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Surveys · head to head

KoboToolbox vs Sogolytics

KoboToolbox logo

KoboToolbox

Surveys

Offline-first data collection for humanitarian, development and research field work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sogolytics logo

Sogolytics

Surveys

Value-priced survey and experience management platform, rebranded from SoGoSurvey in 2021

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: KoboToolbox the free Community plan caps at 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of file storage, and any form collecting photographs exhausts storage long before it exhausts the submission count.; Sogolytics its statistical analysis and text analytics capability is noticeably shallower than Qualtrics or Medallia for serious market research work.
  • They diverge on capability: KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, Sogolytics covers Drag-and-drop survey builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KoboToolbox and Sogolytics actually diverge.

Attributes where KoboToolbox and Sogolytics differ
AttributeKoboToolboxSogolytics
Pricing modelPer month by submission countPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android

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 KoboToolbox

  • Offline data collection
  • XLSForm and browser form builder
  • Skip logic and validation
  • Multilingual forms
  • GPS and media capture
  • Case management
  • Exports and analysis
  • Self-hosting

Only in Sogolytics

  • Drag-and-drop survey builder
  • SogoCX and SogoEX modules
  • AI-assisted survey creation
  • Reporting dashboards
  • Response limits by plan
  • Custom branding

What people use each for

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

KoboToolbox

  • A rapid needs assessment after a disaster where enumerators work for days without mobile coveragenot Sogolytics
  • A ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasonsnot Sogolytics
  • An NGO running the same longitudinal household survey in four languages across three countriesnot Sogolytics
  • A research group that needs a free instrument for a modest sample and an SPSS export at the endnot Sogolytics

Sogolytics

  • A small business wanting published, self-service pricing rather than a Qualtrics-style sales negotiationnot KoboToolbox
  • A school or nonprofit needing multilingual survey support on a limited budgetnot KoboToolbox
  • A company wanting basic customer and employee experience management modules without buying separate enterprise platformsnot KoboToolbox
  • Someone still searching for SoGoSurvey by its former name who lands on the current Sogolytics productnot KoboToolbox

Where each one falls short

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

KoboToolbox

  • The free Community plan caps at 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of file storage, and any form collecting photographs exhausts storage long before it exhausts the submission count.
  • The Starter paid plan allows only 1,000 submissions a month for $21, which is fewer than the free nonprofit tier, so a small commercial user pays more for less than a charity gets free.
  • Eligibility for the free plan depends on Kobo's assessment of your organisation and purpose, which introduces an approval step that a consultancy working on behalf of an NGO may not clear.
  • Self-hosting is genuinely possible but the stack is substantial to deploy and maintain, so a ministry choosing it for data residency reasons takes on real infrastructure staffing cost.
  • Analysis and reporting inside the platform are basic compared with dedicated tools, so most serious use exports to Excel, Power BI or statistical software, and that export step is where data governance often gets loose.

Sogolytics

  • Its statistical analysis and text analytics capability is noticeably shallower than Qualtrics or Medallia for serious market research work.
  • The free tier response cap, around 100 per project and 200 a year, is restrictive enough that most real programmes need a paid plan quickly.
  • Its enterprise integration and panel access ecosystem is smaller than the larger experience management platforms, limiting it for organisations with complex data pipeline needs.
  • Reported pricing varies noticeably between sources depending on billing term and promotional pricing, so buyers should confirm the current rate directly rather than relying on older reviews.
  • Brand recognition still lags its former name, SoGoSurvey, in some buyer searches, which can create confusion when comparing reviews written before the 2021 rebrand.

Pricing, plan by plan

KoboToolbox

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free for qualifying nonprofit and public good organisations
    • 5,000 submissions per month
    • 1 GB file storage
  • Starter$21/month
    • 1,000 submissions per month
    • 0.5 GB file storage
    • For private and for-profit use
  • Professional$129/month
    • 25,000 submissions per month or 300,000 per year
    • Unlimited file storage
    • Priority support
  • Teams$undefined/month
    • 50,000 submissions per month or 600,000 per year
    • Shared team administration
    • Pricing published by plan tier

Sogolytics

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Around 100 responses per project
    • Up to 200 responses per year
    • Basic survey features
  • Pro$39/month
    • Unlimited surveys
    • Multilingual surveys
    • Template bank
  • Pro Max$49/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • AI-assisted survey creation
    • Custom messages and branding

Which should you pick?

Choose KoboToolbox if

  • You need offline data collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, Self-hosted.
  • You also want xlsform and browser form builder.
KoboToolbox review

Choose Sogolytics if

  • You need drag-and-drop survey builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want sogocx and sogoex modules.
Sogolytics review

Questions people ask

Is KoboToolbox or Sogolytics better?
Neither clearly leads. KoboToolbox starts at Free and Sogolytics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KoboToolbox or Sogolytics?
KoboToolbox starts at Free and Sogolytics at Free.
Does KoboToolbox or Sogolytics run on more platforms?
KoboToolbox runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted. Sogolytics runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use KoboToolbox for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is KoboToolbox best used for?
KoboToolbox is most often used for a rapid needs assessment after a disaster where enumerators work for days without mobile coverage, a ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasons, an ngo running the same longitudinal household survey in four languages across three countries, a research group that needs a free instrument for a modest sample and an spss export at the end. Of those, a rapid needs assessment after a disaster where enumerators work for days without mobile coverage and a ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasons are not what Sogolytics is typically brought in for.
What can KoboToolbox do that Sogolytics cannot?
KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, XLSForm and browser form builder, Skip logic and validation, Multilingual forms. Sogolytics covers Drag-and-drop survey builder, SogoCX and SogoEX modules, AI-assisted survey creation, Reporting dashboards.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KoboToolbox: Is KoboToolbox free?

Free for qualifying nonprofit and public good organisations under the Community plan, currently 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of storage. Commercial use requires a paid plan from $21 a month.

Sogolytics: Is Sogolytics the same company as SoGoSurvey?

Yes, it rebranded from SoGoSurvey to Sogolytics in 2021 with a broader experience management positioning.

KoboToolbox: Who funds it?

Kobo Inc is a US nonprofit funded roughly 38 per cent by grants and contributions and 62 per cent by service contracts, subscriptions and training, based on its 2024 figures.

Sogolytics: Is there a free plan?

Yes, capped at around 100 responses per project and 200 responses a year.

KoboToolbox: Can I host it myself?

Yes. The server stack is open source and is regularly deployed in country for data residency reasons.

Sogolytics: How does it compare in price with Qualtrics?

Sogolytics publishes monthly self-service pricing from around 39 USD a month, versus Qualtrics enterprise contracts that typically run into five figures annually.

KoboToolbox: Are forms portable?

Yes. It uses XLSForm and ODK standards, so instruments move between Kobo and other ODK-compatible servers.

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