# Mergin Maps: QGIS in pocket — QGIS field data collection app

> Mobile GIS field data collection and QGIS project synchronization. (iPhone/iPad app by Lutra Consulting.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mergin-maps-qgis-in-pocket/id1478603559 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Lutra Consulting](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478603558)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.70/5 from 18 App Store ratings · 35 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 141 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French (France) and 12 more
- Released: 2019-11-16
- Data updated: 2026-07-30
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mergin-maps-qgis-in-pocket/id1478603559/reviews.md

## What is Mergin Maps?

Simplify your field survey by capturing GPS field data on your mobile or tablet. Create mobile forms with the fields you require and invite your survey teams to complete them on their phones or tablets. Captured data, along with their location can be surveyed offline, then synced back to the QGIS in seconds.

Enter your data once, with ease, in the field. Mergin Maps aims to remove the pain of transcribing paper field notes, manually georeferencing photos and transcribing GPS coordinates.

The data you capture in the field survey is shown on a map and can be exported to a wide variety of formats including CSV, Microsoft Excel, ESRI Shapefile, Mapinfo, GeoPackage, PostGIS, AutoCAD DXF, KML and many more.

Mergin Maps Input is an extension of the free and open source GIS software QGIS. It allows you to open, interrogate and edit your QGIS projects on your mobile. Map layers look the same as in QGIS desktop and you can sync your data back and forward with QGIS desktop using the Mergin Maps QGIS plugin.

Mergin Maps supports offline field data capture and can be configured to use either offline or web-based background maps and contextual layers.

Perks of the Mergin Maps sync system:
- No need for cables to get your data on/off your device
- Share projects with others for collaborative working
- Safely work together on the same datasets, even offline
- Updates from different surveyors are intelligently merged
- Push data back from the field in real time
- Version history and cloud-based backup
- Fine-grained access control
- Sync with your PostGIS datasets

Supported field types for forms are:
- Text (single or multi-line)
- Numeric (plain, with +/- buttons or with slider)
- Date / time (with calendar picker)
- Photo
- Checkbox (yes/no values)
- Drop-down with predefined values
- Drop-down with values from another table

Forms can even be configured to perform data validation using custom rules.

Works with device internal GPS receiver and third-party Bluetooth GPS receivers.

Supported field types for forms are:
- Text (single or multi-line)
- Numeric (plain, with +/- buttons or with slider)
- Date / time (with calendar picker)
- Photo
- Checkbox (yes/no values)
- Drop-down with predefined values
- Drop-down with values from another table


Forms can even be configured to perform data validation using custom rules.


Works with device internal GPS receiver and third-party Bluetooth GPS receivers.

## Key features

- GPS field data capture
- Customizable mobile forms
- Offline data surveying
- Sync with QGIS projects
- Multiple export formats
- Collaborative team work
- Data validation rules

## Recent user reviews (10 of 35)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mergin-maps-qgis-in-pocket/id1478603559/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Tried 2nd worst app

*2025-11-17*

Open maps is the only app worse than this one. Cannot use this without downloading maps to your phone to explore. I don’t trust that. I have worked with maps for many many years. Another person mentioned QField if they had a better menu I would not look for any other app. At this point HuntStand beats many so called map apps. This one seems useless unless you make another account just to try an apps potential. Other people say it needs work and I could not get far enough past bad ideas to try any functions. You have a menu so that’s the only reason this is not the worst.

### 1/5 — Terrible Application for field work

*2025-03-06, version 2025.1.0*

Slow, Janky, Pretty much useless in the field.

### 5/5 — Excellent for data collection & helpful support team

*2024-09-27*

I have been using Mergin Maps for an academic research project and it has been a blessing. It’s made it so easy to collect field data from my phone and sync with my QGIS file at home. Customer support has also been very prompt and helpful when I had issues with my payment plan. Recommend!

### 5/5 — Great App

*2024-05-03, version 2024.1.0*

Easy to setup projects and use out in the field.  Love it

### 5/5 — Very satisfied!

*2024-02-01*

Our volunteer organization has used Mergin Maps for two years. Our team of approximately 40 citizen scientists use the app to monitor about 200 nest boxes for a bird species whose numbers are in decline.  We record a variety of variables regarding fledging success throughout the breeding season. This app has revolutionized our ability to monitor the birds in near-real time. Simply put, we could not keep up with the field data workload without this app!  The wide variety of tools and options at our fingertips is more than we could’ve ever hoped for, and it’s integration with QGIS is seamless.  I’ve used a number of field recording devices over the years, and Mergin Maps is equal to or better than any of
them, and when the free price of QGIS is factored in, this app is a tremendous bargain.

**Developer response:** Hi Studkier - thank you for your kind words and we are very happy to help your great activity with nest boxes.

### 2/5 — This app needs a lot of work still

*2023-10-30*

I used to use QField for work, & it was great. Not nearly as user friendly as Mergin Maps, but it worked great. This app has countless problems that really need addressing. One immediate problem I can think of is that the app will crash if you click the GPS button on the bottom middle of the screen. Every single time. There are lots of frustrations I have while using this app & they cost me a lot of unnecessary time. Please look into all the things that make this app crash. If you would like a list of all the crashes, I could easily compile this for you guys. A few more issues: the app will refresh if you have it closed for more than a couple minutes, forcing me to have to turn off all the map layers that im not going to use. Another annoying one is that misc notes aren’t translucent, & they take up a massive portion of the screen when trying to view the map. Please make them less obstructive.

It says the app doesn’t collect data but you guys should honestly start collecting user data & user crash logs.

**Developer response:** Hi dorselfn, we are sorry for the problems you encountered. 

We would be definitely interested in compiled crash list and other feedback you have. The app generally does not crash on iPhones. We test it on various iPhone types before the release, so I am surprised with the behaviour your are experiencing.

Could you please write me on peter.petrik@lutraconsulting.co.uk or ping me on merginmaps.com/community/join?

### 1/5 — Can’t get into my account, can’t get support

*2023-08-18, version 2.2.0*

Signed up. Tried to log in on Qgis and apparently my details were wrong. Could sign into app no issues however. Couldn’t sign into on website either. Tried to delete account via app and was told there was an error. Tried to get support and the only option I could see was to sign up for support at $1250/year. Would love some assistance. App looks like it would be quite good if I could get it to work.
Kind regards

### 5/5 — Great application to share map content

*2023-04-23*

This is the best application I have found to collaboratively work on projects that require map-based content. Its synchronization with the qgis pluging is great, and easy to share with people that does not manage with devices. Keep pushing!

### 5/5 — Perfect for research and fieldwork

*2023-04-12*

I have been using Mergin for the past three years, first for my Masters research and now for my PhD. This app allows me to visualize and navigate to field sites on my phone (offline!), collect data at each point, and have my projects sync seamlessly with the cloud for later download and use in QGIS. 

I have multiple projects in Mergin and have used about 1/10 of my free storage limit, so the free storage is plenty to get me through all of grad school and beyond. Would recommend without hesitation to anyone doing field research.

### 1/5 — Läuft leider nicht

*2022-09-28*

App stürzt immer wenige Sekunden nach dem Öffnen ab. Schade.

## Frequently asked questions about Mergin Maps

### What does Mergin Maps do?

Mergin Maps allows you to capture GPS field data and create custom mobile forms for surveys directly on your mobile device or tablet. It integrates seamlessly with QGIS, enabling you to open, edit, and sync your QGIS projects in the field.

### What are the key features of Mergin Maps?

Key features include GPS field data capture, customizable forms with various field types and validation rules, offline data surveying, seamless syncing with QGIS projects, and the ability to export data to numerous formats like CSV, Excel, and Shapefile.

### Is Mergin Maps free to use?

Yes, Mergin Maps is a free application. It is an extension of the free and open-source GIS software QGIS, allowing for cost-effective field data collection and management.

### What devices is Mergin Maps compatible with?

The application is designed to work on mobile phones and tablets. It supports both the device's internal GPS receiver and third-party Bluetooth GPS receivers for accurate location data.

### How can Mergin Maps be used for field surveys?

Mergin Maps simplifies field surveys by allowing teams to enter data directly in the field using custom forms, eliminating the need for paper notes. Captured data, including photos and GPS coordinates, can be synced with QGIS projects offline or in real-time, and then exported for further analysis.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2026.3.2 — 2026-07-29

This version brings various fixes for the application.

### 2026.3.1 — 2026-07-27

This version brings various bug fixes for the app.

### 2026.3.0 — 2026-07-15

This version brings various bug fixes and improvements.

### 2026.2.0 — 2026-04-24

This release brings new filtering feature.

### 2026.1.3 — 2026-03-31

This release adds fix for critical issue in forms introduced in previous version.

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## Related topics

[qfield](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/qfield) · [qfield for qgis](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/qfield-for-qgis) · [qgis](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/qgis) · [input](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/input)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-30.*
