Overview

GIS Cloud brings mapping, field collection and map sharing into one platform for teams working with spatial data. It suits organizations that need both office-based map editing and mobile capture; its strongest case is a connected GIS workflow, while the separate products and storage caps make plan choice important.

Key features

Map editing and data connections

Map Editor handles vector and raster formats, multiple layers and basemaps, and drawing points, lines and polygons. Its sources range from WMS, WFS and WMTS to PostgreSQL, Oracle, Excel and CSV, alongside Bing, OpenStreetMap and Mapbox. That breadth is useful for teams combining operational records with spatial data. Advanced spatial analysis, web mapping and dashboard building add scope beyond basic map display.

Field collection and sharing

Mobile Data Collection lets teams build custom forms and collect points, lines and polygons on Android and iOS, online or offline. Offline records stay on the device and sync automatically after connectivity returns, a meaningful advantage for fieldwork in areas with unreliable service. Maps can be shared privately, with collaborators or publicly. Map Viewer supports private access to shared maps and data, while Map Portal adds custom branding, a domain and a no-code app builder.

Tracking, integration and AI

Track focuses on asset locations, reports, historical playback, geofences and alerts. Publisher plugins connect QGIS and ArcMap workflows, and REST and JavaScript APIs support platform connections or GIS-enabled web applications. AI Form Fill can suggest form values from photos or voice, with users able to review, edit or revert suggestions before saving. The Geocoder remains a beta offering for beta customers only.

Security and hosting

GIS Cloud says it has been ISO 27001 certified since November 2025, encrypts data in transit and uses role-based permissions. Hosting defaults to AWS in the US, with EU and Australia regions and on-premises deployment as alternatives. The company says its AI provider Anthropic is contractually barred from training on customer data, and that customer data is not used to train models.

Pricing

The free plan and 14-day trial provide a way to assess the platform before committing, but the paid plans are separate products with distinct limits and use cases. Prices shown per month for Map Viewer, Mobile Data Collection, Map Editor and Map Portal are billed annually.

Publisher plugins: custom pricing. Includes QGIS and ArcMap publishers and symbology preservation, making it a focused option for teams that mainly need to publish existing GIS work.
Track: 5.00 USD per month, per asset. Real-time location and reports, historical playback, geofences and alerts suit asset monitoring; the per-asset basis matters as tracked fleets grow.
Map Viewer: 12.00 USD per month, billed annually. Private access to shared maps and data, custom branding, mobile and web apps, and plain-language map questions make it the viewer-focused choice rather than a map-authoring plan.
Mobile Data Collection: 25.00 USD per month, billed annually. It includes unlimited projects and survey forms, AI Form Fill and Map Viewer access, but limits each organization to 10,000 vector features and 1 GB of media storage.
Map Editor: 75.00 USD per month, billed annually. The editing plan includes WFS and WMS access, Ask AI and Map Viewer access, with 200,000 vector features and 1 GB of other storage per organization.
Map Portal: 79.00 USD per month, billed annually. Custom domain and branding, a no-code app builder and 50,000 public map views are aimed at public-facing map applications; teams expecting greater traffic should account for the included view limit.
On-premises & Crowdsourcing: custom pricing, billed on demand. It includes firewall or on-premises installation, an ISO 27001 security review and a crowdsourcing solution.

The lower-priced options trade editing or collection capabilities for narrower jobs: Track is priced per asset, and Map Viewer centers on access rather than map creation. The listed Mobile Data Collection and Map Editor quotas also mean storage needs should be checked against the organization’s expected workload.

Platforms

GIS Cloud supports web, Android and iOS, as well as API access and self-hosted deployment. Cloud deployment is available; on-premises installation is an option for organizations that need it.

Who it's for

GIS Cloud fits teams managing location-based infrastructure or field operations, including water and pipeline management, electric utilities, telecommunications, roadworks, tree inventory and inspection, natural resources and smart cities. Retail teams and organizations publishing city maps are also among its stated audiences. It is less suitable for a team that needs only a general-purpose form builder or cannot work within the relevant plan’s storage and map-view limits.

Pros and cons

Pro: Map editing, offline mobile collection and sharing sit within one platform, useful for organizations that need field data to feed mapping workflows.
Pro: Connections to common GIS services, databases, spreadsheets and map providers reduce the need to limit work to one source type.
Pro: EU and Australia hosting regions and an on-premises option give organizations alternatives to default US hosting.
Con: Mobile Data Collection and Map Editor have per-organization storage limits, so data growth may affect plan fit.
Con: The main viewer, collection, editing and portal plans are billed annually, which is a meaningful commitment for teams evaluating a longer-term workflow.
Con: Geocoder access is limited to beta customers, so it is not a dependable general-purpose feature choice.

Alternatives

For teams comparing form-led tools, Mobile Forms Software and GIS Software are useful category starting points. Jotform is a freemium web and mobile forms option; its free Starter plan allows 5 forms and 100 monthly submissions, making it a better fit for modest form workflows than GIS-centered mapping. DataScope has a free plan with 100 actions per month, 10 users, 3 forms, 5 assets and one-year storage, a more bounded choice for teams that can work within those caps. FormConnect is a one-time purchase at 17.99 USD, with a single-user license, up to 50 forms and offline access; it suits an individual who wants offline forms rather than a broader GIS platform.

Monival offers a free Community plan with up to 3 forms, 100 monthly submissions, 5 enumerators, offline mobile use, and OData / Power BI feed, webhooks and API; it is a plausible fit for small field teams prioritizing forms and data feeds. Appenate starts at 20.00 USD per month billed annually, with a 5-user minimum and 1,500 form submissions, making it a form-automation alternative for teams that fit those terms. KoboToolbox has a free plan and a 21.00 USD per month Starter plan for private or for-profit use, a candidate when survey collection is the focus. Mi-Forms offers perpetual and monthly term licenses with named-user licensing, but pricing is custom. mWater provides a free platform with unlimited standard use, forms, users, surveys and integrations, making it worth considering when those workflows matter more than GIS map editing.

Verdict

GIS Cloud is a strong choice for operational teams that need to edit maps, capture spatial data in the field and share it through one system. Its broad data connections and offline sync are compelling; the main reasons to look elsewhere are plan-specific storage and view caps, annual billing on core plans, or a need for forms without the GIS scope.

	GIS Cloud	Netcad GIS
Free plan	Yes
Free trial	Yes
Paid from	$5/mo
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, self-hosted, Web	Windows
Free plan	Yes
Deployment	cloud	desktop
Spatial analysis	advanced	advanced
Web mapping	Yes
Dashboard builder	Yes
Raster data support	Yes	Yes
Mobile apps	Yes	No

GIS Cloud vs Netcad GIS

GIS Cloud

Netcad GIS