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Surveys · head to head

LimeSurvey vs Xlinesoft

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
Xlinesoft logo

Xlinesoft

Developer Tools

PHPRunner and ASPRunner.NET: low-code builders that turn databases into web apps

From
$599/one-time
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.; Xlinesoft the purchase includes one year of support and upgrades only; after that, newer versions require a paid upgrade.
  • They diverge on capability: LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Xlinesoft covers Database to web application.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 12 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LimeSurvey and Xlinesoft actually diverge.

Attributes where LimeSurvey and Xlinesoft differ
AttributeLimeSurveyXlinesoft
Starting priceFree$599/one-time
Pricing modelOpen source, with paid cloud hostingone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWindows, macOS, Linux, Web
CategorySurveysDeveloper Tools

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 Xlinesoft

  • Database to web application
  • Page Designer and themes
  • Events, custom code and AI assistance
  • Security and dynamic permissions
  • Reports, charts and dashboards
  • Wide database support
  • Enterprise authentication
  • Application templates and plugins

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 Xlinesoft
  • A public body procuring survey software under European data protection rulesnot Xlinesoft
  • A market research agency running multilingual instruments with quotas and screening logicnot Xlinesoft
  • A team that needs complex matrix and ranking questions consumer form builders do not supportnot Xlinesoft

Xlinesoft

  • Building an internal web application on top of an existing SQL databasenot LimeSurvey
  • Replacing a Microsoft Access application with a browser-based onenot LimeSurvey
  • Creating admin interfaces and customer or partner portals with role-based accessnot LimeSurvey
  • Agencies and freelancers delivering self-hosted database applications to clientsnot LimeSurvey
  • Teams that need low-code tooling but must keep applications on their own serversnot 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.

Xlinesoft

  • The purchase includes one year of support and upgrades only; after that, newer versions require a paid upgrade.
  • Multiple database connections, REST API connections and single sign-on through Active Directory, Okta or SAML are Enterprise-only, which raises the price from $599 to $999 per developer.
  • Self-hosted only. Hosting, database administration, backups, runtime updates and access-control configuration remain the customer's job, as Xlinesoft's own product facts page states.
  • Applications built on Microsoft Access require a Windows web server.
  • PHPRunner and ASPRunner.NET are separate products with separate licences, so moving a project between PHP and .NET is not covered by one purchase.

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

Xlinesoft

$599/one-time
  • PHPRunner Professional$599/one-time
    • Single developer licence
    • Core application-building product
    • One year of email support and upgrades
  • PHPRunner Enterprise Edition$999/one-time
    • Single developer licence
    • Multiple database and REST API connections
    • Data encryption
  • PHPRunner MultiDev Edition$3599/one-time
    • Three Enterprise Edition licences
    • Multiple developers working on the same project at the same time
    • One year of email support and upgrades
  • ASPRunner.NET Professional$599/one-time
    • Generates ASP.NET web applications
    • Same database coverage and security model as PHPRunner
    • Enterprise Edition available

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 Xlinesoft if

  • You need database to web application.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want page designer and themes.
Xlinesoft review

Questions people ask

Is LimeSurvey or Xlinesoft better?
Neither clearly leads. LimeSurvey starts at Free and Xlinesoft at $599/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LimeSurvey or Xlinesoft?
LimeSurvey has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LimeSurvey and $599/one-time for Xlinesoft.
Does LimeSurvey or Xlinesoft run on more platforms?
LimeSurvey runs on Web, Self-hosted. Xlinesoft runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
Can I use LimeSurvey for free?
Yes. LimeSurvey has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xlinesoft starts at $599/one-time.
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 Xlinesoft is typically brought in for.
What can LimeSurvey do that Xlinesoft cannot?
LimeSurvey covers Self-hosted deployment, Question type depth, Expression manager, Quotas and screening. Xlinesoft covers Database to web application, Page Designer and themes, Events, custom code and AI assistance, Security and dynamic permissions.

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.

Xlinesoft: How much does PHPRunner cost?

PHPRunner Professional is $599, Enterprise Edition is $999 and MultiDev Edition, which includes three Enterprise licences, is $3,599. Professional and Enterprise prices are per developer, and each purchase includes one year of email support and free upgrades.

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.

Xlinesoft: Which databases does PHPRunner support?

MySQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, Informix, SQLite and ODBC-compatible databases. Using multiple database connections in one project is an Enterprise Edition feature.

Source
LimeSurvey: Can it handle complex research designs?

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

Xlinesoft: Is there a free trial?

Yes. PHPRunner can be downloaded and evaluated for 21 days, and public live demos show the generated applications, with add, edit and delete disabled.

Source
Xlinesoft: Where do PHPRunner applications run?

On your own web server. The documented options are Apache and Microsoft IIS with a compatible PHP runtime and database extensions, and a built-in web server is available for local testing. The development application itself runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Source
Xlinesoft: What does the Enterprise Edition add?

Multiple database and REST API connections, data encryption, and enterprise authentication including Active Directory, Okta, Azure AD, OpenID and SAML, on top of all Professional features.

Source
Xlinesoft: What is ASPRunner.NET?

Xlinesoft's equivalent builder for ASP.NET. It generates database-driven ASP.NET web applications with the same kind of forms, reports, charts, permissions and Page Designer, and is sold separately from $599.

Source
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