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OTISS alternative for iPhone and iPad: how to switch to Tree Atlas

If you survey with OTISS and want to work on an iPhone or iPad, Tree Atlas is an alternative. This guide says what changes, what you gain and what you lose, how to bring your trees across from an Excel export, and when to stay with OTISS. We make Tree Atlas.

Updated . OTISS facts checked 3 Nov 2026 on otiss.co.uk. We make Tree Atlas. Spot something out of date? Email us.

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Want every feature side by side? Read Tree Atlas vs OTISS: feature comparison.

What changes when you move from OTISS to Tree Atlas?

  • Your device. You survey on an iPhone or iPad, not an Android phone or tablet.1
  • Your plan. Tree Atlas draws the Tree Constraints Plan for you as A3 PDF sheets. OTISS says its own plans are simple, and that you finish protection plans in CAD.5
  • Your report. You issue a fixed BS 5837 report PDF from Tree Atlas, in place of Excel templates.6
  • Your sign-off. A reviewer checks each survey on the web desk, and each signed revision is kept as issued.

When may Tree Atlas suit you better?

This is what you gain if you switch.

  • You survey on iPhone or iPad

    Tree Atlas is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. OTISS says its survey apps do not run on them.1

  • You want the plan drawn for you

    Tree Atlas draws the A3 Tree Constraints Plan from the survey and issues it with the report. Read what a Tree Constraints Plan shows.

  • You sign off other people’s surveys

    The web desk has a review queue. Signed revisions are kept as issued, and you see what changed since the last one before you sign.

When may OTISS suit you better?

This is what you lose if you switch. If these matter most, stay with OTISS.

  • Your team uses Android

    OTISS runs on Android phones and tablets now.2 Tree Atlas for Android is built and in testing, but it is not on Google Play yet.

  • You use an external GNSS receiver

    OTISS says it works with external GPS or GNSS receivers with sub-metre accuracy.3

  • You want reports in Excel

    OTISS builds reports from Excel templates in your company style.6 Tree Atlas produces a fixed BS 5837 report PDF and a CSV.

  • You use Qarb or keep veteran RPAs at 15 times

    OTISS exports a CSV for Qarb.5 It works out veteran tree RPAs at 15 times the stem diameter.4 Tree Atlas uses 12 times for every tree.

How do you move your trees from OTISS to Tree Atlas?

An OTISS Excel or CSV export can usually be imported on the Tree Atlas web desk by matching its column headers. Tree Atlas has no OTISS preset, so you check each column match yourself.

  1. In OTISS, export your survey to Excel or CSV. OTISS says it makes template-driven Excel reports.2
  2. On the Tree Atlas web desk, open the site, open the Tree schedule tab and tap Import schedule.
  3. Choose the file. Tree Atlas takes an Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file with up to 10,000 trees.
  4. Check the column matches. The file needs columns for No, Species, Category + sub and Condition. Tree Atlas can also read the stem diameter, height, crown spreads to N, E, S and W, easting and northing or latitude and longitude, and the tag.
  5. Review the rows, then import. You can undo an import.

The import brings in the schedule only. Photos are not imported. Read importing a tree list in the help centre.

If your columns do not match, email support@treeatlas.app and we will help.

OTISS sells an annual subscription per user.8 Check when yours renews, and run the Tree Atlas trial on a live job before then.

How does Tree Atlas help?

Start the trial, import one finished OTISS survey on the web desk, and compare the Tree Atlas report and plan with your own before you decide.

Switching from OTISS: questions

Does Tree Atlas import photos from OTISS?

No. The Tree Atlas import brings in the tree schedule from an Excel or CSV file. Photos are not imported.

Can I try Tree Atlas before my OTISS subscription ends?

Yes. The Tree Atlas trial lasts 30 days, has every feature and needs no card. Use it on a live job before your OTISS renewal.

Is there a Tree Atlas app for Android?

It is built and in testing, but it is not on Google Play yet. If your team surveys only on Android, OTISS runs on Android phones and tablets now.

Where do these facts come from?

Each note is our summary of the OTISS page linked, checked on 3 Nov 2026. OTISS belongs to Pear Technology Services Ltd. Tree Atlas is not connected with OTISS. Check the OTISS pages before you buy.

  1. 1OTISS, which Android device. Says its mobile survey apps do not run on iPhones or iPads at present, and run on Android 5.x and above. Says the apps can work most of the time without an internet connection. otiss.co.uk/w/general/which-android
  2. 2OTISS, consultants. Android phones and tablets; iPhone, iPad and Microsoft on its wish list; voice input through Android Google Voice Typing; template-driven Excel reports and PDF reports with your logo. otiss.co.uk/w/consultants/consultants
  3. 3OTISS, BS5837 surveys. Automatic RPA, including multiple stems; colour-coded icons by BS5837 retention category; external GPS or GNSS receivers with sub-metre accuracy; Premium users can modify the RPA on the map. otiss.co.uk/w/consultants/bs5837-surveys
  4. 4OTISS help, BS5837 survey. For veteran trees the RPA is 15 times the stem diameter, "as per the 2017 guidance". otiss.co.uk/support/help/bs5837-survey
  5. 5OTISS help, CAD and DXF for BS5837. "On its own OTISS can provide simple Tree Constraints plan and Tree Protection plans"; "for the protection plans, we cannot replace CAD"; DXF with tree icons, RPA and shadow arcs; a CSV for Qarb. otiss.co.uk/support/help/caddxf-bs5837
  6. 6OTISS help, BS5837 reports. Excel report templates in your company style; the PDF reports cannot be customised directly. otiss.co.uk/support/help/bs5837-reports
  7. 7OTISS, consultancies. Team access levels Admin, Manager, Surveyor and Viewer. otiss.co.uk/w/consultants/consultancies
  8. 8OTISS, costs. Standard plan: up to 100 clients, 100 trees per client. Premium: unlimited clients, up to 5,000 trees per client, with offline OpenStreetMap. Annual subscription per user, prices exclusive of VAT. The Standard and Premium plan prices load in the page and are not in its text, so we quote no figure. otiss.co.uk/w/consultants/costs
  9. 9OTISS, free trial. A free 30-day trial with all features, limited in the number of trees; trial sites are kept when you subscribe. We did not find whether a card is needed. otiss.co.uk/w/free-trial

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