Is Restoration Scope a QField alternative?
For GIS editing, no: QField is the better tool. For running restoration operations and reporting on them, yes.
QField for GIS teams in the field, Restoration Scope for the whole restoration record
QField takes a QGIS project into the field with geometry editing, and it is open source. Restoration Scope gives field teams a configured app and keeps every visit linked to its site, season after season.
QField and Restoration Scope at a glance
| QField | Restoration Scope | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An open-source field app (GPL v2+) from OPENGIS.ch for Android, iOS and desktop that takes QGIS projects into the field. | A restoration data platform with a configured field app. |
| Cost | The app is free. QFieldCloud Community is free with 100 MB of sync space; Flat is €18–23 per user a month, Flex €28, Enterprise by quote. Nonprofits can ask for free or discounted plans, and it can be self-hosted. | Priced per project after a scoping call. No public price list. |
| Who sets it up | Usually someone who owns the QGIS project, layers and forms on desktop. Simple projects can start in the app. | Configured with our team around your project. Someone on your side owns the workflow. |
| Offline capture | Online or offline, syncing by cable or through QFieldCloud. | The Field App works offline: points, lines, polygons and photos. |
| GPS accuracy | Phone GPS, or an external high-precision GNSS receiver with NTRIP corrections. | Phone GPS, or an external GNSS receiver. |
| Editing geometry | Field geometry editing: snapping, vertex editing and freehand drawing, with GeoPackage, KML, GPX and georeferenced PDFs. | Points, lines, polygons and photos on the project map. |
| Seasons and survival | Possible if your QGIS data model links visits to sites. You build and maintain it. | Sites, nurseries and visits are linked records, configured for your project. |
| Donor reporting | Maps and reports made in QGIS, and PDF exports from QField itself. | Donor portals built from the same records the team keeps. |
Use both
QGIS layers come into Restoration Scope as files (Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML and KMZ, GeoTIFF), so GIS work done in QGIS and QField is not rebuilt.
Checked against QField's own pages on October 17, 2026: QField, Documentation, External GNSS, QFieldCloud pricing, Land restoration and conservation.
Where each fits
Pick QField when
- Your team already works in QGIS and has someone to own the project.
- You need GIS editing in the field: snapping, vertices, many layers.
- You want open source with no licence cost.
Pick Restoration Scope when
- Your carbon project needs parcel boundaries, plantings and monitoring rounds kept linked, not spread across layers.
- Nobody has time to maintain a QGIS project and its sync.
- Field, office and funders need the same records, not exported maps.
- You want existing QGIS layers brought in rather than rebuilt.
Questions teams ask
Is QField free?
The app is open source and free. QFieldCloud, the sync service, has a free Community tier with 100 MB, paid plans for teams, and free or discounted plans for nonprofits.
Can both use an external GNSS receiver?
Yes. QField documents high-precision GNSS with NTRIP corrections, and the Restoration Scope Field App can use an external GNSS receiver too.
Can I bring my QGIS data into Restoration Scope?
Yes. GIS files come in beside spreadsheets and survey forms, tied to the sites they describe.
Restoration Scope publishes this comparison. Something out of date? Write to info@restorationscope.com.