project work, so the roadmap follows Softwel’s needs and a feature you depend on may never be prioritised.
  • Form logic is basic compared with dedicated survey platforms: no meaningful skip logic, validation or multi-user assignment, so complex questionnaires quickly outgrow it.

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

SW Maps

Free
  • SW MapsFree
    • All features included
    • External RTK GNSS support
    • Unlimited layers and exports

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 SW Maps if

  • You need custom feature layers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android.
  • You also want external gnss support.
SW Maps review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or SW Maps better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and SW Maps at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or SW Maps?
SW Maps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ArcGIS Survey123 and Free for SW Maps.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or SW Maps run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. SW Maps runs on Android.
Can I use SW Maps for free?
Yes. SW Maps 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 SW Maps is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that SW Maps cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, External GNSS support, Offline basemaps, Geospatial PDF layers.

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.

SW Maps: Is SW Maps really free?

Yes. It is free with no advertising and no paid tier. There is no subscription and no feature paywall.

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.

SW Maps: Does it support RTK receivers?

Yes, over Bluetooth or USB serial, with NTRIP correction support, antenna height and per-point fix quality recording.

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.

SW Maps: Is there an iOS version?

No. Android only.

ArcGIS Survey123: Does it work offline?

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

SW Maps: Who maintains it?

Softwel, an engineering consultancy in Kathmandu, Nepal, which built it for its own infrastructure projects.

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.

SW Maps: Can we get support?

Not contractually. There is no commercial support agreement, which is the main reason organisations with compliance obligations choose a paid alternative.

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