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Research · head to head

Mendeley vs SurveyMonkey

Mendeley logo

Mendeley

Research

The free all-in-one reference manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SurveyMonkey logo

SurveyMonkey

Research

Turn feedback into action

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mendeley free tier limited to 5 Reading Assistant questions per month and 2GB storage; SurveyMonkey team plans require minimum 3 users as baseline
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mendeley and SurveyMonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Mendeley and SurveyMonkey differ
AttributeMendeleySurveyMonkey
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

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 Mendeley

Nothing recorded that SurveyMonkey does not also cover.

Only in SurveyMonkey

  • Survey builder
  • Question bank
  • Survey logic
  • Multi-language surveys
  • Mobile surveys
  • Real-time results
  • Data analysis tools
  • Custom branding

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mendeley

  • Storing and organizing large research librariesnot SurveyMonkey
  • Searching and querying PDFs in librarynot SurveyMonkey
  • Uncovering patterns and connections across referencesnot SurveyMonkey
  • Comparing experimental data across multiple studiesnot SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey

  • Market research and customer surveysnot Mendeley
  • Employee feedback and engagement trackingnot Mendeley
  • Data collection and analysisnot Mendeley
  • Customer satisfaction and NPS measurementsnot Mendeley

Where each one falls short

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

Mendeley

  • Free tier limited to 5 Reading Assistant questions per month and 2GB storage
  • Annual billing required to receive one free month equivalent discount
  • Storage limits restricted on Plus (5GB) and Pro (10GB) tiers

SurveyMonkey

  • Team plans require minimum 3 users as baseline
  • Annual response limits enforced: 50,000 responses/year on Team Advantage, 100,000 on Team Premier
  • Additional responses beyond annual limits charged at AED 0.50 per response
  • Enterprise plan requires custom pricing and minimum 5 users
  • Advanced features like multilingual surveys and phone support require Team Premier tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Mendeley

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2GB storage
    • 5 Reading Assistant questions per month
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • Unlimited Reading Assistant
    • 5GB storage
    • $55/year annual billing
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • Unlimited Reading Assistant
    • Compare Experiments
    • Ask My Library
  • Max$14.99/month
    • Unlimited Reading Assistant
    • Compare Experiments
    • Ask My Library

SurveyMonkey

Free
  • Team Advantage$99/month
    • 50,000 responses per year
    • Unlimited surveys and questions
    • 3 user minimum
  • Team Premier$240/month
    • 100,000 responses per year
    • All Team Advantage features
    • White label branding

Which should you pick?

Choose Mendeley if

  • You want to start without paying.
Mendeley review

Choose SurveyMonkey if

  • You need survey builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want question bank.
SurveyMonkey review

Questions people ask

Is Mendeley or SurveyMonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Mendeley starts at Free and SurveyMonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mendeley or SurveyMonkey?
Mendeley starts at Free and SurveyMonkey at Free.
Does Mendeley or SurveyMonkey run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mendeley for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mendeley best used for?
Mendeley is most often used for storing and organizing large research libraries, searching and querying pdfs in library, uncovering patterns and connections across references, comparing experimental data across multiple studies. Of those, storing and organizing large research libraries and searching and querying pdfs in library are not what SurveyMonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Mendeley do that SurveyMonkey cannot?
SurveyMonkey covers Survey builder, Question bank, Survey logic, Multi-language surveys.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mendeley: How much does Mendeley Premium cost?

Mendeley Plus costs $4.99 per month or $55 per year. Pro tier costs $9.99 per month or $110 per year. Max tier costs $14.99 per month or $165 per year. All annual plans include one free month of service.

Source
SurveyMonkey: How much does SurveyMonkey cost?

SurveyMonkey offers team plans starting at AED 99 per user per month for Team Advantage and AED 240 per user per month for Team Premier. Both plans require a minimum of 3 users. Billing can be monthly or annual.

Source
Mendeley: Is there a free version of Mendeley?

Yes, Mendeley offers a free tier with 2GB of storage and 5 Reading Assistant questions per month. No credit card is required for the free plan.

Source
SurveyMonkey: What are SurveyMonkey's overage fees?

SurveyMonkey charges AED 0.50 per additional response on paid plans beyond the annual limit included in each tier.

Source
Mendeley: What storage do different Mendeley plans include?

The free tier includes 2GB storage. Plus tier provides 5GB storage. Pro tier includes 10GB storage. Max tier offers unlimited storage across all your research libraries.

Source
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