Understanding survey software pricing can be complex. Below, we break down common pricing models and provide a detailed comparison of the costs and features of different survey platforms. This guide will help you find the best value for your budget, whether you’re a small business, enterprise, educator, researcher, or marketer.
Pricing Models
Most survey software uses one of these pricing approaches:
Per Response
Some tools charge based on the number of survey responses you collect. This pay-per-response model can be good for occasional use or one-off projects, since you pay in proportion to your usage. For example, panel services like Pollfish or Kantar Marketplace often quote prices per completed response (e.g. a few dollars per response depending on targeting).
Subscription Plans
Many survey platforms offer monthly or annual subscriptions with set limits. These plans typically include a maximum number of responses per month or per year, and often tier features by plan level. Regular users usually opt for subscription plans since they provide predictable costs. For instance, Alchemer (SurveyGizmo) offers tiers with annual response caps (e.g. 1,000 or unlimited responses) for a fixed yearly price.
Enterprise Pricing
High-end platforms aimed at large organizations (like Qualtrics XM, Medallia, or InMoment) use custom enterprise pricing. These plans are typically quote-based and can cost tens of thousands per year. Enterprise pricing often includes advanced capabilities (e.g. extensive analytics, integrations, multiple users) and higher support levels. Enterprise vendors may use usage-based metrics unique to their platform; for example, Medallia uses “Experience Data Records” instead of simple per-response charges, encouraging broad data collection without per-response penalties.
Free Tiers
Many survey tools offer a free plan with limited features or lower usage caps – perfect for getting started at no cost. Free tiers typically allow a limited number of responses or questions. For example, Typeform’s free plan allows only 10 responses per month, and LimeSurvey Cloud’s free tier permits 25 responses per month. These free versions let you trial the platform’s basic functionality, but you’ll need to upgrade for heavy use or advanced features.
What Affects Pricing?
When comparing survey software, keep in mind that pricing is most influenced by your usage and required features. Key factors include:
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Number of surveys and responses: Most plans cap how many responses you can collect (monthly or annually). Higher-tier plans support more responses (e.g. Zoho Survey “Plus” plan ~3,000 responses/month vs. “Basic” 12,000/year). Unlimited response options come at a premium.
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Advanced features: Capabilities like skip logic, question branching, white-label branding, API access, multilingual surveys, and analytics dashboards are often only in higher-cost plans. For instance, Sogolytics (SoGoSurvey) free/basic allows only simple features, while paid Pro/Premium plans unlock advanced logic, custom branding, and SPSS export.
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Number of users or collaborators: Team plans or enterprise plans that support multiple users or departments cost more. (E.g. Qualtrics “Strategic Research” team license starts at $5,040/year for unlimited users on a small response quota, whereas individual accounts are cheaper.)
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Support and SLAs: Higher pricing tiers often come with priority support, implementation services, or dedicated success managers. Enterprise contracts may include training and custom onboarding, which increases cost.
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Integration and offline capabilities: Tools that offer offline data collection (mobile apps) or integrations with CRM, analytics, or panel services may price those features into specific plan levels. For example, QuestionPro’s offline survey app is only available in their Team/Research editions (around $99/user/month). Similarly, SurveyCTO’s advanced plans (>$300/mo) support server integration and case management for field surveys.
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Data storage and analysis: Some platforms include analysis tools or data storage limits. Platforms like Displayr or Tableau, focused on analysis, charge by user license and data capacity (Displayr ~ $3,000 per user/year for a professional license). If you need built-in text analytics or dashboarding, that can bump you into a higher plan.
With these factors in mind, let’s compare the specific pricing and free tier details of the major survey tools:
Survey Software Pricing Overview
Here’s a quick reference table showing pricing ranges across different categories:
| Category | Free Options | Budget ($0-30/mo) | Mid-Range ($30-100/mo) | Enterprise ($100+/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Purpose | Google Forms, SurveyPlanet, Zoho | Sogolytics, Typeform, SurveyKing | Jotform Gold, Alchemer | - |
| Enterprise CX | Qualtrics (limited) | - | - | Qualtrics, Medallia, InMoment |
| Offline/Field | Jotform (included) | - | QuickTapSurvey | SurveyCTO, QuestionPro |
| Live Polling | Mentimeter, Slido, Strawpoll | Mentimeter, Slido | Poll Everywhere | Enterprise plans |
| Analysis | Power BI Desktop, Looker Studio | MonkeyLearn | Tableau, Power BI Pro | Displayr, SPSS, Q |
| Research Panels | - | PickFu (per response) | Pollfish (per response) | Attest, Kantar, GWI |
Pricing Comparison by Tool
Below is an in-depth comparison of the mentioned survey tools’ pricing. We group them by category for clarity, and note any free plans or response caps.
Enterprise Feedback Management Platforms
Qualtrics XM
Pricing: Qualtrics’s enterprise pricing is quote-based and can be quite high (user reports indicate paid plans starting around $420/month for small teams, billed annually). Qualtrics does offer a free account with 3 active surveys and 500 total responses for testing. For small organizations, Qualtrics introduced an online-buy “Strategic Research” license at $5,040/year which includes up to 1,000 responses total and unlimited users. Enterprise tiers are custom-priced (often $20k+ per year) and typically include higher response volumes (5,000+), advanced question types, StatsIQ analytics, and multiple admin accounts. Free tier limitations: 500 responses max and 30 questions/survey on free.
Medallia Experience Cloud
Pricing: Medallia is an enterprise CX platform with no public price list – all plans are custom quotes. It uses a unique metric called Experience Data Records (EDR) for pricing instead of per-response counts. This means Medallia pricing “doesn’t penalize you for collecting more data” and is designed to scale across many feedback channels. In practice, Medallia packages often start around $20,000/year as a base. There is generally no free plan for Medallia, though demos and trials can be arranged. Enterprise deals include broad access to Medallia’s omnichannel feedback tools and analytics. Free tier: None (enterprise only).
InMoment XI
Pricing: InMoment (another enterprise CX platform) also requires contacting sales for pricing. Industry sources estimate plans “start at $1,500/year (estimated)” for basic use, but robust implementations for mid-to-large businesses will be much higher. InMoment emphasizes flexible packages (Customer Surveys, Digital Feedback, Employee Experience, etc.) rather than one-size-fits-all pricing. No public free tier beyond time-limited trials.
Forsta (Confirmit) and Kantar Marketplace
These are primarily enterprise solutions as well. Forsta pricing is custom; expect similar range as Qualtrics/Medallia for full CXM suites. Kantar Marketplace offers on-demand research (you pay per survey project or per respondent using their audience panels). For example, you might pay a set price for a Kantar quick poll targeting 100 respondents – effectively a per-response model rather than a SaaS license.
GetFeedback
Pricing: GetFeedback’s latest model has moved toward enterprise pricing. There’s no publicly listed plan pricing; interested customers are directed to contact sales. Expect enterprise-level pricing (thousands per year) and no free tier, aside from possible trial usage.
Enterprise Platform Summary: These high-end tools deliver advanced capabilities (deep analytics, multi-channel feedback, large team usage). However, the costs are substantial – often starting in the $10k–$50k per year range, with no permanent free version. They cater to enterprises where comprehensive features and support justify the expense.
Enterprise Platforms Comparison Table
| Platform | Starting Price | Free Tier | Enterprise Pricing | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualtrics XM | $420/mo (small teams) | 500 responses, 3 surveys | $20k+/year | Strategic Research license available |
| Medallia | ~$20k/year | None | Custom quote | Experience Data Records pricing model |
| InMoment XI | ~$1,500/year (est.) | Trial only | Custom quote | Flexible CX packages |
| GetFeedback | Custom | Trial only | Custom quote | Integrated with enterprise CX |
| Forsta/Kantar | Custom/Per project | Varies | Custom quote | Panel services available |
SMB and General-Purpose Survey Tools
Sogolytics (SoGoSurvey)
Pricing: Generous free offering for basic use. The forever Free Basic plan allows unlimited surveys with up to 100 responses per survey (200 total per year). Paid plans are Plus ($25/mo), Pro ($66/mo), Premium ($99/mo) when billed annually. These higher tiers raise response limits (Plus: 1,500 responses/month; Pro: 20,000/year; Premium: 40,000/year) and unlock advanced logic, branding, and analytics. An Enterprise plan is available by quote for larger needs. Free tier: 200 responses/year and limited features, but unlimited surveys/questions.
SurveySparrow
Pricing: SurveySparrow (an SMB-focused tool with chat-like surveys) has a free trial but primarily paid plans. Their Basic plan starts around $19/month, Essentials ~$49/month, and higher tiers for enterprise (with features like white-labeling, integrations, and more responses). SurveySparrow does include a forever-free tier but with very low response limits (e.g. 10 responses per month) to let you test the interface.
Alchemer (SurveyGizmo)
Pricing: Alchemer’s personal plan is about $49/month, but they now focus on business licenses: Professional ~$1500/year and Enterprise upwards of that. Alchemer often quotes annual packages – for example, a ~$1,200/year plan with ~1,000 responses and standard features, or custom enterprise deals for unlimited feedback. Alchemer does not offer a free plan; only a trial. It’s best for organizations needing robust survey design but at a lower cost than Qualtrics.
Zoho Survey
Pricing: Zoho offers a Free plan with unlimited surveys but limited to 10 questions and 100 responses per survey. Paid plans: Basic at ~$20/month (allows 12,000 responses/year), Plus ~$25/month (3,000 responses/month), Pro ~$60/month (5,000 responses/month), and Enterprise ~$85/month (7,000 responses/month, 3 users, SSO, etc.). (These are approximate USD for annual billing – Zoho’s prices are listed in multiple currencies.) Free tier: 100 responses per survey max, 10-question limit.
Typeform
Pricing: Typeform’s interactive forms have a Free plan (10 responses/month, 10 questions per form, with Typeform branding). Paid plans were revamped in 2025: Basic is ~$25/month (100 responses/mo included), Plus ~$50/month (1,000 responses/mo), and Business ~$83/month (10,000 responses/mo) – pricing is if billed annually. Typeform bills overage responses if you exceed the included quota. Free tier: Very limited – essentially just to try out, given the 10-response cap.
Jotform
Pricing: Jotform’s form builder has a Free (Starter) plan allowing 5 forms and 100 submissions per month. Paid annual plans: Bronze ~$34/month (1,000 monthly submissions, 25 forms), Silver ~$39/month (2,500 submissions, 50 forms), Gold ~$99/month (10,000 submissions, 100 forms, with HIPAA compliance). (Monthly billing costs ~30% more.) All plans allow unlimited questions and include features like logic, file uploads, etc. Free tier: 100 responses/month and Jotform branding on forms.
Paperform
Pricing: No free plan (only a 14-day trial). Paid plans: Essentials ~$24/month (billed annually, $29 if monthly) which includes all core features for one user, Pro ~$49/month (adds integrations, calculations, 5 users), and Agency $135/month and up (20+ users, client sub-accounts). Paperform does not restrict responses – plans have unlimited submissions – instead they differ by features and form count. (Essentials allows 10 forms, Pro 60 forms, etc., and more forms on Agency.) Free tier: None beyond trial.
WPForms
Pricing: WPForms is a WordPress plugin. It has WPForms Lite for free (unlimited forms & responses on your site, but very basic fields). Pro plans are yearly licenses: Basic ~$99/year (1 site), Plus ~$199/yr (3 sites), Pro ~$399/yr (5 sites), Elite ~$599/yr (unlimited sites). The functionality (payments, surveys add-on, etc.) is unlocked at Pro tier ($399/year) and above. Essentially, WPForms is “free” if you only need simple contact forms; for survey features (like survey reports, Likert fields), a Pro license is required. Free tier: WPForms Lite has no direct response limits, but lacks survey reporting and many field types.
Qualaroo
Pricing: Qualaroo focuses on on-site website surveys (Nudge™ pop-ups). Since being acquired by ProProfs, Qualaroo now has a Forever Free plan – it allows 1 active Nudge survey with up to 50 responses (total) and 500 pageviews/month for free. Paid Qualaroo plans align with ProProfs: Essentials at ~$19.99/month (unlimited responses, 1,000 email survey sends/month, unlimited questions), Business at ~$49.99/month (adds advanced targeting, exit surveys, and up to 100k pageviews for Nudges), and Enterprise starting ~$150/month (unlimited domains, users, sentiment analysis, mobile SDK, etc.). (These are annual-billing effective rates with ProProfs’ frequent discounts.) Free tier: 50 response lifetime limit on the free Qualaroo plan.
ProProfs Survey Maker
Pricing: ProProfs offers an extremely feature-rich free plan for very light usage. Forever Free includes unlimited surveys, unlimited questions, all question types, etc., but only 50 total responses are allowed (ever). The paid Essentials plan is ~$20/month (billed annually) which removes the response cap (unlimited responses) and allows 1,000 emails/month for survey invites. The Business plan is ~$50/month (5,000 emails/month plus advanced features like on-site “Nudge” surveys via the Qualaroo integration). An Enterprise tier (~$150/month) allows unlimited usage, white-label, and advanced analytics. ProProfs also sells a White-Label add-on for $300/year to remove all “Powered by” branding. Free tier: Full features but 50 response total cap, suitable only for trial runs.
SurveyPlanet
Pricing: Free forever plan with unlimited surveys, questions, and responses. The free version includes core features and even an AI question generator, but does not allow exporting results. The paid Pro plan is $20/month or $180/year. Pro unlocks result exports (to Excel, etc.), custom themes, logic skip, and removes ads/watermarks. Notably, SurveyPlanet’s free tier has no response limits – a major plus for budget-conscious users (though you must analyze results online without export).
SurveyHero
Pricing: SurveyHero’s Free plan allows unlimited surveys and responses, but limits each survey to 10 questions and lacks some pro features. Paid plans: Professional at ~$35/month and Business at ~$59/month. The Professional plan removes question limits and adds features like data exports and custom branding, while Business adds advanced features (e.g. team collaboration, maybe larger response volume). SurveyHero interestingly offers a 100% free Student Account for verified students, which provides unlimited questions/responses at no cost for academic use. Free tier: 10-question limit per survey, no exports.
SurveyKing
Pricing: SurveyKing is a low-cost alternative geared towards research. Free plan allows unlimited surveys, questions, and up to ~1,000 responses (there are no fixed caps mentioned on usage, but advanced question types like MaxDiff are limited on free). However, free users cannot export more than a certain number of responses – typically only the first 50 responses are viewable/exportable for free, encouraging upgrade for full data. The Pro plan is only ~$19/month, which unlocks unlimited response viewing, data exports, advanced logic, and all question types. SurveyKing positions itself as free for basic surveys and very affordable for full-feature usage (plans as low as $29/mo for higher response needs). Free tier: Unlimited responses can be collected, but you may only see a limited subset without upgrading (so consider it a free trial in practice).
Qwary
Pricing: Qwary is an emerging feedback platform that supports video and conversational surveys. It has a Free plan which (according to latest info) allows 1 active survey, 1 user, and about 100 responses (some sources say 100 responses or 10 video feedbacks). The free tier does allow all question types and end-to-end encryption, which is unique. Paid plans include CX Starter (~$89/month) and CX + PX (Ultimate) at $199/month. The $199/mo “Ultimate” plan supports multiple active projects, more AI analysis features, and higher response counts (unlimited or high cap). Qwary’s focus on customer experience (CX) and product experience (PX) means these plans come with features like NPS tracking, video sentiment analysis, and integrations, justifying the higher price point. Free tier: limited to 1 survey and around 100 responses, suitable for trial.
SMB Tool Summary: For individual and small business needs, there are many free or low-cost options. Tools like SurveyPlanet, SurveyHero, Google Forms, SurveyKing, and Zoho offer free plans that might be sufficient for simple projects (with varying limits). Upgrading to paid plans in this category generally costs $20–$50 per month for unlimited or expanded usage. These plans often include features like logic branching, removal of vendor branding, data exports, and higher response allowances. The competition in this segment is strong, which benefits users – you can find a very capable solution for under $50/month, and if you only need basic functionality, some free plans allow unlimited responses (e.g. SurveyPlanet, Google Forms).
SMB Tools Quick Comparison
| Tool | Free Plan | Free Responses | Paid Plan Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sogolytics | Yes | 200/year | $25/mo | Basic surveys with good free tier |
| SurveySparrow | Yes (limited) | 10/month | $19/mo | Chat-like surveys |
| Alchemer | No | Trial only | $49/mo personal, $1500/yr business | Robust survey design |
| Zoho Survey | Yes | 100 per survey | $20/mo | Zoho ecosystem users |
| Typeform | Yes | 10/month | $25/mo | Interactive, beautiful forms |
| Jotform | Yes | 100/month | $34/mo | Form builder with offline |
| Paperform | No | Trial only | $24/mo | Unlimited submissions |
| WPForms | Yes | Unlimited | $99/yr | WordPress users |
| Qualaroo | Yes | 50 total | $19.99/mo | On-site website surveys |
| ProProfs | Yes | 50 total | $20/mo | Feature-rich free trial |
| SurveyPlanet | Yes | Unlimited | $20/mo | Best free unlimited option |
| SurveyHero | Yes | Unlimited | $35/mo | Students get free upgrade |
| SurveyKing | Yes | ~1,000 | $19/mo | Research-focused, affordable |
| Qwary | Yes | 100 | $89/mo | Video and conversational surveys |
Free & Open-Source Solutions
Google Forms
Completely free for anyone with a Google account. You can create unlimited surveys (forms) and collect unlimited responses for free – there is no fixed cap per form, aside from an overall limit of about 5 million cells of data in the linked Google Sheet. In practice, Google Forms easily handles thousands of responses. Features: Basic question types (no advanced skip logic except simple “go to section based on answer”), and branding is Google’s (no white-label). It’s perfect for quick, internal or low-stakes surveys due to zero cost and ease of use.
Microsoft Forms
Free for personal Microsoft accounts (Outlook/Hotmail) with some limits – a free user can receive up to 200 responses per form. Microsoft 365 subscribers (paid) get higher limits – up to 50,000 responses per form for work/school accounts, and technically forms will accept up to 5 million responses if you have an enterprise Office 365 license. Features: MS Forms is user-friendly but simple (limited question logic). If you already have Office 365, it’s included at no extra cost.
LimeSurvey
An open-source survey software. Self-hosting LimeSurvey is free (you just install it on your server). For non-technical users, LimeSurvey Cloud offers hosted plans. They have a Free cloud tier with 25 responses/month limit. Paid cloud plans: Basic at €29/month (~$33) for 1,000 responses/month, Expert at €85/month (~$95, billed annually) for 10,000 responses/year, Business around €170/month for 100k/year. LimeSurvey’s free tier has no feature restrictions – all question types and logic are available, only the response limit and file upload size are constrained. This is great for small-scale academic or nonprofit surveys that stay under 25 responses a month.
SurveyCTO (Community Edition)
SurveyCTO offers a free “Community” license intended for students, nonprofits, or evaluation projects. It gives you access to the full platform but requires monthly engagement on their forum as a trade-off. The free Community plan includes up to a few hundred submissions (exact limits vary) and basic support via community forums. For guaranteed capacity, SurveyCTO’s paid plans (Basic $250/mo for 5k submissions, etc.) would be needed. SurveyCTO is known for robust offline and secure data collection, so the free option is a boon for low-budget field research if you qualify.
Free/Open-Source Summary: If you have virtually no budget, you still have options. Google Forms and Microsoft Forms are fully free and support a decent number of responses (with Google having effectively no strict cap). LimeSurvey can be self-hosted for free if you have tech skills, giving you advanced features without paying license fees. These free tools typically lack enterprise polish (branding, integrations, advanced logic), but they cover basic survey needs. They are excellent for educators or students (many, like SurveyHero and LimeSurvey, even have special free deals for students).
Free & Open-Source Comparison
| Tool | Cost | Response Limit | Paid Option | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Forms | Free | ~5M cells (thousands of responses) | None | Anyone with Google account |
| Microsoft Forms | Free | 200/form (personal), 50k (365) | Office 365 subscription | Microsoft users |
| LimeSurvey | Free (self-host) | Unlimited (self-host) | €29/mo cloud hosting | Tech-savvy users, academics |
| SurveyCTO Community | Free | Few hundred | $250/mo for guaranteed capacity | Students, nonprofits, field research |
Offline and Mobile Survey Collection
If you need to collect data offline (e.g. in-person surveys on a tablet without internet), several tools specialize in this:
QuickTapSurvey
Pricing: QuickTapSurvey (now part of Formstack) offers offline mobile data capture. All plans include unlimited surveys & responses and work offline. Pricing is based on device licenses. The Individual plan is about $19/month (for 1 device, limited question types). The Pro plan is around $49/month (adds custom branding, all question types, still 1 device). The Premium plan is about $84/month (1 device, includes advanced automation/integrations). Each additional mobile device costs extra (around $16–$29 each). All these prices drop if billed annually. QuickTapSurvey provides a 14-day free trial (up to 10 responses) for testing. Free tier: None beyond trial.
Jotform Mobile Forms
Similarly, Jotform’s mobile app allows offline form filling. This is included in all Jotform plans (even free). You can distribute forms to field devices and responses will sync when online. The limits are just your plan’s normal submission limits (e.g. Free 100/month, etc.). No separate fee for offline capability – a strong point of Jotform for field surveys.
QuestionPro Offline App
QuestionPro’s offline survey mode is available on their Team/Research plans (starting ~$99 per month per user). The Team Edition (around $83/user/month with 5-user minimum) supports offline collection and up to ~100,000 responses/year. The free QuestionPro “Essential” plan does not include offline. Essentially, you need a paid QuestionPro license to use their offline survey app, which is positioned for professional market researchers.
SurveyCTO
SurveyCTO was built for offline, rural, and field surveys. Pricing: Basic $250/mo (5k submissions/month) up to Advanced $700/mo. SurveyCTO’s offline capabilities are excellent (Android app, encrypted data). They also have the free Community plan (with offline) for small projects as mentioned. If doing serious offline data collection (like in global health research), SurveyCTO’s cost may be justified by its reliability and support for complex skip patterns.
Harvest Your Data (iSURVEY/DroidSURVEY)
Pricing: Harvest Your Data offers a unique per-survey pricing. Instead of a subscription, you pay for the duration you need a survey active. It costs $99 for 1 month for one survey (up to 3,000 responses that month). They discount longer periods (e.g. ~$660 for 12 months for one survey, which is 45% off). This includes unlimited devices and users collecting data to that survey. There’s a 14-day free trial (100 responses) to try it. Harvest Your Data is great if you have a short-term project – you’re not locked into a continuous subscription, just pay for the months you need. Free tier: No ongoing free plan, just the two-week trial.
In summary, for offline mobile surveys, you’ll likely incur additional cost except with a few tools. QuickTapSurvey and HarvestYourData specialize in this and charge accordingly (though HarvestYourData’s per-month-per-survey model can be cost-efficient for short projects). Jotform includes offline functionality in their standard pricing – a bonus if you already use the platform. Be aware of device limits (QuickTapSurvey) or user limits when planning offline projects.
Offline Survey Tools Comparison
| Tool | Starting Price | Free Tier | Pricing Model | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickTapSurvey | $19/mo | Trial only | Per device | Unlimited surveys & responses |
| Jotform | Free (100/mo) | Yes | Standard plans | Included in all plans |
| QuestionPro | $83-99/mo | No offline on free | Per user | Team/Research plans |
| SurveyCTO | $250/mo | Community edition | Per month | Field research focused |
| Harvest Your Data | $99/mo | 14-day trial | Per survey/month | Short-term projects, unlimited devices |
Audience Panel and Research Services
Some listed platforms help you find respondents or conduct research with panels – their pricing is unique:
Pollfish
Pollfish is primarily a per-response service. You define your target audience via their app network, and Pollfish quotes a price per completed survey (which can range from ~$1 to $10+ each depending on targeting criteria). No subscription needed; you pay for responses on-demand. It’s useful for market research on external audiences. For example, a Pollfish survey of 100 general population respondents might cost ~$150 ($1.50/each) as a one-off purchase.
Attest (AskAttest)
Attest provides access to their consumer panel. Pricing is typically on a credit basis (you purchase response credits or packages). Often it starts around a few thousand dollars for a bundle of responses and platform access. Attest doesn’t advertise self-serve prices publicly; expect to speak to sales for a custom plan. It’s geared toward companies doing regular market research surveys.
GWI (GlobalWebIndex)
GWI is an audience insights platform – essentially you subscribe to access huge datasets of survey data about consumers. Pricing: GWI is enterprise-level (five-figure annual subscriptions) since it provides ongoing research data rather than letting you send your own surveys freely. Not applicable for most individual survey needs, but marketers might use GWI alongside or instead of doing their own surveys.
Kantar Marketplace (formerly Zappi)
Kantar’s Marketplace lets you launch quick studies with their panels. Pricing is per study – e.g., a concept test or quick poll might have a fixed price for X number of respondents (often starting at a few hundred dollars). You choose a methodology template, and Kantar handles data collection from their vetted audience, delivering results fast. Essentially you buy survey results rather than software here.
PickFu
PickFu offers instant polls to a panel for consumer feedback (often used by app developers, authors for title testing, etc.). Pricing: Pay-per-response. For example, 50 responses from general US consumers costs about $50 (they charge ~$1 per response for general audience) and is delivered in ~15 minutes. Niche targeting or larger sample sizes cost more. No subscriptions required, though they have packages if you use it frequently. It’s very straightforward: you pay for each poll.
These services are priced very differently from typical SaaS – you’re paying for respondents. If you already have your own audience, you wouldn’t use these. But if you need market research participants, factor in these per-response costs on top of any survey software you use to design the questionnaire.
Live Polling & Interactive Presentation Tools
Several listed tools (Mentimeter, Slido, Poll Everywhere, etc.) are for real-time audience polling (like during classes, webinars, or events). Their pricing focuses on audience size:
Mentimeter
Pricing: Free plan allows 2 questions per presentation and up to ~10-50 audience members. Paid plans: Basic ~$11/month (billed yearly) for unlimited questions and up to 50 participants, Pro ~$24/month for up to 500 participants, and higher tiers for larger events. Education and nonprofit discounts are offered. Mentimeter free is great for small meetings or trying it out.
Slido
Pricing: Slido (now part of Cisco) has a free plan for basic polling and Q&A with up to 100 participants. Premium plans (starting around $12–$20/month) increase the participant limit (e.g. 1,000 or more) and unlock features like branding, moderation, and integrations. Large conferences can get enterprise plans for unlimited audience size and advanced moderation.
Poll Everywhere
Pricing: Free for audiences up to 25-40 people (educator edition allows 40). Paid individual plans might start ~$120/year for 700 responses per question, and team/enterprise plans scale up further. They often have separate pricing for business vs education. Poll Everywhere focuses on live response limits per activity (for example, 1,000 responses on a poll requires a certain plan).
Wooclap, Vevox, AhaSlides
These are similar in model. Many offer a free version with ~5-20 participant limits or limited features, then paid plans in the ~$5 to $15 per month range for larger audiences (100+). For instance, Wooclap free supports up to 20 participants; paid starts ~$9/month for 200 participants. Vevox free allows 100 attendees, paid plans for unlimited. AhaSlides free is limited to 7 participants, their $15/month plan allows 50, etc. Always check each tool’s site for exact caps, as they vary.
Kahoot!
Kahoot’s base version is free for personal/educational use (up to 50 players per quiz). Kahoot! Pro for businesses starts around $19/month (with higher player limits and reporting). Education plans are cheaper per teacher. Kahoot is oriented toward quizzes and gamified surveys, so pricing ties to group sizes.
Canva Live
Canva Live is an interactive Q&A feature included within Canva’s presentations. It doesn’t have a separate cost – it’s included as part of Canva (which itself has free and Pro $12.95/mo options). So if you have Canva (even free), you can use Canva Live to get audience questions and reactions in real-time at no additional charge.
Strawpoll
Strawpoll.com is a simple online poll website. Completely free – anyone can create a poll without login, and respondents vote via a shared link. Strawpoll makes money via ads, not by charging users. It doesn’t have advanced features or guaranteed respondent quality (it’s mostly for quick casual polls where you distribute the link yourself). There is essentially no paid tier; it’s open for unlimited polls and votes (though very high traffic polls may be throttled to prevent spam).
Live Polling Summary: If you’re running events or classes, many of these tools have a functional free tier but with audience size limits. Choosing one depends on your expected number of participants. For small groups or classrooms, the free version may suffice. For larger events, budget around $100–$200 per year for a plan that allows a few hundred or more attendees. These plans also remove the tool’s logo and add features like data exports and moderation. Notably, Zoom now has built-in polling and Q&A for webinars (included in some plans), which might reduce the need for a separate polling tool if you use Zoom.
Live Polling Tools Comparison
| Tool | Free Plan | Free Participant Limit | Paid Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mentimeter | Yes | ~10-50 | $11/mo | Small meetings, education |
| Slido | Yes | 100 | $12-20/mo | Conferences, webinars |
| Poll Everywhere | Yes | 25-40 | ~$120/yr | Education & business |
| Wooclap | Yes | 20 | ~$9/mo | Interactive classrooms |
| Vevox | Yes | 100 | Varies | Corporate events |
| AhaSlides | Yes | 7 | $15/mo | Presentations |
| Kahoot! | Yes | 50 | $19/mo | Gamified quizzes |
| Canva Live | Yes | Varies | Included with Canva | Presentation Q&A |
| Strawpoll | Yes | Unlimited | None | Quick casual polls |
Analysis and Reporting Tools
Finally, some products listed are for analysis of survey data rather than collecting responses. Their pricing models differ:
Displayr
An all-in-one data analysis and reporting app tailored to surveys. Pricing: Professional license is about $3,059/year per user. There is a free version (“Public” plan) which lets you use Displayr with the catch that any reports you create are publicly viewable (and watermarked). The free version is mainly for learning or non-confidential projects. Displayr often provides a 10-day free trial of the full Professional version. In short, Displayr is powerful (does crosstabs, segmentation, regression, etc. with a GUI) but it’s a significant investment aimed at research agencies or power analysts.
Q Research Software
Q is a desktop analysis tool (from the makers of Displayr) that competes with SPSS. It’s typically priced as an annual license around $1,500–$2,000 per user. Sometimes Q offers monthly plans around $150. There is no unlimited free tier (though they may have a trial). Q is used for advanced analysis of survey data (driver analysis, TURF, etc.), so only consider it if your budget and needs are in line with professional market research analysis.
IBM SPSS Statistics
SPSS is a longstanding statistical software. Pricing: IBM now offers SPSS via subscription at around $99 per month for the Base module (with add-ons for extra modules). They also offer perpetual licenses (costing a few thousand dollars upfront). There’s usually a free trial for 30 days. No free plan beyond the trial. SPSS is often provided by universities to students at no cost; otherwise, it’s an investment primarily for heavy-duty data analysis.
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI has a very accessible pricing: Power BI Desktop is free for anyone to use in creating analyses. To share dashboards, a Pro license is $10/user/month. Large organizations can opt for Power BI Premium (starting ~$20/user/month or $5k/month for capacity) which allows broader distribution and higher data volumes. For a single analyst working on survey data, you can likely utilize the free desktop version and export data from your survey tool to analyze, without needing a paid license until you share interactive reports.
MonkeyLearn
MonkeyLearn is a text-analysis and AI tool which can categorize or sentiment-analyze open-ended responses. Pricing: They have a free plan that allows a small number of text analyses (e.g. 300 requests/month). Paid plans start around $299/month for more volume and custom models. If you only occasionally need to analyze text responses for sentiment or themes, you might use the free tier or one-off credits. For regular heavy use, budget a few hundred per month.
Looker Studio (Google Data Studio)
This is completely free. Google rebranded Data Studio to Looker Studio, but it remains free to create unlimited reports and connect data sources (like Google Sheets, etc.). You might use Looker Studio to visualize survey results (it can connect to a Google Sheet where your survey data resides). There is a paid product called Looker (originally by Google Cloud) which is enterprise BI – but Looker Studio is free and plenty powerful for survey reporting dashboards.
Tableau
Tableau is a leading data visualization platform. Pricing: Tableau Creator is $70/user/month (billed annually) for full desktop capabilities. Tableau Viewer (view-only) and Explorer (web authoring) licenses are cheaper ($15 and $42 respectively) for additional users. There is Tableau Public which is free but any workbook you publish is publicly accessible. Some small organizations get by with Tableau Public for non-sensitive data. For private survey data analysis, a single Tableau Creator license ($840/year) might be worthwhile if you need rich interactive visuals beyond what Excel/Sheets can do.
In general, analysis tools are optional – many survey platforms have built-in reporting. But if you want to perform advanced stats or create custom visual dashboards, you might incorporate one of these. If budget is a concern, note that Power BI and Looker Studio are free or very low cost, whereas Displayr/Tableau/SPSS/Q are significant expenses typically used by dedicated analysts.
Analysis & Reporting Tools Comparison
| Tool | Starting Price | Free Option | Best For | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Displayr | $3,059/yr | Public reports only | Research agencies | Survey-specific analysis |
| Q Research Software | $1,500-2,000/yr | Trial only | Market research | Advanced stats (TURF, driver analysis) |
| IBM SPSS Statistics | $99/mo | 30-day trial | Heavy-duty analysis | Industry standard |
| Microsoft Power BI | Free | Desktop free, $10/mo Pro | Business intelligence | Free for individual use |
| MonkeyLearn | Free (300 req/mo) | Yes | Text analysis | Sentiment & categorization |
| Looker Studio | Free | Yes | Dashboard creation | Google ecosystem |
| Tableau | $70/mo | Public version free | Data visualization | Rich interactive visuals |
Conclusion
When comparing survey software, start by assessing your expected response volume, needed features, and user seats. Pricing spans a wide range:
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Free solutions (Google Forms, SurveyPlanet, etc.) can handle simple needs with some limitations on branding and analytics.
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Low-cost SMB tools often range $20–$50/month and can cover most advanced features with moderate response limits – a great value for many small organizations.
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High-end enterprise platforms (Qualtrics, Medallia) deliver comprehensive capabilities but at a premium (starting in the $1k+/month range, scaling up based on usage). These make sense for large-scale customer or employee experience programs with thousands of responses and complex integration needs.
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Offline and specialty tools might carry their own pricing quirks (device licenses, per-response charges for panels, etc.), so budget accordingly if you require those specific functions.
Remember to consider free trials as well. Almost every provider offers a trial or free tier – use these to gauge the UI and confirm it meets your needs before committing. For instance, you can try Qualtrics’s free account or LimeSurvey’s free tier to see if the interface suits you.
Ultimately, the “best value” depends on your use-case. A free tool can be the best value if it fulfills your requirements (e.g. a teacher running a quick poll might find Google Forms or Mentimeter free plan perfectly sufficient). However, a business aiming for professional-grade insights may find value in paying for robust features (like Alchemer’s advanced logic or Qualtrics’s analytics) to improve survey quality and efficiency.
By mapping out your needed features (logic, branding, offline, analysis, etc.) and comparing the pricing tiers above, you can identify which survey platform gives you the most capabilities for the least cost in your scenario. Always factor in any free response allowances vs. potential overage fees as well – an “unlimited” plan can save money if you expect very high response counts, whereas if you only get a few hundred responses, a cheaper limited plan might suffice.
In summary, survey software pricing can be straightforward when usage is low (thanks to many free options), but it scales significantly for large deployments. Use the comprehensive breakdown above to weigh your options and choose a plan that offers the best balance of cost and features for your needs.
