Form app comparison

There are many apps you can use to collect data in the field. Of these, both ArcGIS Survey123 and ArcGIS Field Maps offer smart forms that provide functionality that goes beyond the feature table data entry that is standard across all ArcGIS apps.

These apps also have other differences that may influence whether you use one, the other, or both on a project. How you access a form—via layers in a map or from a gallery of forms— may also be an important choice. To learn more about how each app may suit your needs see Survey123 FAQ and Field Maps FAQ.

The following tables provide a comparison of some of the smart form functionality available in the Survey123 field app and Field Maps. For more detail for Survey123, see the XLSForm topics in Create Surveys and for Field Maps see Configure the form.

User input

FunctionalityDescriptionArcGIS Survey123ArcGIS Field Maps

Single line and multiple line text

Free text response.

Yes

Yes

Integer and decimal

Whole number or decimal input.

Yes

Yes

Spinner

Display plus and minus buttons on the form to increase and decrease the number input.

Yes

No

Calculator

Display a calculator widget on the form for a numeric question.

Yes

No

Numbers

Display a number keypad widget on the form for a numeric question.

Yes

No

Colored sliding scale (distress or range)

Display integer or decimal questions as a colored sliding scale. Start, end, and step size can be defined.

Yes

No

Switch

Display binary choice as a toggle.

No

Yes

Ranking

Order a list of choices.

Yes

No

Choice list (vertical)

Display a list of choices as radio buttons in a vertical list.

Yes

Yes

Choice list (horizontal)

Display a list of choices as radio buttons in a horizontal list.

Yes

No

Multiple choice list

Display a list of choices as check boxes where more than one choice can be selected.

Yes

No

Drop-down

Display a list of choices in a drop-down box.

Yes

Yes

Drop-down with autocomplete

Display a list of choices in a drop-down box with autocomplete.

Yes

No

Rating scale (Likert)

Display choices on a symmetric agree-disagree scale.

Yes

No

Selectable SVG image

Select a choice from an image with selectable regions.

Yes

No

Barcode

Scan a barcode or QR code.

Yes

Yes

Date

Date input.

Yes

Yes

Time

Time input.

Yes

Yes

Date and time

Date and time input.

Yes

Yes

Year

Select only the year for a date question.

Yes

No

Month and year

Select only the month and year for a date question.

Yes

No

Map

Collect a point, line, or polygon on a map.

Yes

Yes

Address

Geocode a location from a text question.

Yes

No

Form completion start and end time

Date and time the user commenced and completed filling the form. Different to editor tracking, used to calculate the time spent completing the form, not when a record is synced with the database.

Yes

No

Device ID

UUID representing the specific device on which the form was completed.

Yes

No

Email

Email address associated with the ArcGIS organizational account.

Yes

No

Spike

Automatically populate answers on the form with measurements and location captured of an object from a photo.

Yes

No

GNSS

Capture all available location metadata from a GNSS receiver.

Yes

Yes

Attachments and related records

FunctionalityDescriptionArcGIS Survey123ArcGIS Field Maps

Audio

Record an audio file and attach it to the record.

Yes

Yes

Video

Record a video and attach it to the record.

No

Yes

File

Upload one or more files from the device.

Yes

Yes

Signature

Draw a signature on the screen and attach it to the record.

Yes

No

Draw

Draw a sketch on the screen and attach it to the record.

Yes

No

Annotated map

Annotate a screen capture of a map with text or a sketch.

Yes

Yes

Photo

Take one or more photos with the camera or upload image files from the device and attach these to the record.

Yes

Yes

Annotated photo

Annotate a photo with text or sketches.

Yes

No

Photo watermarks

Apply text and image watermarks to new photos.

Yes

No

Display and add attachments

Display and add attachments for existing records.

Yes

Yes

Edit attachments

Modify or delete attachments for existing records.

No

Yes

Related records

Support one-to-one and one-to-many relationships.

Yes

Yes

Nested related records

Support nested one-to-many relationships.

Yes

Yes

Related record count

Restrict the number of related records that can be entered for a form.

Yes

No

Aggregate functions

Return values derived from responses across related records.

Yes

No

Question logic and behavior

FunctionalityDescriptionArcGIS Survey123ArcGIS Field Maps

Read-only

Display the answer to a question as read-only (from a default or calculated value).

Yes

Yes

Default value

Provide a default value for a question.

Yes

Yes

Required

Make answering a question mandatory.

Yes

Yes

Null values

Allow null values for a question.

Yes

Yes

Hidden

Hide a question from view while still accepting default values.

Yes

Yes

Skip logic

Show or hide a question based on answers to other questions in the form. If hidden, the value of the question will be null.

Yes

Yes

Conditional visibility

Show or hide a question based on answers to other questions in the form. If hidden, the value of the question can be calculated or a default.

Yes

Yes

Filtered list

Filter the choices for a list question, based on answers to other questions in the form.

Yes

Yes

Dynamic list

Dynamically populate a list question with choices from a CSV file or a layer hosted in ArcGIS.

Yes

No

Calculation

Calculate an answer based on values from other questions.

Yes

Yes

Constraint

Restrict the accepted inputs for a response using numbers (includes range domain min and max values), dates, field lengths, or formulas.

Yes

Yes

Regex

Restrict the accepted inputs for a response using a regular expression.

Yes

No

Input mask

Restrict the accepted inputs for a response to a set format for data entry using characters and symbols.

Yes

No

Custom JavaScript functions

Apply JavaScript functions to a question to implement calculations, data validation rules, and constraints.

Yes

No

Edit multiple

Select multiple records and apply the same attribute edits to all.

No

Yes

Recent values

Choose value for text, numeric and coded value domain entries from recent value list.

No

Yes

Layout and style

FunctionalityDescriptionArcGIS Survey123ArcGIS Field Maps

Form title

Title displayed on the form. Can be customized with an expression.

Yes

Yes

Question hints (placeholder)

Display additional information for the question.

Yes

Yes

Guidance hints (description)

More information shown when the question hint is selected.

Yes

Yes

Dynamic question labels

Change labels based on the responses to other questions.

Yes

No

Styled choice, group, and question labels

Apply HTML styling to the labels for choices, groups, and questions.

Yes

No

Styled header, form, footer, inputs, groups, and repeats

Apply a color or background image to form. Apply color to text and backgrounds in the header, form, footer, and input controls. Apply background and border colors to groups and repeats.

Yes

No

Image

Display an image as part of a question or choice list.

Yes

No

Audio

Display an audio playback button as part of a question.

Yes

No

Note

Display a note on the form (not related to an individual question).

Yes

No

Groups

Create a group of questions that can be collapsed or expanded. Groups have both a name and description.

Yes

Yes

Nested groups

Create nested groups of questions that can be collapsed or expanded.

Yes

No

Pages

Arrange questions into navigable pages.

Yes

No

Grid layout

Arrange questions in a grid layout.

Yes

No

Custom question ordering

Change the order of questions from the order of the fields in the feature layer.

Yes

Yes

Random choice list ordering

Randomize the order of choices in a choice list.

Yes

No

Tabular list of choices

Arrange multiple choice questions that share a common choice list in a group, and display as a table of choices.

Yes

No

Translated questions

Provide translated question labels, group labels, notes, hints, and the form title, in multiple languages, that can be switched between whilst the form is open.

Yes

No