Survey software has revolutionized the way surveys are conducted. Before the invention of these programs, the only tools to perform surveys were pens, paper, and clipboards. Answers were collected by approaching people in public or calling them on the phone. Even worse, analyzing the results involved manually counting and categorizing the responses collected.
Fortunately, survey apps have transformed this tiresome task into a pleasure. They offer several types of templates and pre-written questions, collect responses from hundreds of people through the internet, and provide easy-to-analyze reports. In fact, these apps aren’t only beneficial for researchers. With online survey software, businesses can get customers’ feedback, and marketers can capture leads.
The market is filled with free and paid survey platforms, and Best Reviews is the perfect place to understand which one best fits your needs. Our reviews, comparisons, guides, FAQ, and blogs contain detailed information to help you decide.
Best Survey Software of 2024
Overall |
Best for Small Businesses |
Best for Market Research |
Best Open Source |
Best Free |
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Reviews | Reviews | Reviews |
Best Survey Software: Typeform
Typeform is the best option for those who want to create visually pleasing and engaging surveys that respondents won’t abandon halfway through. The platform features 24 question types, including matrix, NPS, file upload, and payment collection.
Users can choose from over 600 templates divided into categories like lead generation and customer feedback. It’s also possible to connect with over 175 third-party apps, which comes in handy when streamlining workflows and automating processes. Additionally, the data reports are detailed, can be shared with anyone, and are updated in real time.
Typeform is affordable, especially considering that advanced features can be accessed in even the cheapest plan. Plus, those who go for a yearly subscription get a discount relative to the monthly billing cycle. The platform also has a free version that allows users to create unlimited forms with up to ten questions per survey and get ten responses per month.
Positives
Varied question types
Over 600 templates
Shareable reports updated in real time
Affordable
Free version
Negatives
Not available on mobile devices
No refund policy
Best Survey Software for Small Businesses: SurveySparrow
SurveySparrow is excellent for small businesses in many ways. For starters, its features allow owners to track business scores and perform sentiment analysis in order to create customer loyalty programs.
It's also possible to build custom assessment reports for each employee to measure their performance. Finding the areas where workers need assistance is crucial to help them grow and increase productivity.
Another reason SurveySparrow caters to small businesses is that users can manage multiple accounts for different teams within the company under one parent account.
As standard, the platform offers varied question types (over 20), advanced skip logic settings, and several templates (over 900). Moreover, it’s possible to create multilingual surveys so respondents from around the globe can be interviewed.
Prices are fair when considering everything the platform offers, and choosing yearly billing reduces the monthly costs significantly. However, it’s still possible to perform basic surveys with the free forever plan. Finally, there isn’t a refund policy, but the 14-day free trial lets users test the paid plans before committing.
Positives
Employees’ performance assessment
Varied question types
Over 900 templates
Multilingual surveys
Free version
Negatives
No refund policy
Best Survey Software for Market Research: SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey features over 20 question types, including Likert scale, NPS, star rating, and checkbox. It’s even possible to add images to questions and allow respondents to upload files within their answers.
It also provides many options for advanced branching, such as skip logic and randomization. Additionally, over 250 templates are categorized into subjects with pre-made questions.
The icing on the cake is the AI tool SurveyMonkey Genius, which helps users automatically build surveys according to their targets and predicts the survey’s performance.
Plus, users can collect responses even if they don’t have any respondents, as the platform provides its own bank of interviewees. These are all essential tools for creating market research surveys and getting data-rich reports.
Even though SurveyMonkey isn’t the most affordable platform, the free version allows users to build simple surveys. This version can be used to test the platform before committing to a purchase, as there isn’t a refund policy.
Positives
Varied question types
Over 250 templates
Built-in Google Translate tool
Bank of interviewees
Free version
Negatives
Pricey
No refund policy
Best Open Source Survey Software: LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey is highly tailorable, allowing those with coding skills to create and customize questionnaires, surveys, and polls. Users can design unlimited surveys, translate them with a handy built-in Google Translate tool, and display them in over 80 languages.
The platform features 28 question types, including matrix, equation, and data upload. Skip logic, question branching, and question piping are also available. Plus, there are 139 pre-designed survey templates divided into categories related to market research, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and more.
All these features are available even in the free plan. Still, going for a paid plan adds unlimited users, larger cloud storage space, and an increased number of submissions. Additionally, there are discounts for those committing to an annual plan. However, it’s worth testing the free version before scaling up to a paid plan, as the company has no refund policies.
Positives
Unlimited surveys
Highly customizable
Built-in Google Translate tool
Lots of question types
Comprehensive free version
Negatives
No refund policy
Hard-to-read reports
Best Free Survey Software: Jotform
Jotform has excellent tools for creating lead generation forms and gathering customer feedback. Once the data is collected, it’s turned into visually pleasing reports. Crafting surveys with this platform is a breeze due to its drag-and-drop form-building tools, numerous question types, and over 10,000 form templates.
It’s safe to say that Jotform is the best free survey software because the free version allows users to access the same features that are offered in a paid plan. For example, this includes branding customization and skip logic conditions, which usually are only available in paid plans.
However, the free plan does have limitations, like the number of form counts and views being reduced, among others. So, it’s perfect for those who don’t need to run endless monthly surveys but want advanced tools like conditional logic, payment integration, and file storage.
Moreover, scaling up to an annual subscription results in generous discounts, and the 30-day money-back guarantee gives you time to make sure the upgrade suits your needs.
Positives
Varied question types
Over 10,000 templates
Easy to use
Comprehensive free version
Refund policy
Negatives
Paid plans are pricey
No HIPAA compliance in low-tier plans
Survey Software Buyer’s Guide
Users can choose from over 600 templates divided into categories like lead generation and customer feedback. It’s also possible to connect with over 175 third-party apps, which comes in handy when streamlining workflows and automating processes. Additionally, the data reports are detailed, can be shared with anyone, and are updated in real time.
Typeform is affordable, especially considering that advanced features can be accessed in even the cheapest plan. Plus, those who go for a yearly subscription get a discount relative to the monthly billing cycle. The platform also has a free version that allows users to create unlimited forms with up to ten questions per survey and get ten responses per month.
Positives |
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Negatives |
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It's also possible to build custom assessment reports for each employee to measure their performance. Finding the areas where workers need assistance is crucial to help them grow and increase productivity.
Another reason SurveySparrow caters to small businesses is that users can manage multiple accounts for different teams within the company under one parent account.
As standard, the platform offers varied question types (over 20), advanced skip logic settings, and several templates (over 900). Moreover, it’s possible to create multilingual surveys so respondents from around the globe can be interviewed.
Prices are fair when considering everything the platform offers, and choosing yearly billing reduces the monthly costs significantly. However, it’s still possible to perform basic surveys with the free forever plan. Finally, there isn’t a refund policy, but the 14-day free trial lets users test the paid plans before committing.
Positives |
---|
Negatives |
---|
Best Survey Software for Market Research: SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey features over 20 question types, including Likert scale, NPS, star rating, and checkbox. It’s even possible to add images to questions and allow respondents to upload files within their answers.
It also provides many options for advanced branching, such as skip logic and randomization. Additionally, over 250 templates are categorized into subjects with pre-made questions.
The icing on the cake is the AI tool SurveyMonkey Genius, which helps users automatically build surveys according to their targets and predicts the survey’s performance.
Plus, users can collect responses even if they don’t have any respondents, as the platform provides its own bank of interviewees. These are all essential tools for creating market research surveys and getting data-rich reports.
Even though SurveyMonkey isn’t the most affordable platform, the free version allows users to build simple surveys. This version can be used to test the platform before committing to a purchase, as there isn’t a refund policy.
Positives
Varied question types
Over 250 templates
Built-in Google Translate tool
Bank of interviewees
Free version
Negatives
Pricey
No refund policy
Best Open Source Survey Software: LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey is highly tailorable, allowing those with coding skills to create and customize questionnaires, surveys, and polls. Users can design unlimited surveys, translate them with a handy built-in Google Translate tool, and display them in over 80 languages.
The platform features 28 question types, including matrix, equation, and data upload. Skip logic, question branching, and question piping are also available. Plus, there are 139 pre-designed survey templates divided into categories related to market research, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and more.
All these features are available even in the free plan. Still, going for a paid plan adds unlimited users, larger cloud storage space, and an increased number of submissions. Additionally, there are discounts for those committing to an annual plan. However, it’s worth testing the free version before scaling up to a paid plan, as the company has no refund policies.
Positives
Unlimited surveys
Highly customizable
Built-in Google Translate tool
Lots of question types
Comprehensive free version
Negatives
No refund policy
Hard-to-read reports
Best Free Survey Software: Jotform
Jotform has excellent tools for creating lead generation forms and gathering customer feedback. Once the data is collected, it’s turned into visually pleasing reports. Crafting surveys with this platform is a breeze due to its drag-and-drop form-building tools, numerous question types, and over 10,000 form templates.
It’s safe to say that Jotform is the best free survey software because the free version allows users to access the same features that are offered in a paid plan. For example, this includes branding customization and skip logic conditions, which usually are only available in paid plans.
However, the free plan does have limitations, like the number of form counts and views being reduced, among others. So, it’s perfect for those who don’t need to run endless monthly surveys but want advanced tools like conditional logic, payment integration, and file storage.
Moreover, scaling up to an annual subscription results in generous discounts, and the 30-day money-back guarantee gives you time to make sure the upgrade suits your needs.
Positives
Varied question types
Over 10,000 templates
Easy to use
Comprehensive free version
Refund policy
Negatives
Paid plans are pricey
No HIPAA compliance in low-tier plans
Survey Software Buyer’s Guide
It also provides many options for advanced branching, such as skip logic and randomization. Additionally, over 250 templates are categorized into subjects with pre-made questions.
The icing on the cake is the AI tool SurveyMonkey Genius, which helps users automatically build surveys according to their targets and predicts the survey’s performance.
Plus, users can collect responses even if they don’t have any respondents, as the platform provides its own bank of interviewees. These are all essential tools for creating market research surveys and getting data-rich reports.
Even though SurveyMonkey isn’t the most affordable platform, the free version allows users to build simple surveys. This version can be used to test the platform before committing to a purchase, as there isn’t a refund policy.
Positives |
---|
Negatives |
---|
The platform features 28 question types, including matrix, equation, and data upload. Skip logic, question branching, and question piping are also available. Plus, there are 139 pre-designed survey templates divided into categories related to market research, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and more.
All these features are available even in the free plan. Still, going for a paid plan adds unlimited users, larger cloud storage space, and an increased number of submissions. Additionally, there are discounts for those committing to an annual plan. However, it’s worth testing the free version before scaling up to a paid plan, as the company has no refund policies.
Positives |
---|
Negatives |
---|
Best Free Survey Software: Jotform
Jotform has excellent tools for creating lead generation forms and gathering customer feedback. Once the data is collected, it’s turned into visually pleasing reports. Crafting surveys with this platform is a breeze due to its drag-and-drop form-building tools, numerous question types, and over 10,000 form templates.
It’s safe to say that Jotform is the best free survey software because the free version allows users to access the same features that are offered in a paid plan. For example, this includes branding customization and skip logic conditions, which usually are only available in paid plans.
However, the free plan does have limitations, like the number of form counts and views being reduced, among others. So, it’s perfect for those who don’t need to run endless monthly surveys but want advanced tools like conditional logic, payment integration, and file storage.
Moreover, scaling up to an annual subscription results in generous discounts, and the 30-day money-back guarantee gives you time to make sure the upgrade suits your needs.
Positives
Varied question types
Over 10,000 templates
Easy to use
Comprehensive free version
Refund policy
Negatives
Paid plans are pricey
No HIPAA compliance in low-tier plans
Survey Software Buyer’s Guide
It’s safe to say that Jotform is the best free survey software because the free version allows users to access the same features that are offered in a paid plan. For example, this includes branding customization and skip logic conditions, which usually are only available in paid plans.
However, the free plan does have limitations, like the number of form counts and views being reduced, among others. So, it’s perfect for those who don’t need to run endless monthly surveys but want advanced tools like conditional logic, payment integration, and file storage.
Moreover, scaling up to an annual subscription results in generous discounts, and the 30-day money-back guarantee gives you time to make sure the upgrade suits your needs.
Positives |
---|
Negatives |
---|
The best survey software depends entirely on each user’s specific needs. For example, those who wish to run surveys after every interaction with customers need to look for platforms that don’t limit the number of survey responses. Alternatively, people conducting surveys after fixed periods may benefit from platforms that send surveys automatically according to pre-set frequencies.
Users focusing on market research may want the option to target specific groups of respondents. On the other hand, companies surveying only their employees won’t require this extra feature. Instead, they need templates, pre-written questions related to employees’ feedback, and the option to get anonymous responses.
It’s also essential to check the service’s integration support. Users performing customer experience surveys need access to CRM platforms, whereas companies conducting employee-focused surveys may benefit from integrations with HR management platforms.
What’s more, every survey platform should provide advanced branching options, such as skip logic and question piping, and insightful reports so users can easily dissect the collected data.
Bringing us back to the basics, it’s always important to consider the pricing, customer service, ease of use, mobile device support, security, and privacy when looking for any type of software. The best way to see if these meet your requirements is to test platforms using free versions, which most providers offer.
Benefits of Online Survey Software
Conducting surveys offline using pen and paper is time-consuming and more likely to provide inaccurate results. For instance, handwritten forms often take longer to complete and are harder to interpret than typed responses.
Also, fewer people can be reached as they have to answer surveys in person or by phone. Even if a high response rate is achieved, manually analyzing and comparing results is an inefficient use of time and can only be done after all surveys are complete.
Online survey platforms provide a solution to all these issues. Creating goal-driven surveys takes no time, as there’s a wide range of customizable templates and pre-written questions to choose from. Also, automatically skipping irrelevant questions and pages according to the respondent’s previous answer is only possible with online surveys.
These platforms take advantage of modern technology in other ways too. It’s possible to embed a web link into a website, post it on social media, or share it via email, expanding the surveys’ reach infinitely. What’s more, the results are updated in real time, so they can be examined as soon as respondents start to take the surveys.
Finally, the data collected is presented in reports with different types of insights and trends, which are downloadable in PDF, CSV, SPSS, and other formats.
Free vs Paid Survey Software
Although many survey platforms have free versions, there are usually drawbacks. The number of resources provided tends to be limited. More advanced features like skip logic and brand customization are most likely available only in paid plans.
Still, free versions may be enough for businesses, students, or researchers who only need to run small surveys every now and then. Also, they’re perfect for users to test the software, learn how to use it, and see whether it’s worth the money to unlock the extra benefits.
Moreover, many survey platforms provide discounts for students, academic researchers, NGOs, and others. So, it’s always valid to check whether there are ways to enjoy all features while paying less.
5 Online Survey Best Practices
Running surveys is a great way of understanding people’s behaviors, preferences, and interests. But to get the right answers, you need to ask the right questions. Therefore, it’s essential to follow some best practices when creating surveys online: