# An ArcGIS alternative for field inspection capture > An alternative to the ArcGIS capture apps for inspections: AI drafts coded, photo-linked findings, a reviewer approves, and your GIS stays the destination. Page: https://inspectial.com/alternatives/arcgis-alternative · Updated 2026-10-12 An alternative to the ArcGIS capture apps, Survey123 and Field Maps, not to your GIS. Inspectial turns the inspector's photos, video and voice into coded, evidence-linked findings a qualified reviewer approves, then hands the approved data to ArcGIS. ## The short answer Keep ArcGIS as your GIS either way. Survey123 and Field Maps are the better fit for general forms, map-led field work, assignments and on-prem ArcGIS Enterprise. Inspectial replaces them for repeat asset inspections such as culverts, outfalls and BMPs: it drafts coded findings from each asset's evidence, offline capture included, and a qualified person approves every finding before GeoJSON or CSV goes back to ArcGIS. ## Best for - **ArcGIS Survey123 and Field Maps:** ArcGIS organizations that want every field workflow, from surveys to dispatch, inside one Esri platform. - **Inspectial:** ArcGIS users who want inspection evidence coded into approved findings, then loaded into the GIS they already run. ## ArcGIS Survey123 and Field Maps vs Inspectial | Feature | ArcGIS Survey123 and Field Maps | Inspectial | |---|---|---| | What it replaces | Capture apps inside the ArcGIS platform that stores your data | Only the inspection capture and coding; your GIS stays the destination | | Field apps | Survey123 for forms and surveys, Field Maps for maps and tasks | One field app that walks the inspector through the pack † | | Offline capture | Both apps collect data offline and upload later | Photos, video keyframes, voice, notes and GPS with no signal † | | AI on field evidence | Survey123: image analysis in beta, web app; Field Maps: beta Arcade assistant in Designer | Drafts findings from all of an asset's photos, keyframes and voice † | | Reviewing AI output | No per-finding review step listed on Esri's AI page (checked 2026-10-12) | Reviewer approves, edits or rejects each finding next to its photos | | Blind review | Not listed in Esri's Survey123 AI documentation (checked 2026-10-12) | Reviewer can grade an asset before seeing the AI's answer | | Provenance | No evidence links or provenance listed on Esri's AI page (checked 2026-10-12) | Each finding cites its photo IDs; values marked ai, edited or verified | | Maps, tasks and dispatch | Field Maps: offline maps, assignments, utility network tracing | A nearby-assets map is planned; dispatch is not on our roadmap † | | Data into ArcGIS | Native: everything is ArcGIS feature data | Approved data as GeoJSON, CSV or a read-only API that ArcGIS loads | | Write into feature services | Native | Direct push into your ArcGIS feature services is on the roadmap † | | On-premises | ArcGIS Enterprise; the Survey123 Assistant is an ArcGIS Online service (Esri Q&A) | Cloud only (Cloudflare, US location); no on-prem option | | Users and roles | Esri user types from Creator to Viewer | Roles, orgs and approver of record are planned † | | Pricing model | No public price; annual user-type licences, AI uses credits | Per inspected asset with a platform minimum, not per seat | † Inspectial is pre-launch. Items marked † are in development or on the roadmap; ask us for current status. ## Why inspection teams switch - **Coding is the manual layer.** After a culvert visit, someone still turns photos into debris, sediment, cracking and scour codes. Inspectial drafts those codes from the inlet, barrel and outlet photos and the voice note. - **Evidence first, for every finding.** Each finding cites the photos it came from, so the reviewer of an outfall or a BMP sees the proof next to the value. - **Human approval is built in.** Approval is blocked until every AI finding has been checked. Only approved inspections export to your GIS. - **No GIS migration.** ArcGIS stays your system of record. Approved inspections arrive as GeoJSON or CSV keyed to your asset IDs. ## When ArcGIS Survey123 and Field Maps is the better choice - You want one Esri platform for every field workflow, including general surveys, map editing and dispatch. - You are all-in on ArcGIS Enterprise on-prem. Inspectial is cloud only. - You need inspections live in production today with many users and roles. Inspectial is pre-launch. - Your field data must write straight into feature services today, with no import step. ## How to switch 1. **Keep ArcGIS.** Nothing moves out of your GIS. Survey123 and Field Maps can keep running the work that isn't a repeat inspection. 2. **Pick a pack.** Start with one asset type, such as culverts or stormwater outfalls. We set up the template with your fields, scale and IDs. 3. **Load your assets.** Export the assets to inspect as CSV and import them, keyed to your IDs. Each one becomes a field job. Past inspections can be imported as history. 4. **Pilot one route.** Inspect a small batch and compare the approved records with your current ArcGIS data. 5. **Load approved data.** Add the approved GeoJSON or CSV to ArcGIS as a layer, or read it from the API. ## Related inspection packs - https://inspectial.com/culvert - https://inspectial.com/stormwater - https://inspectial.com/field ## Questions ### Is Inspectial a GIS or an ArcGIS replacement? No. Inspectial is not a mapping platform and we are not building one. It replaces the capture apps for inspection work and hands approved data to ArcGIS, QGIS or your asset system. ### What is the best alternative to ArcGIS for field data collection? It depends on the work. For general surveys and map editing inside Esri, Survey123 and Field Maps are hard to beat. For repeat asset inspections where coding the photos is the slow part, Inspectial drafts the findings and a qualified person approves them. ### Does Inspectial work with ArcGIS Online and Enterprise? Approved inspections export as GeoJSON and CSV, which both can load, and a read-only API serves them. A direct push into feature services is on the roadmap. Inspectial itself runs in the cloud only. ### Does the AI work offline? Capture is offline-first: photos, keyframes, voice and GPS are stored on the phone. The AI drafts findings once the phone syncs, and a reviewer approves them. ### What does it cost? Inspectial is priced per inspected asset with a platform minimum, not per seat. Pilot pricing is on request. ## Sources - [Esri: What is ArcGIS Survey123?](https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/get-started/whatissurvey123.htm), accessed 2026-10-12 - [Esri: AI in ArcGIS Survey123](https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/get-started/survey123-ai.htm), accessed 2026-10-12 - [Esri: ArcGIS Field Maps overview](https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-field-maps/overview), accessed 2026-10-12 - [Esri: What's new in ArcGIS Field Maps (February 2026)](https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/field-maps/field-mobility/whats-new-in-arcgis-field-maps-february-2026), accessed 2026-10-12 - [Esri: Buy ArcGIS Online (user types)](https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-online/buy), accessed 2026-10-12