About LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey is an open-source online survey platform that enables users to create professional surveys with 30+ question types, advanced skip logic, and multilingual support in 80+ languages. Built for researchers, businesses, and organizations, it offers both a free cloud-hosted version and a self-hosted Community Edition for maximum data control.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Powerful open-source platform with full code access for customization and self-hosting
- Supports 80+ languages with built-in translation management for global reach
- Generous free plan with essential features including 30+ question types and logic branching
- Strong data export capabilities to SPSS, R, Stata, and other research formats
- GDPR-compliant with EU-based hosting and data sovereignty options
- Active community and over 20 years of continuous development
Cons
- Steep learning curve — advanced features require CSS, JavaScript, or PHP knowledge
- Interface feels dated and complex compared to modern survey tools like Typeform
- Self-hosted version requires server management and technical expertise to maintain
- Limited design customization in the cloud version without coding skills
- Pricing structure can be confusing with response limits varying between monthly and yearly
Key Features
30+ Question Types
Comprehensive question library including multiple choice, matrix, ranking, file upload, and equation-based questions
Multilingual Surveys
Create and distribute surveys in over 80 languages with built-in translation management
Skip Logic & Branching
Advanced conditional logic to show or hide questions based on previous responses, creating dynamic survey paths
Custom Survey Design
Customize the look and feel of surveys with themes, templates, CSS editing, and branding options
Data Export
Export results to Excel, CSV, SPSS, Stata, R, Word, and PDF formats for analysis in any tool
Open Source & Self-Hosted
Full access to source code with the option to self-host on your own servers for complete data sovereignty
Panel Integration
Integrate with external survey panels and participant management systems for targeted distribution
API Access
RESTful API for programmatic survey creation, distribution, and response retrieval
GDPR Compliance
Built-in compliance features including data anonymization, consent management, and EU data hosting
Piping & Micro-Tailoring
Personalize survey questions by inserting previous answers or participant data into subsequent questions
Pricing
- 25 responses/month
- 10 MB upload storage
- 30+ question types
- 80+ languages
- Skip logic & branching
- Data export (Excel, CSV, SPSS, etc.)
- API access
- GDPR compliance
- 10,000 responses/year
- 1 GB upload storage
- Everything in Free
- White-label surveys
- Remove LimeSurvey branding
- 1 alias domain
- Email support
- 1,000 responses/month
- 250 MB upload storage
- Everything in Free
- White-label surveys
- Email support
- 100,000 responses/year
- 3 GB upload storage
- Everything in Free
- White-label surveys
- Remove LimeSurvey branding
- 2 alias domains
- Priority email support
Best For
Academic Research
Researchers use LimeSurvey to create complex, multi-language questionnaires with advanced logic and export data directly to SPSS or R for statistical analysis
Government & Public Sector
Government agencies leverage the self-hosted option and GDPR compliance to collect citizen feedback while maintaining full data sovereignty
Enterprise Employee Surveys
Large organizations run engagement, satisfaction, and 360-degree feedback surveys with white-labeling and custom branding
Healthcare & Clinical Trials
Medical researchers use LimeSurvey's branching logic and data security features to conduct patient surveys and clinical study questionnaires
Market Research
Market research firms create detailed consumer surveys with panel integration and advanced question types for comprehensive data collection
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Featured In
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