ArcGIS Survey123 vs Optimal Authenticator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ArcGIS Survey123
Capture precise, location-aware data in the field using smart forms, even offline. Seamlessly sync collected information with your ArcGIS platform for real-time analysis and decision-making. Ideal for public feedback, inspections, and documenting field conditions.
- Smart forms for data collection
- Offline data capture and syncing
- Location-aware data with GPS
- Support for various question types
- Photo and audio attachments
- Data validation and skip logic
- Integration with ArcGIS platform
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Smart forms and surveys for digital data collection. ArcGIS Survey123 helps mobile workers collect field data with speed and precision. Capture location-aware survey responses anytime, anywhere—even offline—and sync seamlessly with your ArcGIS platform for real-time analysis and decision-making. From gathering public feedback to conducting inspections or documenting field conditions, Survey123 helps ensure data capture is efficient and reliable. ArcGIS is available on your desktop, in a browser, and on smartphones or tablets. Survey123 is Esri's form-centric app on mobile devices. Note: Survey123 is designed for organizational use. This app requires you have an ArcGIS organizational account to collect and update data. Public surveys shared by organizations can be accessed without sign in for crowd sourcing or citizen science purposes. Collect and submit data with precision: - Capture data using a wide variety of question types including text, map, choice lists, dates, photos, signatures, and barcodes. - Collect data online or offline and sync when connected. - Capture location information using device GPS. - Use maps in surveys to select points. - Apply skip logic, calculations, and data validation to ensure high-quality responses. - Attach photos and audio to survey responses. - Create multilingual surveys. Work securely with your organization: - Securely connect to your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization. - Submit surveys to trigger feature service webhooks that automate downstream workflows. Collaborate and analyze results: - Access and complete publicly shared surveys in the field without needing to sign in, allowing you to provide feedback or contribute data for crowd sourcing projects. - Integrate data submitted from the Survey123 field app with ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Experience Builder, and other ArcGIS solutions to enhance visualization and analysis. - Submit reliable survey data to support professional reports, which can be generated using customizable report templates on the Survey123 website. - Submit survey data in the field to make it available for export in formats such as CSV, Excel, shapefile, or file geodatabase through the Survey123 website, ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise.
Optimal Authenticator
This app provides a secure way to verify your identity for accessing other applications. It uses two-factor authentication via push notifications or verification codes, and allows organizations to register trusted devices for sign-in requests.
- Two-factor authentication
- Push notification verification
- On-app verification codes
- Trusted device registration
- Secure identity verification
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With the Optimal Authenticator, quickly and securely verify your identity for access to all of your applications. Authentication features include: Two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security to your account. When signing in, after entering your password, you'll be asked to provide additional verification via the app. A push notification is sent to your mobile device to alert you of a pending two-factor verification request. Simply tap on the notification to launch the app and tap Approve to complete the verification. Alternatively, you may be prompted to enter the verification code displayed in the app. Device registration: By registering your device through the app, organizations can verify that the sign-in request is coming from a trusted device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: ArcGIS Survey123 at 218 against Optimal Authenticator's 4. ArcGIS Survey123 also leads on review sentiment (12% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Optimal Authenticator's advantage is rating (3.0 vs 2.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Optimal Authenticator holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcGIS Survey123 has 218 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 12% of ArcGIS Survey123's written reviews are positive against 0% of Optimal Authenticator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ArcGIS Survey123 ships an update every 2 months, Optimal Authenticator every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ArcGIS Survey123 | Optimal Authenticator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (218 ratings) | 3.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.1% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 218 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 221 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ESRI | Optimal IdM |
Customer experience
ArcGIS Survey123
Optimal Authenticator
Bugs and requests
ArcGIS Survey123
Reported bugs
16 issues- Continuous location services polling even when app is closed
- iPhone 17 photo capture causes complete app crash
- Keyboard hangs during form data entry
- App crashes on login attempts
- Submit checkbox occluded by keyboard
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- Unknown error messages on photo/data submission
- Geopoint displays incorrect location (Africa/Atlantic Ocean)
- Paste answers from favorites feature broken
- External CSV calculations not functioning after updates
- Rating option displays radio buttons with misaligned star images
- Map library shows no compatible maps found
- Related tables cause send/edit failures
- Refresh loop when exiting surveys
- Account creation paradox (need account to create account)
- Federated credential sign-in not supported
- Duo 2FA not displaying properly in embedded browser
Requested features
12 requests- Edit sent survey data capability
- Multiple photo selection from library
- Magic keyboard trackpad support for iPad
- Previous answers dropdown for repeated data entry
- Desktop/web-based survey completion
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Submit button always visible (not hidden by keyboard)
- macOS app compatibility
- Video selection from photo library
- Note section for additional details
- Arabic language support
- Improved keyboard handling and exit mechanisms
- Most recent surveys shown first by default
Optimal Authenticator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ArcGIS Survey123
No in-app purchases
Optimal Authenticator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ArcGIS Survey123 free?
Is Optimal Authenticator free?
Which has better reviews, ArcGIS Survey123 or Optimal Authenticator?
Do ArcGIS Survey123 or Optimal Authenticator have ads?
Which is updated more often, ArcGIS Survey123 or Optimal Authenticator?
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