How to evaluate a free alternative to paid survey software
Six questions will tell you whether a free alternative is worth your time, and all six can be asked before you start.
Field takeaways
- Look at the export formats first.
- Check whether you can pick a system by EPSG code.
- Test it in airplane mode rather than reading the claims.
- Make sure you can get your data back out.
- Test external receiver support with your own hardware.
Start with the export list
What the app measures matters less than what it hands over. If the format your client asked for is not on the list, nothing else about the product is relevant. Look for DXF, KML and CSV at minimum, plus GeoJSON or Shapefile if you deliver into GIS.
Can you pick the system by code
A menu that says "local system" is not enough. If you can type an EPSG code and select it, the app is serious; if it offers a handful of presets, your work stops the day a project falls outside that list.
Open it in airplane mode
Many apps claim to work offline and few actually do. Download the map, put the phone in airplane mode, take a measurement, save it and export it. That five-minute test tells you more than any marketing page.
Can you get your data back
Can you export the whole project in open formats, or is the data only reachable from inside that one app? The second is expensive even when it is free, because it defers the cost of leaving.
Test the receiver with your own hardware
External RTK GNSS support may be listed, but whether it works with your receiver is a separate question. Pair it over Bluetooth and confirm from the accuracy indicator that the app is genuinely using the external source.
The last question: what does it not promise
An app that states its limits plainly is more trustworthy than one that claims everything. Be wary of products that stay vague about official registration and certified accuracy statements.
Try these steps on your own phone.
MapLab Survey handles RTK/GNSS point capture, drawing, area and volume calculations and coordinate conversion, then exports to DXF, KML/KMZ, GeoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage, NCZ or CSV. Capture, calculation and export work offline. Live NTRIP corrections and online basemaps need a connection.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check first?
The export formats; if your client's format is missing, nothing else matters.
How do I verify offline support?
Download the map, then measure and export in airplane mode.
How do I check data ownership?
By trying to export the whole project in open formats.
Is a listed receiver support enough?
No, pair your own receiver and confirm via the accuracy indicator.
Technical references
The field guidance in this article is aligned with the technical and official references below.
Related: What a free app does · Data ownership and lock-in · Free app with real export · MapLab Survey