# Autodesk Forma vs DroneDeploy Ground App

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DroneDeploy Ground App at none against Autodesk Forma's 7. Autodesk Forma's advantage is ratings volume (22K vs 33) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Autodesk Forma sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. DroneDeploy Ground App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Autodesk Forma holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Autodesk Forma has 22K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 41% and 41% positive.

Autodesk Forma ships an update every 8 days, DroneDeploy Ground App weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Autodesk Forma | DroneDeploy Ground App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autodesk-forma/id498795789/reviews)** | [4.5 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dronedeploy-ground-app/id1583870335/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | 41.1% of reviews | 41.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 696 MB | 434 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Autodesk Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/295089690) | [DroneDeploy](https://appshunter.io/developer/971358100) |

## What reviewers say

### Autodesk Forma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autodesk-forma/id498795789)

This app provides construction professionals with essential tools for jobsite management. Capture punch lists, log daily reports, and access the latest project documents and 3D models directly from the field. Stay connected to your team and keep projects moving forward efficiently.

**Highlights:** Capture punch list items, Log daily reports and forms, View and markup drawings, Review 3D models, Track issues and quality concerns, Access project schedules, Manage RFIs and submittals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nailgun | $49.99 | one-time |
| Autodesk Build 550 | $55.00 | one-time |
| Dozer | $69.99 | one-time |
| Autodesk Build 5000 | $85.00 | one-time |
| Forma Build Essentials | $99.99 | one-time |
| Crane | $139.99 | one-time |
| Autodesk Build Unlimited | $174.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for project management
- 🚀 Great for viewing and annotating plans
- 🚀 Useful for field work and collaboration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync and syncing issues
- 🔋 High battery usage
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🔒 Aggressive billing practices
- 🔒 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to rotate photos
- Issues with loading and viewing documents
- Problems with task report formatting
- Inconsistencies between mobile and desktop apps

**Requested features**

- Add a to-do list feature
- Improve report editing and customization
- Allow selective project/document downloads
- Enhance photo management and organization


### DroneDeploy Ground App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dronedeploy-ground-app/id1583870335)

Capture and manage ground-level project data for construction and industrial sectors. Document job sites with 360° photos and standard images, then sync to a platform for analysis and collaboration.

**Highlights:** 360° photo and walkthrough capture, Standard photo capture, Sync to DroneDeploy platform, Project data analysis and annotation, Team collaboration tools, Integration with industry tools

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Makes life easy
- 👍 Functional and quick uploads
- 👍 Smooth capture process
- 👍 Responsive and snappy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes, lags, slow
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🐛 Extremely hard to login
- 🐛 Glitchy
- 🐛 App doesn't work on new iPhone

**Reported bugs**

- Spam email
- Freezes, lags, slow
- Constantly have to fight to log in
- Processing walks takes forever and is unreliable
- Fails to process a walk

**Requested features**

- New update for Insta X4 air compatibility
- Android app support
- Downloadable PDF with active 360 photos
- Support for Insta360 One R camera
- iPad optimization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Autodesk Forma free?

Autodesk Forma is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DroneDeploy Ground App free?

DroneDeploy Ground App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Autodesk Forma or DroneDeploy Ground App?

Autodesk Forma is rated higher. Autodesk Forma averages 4.7 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while DroneDeploy Ground App averages 4.5 from 33 ratings.

### Do Autodesk Forma or DroneDeploy Ground App have ads?

Neither Autodesk Forma nor DroneDeploy Ground App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Autodesk Forma or DroneDeploy Ground App?

Autodesk Forma ships an update every 8 days, and DroneDeploy Ground App weekly. Most recently, Autodesk Forma was updated on September 24, 2026 and DroneDeploy Ground App on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*