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Surveys · head to head

KoboToolbox vs Supermetrics

KoboToolbox logo

KoboToolbox

Surveys

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Supermetrics logo

Supermetrics

Marketing

Bring all your marketing data into one place

From
€49/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only KoboToolbox has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Supermetrics every package includes only 1 core destination; sending the same data to a second destination is a paid extra
  • They diverge on capability: KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, Supermetrics covers Multi-source data connectors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KoboToolbox and Supermetrics actually diverge.

Attributes where KoboToolbox and Supermetrics differ
AttributeKoboToolboxSupermetrics
Starting priceFree€49/month
Pricing modelPer month by submission countsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hostedWeb, Google-sheets, Data-studio, Excel, Api
CategorySurveysMarketing
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: 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 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 Supermetrics

  • Multi-source data connectors
  • Real-time data sync
  • Custom dimensions
  • Data blending
  • Scheduled reports
  • API access
  • Data transformation
  • Visualization

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 Supermetrics
  • A ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasonsnot Supermetrics
  • An NGO running the same longitudinal household survey in four languages across three countriesnot Supermetrics
  • A research group that needs a free instrument for a modest sample and an SPSS export at the endnot Supermetrics

Supermetrics

  • Pulling marketing platform data into Google Sheets, Looker Studio, Excel or Power BInot KoboToolbox
  • Loading advertising data into BigQuery or Snowflake for reportingnot KoboToolbox
  • Automating recurring client marketing reports at an agencynot 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.

Supermetrics

  • Every package includes only 1 core destination; sending the same data to a second destination is a paid extra
  • The Starter plan at 49 EUR per month billed monthly includes 1 user, 3 data sources and 3 accounts per data source
  • Data refreshes are weekly on Starter, daily on Growth and hourly on Pro; on-demand refreshes require Enterprise
  • Refresh scheduling on those tiers is stated for Google Sheets only
  • Snowflake and BigQuery data warehouse destinations require the Enterprise package
  • SAML SSO is Enterprise only; lower tiers get basic single sign-on
  • Data transformations, data residency and region control, multiple teams and Management API access are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise carries no published price and is quote only
  • The 20% saving is only available on yearly billing
  • AI credits are metered per plan at 4,000 monthly on Starter and 12,000 on Growth

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

Supermetrics

€49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • 1 core destination
    • 3 data sources
    • 1 user
  • Growth$199/month
    • 1 core destination
    • 7 data sources
    • 2 users
  • Pro$499/month
    • 1 core destination
    • 10 data sources
    • 3 users

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 Supermetrics if

  • You need multi-source data connectors.
  • You work on Web, Google-sheets, Data-studio, Excel, Api.
  • You also want real-time data sync.
Supermetrics review

Questions people ask

Is KoboToolbox or Supermetrics better?
Neither clearly leads. KoboToolbox starts at Free and Supermetrics at €49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KoboToolbox or Supermetrics?
KoboToolbox has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for KoboToolbox and €49/month for Supermetrics.
Does KoboToolbox or Supermetrics run on more platforms?
KoboToolbox runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted. Supermetrics runs on Web, Google-sheets, Data-studio, Excel, Api.
Can I use KoboToolbox for free?
Yes. KoboToolbox has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Supermetrics starts at €49/month.
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 Supermetrics is typically brought in for.
What can KoboToolbox do that Supermetrics cannot?
KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, XLSForm and browser form builder, Skip logic and validation, Multilingual forms. Supermetrics covers Multi-source data connectors, Real-time data sync, Custom dimensions, Data blending.

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.

Supermetrics: How much does Supermetrics cost?

Supermetrics offers three subscription plans: Starter at EUR 49 per month, Growth at EUR 199 per month, and Pro at EUR 499 per month. Annual billing provides a 20% discount. Enterprise plans require a custom quote.

Source
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.

Supermetrics: Can I add extra users or data sources to my Supermetrics plan?

Yes, additional features are available for all plans. Additional users cost EUR 29 to EUR 124 per month depending on plan tier, and additional data sources cost EUR 29 to EUR 37 per month. Additional destinations and ad accounts also carry separate monthly fees.

Source
KoboToolbox: Can I host it myself?

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

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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