Frequently Asked Questions
What is Open Survey?
Open Survey is a free, open-source land surveying platform in development by Laan Labs: a native iPhone/iPad field app plus a browser-based web workspace. It works with the phone's built-in GPS and scales to centimeter-accurate RTK with external GNSS receivers.
Is Open Survey really free?
Yes. The field app and its survey features — including linework, code libraries, COGO, site calibration, stakeout, and exports — are planned to be free and open source. A paid hosted cloud will exist purely for the convenience of not running your own server; self-hosting will always be free.
Which RTK receivers will Open Survey support?
Open Survey is receiver-agnostic: any receiver that outputs NMEA 0183 over Bluetooth, BLE, or Wi-Fi TCP/UDP is the target, including Emlid Reach, ArduSimple, SparkFun, and similar u-blox-based hardware. Emlid Reach receivers get first-class integration. See our guide to budget RTK receivers.
Do I need an RTK receiver to use Open Survey?
No. Every feature works with the iPhone or iPad's built-in GPS at roughly 3–5 meter accuracy — fine for reconnaissance, asset inventory, and sketch mapping. An external RTK receiver with NTRIP corrections brings the same workflow to 1–3 centimeter accuracy. More in How Accurate Is iPhone GPS?
Does Open Survey include an NTRIP client?
Yes — NTRIP v1 and v2, saved profiles, a sourcetable browser, automatic reconnection, and a directory of free casters such as US state CORS networks and RTK2go. Background: Free RTK Corrections.
Can I self-host the web workspace?
Yes. The backend is designed to run from a single Docker Compose file with Postgres/PostGIS and object storage, so teams can keep survey data entirely on their own infrastructure. Why that matters: Why Self-Host Your Survey Data.
What about 3D scanning?
Open Survey's signature feature is georeferenced 3D assets: attach a LiDAR scan or Gaussian splat to any survey point and it appears on the web map in 3D at true coordinates. Background: Gaussian Splatting for Surveyors.
When will Open Survey be released?
It's in active development. The browser demo and open repositories come first, followed by a TestFlight beta and an App Store release. Follow this site for updates.
Is Open Survey a replacement for a licensed surveyor?
No. Open Survey is a measurement tool. Boundary determination and many survey deliverables legally require a licensed professional in most jurisdictions. The app focuses on measurement transparency: honest accuracy metadata, datum and epoch stamping, and auditable records.