Survey123 Without the ArcGIS Tax
Survey123 is deeply tied to the Esri ecosystem. If your team doesn't need full ArcGIS Online — or you're tired of paying $5,000+/year per seat for capabilities you barely use — FieldTap gives you the field data collection you need without the platform tax.
A 5-person team on Survey123 (ArcGIS Online): ~$25,000/year.
The same team on FieldTap: $2,220/year.
Save 90%.
Why Teams Leave Survey123
Feature Comparison
| Feature | FieldTap | Survey123 |
|---|---|---|
| Offline data collection | ||
| GPS/GNSS integration | ||
| Visual form builder | XLSForm + basic web | |
| Industry-specific templates | 60+ templates | Community templates |
| SHPO-compliant exports | ||
| AI photo descriptions | ||
| Voice-to-text field notes | ||
| Works without ArcGISSurvey123 requires ArcGIS Online subscription | ||
| CSV/Shapefile/GeoJSON export | Via ArcGIS Online | |
| Team management & roles | Via ArcGIS Online | |
| Review workflows | ||
| Custom form logic | ||
| Photo attachments | ||
| Repeat sections | ||
| Cross-org data sharing | Via ArcGIS Online sharing | |
| No GIS license required | ||
| Pricing from | $37/user/mo | $5,000+/yr (ArcGIS Online) |
Which Tool Is Right for You?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use FieldTap without ArcGIS Online?
Yes — that's the point. FieldTap is a standalone field data collection platform. You don't need any GIS subscription to use it. When you need GIS integration, export to Shapefile, GeoJSON, or KML and open in QGIS, ArcGIS, or any other platform.
Can I migrate my Survey123 data to FieldTap?
Yes. Export your Survey123 data from ArcGIS Online as CSV or Shapefile, then import into FieldTap using our free migration wizard. Field types, GPS coordinates, and attachments are preserved.
Does FieldTap support XLSForm?
FieldTap uses a visual form builder instead of XLSForm. You can build forms with drag-and-drop — conditional logic, repeating sections, GPS fields, photo fields, and more — without touching a spreadsheet. Most teams find this faster and easier to maintain.
How does the pricing actually compare?
Survey123 requires ArcGIS Online Creator licenses at ~$5,000/year per named user. A 5-person team costs ~$25,000/year. The same team on FieldTap Professional is $37/user/month = $2,220/year. That's roughly 91% less.
What about Survey123's ArcGIS integration?
If you need real-time data flowing into ArcGIS dashboards, Survey123 has the edge. But if you use ArcGIS mainly for final deliverables, FieldTap's Shapefile and GeoJSON exports give you the same result at a fraction of the cost.
Is FieldTap as powerful as Survey123 for complex forms?
Yes. FieldTap supports conditional visibility, calculated fields, repeating sections, cascading selects, GPS capture, photo/signature fields, and more. The visual builder makes complex forms accessible without XLSForm expertise.
Switch Without the Headache
Bring your existing data with you. We support the formats you already use - no conversion tools, no lost records, no starting over.
Switching from Fulcrum? Wildnote? Survey123?
We'll import your data in minutes, not days. Pick your platform and follow the guided migration.
Supported Import Formats
CSV & Excel
Any spreadsheet with field data
Shapefile (.shp)
ESRI shapefiles with geometry
GeoJSON
Standard GIS interchange format
KML / KMZ
Google Earth format
GPX
GPS exchange format
Photos with EXIF
Bulk upload with GPS extraction
Simple Import Wizard
Upload
Drop your files
Map Fields
Match columns to fields
Preview
Validate before import
Import
Data flows in
Column Mapping Preview
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