Comparison matrix
Survey software comparison
A detailed side-by-side look at twelve leading online survey programs — pricing, features, analytics depth, and the trade-offs that matter when you are choosing between them.
Quick takeaway
forms.app wins on overall value. SurveyMonkey and Qualtrics lead on research analytics. Typeform leads on respondent experience. Google Forms and Tally win on free pricing. Match the tool to your actual workflow — not the vendor with the longest feature list.
Pricing comparison
| Platform | Free plan | Entry paid | Mid tier | High volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| forms.app | Unlimited responses | ~$19/mo Basic | ~$29/mo Pro | Unlimited resp at ~$79 |
| SurveyMonkey | 10 questions, no export | ~$30/mo Advantage | ~$75/mo Premier | Custom enterprise |
| Qualtrics | Trial only | Custom | Custom | Custom ($10K+/yr typical) |
| Typeform | 10 resp/mo | ~$39/mo Basic | ~$79/mo Plus | ~$129/mo Business |
| Alchemer | Trial | ~$55/mo Collaborator | ~$165/mo Professional | Custom |
| Google Forms | Unlimited, free | — | — | — |
| SurveySparrow | 100 resp/mo | ~$19/mo Basic | ~$49/mo Premium | Custom |
| QuestionPro | Free academic tier | ~$99/mo | ~$199/mo | Custom enterprise |
| Zoho Survey | Basic free | ~$25/mo Plus | ~$35/mo Pro | ~$75/mo Enterprise |
| SoGoSurvey | Limited free | ~$33/mo Plus | ~$66/mo Pro | Custom |
| Jotform | 100 sub/mo, 5 forms | ~$39/mo Bronze | ~$49/mo Silver | ~$129/mo Gold |
| Tally | Unlimited | ~$29/mo Pro | ~$89/mo Business | Unlimited on free |
Feature comparison
| Feature | forms.app | SurveyMonkey | Qualtrics | Typeform | Alchemer | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditional logic | ✓ Free | ✓ Paid | ✓ | ✓ Paid | ✓ Advanced | Basic |
| Cross-tabulation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Advanced | Limited | ✓ | ✗ |
| NPS / CSAT templates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Manual |
| Conversational UI | ✓ Step view | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Native | ✗ | ✗ |
| Panel / audience | ✗ | ✓ Audience | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI question help | ✓ Free | ✓ Genius | ✓ | ✓ Follow-ups | ✗ | ✗ |
| Payment collection | ✓ Stripe/PayPal | ✓ Paid | ✓ | ✓ Business tier | ✓ | ✗ |
| HIPAA compliance | ✓ Paid | ✓ Enterprise | ✓ | ✓ Enterprise | ✓ | ✗ |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ Paid | ✓ | ✓ Paid | ✓ Strong | Limited |
| White-label branding | ✓ Paid | ✓ Paid | ✓ | ✓ Paid | ✓ | ✗ |
Best pick by use case
| Use case | Our pick | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall value | forms.app | SurveySparrow |
| Market research | SurveyMonkey | QuestionPro |
| Enterprise XM | Qualtrics | Alchemer |
| Customer-facing NPS | Typeform | forms.app |
| Employee engagement | SoGoSurvey | Qualtrics |
| Completely free | Google Forms | Tally |
| Forms + surveys unified | forms.app | Jotform |
| Zoho ecosystem | Zoho Survey | — |
| Academic research | QuestionPro | Qualtrics |
| High response volume | forms.app | Tally |
We built a comparison spreadsheet with eight vendors before finding this site. The pricing matrix alone saved us two weeks of procurement back-and-forth.Sarah Whitfield — Operations lead, nonprofit consultancy
How to read this comparison
Survey software vendors love feature checklists. A tool can check every box and still be wrong for your team if the pricing model punishes the way you actually work. Before committing, answer three questions:
- How many responses per month? Response caps are the most common surprise cost. Tally and Google Forms are unlimited free. forms.app keeps unlimited responses on every plan. Typeform charges per response on lower tiers.
- Who builds the surveys? Non-researchers need templates and simple logic. Research teams need cross-tabs, scripting, and panel access. Match the editor to the person doing the work.
- What else do you need? If you also run contact forms, registrations, or payment collection, a unified platform like forms.app or Jotform beats paying for two tools.
Return to our full rankings for detailed reviews, or explore free options, enterprise platforms, and research-grade tools.