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Surveys · head to head

LimeSurvey vs Supermetrics

LimeSurvey logo

LimeSurvey

Surveys

Open source survey software you can self-host, with German-hosted cloud as the alternative

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 LimeSurvey has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: LimeSurvey self-hosting shifts patching, backups and PHP upgrades onto your own team, and neglected installations become a security liability holding participant data.; Supermetrics every package includes only 1 core destination; sending the same data to a second destination is a paid extra
  • They diverge on capability: LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Supermetrics covers Multi-source data connectors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LimeSurvey and Supermetrics actually diverge.

Attributes where LimeSurvey and Supermetrics differ
AttributeLimeSurveySupermetrics
Starting priceFree€49/month
Pricing modelOpen source, with paid cloud hostingsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, 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 LimeSurvey

  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Question type depth
  • Expression manager
  • Quotas and screening
  • Multilingual surveys
  • Participant management

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.

LimeSurvey

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

Supermetrics

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

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 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

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 LimeSurvey or Supermetrics better?
Neither clearly leads. LimeSurvey 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, LimeSurvey or Supermetrics?
LimeSurvey has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LimeSurvey and €49/month for Supermetrics.
Does LimeSurvey or Supermetrics run on more platforms?
LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted. Supermetrics runs on Web, Google-sheets, Data-studio, Excel, Api.
Can I use LimeSurvey for free?
Yes. LimeSurvey has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Supermetrics starts at €49/month.
What is LimeSurvey best used for?
LimeSurvey is most often used for a university study whose ethics approval requires participant data to stay on institutional servers, a public body procuring survey software under european data protection rules, a market research agency running multilingual instruments with quotas and screening logic, a team that needs complex matrix and ranking questions consumer form builders do not support. Of those, a university study whose ethics approval requires participant data to stay on institutional servers and a public body procuring survey software under european data protection rules are not what Supermetrics is typically brought in for.
What can LimeSurvey do that Supermetrics cannot?
LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening. Supermetrics covers Multi-source data connectors, Real-time data sync, Custom dimensions, Data blending.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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
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.

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
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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