Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Countly vs LimeSurvey

Countly logo

Countly

Marketing

Product analytics for mobile and web

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: Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit; 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: Countly covers Event tracking, LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Countly and LimeSurvey actually diverge.

Attributes where Countly and LimeSurvey differ
AttributeCountlyLimeSurvey
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, with paid cloud hosting
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryMarketingSurveys
Founded2012Unknown

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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Analytics dashboard
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise 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.

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot LimeSurvey
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot LimeSurvey

LimeSurvey

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

Where each one falls short

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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

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

Countly

Free
  • Flex (Private Cloud)$175/month
    • Usage-based pricing (not seat-based)
    • Advanced Analytics included
    • Adaptivity and Intelligence available as add-ons
  • Enterprise (Self-Hosted)$null/mo
    • Custom pricing, requires demo booking
    • All capabilities included
    • Deploy on your infrastructure

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 Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Countly 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 Countly or LimeSurvey better?
Neither clearly leads. Countly 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, Countly or LimeSurvey?
Countly starts at Free and LimeSurvey at Free.
Does Countly or LimeSurvey run on more platforms?
Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api. LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Countly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Countly best used for?
Countly is most often used for product analytics for mobile and web applications, self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation. Of those, product analytics for mobile and web applications and self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation are not what LimeSurvey is typically brought in for.
What can Countly do that LimeSurvey cannot?
Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention. LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Countly: How much does Countly cost?

Countly's Flex plan (private cloud) starts at $175/month with pay-as-you-go cancellation. Enterprise (self-hosted) requires custom pricing and annual billing. Both plans include advanced analytics, and Flex offers a 14-day free trial.

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.

Countly: What is the difference between Countly Flex and Enterprise plans?

Flex uses usage-based pricing on Countly's cloud with monthly billing. Enterprise requires custom pricing and annual billing, but allows self-hosting on your infrastructure with zero vendor access to data, dedicated support, and included SLA.

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.

Countly: Can I add Adaptivity and Intelligence to Countly Flex?

Yes, Adaptivity and Intelligence suites can be added to Flex as needed. Both are included standard with Enterprise plans.

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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