Overview

GIS Cloud brings mapping and field data collection together for teams working with location-based information. It is a strong fit for utilities, municipal services, and other operations that need shared maps and mobile surveys; teams looking for a general-purpose form tool may find its mapping focus unnecessary.

Its editor handles both vector and raster data, while mobile forms can capture spatial features offline. The trade-off is that the plans divide capabilities and storage quotas across several products, so the right fit depends on the work and the organization’s data needs.

Key features

Mapping and data connections

Map Editor supports multiple layers and basemaps, and drawing points, lines, and polygons. Its data sources include WMS, WFS, WMTS, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Excel, CSV, Bing, OpenStreetMap, and Mapbox. That range can help teams bring existing spatial and business data into a shared mapping workflow. Advanced spatial analysis, web mapping, and dashboard building are also supported.

Field collection and offline work

Mobile Data Collection supports custom forms for points, lines, and polygons on Android and iOS. Teams can collect data without a connection; it remains on the device and syncs automatically when connectivity returns. That makes it suitable for field crews working beyond reliable coverage. The paid plan includes 10,000 vector features and 1 GB of media storage per organization, so storage needs should factor into the decision.

Sharing, tracking, and integrations

Maps can be private, shared with collaborators, or public. Map Viewer provides private access to shared maps and data, while Map Portal adds a custom domain, branding, and a no-code app builder. Track focuses on asset locations, reports, historical playback, geofences, and alerts. QGIS and ArcMap publisher plugins, plus REST and JavaScript APIs, connect GIS Cloud to existing workflows or support custom GIS-enabled web applications.

AI, security, and deployment

AI Form Fill can suggest form values based on photos or voice, with users able to review, edit, or undo suggestions before saving. GIS Cloud says it does not train models on customer data and that its AI provider, Anthropic, is contractually barred from doing so. The company says it has been ISO 27001 certified since November 2025; data is encrypted in transit and access uses role-based permissions. Hosting defaults to AWS in the US, with EU and Australia regions and on-premises deployment also available. The Geocoder is in beta and limited to beta customers.

Pricing

GIS Cloud uses a freemium model, with a free plan, paid plans from 5.00 USD per month, and a 14-day trial. The paid prices below are billed annually where stated.

Publisher plugins: custom pricing for Publisher for QGIS, Publisher for ArcMap, and preserved symbology. A fit for teams that need those publishing connections without a broader plan.
Track: 5.00 USD per month, per asset, for real-time location and reports, historical playback, geofences, and alerts. Its per-asset pricing suits focused tracking, but costs will depend on the number of assets.
Map Viewer: 12.00 USD per month, billed annually, for private access to shared maps and data, custom branding, mobile and web apps, and plain-language map questions. It suits teams that need to view and share maps rather than edit them.
Mobile Data Collection: 25.00 USD per month, billed annually, with unlimited projects and survey forms, 10,000 vector features and 1 GB of media storage per organization, AI Form Fill, and Map Viewer access. Its form and project allowance is broad, but the storage caps matter for media-heavy work.
Map Editor: 75.00 USD per month, billed annually, with 200,000 vector features and 1 GB of other storage per organization, WFS and WMS access, Ask AI, and Map Viewer access. It fits teams doing substantial map editing, though the storage allowances still set a boundary.
Map Portal: 79.00 USD per month, billed annually, with a custom domain and branding, 50,000 public map views, and a no-code app builder. The included view quota makes expected public traffic important.
On-premises & Crowdsourcing: custom pricing, billed on demand, for firewall or on-premises installation, an ISO 27001 security review, and a complete crowdsourcing solution. It is the option for organizations that need this deployment or crowdsourcing package.

Platforms

GIS Cloud supports web, Android, iOS, API, and self-hosted deployments. The mobile apps suit field collection, while API access and self-hosting give technical teams additional integration and deployment choices.

Who it's for

GIS Cloud describes solutions for water and pipeline management, electric utilities, telecommunications, roadworks, tree inventories and inspection, retail, smart cities, natural resources, and public city maps. It is most compelling when teams need spatial editing, field capture, and sharing in the same operating environment. A team that needs forms without GIS workflows may prefer a form-focused service instead.

Pros and cons

Pro: Broad support for GIS data formats and sources helps teams combine spatial and business information.
Pro: Offline mobile collection with automatic sync supports fieldwork outside reliable coverage.
Pro: QGIS and ArcMap plugins, APIs, and multiple deployment options serve varied technical workflows.
Con: Mobile Data Collection and Map Editor impose organization-level storage quotas that may constrain large or media-rich projects.
Con: Public Map Portal traffic is limited to 50,000 included views, which matters for widely used public maps.
Con: The Geocoder is not generally available while it remains in beta.

Alternatives

For simpler form collection, Jotform has a free plan with five forms and 100 monthly submissions; choose it when form limits and standard features matter more than GIS editing and spatial data workflows. DataScope offers a free plan with 100 actions per month, 10 users, three forms, five assets, and one-year storage, making it worth considering when those fixed allowances suit the team. KoboToolbox is another free-plan option for organizations considering a service with a stated 1,000-submission Starter plan.

Monival offers a free Community plan with three forms, 100 submissions a month, five enumerators, offline mobile access, and OData / Power BI feed; it may suit smaller teams that can work within those caps. Survtapp has a free plan limited to three users, 100 responses a month, 5 MB storage, two kiosk devices, three forms, and 120-day retention, a possible fit for tightly bounded survey use. CommCare is open source, with its web platform under BSD and Android app under Apache 2.0 licenses, making it an alternative for teams weighing open-source licensing. Ona Data has a free plan with 500 form submissions, one private and one public project, 10 private forms total, and community support, which may suit projects that fit those limits. FormConnect offers a one-time 17.99 USD purchase for a single-user iPad or iPhone license with up to 50 forms and offline access; choose it when a mobile, single-user form tool is preferable to a GIS platform.

For broader comparisons, browse Mobile Forms Software or GIS Software.

Verdict

GIS Cloud is a sound choice for operational teams that need to edit maps, collect spatial data in the field, and share it with colleagues or the public. Its combination of offline capture, GIS integrations, and deployment options is the main reason to choose it. Look elsewhere if the work is ordinary form collection, or if the organization’s storage and public-view needs exceed the plan quotas.

	Cadcorp SIS Desktop	GIS Cloud
Free plan		Yes
Free trial		Yes
Paid from		$5/mo
Platforms	Web, Windows	Android, api, iOS, self-hosted, Web
Deployment	hybrid	cloud
Spatial analysis	advanced	advanced
Raster data support	Yes	Yes
Free plan		Yes
Web mapping		Yes
Dashboard builder		Yes
Mobile apps		Yes

Cadcorp SIS Desktop vs GIS Cloud

Cadcorp SIS Desktop

GIS Cloud