# When QField or Mergin Maps stops being enough for inspections

> QField or Mergin Maps for inspections? Compare QGIS form collection with AI-drafted, reviewer-approved findings that load straight back into QGIS.

Page: https://inspectial.com/alternatives/qfield-mergin-maps-alternative · Updated 2026-10-12

For GIS teams who run culvert, outfall or asset inspections from QGIS projects in QField or Mergin Maps. Both give you QGIS forms in the field at a low price; Inspectial turns the inspector's photos, video and voice into coded findings a qualified reviewer approves, then hands the data back to QGIS.

## The short answer

QField and Mergin Maps take QGIS projects into the field: QField is free and open source, Mergin Maps Premium is EUR 15.8 per contributor a month billed annually. Inspectial is pre-launch and built only for inspections: AI drafts coded findings from photos and voice, a reviewer approves each, and GeoJSON loads into QGIS. Stay with them for general GIS collection; add Inspectial when photo coding is the bottleneck.

## Best for

- **QField and Mergin Maps:** QGIS teams who design their own layers and forms and want free or low-cost, open-source field collection.
- **Inspectial:** Inspection teams who want findings drafted from photos and voice, approved by a reviewer, and delivered back to QGIS.

## QField and Mergin Maps vs Inspectial

| Feature | QField and Mergin Maps | Inspectial |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Field data collection for QGIS projects, any layer or form | Asset inspections: evidence in, coded and approved findings out |
| Price | QField free (GPL), QFieldCloud sync free to paid; Mergin Premium EUR 15.8/contributor/mo | Per inspected asset with a platform minimum, not per seat |
| Open source and hosting | Open source; Mergin Community edition can be self-hosted | Hosted on Cloudflare; no self-hosting or on-prem |
| Form design | Forms with constraints, logic, defaults and validation, built in QGIS | Self-serve template editor is on the roadmap † |
| Template setup | You build forms and constraints in QGIS | We set up the pack template with you, scale and defect list included |
| Offline capture | Mergin Maps lists offline surveys | Full capture flow works with no signal, syncs later † |
| Positioning accuracy | QField: high-precision location; Mergin Maps: external GNSS receivers | Phone GPS stamped on every photo and finding † |
| Geometry and data model | Your QGIS layers; PostgreSQL integration in Mergin Maps | Points today; lines, polygons and parent/child assets planned † |
| AI from photos and voice | No AI listed on QField's home page or Mergin Maps' pricing page (checked 2026-10-12) | Drafts findings from all photos, video keyframes and voice per asset † |
| Review and approval | Mergin Maps: roles and edit history; no review step listed on its pricing page | Each AI finding is verified, edited or rejected; only approved data is official |
| Evidence per finding | Not listed on the pages checked (2026-10-12) | Every finding cites its photo IDs, location and AI confidence |
| Back into QGIS | Data stays in your QGIS project | GeoJSON and CSV load into QGIS; read-only REST API |
| Track record | QField: used in enterprise settings, per its vendor | Pre-launch: pilots open, no production customers yet |

† Inspectial is pre-launch. Items marked † are in development or on the roadmap; ask us for current status.

## Why inspection teams switch

- **Coding moves out of the office.** At a culvert, the inspector takes photos and a short voice note. Inspectial drafts the sediment, cracking and scour findings, so nobody re-reads photos in QGIS to fill attribute fields.
- **Review is built in.** Every AI value is marked ai, edited or verified, with the reviewer and time. Approval is blocked until each finding is reviewed.
- **Standards come with the pack.** The culvert pack carries required photos, a defect list and a condition scale. You don't maintain form constraints for each new project.
- **QGIS stays the destination.** Approved findings export as GeoJSON with coordinates and evidence IDs, ready to load as a layer next to your network.

## When QField and Mergin Maps is the better choice

- Budget decides: QField is free, and Mergin Maps has free Community, academic and non-profit options.
- You need open source or self-hosting; Inspectial is hosted only.
- You collect general GIS data, not repeatable inspections of one asset type.
- You need survey-grade positioning with an external GNSS receiver, or lines and polygons.
- You want a production-ready tool today; Inspectial is pre-launch.

## How to switch

1. **Keep your QGIS project.** Your layers stay where they are. Export the asset layer as CSV with IDs and coordinates.
2. **Set up the template.** We configure a pack template with you that matches your attribute fields, defect list and condition scale.
3. **Import your assets.** Load the CSV so field jobs open on your own asset IDs.
4. **Pilot and load back.** Inspect a batch, approve the findings and load the GeoJSON into QGIS next to your existing layer.

## Related inspection packs

- https://inspectial.com/culvert
- https://inspectial.com/stormwater
- https://inspectial.com/field

## Questions

### Is Inspectial a replacement for QField or Mergin Maps?

For repeatable asset inspections it can be: culverts, outfalls and similar structures. For general GIS data collection, QField and Mergin Maps remain a strong fit and cost less. Many teams could use both, with QGIS as the shared destination.

### Does Inspectial work with QGIS?

Yes, through files. Approved inspections export as GeoJSON and CSV with coordinates, which QGIS loads as layers. A read-only REST API also serves approved inspections by area and date.

### What do QField and Mergin Maps cost?

QField is free and licensed under GPL v2 or later; its QFieldCloud sync service has a free Community plan and paid per-user plans (see qfield.cloud/pricing). Mergin Maps Premium lists EUR 15.8 per contributor per month billed annually, or EUR 19.5 monthly, with a free self-hosted Community edition.

### How is Inspectial priced?

Per inspected asset with a platform minimum, not per seat. Pilot pricing is on request.

### Does the AI work offline?

Capture works offline: photos, video keyframes, voice, notes and GPS are saved on the phone and sync later. The AI drafts findings after sync, and a reviewer approves them.

## Sources

- [QField home page (positioning, GPL licence, QGIS forms)](https://qfield.org/), accessed 2026-10-12
- [QFieldCloud pricing (Community plan, paid per-user plans)](https://qfield.cloud/pricing), accessed 2026-10-12
- [Mergin Maps pricing (Lutra Consulting; plans, features, Community edition)](https://merginmaps.com/pricing), accessed 2026-10-12