Most field documentation apps follow the same shape: a free tier that's genuinely usable, and a paid tier that removes limits and unlocks export formats. The question worth answering before you pay for anything is simple — will the free tier actually cover your workload, or will it start costing you more in workarounds than the subscription would cost in dollars?
What free tiers typically limit
- Number of projects — often capped at a small number (e.g. 2), which is fine for evaluating an app but tight for running multiple concurrent jobs.
- Records per project — a per-project cap (e.g. 20 records) that's plenty for a quick site visit but limiting for a multi-day survey.
- Export formats — free tiers commonly restrict exports to basic formats or block GIS-ready formats (GeoJSON, CSV with projection data) and PDF reports entirely.
- Watermarks — some apps stamp a visible watermark on free-tier exports until you upgrade.
What you actually get from Pro
Beyond raising or removing the caps above, Pro tiers on field documentation apps typically add: batch export in multiple GIS-ready formats, PDF report generation, additional coordinate formats, and sometimes a raw+stamped dual save so you keep an unedited original alongside the documented copy.
A simple way to decide
- Count your actual monthly workload. If you regularly run more than 2 active projects or log more than 20 records on a single job — routine for surveying and engineering work or utility crew logging — a free tier's caps will interrupt you mid-work — not a hypothetical, a near-certainty.
- Check what your office actually needs as a deliverable. If reports need to land in QGIS/ArcGIS or go out as a formatted PDF, and the free tier blocks those exports, the free tier isn't really usable for your job regardless of the project/record caps.
- Try before you commit. A free trial on the paid tier (common on subscription-based apps) lets you run one real job through the full feature set before deciding it's worth paying for.
- Weigh the subscription against the time it saves. If Pro removes a manual re-export or re-typing step you'd otherwise repeat on every job, the time saved usually outweighs a modest monthly cost quickly for anyone using the app professionally.
| Situation | Free tier likely enough | Pro likely worth it |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional single-site visits | Yes | |
| Multiple concurrent projects | Yes | |
| Needs GIS-ready export (GeoJSON/CSV+EPSG) | Yes | |
| Needs a formatted PDF report for clients | Yes | |
| Just evaluating the app | Yes |
Terramark's free tier covers 2 projects with 20 records each — no watermark, no ads, no account. Pro unlocks unlimited projects/records, all export formats, PDF reports and raw+stamped dual save, with a 14-day free trial before you pay anything.
See Terramark pricingOnce you've decided Pro exports are worth it, KML vs GeoJSON vs CSV covers which format to actually use for your deliverable.