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Surveys · head to head

Alchemer vs SurveyCTO

Alchemer logo

Alchemer

Surveys

Survey and feedback platform for research teams

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SurveyCTO logo

SurveyCTO

Surveys

Offline field survey platform priced by submissions rather than seats, built for research data quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SurveyCTO has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alchemer more expensive than the simple form builders, which is the fair comparison for a short survey; SurveyCTO pricing is by submission volume, forms and storage rather than by users, so a small team running continuous high-volume collection can pay more than a 200-person survey team that runs for six weeks
  • They diverge on capability: Alchemer covers Deep question logic, SurveyCTO covers Offline collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alchemer and SurveyCTO actually diverge.

Attributes where Alchemer and SurveyCTO differ
AttributeAlchemerSurveyCTO
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelTiered annual subscription published on the vendor sitePer month by submission volume
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, Android, iOS

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Surveys).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Alchemer

  • Deep question logic
  • Wide question types
  • Workflow automation
  • Integrations
  • Panel and distribution
  • Reporting

Only in SurveyCTO

  • Offline collection
  • XLSForm authoring
  • Automated quality checks
  • Audio auditing
  • Case management
  • Random assignment
  • Server region selection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alchemer

  • Research questionnaires too conditional for a simple form buildernot SurveyCTO
  • Teams needing survey data routed into Salesforce or a warehousenot SurveyCTO
  • Organisations wanting research depth without enterprise experience-platform pricingnot SurveyCTO

SurveyCTO

  • A household survey with 200 enumerators across a country where paying per seat would cost more than the fieldworknot Alchemer
  • An impact evaluation that needs audio auditing and timing metadata to prove interviews were conducted as reportednot Alchemer
  • A panel study revisiting the same households annually and needing offline case assignment to find them againnot Alchemer
  • A statistics unit that must keep data inside a specific region and produce a SOC 2 report for its fundernot Alchemer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alchemer

  • More expensive than the simple form builders, which is the fair comparison for a short survey
  • The interface carries a long product history and is less immediately friendly than newer tools
  • Advanced logic is powerful and correspondingly easy to misconfigure, and testing a complex survey is real work
  • Named Alchemer since 2020, so much of the searchable material still says SurveyGizmo

SurveyCTO

  • Pricing is by submission volume, forms and storage rather than by users, so a small team running continuous high-volume collection can pay more than a 200-person survey team that runs for six weeks
  • Forms are authored in XLSForm spreadsheet syntax, which is precise and versionable but has a real learning curve, and organisations without someone comfortable in it stall at form design
  • Overage is charged at 100 US dollars per 1,000 extra submissions, which is easy to trigger on the Basic tier at 5,000 a month and produces surprise invoices during an active field round
  • Server region selection only appears on the Pro tier and a custom GDPR data processing agreement only on Advanced, so European data protection requirements push the price to at least 315 and often 630 dollars a month regardless of volume
  • It is built for structured research fieldwork, not for business process forms, so it has no dispatch, no invoicing and no formatted document output, and a field service business would be buying the wrong tool

Pricing, plan by plan

Alchemer

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Alchemer review.

SurveyCTO

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Permanent free subscription for testing and training
    • 10 forms
    • 200 monthly submissions
  • Basic$225/month
    • Billed annually, 250 USD month to month
    • 100 forms
    • 10 GB storage
  • Pro$315/month
    • Billed annually, 350 USD month to month
    • 500 forms
    • 25 GB storage
  • Advanced$630/month
    • Billed annually, 700 USD month to month
    • Unlimited forms, storage and submissions
    • Advanced offline case management

Which should you pick?

Choose Alchemer if

  • You need deep question logic.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want wide question types.
Alchemer review

Choose SurveyCTO if

  • You need offline collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, iOS.
  • You also want xlsform authoring.
SurveyCTO review

Questions people ask

Is Alchemer or SurveyCTO better?
Neither clearly leads. Alchemer starts at On request and SurveyCTO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alchemer or SurveyCTO?
SurveyCTO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Alchemer and Free for SurveyCTO.
Does Alchemer or SurveyCTO run on more platforms?
Alchemer runs on Web, Cloud. SurveyCTO runs on Web, Android, iOS.
Can I use SurveyCTO for free?
Yes. SurveyCTO has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Alchemer starts at On request.
What is Alchemer best used for?
Alchemer is most often used for research questionnaires too conditional for a simple form builder, teams needing survey data routed into salesforce or a warehouse, organisations wanting research depth without enterprise experience-platform pricing. Of those, research questionnaires too conditional for a simple form builder and teams needing survey data routed into salesforce or a warehouse are not what SurveyCTO is typically brought in for.
What can Alchemer do that SurveyCTO cannot?
Alchemer covers Deep question logic, Wide question types, Workflow automation, Integrations. SurveyCTO covers Offline collection, XLSForm authoring, Automated quality checks, Audio auditing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Alchemer: What does Alchemer cost?

Tiered annual subscriptions published on the vendor site. Check current rates there.

SurveyCTO: Do I pay per enumerator?

No. Users and devices are unlimited on every paid tier. You pay for monthly submissions, forms and storage.

Alchemer: Is Alchemer the same as SurveyGizmo?

Yes. SurveyGizmo was renamed Alchemer in 2020, which is why older reviews and documentation use the former name.

SurveyCTO: Is there a free version?

Yes, a permanent community subscription with 10 forms, 200 monthly submissions and 200 MB of storage, intended for testing and training rather than production.

Alchemer: When is it worth more than a simple form builder?

When the questionnaire has real conditional logic, or when responses need to route into Salesforce or a data warehouse.

SurveyCTO: What happens if I exceed my submissions?

Extra credits are 100 US dollars per 1,000, with discounts of 20 per cent or more at volume. Plan the tier around your peak field month, not your average.

SurveyCTO: Can I choose where the data is stored?

Only on Pro and above. If data residency matters, budget for at least the Pro tier.

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