Surveys · head to head
Formstack vs LimeSurvey
Formstack
Surveys
Form builder with document generation and e-signature
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
LimeSurvey
Surveys
Open source survey software you can self-host, with German-hosted cloud as the alternative
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only LimeSurvey has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Formstack more expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use; 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: Formstack covers Form builder, LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Formstack and LimeSurvey actually diverge.
| Attribute | Formstack | LimeSurvey |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | Tiered monthly subscription published on the vendor site; HIPAA-capable plans priced separately | Open source, with paid cloud hosting |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Cloud | Web, Self-hosted |
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 Formstack
- Form builder
- Document generation
- E-signature
- Workflow routing
- Salesforce integration
- Compliance features
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.
Formstack
- Processes where a submitted form must become a signed documentnot LimeSurvey
- Regulated intake needing HIPAA-capable handlingnot LimeSurvey
- Salesforce shops wanting forms and documents inside the CRMnot LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey
- A university study whose ethics approval requires participant data to stay on institutional serversnot Formstack
- A public body procuring survey software under European data protection rulesnot Formstack
- A market research agency running multilingual instruments with quotas and screening logicnot Formstack
- A team that needs complex matrix and ranking questions consumer form builders do not supportnot Formstack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Formstack
- More expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use
- Document generation and signature sit in higher tiers, so the headline price is not the working price
- The interface has accumulated features over a long life and shows it
- Overkill where a form only needs to collect an answer
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
Formstack
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Formstack review.
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 Formstack if
- You need form builder.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want document generation.
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 Formstack or LimeSurvey better?
- Neither clearly leads. Formstack starts at On request and LimeSurvey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Formstack or LimeSurvey?
- LimeSurvey has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Formstack and Free for LimeSurvey.
- Does Formstack or LimeSurvey run on more platforms?
- Formstack runs on Web, Cloud. 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. Formstack starts at On request.
- What is Formstack best used for?
- Formstack is most often used for processes where a submitted form must become a signed document, regulated intake needing hipaa-capable handling, salesforce shops wanting forms and documents inside the crm. Of those, processes where a submitted form must become a signed document and regulated intake needing hipaa-capable handling are not what LimeSurvey is typically brought in for.
- What can Formstack do that LimeSurvey cannot?
- Formstack covers Form builder, Document generation, E-signature, Workflow routing. LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Formstack: What does Formstack cost?
It publishes tiered monthly pricing; document generation and e-signature sit in higher tiers, and HIPAA-capable plans are priced separately.
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.
Formstack: What makes it different from a plain form builder?
It generates documents from submissions and collects signatures on them, which is the step that otherwise involves retyping form data into a template.
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.
Formstack: Is it HIPAA compliant?
It offers HIPAA-capable plans for regulated data. That is a plan-level feature, not the default.
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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