LimeSurvey vs Alchemer
Two of the top three survey tools, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- LimeSurvey has 80 points and Alchemer 79, 1 apart on our survey software rules.
- LimeSurvey earns more on questions and logic; Alchemer earns more on limits and security and trust.
- Cheapest paid plan: LimeSurvey $26.38/mo, Alchemer $26.25/mo.
- Only LimeSurvey meets: skip logic on the cheapest paid plan, public API and open source.
- Only Alchemer meets: cross-tabulation and SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001.
LimeSurvey80/100 #1 of 12
Best for: Researchers who want open-source code, EU hosting and detailed survey logic.
Points by group
| Group | LimeSurvey | Alchemer |
|---|---|---|
| Price of 20 | 14 | 14 |
| Limits of 14 | 11 | 14 |
| Questions and logic of 22 | 22 | 14 |
| Results of 18 | 14 | 14 |
| Security and trust of 26 | 19 | 23 |
| Total | 80 | 79 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | LimeSurvey | Alchemer |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Cheapest paid plan (14) | $26.38/mo 8 | $26.25/mo 8 |
| Responses a month, cheapest paid plan (10) | 833 7 | 6250 10 |
| Unlimited surveys and questions (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Skip logic on the cheapest paid plan (8) | Yes 8 | Not published 0 |
| Randomised questions or answers (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Multilingual surveys (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Answer piping (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Response quotas (2) | Yes 2 | Yes 2 |
| Export formats (6) | CSV, Excel, SPSS 6 | CSV, Excel, SPSS 6 |
| Cross-tabulation (4) | Not published 0 | Yes 4 |
| Public API (4) | Yes 4 | No 0 |
| Remove vendor branding (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Single sign-on (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| EU data storage (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 (7) | No 0 | Yes 7 |
| Data processing agreement (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Published accessibility report (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Open source (3) | Yes 3 | Not published 0 |
LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey suits researchers who want open-source software and fine control over survey logic, with EU hosting on offer. Every paid plan lists skip logic, quotas and SPSS export, and the free cloud package holds 25 responses. The catch: the cheapest yearly plan caps responses per year, the site shows ISO 27001 as in progress, and cross-tabulation is not documented.
Alchemer
Alchemer suits researchers who need randomisation, quotas, translations, crosstab reports and SPSS export, and who can pay per user. Unlimited surveys and questions start at the cheapest plan. The catch: API access and SSO are tied to quote-priced business platform accounts, and the page does not show which plan includes survey logic.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score survey tools.