GoCanvas vs Survey123 (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GoCanvas grades higher than Survey123: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
GoCanvas grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Survey123 grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GoCanvas
Mobile forms and workflows for field inspections and reports
Free trial · from $29/mo
Survey123
ArcGIS smart forms for field data collection and survey analysis
Free trial
Which one is for you
Pick GoCanvas if
- Fits if crews fill in inspection forms on phones, sometimes without signal
- Works for companies that need PDF reports sent to Procore or QuickBooks
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are one person, since every plan has a 3 user minimum billed yearly
- Watch out: API access starts on Pro and single sign-on and web forms are Max features
- Watch out: custom integrations, analytics and white-label embedding are add-ons with no price shown
- Skip it if you want to compare quickly, as the plans page sends buyers to talk to an expert
Pick Survey123 if
- Fits if your organisation already runs ArcGIS and wants survey answers to land on its maps
- Works for field inspections and reports that must be filled in with no signal
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are not on ArcGIS, since the product is sold as part of it, not on its own
- Not for you if you want a price before you talk to anyone: no dollar figure is shown
- Watch out: the trial length isn't stated, and the free trial is the only free way in
- Watch out: the form builder, the field app and the desktop builder are separate downloads, and the new versions were still in beta
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAGoCanvasFair | 1.8GPASurvey123Weak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DEssentials is $29 per user a month, but with 3 users minimum and annual billing the floor is about $87 a month, above the category's $66 dearest-tenth line. | CNo price is published: it is included with ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise, so the cost depends on the ArcGIS user types an organisation buys. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial is offered behind a Try it free button. The length and whether a card is needed are not stated. | DA free trial is offered, but the overview page doesn't say how long it lasts or whether a card is needed, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | COffline mobile forms, PDF reports, dispatch and workflows cover field work. The API starts on Pro, and custom integrations and white labelling are unpriced add-ons. | CTwo builders (web designer and XLSForm), offline collection, photos, audio, signatures, barcodes and GPS. The listing's own gaps: authoring and field apps are separate downloads and the next-generation apps were still in beta. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Forms and workflows have to be built for each job. | CNo store rating on record. You build the form yourself, in a web designer or an XLSForm file, and connect it to an ArcGIS account, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Salesforce, Procore, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Google Drive, Dropbox and Zapier. | COnly web is listed as a platform, because the pages don't say which systems the Mobile, Studio and Connect apps run on. It connects to ArcGIS Online and Enterprise only. |
| Best for | mobile forms for field inspections | field data collection that feeds ArcGIS maps |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: GoCanvas and Survey123. How we grade
Where they differ
- GoCanvas also covers workflow automation, no-code and dashboards.
- Survey123 also covers templates and surveys.
In commonWebFormsReports
At a glance
| GoCanvas | Survey123 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per user / month, 3 user minimum, billed annually | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered through a Try it free button; length not stated | Esri offers a free trial; its length is not stated on the overview page |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Canvas Solutions | Esri |
| Price read from | gocanvas.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GoCanvas
- Every plan has a 3 user minimum and is billed annually.
- API access starts on Pro, and single sign-on and web forms are Max features.
- Custom integrations, custom analytics and white-label embedding are priced as add-ons, which the page does not price.
- The plans page sends buyers to talk to an expert; the trial length is not stated.
Survey123
- Survey123 is included with ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise, so cost depends on the ArcGIS user types an organization buys; the pages read show no dollar prices.
- Authoring and field apps are separate downloads (Survey123 Mobile, the field app, Studio and Connect) alongside the website.
- The pages read do not list which operating systems each app supports, so only web is listed as a platform.
- A next-generation Survey123 Mobile and Studio were in beta at the time of the vendor's latest update post.
Key features
GoCanvas
- Mobile forms, online or offline
- Field workers capture data on a phone or tablet, with photos, timestamps and location, and the mobile app works without a connection.
- PDF reports
- Configurable PDF reports are generated from submissions, and Pro and above add multi-user sign-off workflows.
- Dispatch and scheduling
- Managers can pre-fill, schedule and assign jobs to the team from every plan.
- Workflow automation
- Low-code and no-code rules route data, trigger notifications and enforce steps, with role-based permissions.
- Integrations and API
- Native links to systems such as QuickBooks and Salesforce, Zapier and Power Automate, plus an API and webhooks from Pro.
- Add-ons
- Custom integrations, custom analytics and a white-label mobile SDK are sold as separate add-ons.
Survey123
- Two ways to build
- A drag-and-drop web designer, or a desktop XLSForm builder for more complex forms, with built-in rules, calculations and required fields.
- Offline field collection
- Surveys can be filled in with no connection and sync automatically when connectivity returns.
- Rich capture
- Photos, audio, signatures and barcodes, with location from the device GPS or external GNSS hardware.
- ArcGIS integration
- Results sync in near real time to the ArcGIS platform, where they can feed web maps, apps, dashboards and reports.
- Templates and AI-assisted creation
- Reusable templates and AI-powered form creation, plus a Survey123 assistant and beta AI text and audio analysis listed in recent updates.
- Esri support and training
- Technical support, training courses and an Esri Community forum are part of the offer.
Plans
GoCanvas
Essentials$29
per user / month, 3 user minimum, billed annually
Configurable PDF reports, dispatch and scheduling, offline mobile app, static data sources, photo capture and web client.
Pro$39
per user / month, 3 user minimum, billed annually
Adds multi-user workflows, customer and project management, API access, multi-factor authentication and video capture.
Max$49
per user / month, 3 user minimum, billed annually
Adds departments, follow-up tasks, live data sources, single sign-on, web forms and one custom form build.
Survey123
Pricing could not be confirmed. See survey123.arcgis.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GoCanvas or Survey123?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GoCanvas starts at $29 per user / month, 3 user minimum, billed annually, and Survey123 has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, GoCanvas or Survey123?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither GoCanvas nor Survey123 has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do GoCanvas and Survey123 run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only GoCanvas lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.