Softwr

Surveys · head to head

KoboToolbox vs Whatagraph

KoboToolbox logo

KoboToolbox

Surveys

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Whatagraph logo

Whatagraph

Marketing

Automated marketing reporting and analytics

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
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.; Whatagraph the entry Max plan starts at 699 EUR per month and is billed annually, with no monthly billing option shown
  • They diverge on capability: KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, Whatagraph covers Automated reporting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KoboToolbox and Whatagraph actually diverge.

Attributes where KoboToolbox and Whatagraph differ
AttributeKoboToolboxWhatagraph
Pricing modelPer month by submission countsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hostedWeb, Mobile, Api
CategorySurveysMarketing
FoundedUnknown2016

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 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 Whatagraph

  • Automated reporting
  • Multi-channel integration
  • Custom dashboards
  • Data visualization
  • PDF reports
  • Real-time updates
  • Historical tracking
  • Anomaly detection

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

Whatagraph

  • Automated client marketing reports for agenciesnot KoboToolbox
  • Blending data from multiple ad platforms into one dashboardnot KoboToolbox
  • White-labelled reporting under an agency's own brandingnot 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.

Whatagraph

  • The entry Max plan starts at 699 EUR per month and is billed annually, with no monthly billing option shown
  • Only two plans exist and the Prime plan is custom priced with no published rate
  • Public API access, transfer to BigQuery and Looker, a custom report domain and premium integrations all require the Prime plan
  • Data sources are metered as credits at 1 credit per connected data account, so each additional ad account consumes quota
  • Extra credits can be bought only up to the next plan threshold, after which an upgrade is required
  • Moving to either the Max or Prime plan requires booking a call with sales rather than self-serve upgrade
  • The free trial is 14 days

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

Whatagraph

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 data sources
    • Basic dashboards
    • Daily updates
  • Starter$99/month
    • Up to 10 data sources
    • Advanced dashboards
    • Hourly updates
  • Professional$299/month
    • Unlimited data sources
    • Real-time updates
    • White-label

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 Whatagraph if

  • You need automated reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want multi-channel integration.
Whatagraph review

Questions people ask

Is KoboToolbox or Whatagraph better?
Neither clearly leads. KoboToolbox starts at Free and Whatagraph at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KoboToolbox or Whatagraph?
KoboToolbox starts at Free and Whatagraph at Free.
Does KoboToolbox or Whatagraph run on more platforms?
KoboToolbox runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted. Whatagraph runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
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 Whatagraph is typically brought in for.
What can KoboToolbox do that Whatagraph cannot?
KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, XLSForm and browser form builder, Skip logic and validation, Multilingual forms. Whatagraph covers Automated reporting, Multi-channel integration, Custom dashboards, Data visualization.

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.

Whatagraph: What is the starting price for Whatagraph's Max plan?

The Max plan starts at 699 euros per month when billed annually.

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.

Whatagraph: Do Whatagraph plans limit the number of users or reports?

No, both the Max and Prime plans include unlimited users and unlimited reports.

Source
KoboToolbox: Can I host it myself?

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

Whatagraph: What is a 'source credit' in Whatagraph pricing?

One source credit equals one connected data account. The Max plan starts with 50 source credits, and the Prime plan includes a custom amount based on needs.

Source
KoboToolbox: Are forms portable?

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

Whatagraph: What's included in both Whatagraph plans?

Both Max and Prime plans include Whatagraph IQ with automated report creation, live chat support, EU data center access, and version history.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on KoboToolbox

More on Whatagraph

Keep looking

Other head to heads