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Surveys · head to head

Cognito Forms vs LimeSurvey

Cognito Forms logo

Cognito Forms

Surveys

Powerful forms made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LimeSurvey logo

LimeSurvey

Surveys

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cognito Forms individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user; LimeSurvey self-hosting shifts patching, backups and PHP upgrades onto your own team, and neglected installations become a security liability holding participant data.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cognito Forms and LimeSurvey actually diverge.

Attributes where Cognito Forms and LimeSurvey differ
AttributeCognito FormsLimeSurvey
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, with paid cloud hosting
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Cognito Forms

Nothing recorded that LimeSurvey does not also cover.

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.

Cognito Forms

  • Building HIPAA-compliant data collection forms without codingnot LimeSurvey
  • Creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signingnot LimeSurvey
  • Collecting payments inline within customer intake formsnot LimeSurvey
  • Routing applications automatically based on responsesnot LimeSurvey

LimeSurvey

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cognito Forms

  • Individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user
  • Pro plan ($24/mo monthly, $19/mo billed annually) still limits to 2 users and 2,000 entries per month
  • HIPAA compliance and single sign-on are restricted to the Enterprise tier ($174/mo monthly, $129/mo annual)

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

Cognito Forms

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • 100 entries per month
    • 1 user
    • Cognito Forms branding included
  • Pro$24/month
    • 2000 entries per month
    • 2 users
    • Electronic signatures
  • Team$49/month
    • 10000 entries per month
    • 5 users
    • 5 guest access
  • Enterprise$174/month
    • Unlimited entries
    • 20 users
    • 20 guest access

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 Cognito Forms if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cognito Forms 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 Cognito Forms or LimeSurvey better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognito Forms starts at Free and LimeSurvey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognito Forms or LimeSurvey?
Cognito Forms starts at Free and LimeSurvey at Free.
Does Cognito Forms or LimeSurvey run on more platforms?
Cognito Forms runs on Web. LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Cognito Forms for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cognito Forms best used for?
Cognito Forms is most often used for building hipaa-compliant data collection forms without coding, creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signing, collecting payments inline within customer intake forms, routing applications automatically based on responses. Of those, building hipaa-compliant data collection forms without coding and creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signing are not what LimeSurvey is typically brought in for.
What can Cognito Forms do that LimeSurvey cannot?
LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cognito Forms: How much does Cognito Forms cost?

Cognito Forms offers a free Individual plan with 100 entries per month. Paid plans start at $24/month for the Pro plan, $49/month for the Team plan, and $174/month for the Enterprise plan. Annual prepayment provides up to 20% discount off monthly rates.

Source
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.

Cognito Forms: What is the difference between Cognito Forms plans?

The Individual plan (free) includes 100 entries/month and 1 user. Pro adds electronic signatures and accommodates 2000 entries/month with 2 users. Team plan (Best Value) supports 10000 entries/month with 5 users and includes client portal and approvals. Enterprise provides unlimited entries, 20 users, and HIPAA compliance.

Source
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.

Cognito Forms: Does Cognito Forms have a free version?

Yes, Cognito Forms offers a free Individual plan that includes 100 entries per month, 1 user, unlimited forms, and payment processing capabilities. Higher-tier plans are available for increased capacity and features.

Source
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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