Price14 of 20
Limits11 of 14
Questions and logic22 of 22
Results14 of 18
Security and trust19 of 26
survey tool · LimeSurvey GmbH
LimeSurvey
Open-source survey tool with hosted plans in the EU, skip logic, quotas and SPSS export.
In short
- The code is public on GitHub under GPL v2.0 or later3.
- The cheapest yearly plan, Expert, lists 1,525 zł a year (about €348 with 23% VAT) and 10,000 responses a year1.
- Skip logic, piping, randomisation, quotas and multilingual surveys are listed on every paid plan1.
- Raw responses export to SPSS, R, Stata, CSV, Excel and PDF1.
- Survey data can be hosted in Germany or Finland4.
LimeSurvey suits researchers who want open-source software and fine control over survey logic, with EU hosting on offer1,3,4. Every paid plan lists skip logic, quotas and SPSS export, and the free cloud package holds 25 responses1,2. The catch: the cheapest yearly plan caps responses per year, the site shows ISO 27001 as in progress, and cross-tabulation is not documented1,7,8.
Best for: Researchers who want open-source code, EU hosting and detailed survey logic.
Where the points come from
Price 14 of 20 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | YesCloud accounts fall back to a Free package, which the FAQ sets to 25 responses2. | 6 / 6 |
| Cheapest paid plan | $26.38/moExpert, about €348 a year with VAT, billed yearly; €348 / 1.23 / 12 is €23.58. Cheaper per month than monthly-only Basic1. Converted at €1 = $1.11869. | 8 / 14 |
Limits 11 of 14 points
Questions and logic 22 of 22 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Skip logic on the cheapest paid plan | YesSkip logic and branching are ticked for every paid plan, Expert included1. | 8 / 8 |
| Randomised questions or answers | YesRandomisation of questions and question groups is ticked for all paid plans1. | 4 / 4 |
| Multilingual surveys | YesMultilingual surveys are ticked for all paid plans; 80+ languages listed1. | 5 / 5 |
| Answer piping | YesPiping and micro-tailoring are ticked for all paid plans1. | 3 / 3 |
| Response quotas | YesSetting of quotas is ticked for all paid plans1. | 2 / 2 |
Results 14 of 18 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Export formats | CSV, Excel, SPSSPricing page lists data export to SPSS, R, Stata, CSV, Excel and PDF; the manual documents each1,5. | 6 / 6 |
| Cross-tabulation | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's statistics manual page; it describes filters only7. | 0 / 4 |
| Public API | YesRemoteControl API (XML-RPC and JSON-RPC) is ticked on Basic and above; the manual shows exporting responses1,6. | 4 / 4 |
| Remove vendor branding | YesExpert, a priced plan, lists custom branding and a white-label domain1. | 4 / 4 |
Security and trust 19 of 26 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Single sign-on | YesThe Corporate plan lists SSO, LDAP and SAML1. | 4 / 4 |
| EU data storage | YesCloud hosting regions include Germany and Finland, which the vendor recommends for EU customers4. | 5 / 5 |
| SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | NoSite badge reads "ISO 27001 is in progress"; ISO 27001 is named only for hosting infrastructure. No SOC 2 listed4,8. | 0 / 7 |
| Data processing agreement | YesThe privacy page says a signed DPA is available, self-serve or on request; the plan table ticks it1,4. | 3 / 3 |
| Published accessibility report | YesPricing and home pages state WCAG 2.2 AA alignment. No separate conformance report is published1,8. | 4 / 4 |
| Open source | YesThe repository is public under GPL v2.0 or later3. | 3 / 3 |
The rule behind each line: how we score survey tools.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free1 person | Free2 | $0 | Cloud package limited to 25 responses |
| Basic1 admin user | 149 zł/month (about €34, VAT incl.)1 | $30.92 | 1,000 responses a month; billed monthly only |
| Expert3 admin users | 1,525 zł/year (about €348, VAT incl.)1 | $26.38 | 10,000 responses a year; custom branding and white-label domain |
| Business5 to 10 admin users | 3,944 zł/year (about €900, VAT incl.)1 | $68.20 | 50,000 responses a year |
The pricing page showed Polish zloty with euro equivalents, and says prices include 23% VAT and checkout is in euros. We divide the euro figure by 1.23 to get a price before tax, and convert at the ECB rate1.
Strengths
- Source code is public under GPL v2.0 or later3.
- Skip logic, piping, randomisation and quotas appear on all paid plans1.
- Exports to SPSS, R, Stata, CSV, Excel and PDF1.
- Hosting in Germany or Finland, with a signed data processing agreement available4.
- Surveys and questions are unlimited from the first paid plan1.
Limits
- The site shows ISO 27001 as "in progress", and a certificate is named only for its hosting infrastructure4,8.
- Expert caps responses at 10,000 a year; Basic allows 1,000 a month but bills monthly at a higher rate1.
- The statistics manual page documents filters but not cross-tabulation7.
- Single sign-on is listed only on the Corporate plan, which is priced on request1.
- The free cloud package allows only 25 responses2.
Other survey tools
- 2
AlchemerResearchers who need complex logic and exports for a small team79/100$26.25/mocheapest paid plan - 3
SurveyMonkeyTeams that want skip logic and analysis tools in one hosted product79/100Not publishedcheapest paid plan - 4QuestionProResearchers who want deep analysis tools and EU or SSO options74/100$99/mocheapest paid plan
- 5
SurveySparrowSolo creators and small teams who want logic on a low-priced plan72/100$19/mocheapest paid plan
LimeSurvey vs Alchemer · LimeSurvey vs SurveyMonkey · All 12 survey tools
Sources
- LimeSurvey Pricing, LimeSurvey. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- LimeSurvey FAQ, LimeSurvey. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Privacy and sovereignty, LimeSurvey. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Export responses, LimeSurvey manual. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- RemoteControl 2 API, LimeSurvey manual. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Statistics, LimeSurvey manual. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- LimeSurvey home, LimeSurvey. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates: US dollar, European Central Bank. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Website: www.limesurvey.org · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with LimeSurvey GmbH.