Mapalyze versus QField
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mapalyze | QField |
|---|---|---|
| CORE PLATFORM | ||
| Desktop software required | ✓ None — fully self-contained | ✗ Yes — requires QGIS Desktop to configure projects |
| Pricing | ✓ From €25/user/mo (14-day free trial) | ✓ Free (self-hosted) or QField Cloud from CHF 48/mo |
| Open source | ✗ No — proprietary | ✓ Yes — fully open source (GPL) |
| Form builder | ✓ Yes — 23 field types, conditional logic, AI generation | ✗ Basic — inherits QGIS attribute forms |
| OFFLINE & SYNC | ||
| Offline sync | ✓ Yes — record-level sync with auto-conflict resolution | ✓ Yes — file-level sync via QField Cloud |
| AI capabilities | ✓ Yes — 15+ features: form generation, photo analysis, OCR | ✗ None |
| Task management | ✓ Yes — kanban, calendar, dependencies, SLA tracking | ✗ None |
| AI & INTELLIGENCE | ||
| Reporting | ✓ Yes — PDF reports, scheduled exports, dashboards | ✗ None — relies on QGIS Desktop |
| Offline encryption | ✓ Yes — SQLCipher AES-256 encrypted database | ✗ No — plain GeoPackage files |
| Team collaboration | ✓ Yes — 50+ simultaneous users, chat, activity feed | △ Basic — QField Cloud file sync |
| QGIS project support | ✗ No native .qgs/.qgz support | ✓ Yes — direct QGIS project file support |
| OPERATIONS & REPORTING | ||
| PostGIS connection | ✓ Via export (GeoJSON, Shapefile, PostGIS SQL) | ✓ Yes — direct PostGIS connection |
| SSO / SAML | ✓ Yes — on Team plan | ✗ None |
| Webhooks & API | ✓ Yes — REST API, webhooks, SCIM provisioning | ✗ None |
| Task Management (Kanban, Calendar) | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Not available |
| GIS & INTEGRATIONS | ||
| Incident & Issue Tracking | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Not available |
| Team Chat | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Not available |
| Real-Time Asset Tracking | ✓ Live map + geofences | ✗ Not available |
| AI Assistant (15+ capabilities) | ✓ MAIA built-in | ✗ Not available |
| PDF Reports & Dashboards | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Not available |
| Audit Trail & Compliance | ✓ Full history | ✗ Not available |
*Based on publicly available documentation. QField is a trademark of OPENGIS.ch. QGIS is a trademark of the QGIS Project.
Why Teams Switch from QField
Two fundamentally
different approaches.
Pricing Comparison
Free open-source vs. all-inclusive platform pricing. Calculate your true total cost of ownership.
Common questions about
switching from QField.
Mapalyze does not natively import .qgs or .qgz project files. However, you can export your QGIS data layers as GeoJSON, Shapefile, or CSV and import them into Mapalyze. Our form builder makes it easy to recreate your data collection workflows without QGIS Desktop.
The QField mobile app is free and open source. However, QField Cloud (for team sync and collaboration) has paid tiers starting at CHF 48/month. You also need QGIS Desktop (free) to configure projects, design forms, and manage layers — which requires GIS expertise and significant setup time.
Mapalyze exports to GeoJSON, Shapefile, CSV, KML, GPX, GeoPackage, and PostGIS SQL. While QGIS supports more niche formats, Mapalyze covers the formats used by 95%+ of field data workflows — and includes them on every paid plan.
Yes. Export your Mapalyze data as GeoJSON, Shapefile, or GeoPackage and open it directly in QGIS for advanced spatial analysis. The two tools complement each other well — Mapalyze for field collection, QGIS for desktop analysis.
Mapalyze, without question. QField is purpose-built for GIS professionals who already know QGIS. Mapalyze is designed for any field team — inspectors, maintenance crews, auditors, environmental technicians — with zero GIS knowledge required. The drag-and-drop form builder, built-in task management, and AI-powered features make it accessible to everyone.
Ready for More Than GIS Capture?
Start with our free Explorer plan — no QGIS required, no credit card, no time limit. See how a complete field data platform compares.