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Marketing · head to head

Attribution vs LimeSurvey

A

Attribution

Marketing

First-party data marketing attribution platform

From
$2000/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
LimeSurvey logo

LimeSurvey

Surveys

Open source survey software you can self-host, with German-hosted cloud as the alternative

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LimeSurvey has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Attribution covers First-party data attribution, LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Attribution and LimeSurvey actually diverge.

Attributes where Attribution and LimeSurvey differ
AttributeAttributionLimeSurvey
Starting price$2000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, with paid cloud hosting
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryMarketingSurveys
Founded2020Unknown

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

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 Attribution

  • First-party data attribution
  • Multi-touch attribution
  • Privacy-compliant tracking
  • Real-time insights
  • Conversion tracking
  • Channel attribution
  • Custom reporting
  • API access

Only in LimeSurvey

  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Question type depth
  • Expression manager
  • Quotas and screening
  • Multilingual surveys
  • Participant management

What people use each for

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

Attribution

  • Marketing attributionnot LimeSurvey
  • ROI trackingnot LimeSurvey
  • Privacy-compliant trackingnot LimeSurvey
  • First-party datanot LimeSurvey

LimeSurvey

  • A university study whose ethics approval requires participant data to stay on institutional serversnot Attribution
  • A public body procuring survey software under European data protection rulesnot Attribution
  • A market research agency running multilingual instruments with quotas and screening logicnot Attribution
  • A team that needs complex matrix and ranking questions consumer form builders do not supportnot Attribution

Where each one falls short

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

Attribution

Nothing recorded yet. See the Attribution review.

LimeSurvey

  • Self-hosting shifts patching, backups and PHP upgrades onto your own team, and neglected installations become a security liability holding participant data.
  • The default interface and themes look dated beside Typeform or Jotform, which measurably lowers completion rates on consumer-facing surveys.
  • Cloud plans are capped on responses per period, so an unexpectedly successful field wave can force an upgrade in the middle of data collection.
  • Serious theming and layout changes require template and CSS work rather than a visual designer, so agencies often budget developer time per project.
  • Support on the free edition is community forums only, and paid support is a separate purchase, which is a poor fit for teams with no technical staff.

Pricing, plan by plan

Attribution

$2000/month
  • Starter$2000/month
    • Up to 5 channels
    • Basic attribution
    • Monthly reports
  • Professional$5000/month
    • Unlimited channels
    • Advanced attribution
    • Weekly reports
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom implementation
    • Real-time attribution
    • Dedicated support

LimeSurvey

Free
  • Community Edition (self-hosted)Free
    • Free under the GNU General Public Licence
    • No response limits imposed by the vendor
    • Hosting, patching, backups and upgrades are your responsibility
  • LimeSurvey Cloud$undefined/year
    • Hosted on servers in Germany
    • Tiered on responses and storage per period rather than per user
    • Higher tiers add branding removal, more storage and support

Which should you pick?

Choose Attribution if

  • You need first-party data attribution.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want multi-touch attribution.
Attribution review

Choose LimeSurvey if

  • You need self-hosted deployment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want question type depth.
LimeSurvey review

Questions people ask

Is Attribution or LimeSurvey better?
Neither clearly leads. Attribution starts at $2000/month and LimeSurvey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Attribution or LimeSurvey?
LimeSurvey has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2000/month for Attribution and Free for LimeSurvey.
Does Attribution or LimeSurvey run on more platforms?
Attribution runs on Web, Mobile, Api. LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use LimeSurvey for free?
Yes. LimeSurvey has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Attribution starts at $2000/month.
What is Attribution best used for?
Attribution is most often used for marketing attribution, roi tracking, privacy-compliant tracking, first-party data. Of those, marketing attribution and roi tracking are not what LimeSurvey is typically brought in for.
What can Attribution do that LimeSurvey cannot?
Attribution covers First-party data attribution, Multi-touch attribution, Privacy-compliant tracking, Real-time insights. LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LimeSurvey: Is LimeSurvey really free?

The self-hosted Community Edition is free under the GPL with no vendor response limits. The hosted cloud is paid and tiered by response volume.

LimeSurvey: Where is cloud data stored?

On servers in Germany, which is why public sector and academic buyers choose it over United States hosted competitors.

LimeSurvey: Can it handle complex research designs?

Yes. Quotas, randomisation, piping and matrix question types are core features rather than enterprise add-ons.

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