Marketing · head to head
Convert vs LimeSurvey

LimeSurvey
Surveys
Open source survey software you can self-host, with German-hosted cloud as the alternative
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Convert pricing is driven by monthly tested users, starting at $399 per month for 100,000 monthly tested users on Growth and $599 on Pro; LimeSurvey self-hosting shifts patching, backups and PHP upgrades onto your own team, and neglected installations become a security liability holding participant data.
- They diverge on capability: Convert covers A/B testing, LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 2 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Convert and LimeSurvey actually diverge.
| Attribute | Convert | LimeSurvey |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | Open source, with paid cloud hosting |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Self-hosted |
| Category | Marketing | Surveys |
| Founded | 2012 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Convert
- A/B testing
- Multivariate testing
- Analytics
- API access
- Google Analytics
- SSL encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
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.
Convert
- A/B and multivariate testing for conversion optimizationnot LimeSurvey
- Full-stack experimentation on web and mobilenot LimeSurvey
- Sequential testing and statistical confidence trackingnot LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey
- A university study whose ethics approval requires participant data to stay on institutional serversnot Convert
- A public body procuring survey software under European data protection rulesnot Convert
- A market research agency running multilingual instruments with quotas and screening logicnot Convert
- A team that needs complex matrix and ranking questions consumer form builders do not supportnot Convert
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Convert
- Pricing is driven by monthly tested users, starting at $399 per month for 100,000 monthly tested users on Growth and $599 on Pro
- Single Sign-On requires the Pro plan at $599 per month
- Multivariate testing, multi-page testing, full stack and feature flags, sequential testing and raw test data export are all withheld from the Growth plan
- Phone support, change history and guided onboarding require Pro
- The advertised $299 and $420 per month rates require paying the full year up front at $3,588 or $5,040
- The Enterprise plan is price on request, is only available as an annual plan, and its data segregation feature carries additional costs
- Listed prices exclude VAT, GST and other taxes, which are added at checkout
- Above 5 million monthly tested users there is no published rate
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
Convert
Free- Growth$399/month
- Pro$599/month
- Enterprise$undefined/mo
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 Convert if
- You need a/b testing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want multivariate testing.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Convert or LimeSurvey better?
- Neither clearly leads. Convert 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, Convert or LimeSurvey?
- Convert starts at Free and LimeSurvey at Free.
- Does Convert or LimeSurvey run on more platforms?
- Convert runs on Web. LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Convert for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Convert best used for?
- Convert is most often used for a/b and multivariate testing for conversion optimization, full-stack experimentation on web and mobile, sequential testing and statistical confidence tracking. Of those, a/b and multivariate testing for conversion optimization and full-stack experimentation on web and mobile are not what LimeSurvey is typically brought in for.
- What can Convert do that LimeSurvey cannot?
- Convert covers A/B testing, Multivariate testing, Analytics, API access. LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Convert: What is the starting price for Convert?
The Growth plan starts at $399/month (or $299/month billed annually for 25% savings) with 100K monthly tested users, 5 projects, and 5 active experiences per project.
SourceLimeSurvey: 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.
Convert: What is the difference between Growth and Pro plans?
Both cap at 100K tested users/month, but Pro ($599/month or $420/month annual) adds 30 active projects (vs 5), unlimited experiences per project (vs 5), unlimited domains (vs 10), multivariate testing, full-stack testing, sequential testing, and phone support.
SourceLimeSurvey: Where is cloud data stored?
On servers in Germany, which is why public sector and academic buyers choose it over United States hosted competitors.
Convert: How much does the Enterprise plan cost?
Enterprise pricing is available 'on request.' It supports 1M+ monthly tested users (12M+ annually), unlimited projects, experiences, and domains, plus dedicated account manager and custom terms.
SourceLimeSurvey: Can it handle complex research designs?
Yes. Quotas, randomisation, piping and matrix question types are core features rather than enterprise add-ons.
Convert: What is the cost to exceed my monthly tested user limit?
Growth overages cost $399 per 100K additional users. Pro/Enterprise overages cost $699 per 250K additional users. Customers can also upgrade mid-cycle at any time.
SourceRelated pages
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