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Surveys · head to head

LimeSurvey vs Whatagraph

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
Whatagraph logo

Whatagraph

Marketing

Automated marketing reporting and analytics

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; 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: LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Whatagraph covers Automated reporting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LimeSurvey and Whatagraph actually diverge.

Attributes where LimeSurvey and Whatagraph differ
AttributeLimeSurveyWhatagraph
Pricing modelOpen source, with paid cloud hostingsubscription
PlatformsWeb, 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 LimeSurvey

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

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.

LimeSurvey

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

Whatagraph

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

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

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

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 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 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 LimeSurvey or Whatagraph better?
Neither clearly leads. LimeSurvey 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, LimeSurvey or Whatagraph?
LimeSurvey starts at Free and Whatagraph at Free.
Does LimeSurvey or Whatagraph run on more platforms?
LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted. Whatagraph runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
Can I use LimeSurvey for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Whatagraph is typically brought in for.
What can LimeSurvey do that Whatagraph cannot?
LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening. Whatagraph covers Automated reporting, Multi-channel integration, Custom dashboards, Data visualization.

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.

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

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

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.

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
LimeSurvey: Can it handle complex research designs?

Yes. Quotas, randomisation, piping and matrix question types are core features rather than enterprise add-ons.

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
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
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