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Research · head to head

REDCap vs SurveySparrow

REDCap logo

REDCap

Research

Research data capture licensed free to non-profits, and not licensable at all to companies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SurveySparrow logo

SurveySparrow

Research

Survey and feedback platform for employee engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SurveySparrow has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: REDCap a for-profit company cannot hold a licence or self-host REDCap, so a biotech or CRO that liked it at university simply cannot deploy it the same way and must buy a commercially licensed hosted version instead.; SurveySparrow the free plan allows 75 responses per quarter, 3 active surveys and 10 questions per survey
  • They diverge on capability: REDCap covers Form and survey designer, SurveySparrow covers Survey creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which REDCap and SurveySparrow actually diverge.

Attributes where REDCap and SurveySparrow differ
AttributeREDCapSurveySparrow
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Linux, WindowsWeb
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: 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 REDCap

  • Form and survey designer
  • Longitudinal projects
  • Data quality rules
  • Randomisation
  • Audit trail and e-signature
  • API and exports

Only in SurveySparrow

  • Survey creation
  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Mobile app
  • Custom templates
  • Action planning
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

REDCap

  • An academic research group at an institution that already runs REDCap, where a new study database costs nothing beyond the time to build itnot SurveySparrow
  • A hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloudnot SurveySparrow
  • An investigator initiated trial that needs randomisation, an audit trail and statistical export without a commercial EDC budgetnot SurveySparrow
  • A multi site academic collaboration where each site can be given scoped access to a single longitudinal projectnot SurveySparrow

SurveySparrow

  • Running conversational surveys and NPS programmesnot REDCap
  • Collecting employee and customer feedback on a schedulenot REDCap
  • Embedding surveys in websites, email and chat channelsnot REDCap

Where each one falls short

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

REDCap

  • A for-profit company cannot hold a licence or self-host REDCap, so a biotech or CRO that liked it at university simply cannot deploy it the same way and must buy a commercially licensed hosted version instead.
  • Because each institution hosts its own instance, support, uptime, backup and version currency vary by university, and a researcher has no recourse to Vanderbilt when the local instance is two years out of date.
  • It is free of licence fee but not free of cost: the hosting institution carries server, security, patching and support staffing, which is why some institutions charge internal recharges per project.
  • Validation for regulated use is the deploying institution responsibility, so an instance is not Part 11 compliant simply because REDCap supports the features; someone locally has to produce and maintain the evidence.
  • The interface and reporting are dated compared with commercial survey and EDC tools, and complex logic is built through data dictionary spreadsheets rather than a modern visual builder, which slows non technical study teams.

SurveySparrow

  • The free plan allows 75 responses per quarter, 3 active surveys and 10 questions per survey
  • The Basic and Starter plans include a single user; extra users cost $49 per user per month
  • Responses are metered per month and additional responses or API calls require a custom quote from sales
  • Custom branding requires the Business plan
  • CSS customisation, auto translation, Key Driver Analysis and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only
  • The advertised savings of up to 40 percent require annual billing rather than quarterly

Pricing, plan by plan

REDCap

On request
  • REDCap non-profit licence$undefined/year
    • No licence fee to non-profit and government institutions that join the consortium
    • Institution must install and host it on its own infrastructure
    • For-profit organisations may not hold a licence or self-host

SurveySparrow

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic surveys
    • Limited questions
    • Standard reports
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Advanced surveys
    • Unlimited questions
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose REDCap if

  • You need form and survey designer.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want longitudinal projects.
REDCap review

Choose SurveySparrow if

  • You need survey creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want engagement surveys.
SurveySparrow review

Questions people ask

Is REDCap or SurveySparrow better?
Neither clearly leads. REDCap starts at On request and SurveySparrow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, REDCap or SurveySparrow?
SurveySparrow has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for REDCap and Free for SurveySparrow.
Does REDCap or SurveySparrow run on more platforms?
REDCap runs on Web, Linux, Windows. SurveySparrow runs on Web.
Can I use SurveySparrow for free?
Yes. SurveySparrow has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. REDCap starts at On request.
What is REDCap best used for?
REDCap is most often used for an academic research group at an institution that already runs redcap, where a new study database costs nothing beyond the time to build it, a hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloud, an investigator initiated trial that needs randomisation, an audit trail and statistical export without a commercial edc budget, a multi site academic collaboration where each site can be given scoped access to a single longitudinal project. Of those, an academic research group at an institution that already runs redcap, where a new study database costs nothing beyond the time to build it and a hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloud are not what SurveySparrow is typically brought in for.
What can REDCap do that SurveySparrow cannot?
REDCap covers Form and survey designer, Longitudinal projects, Data quality rules, Randomisation. SurveySparrow covers Survey creation, Engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, Analytics dashboard.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

REDCap: Is REDCap really free?

The licence is free to non-profit institutions and government organisations that join the consortium, but they must host and support it themselves, so there is real internal cost.

SurveySparrow: Does SurveySparrow offer a free plan?

Yes, SurveySparrow offers a forever free plan with 3 active surveys, 10 questions per survey, and 75 responses per quarter. No credit card is required to sign up.

Source
REDCap: Can my company use REDCap?

Not by holding a licence or self-hosting. For-profit organisations must use a separately licensed commercial hosted route.

SurveySparrow: How much do SurveySparrow's paid plans cost?

SurveySparrow does not publish specific pricing amounts on its website. Basic, Starter, and Business plans are available with varying response limits and user counts. Enterprise requires contacting the company for a custom quote.

Source
REDCap: Is REDCap 21 CFR Part 11 compliant?

It has the features to support Part 11 use, but compliance depends on how the hosting institution configures, validates and documents its own instance.

SurveySparrow: Can I add more users to my SurveySparrow plan?

Yes, additional users can be added at $49 per month per user beyond what is included in each plan tier.

Source
REDCap: Who supports it?

Your local institutional REDCap administrator, not Vanderbilt. Support quality varies by site.

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