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Research · head to head

REDCap vs Zonka Feedback

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
Zonka Feedback logo

Zonka Feedback

Surveys

Multi-channel CX feedback platform with quoted pricing based on response volume and AI data credits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Zonka Feedback no pricing tier is published for either the core product or the AI add-on, so total cost is unknown until a sales quote is obtained.
  • They diverge on capability: REDCap covers Form and survey designer, Zonka Feedback covers Multi-channel surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which REDCap and Zonka Feedback actually diverge.

Attributes where REDCap and Zonka Feedback differ
AttributeREDCapZonka Feedback
PlatformsWeb, Linux, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryResearchSurveys

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 REDCap

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

Only in Zonka Feedback

  • Multi-channel surveys
  • Kiosk and offline mode
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Case management
  • AI Feedback Intelligence
  • Reputation management

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 Zonka Feedback
  • A hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloudnot Zonka Feedback
  • An investigator initiated trial that needs randomisation, an audit trail and statistical export without a commercial EDC budgetnot Zonka Feedback
  • A multi site academic collaboration where each site can be given scoped access to a single longitudinal projectnot Zonka Feedback

Zonka Feedback

  • A multi-location retailer or clinic wanting kiosk-based feedback capture alongside digital surveysnot REDCap
  • A CX team that needs closed-loop case management to assign and track resolution of negative feedbacknot REDCap
  • A hospitality operator wanting reputation management alongside direct feedback collectionnot REDCap
  • A company with high volumes of open-ended feedback wanting AI theme extraction rather than manual taggingnot 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.

Zonka Feedback

  • No pricing tier is published for either the core product or the AI add-on, so total cost is unknown until a sales quote is obtained.
  • The AI Feedback Intelligence product is priced separately on data credits, meaning a buyer who wants both feedback collection and AI analysis is negotiating two line items, not one.
  • Third-party pricing estimates in the low hundreds to near a thousand dollars a month vary enough that budgeting from public sources alone is unreliable.
  • Kiosk hardware and offline capture are a strength for physical locations but add limited value to a purely digital-only business, which pays for a capability it does not use.
  • It is a smaller vendor than Medallia or Qualtrics, so enterprise buyers evaluating analyst-recognised platforms may not shortlist it despite comparable core features.

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

Zonka Feedback

On request
  • Feedback Management$undefined/month
    • Priced by response volume
    • Multi-channel surveys and case management
    • 14-day free trial
  • AI Feedback Intelligence$undefined/month
    • Priced by AI data credits, separate from Feedback Management
    • Theme extraction, sentiment and impact analysis

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 Zonka Feedback if

  • You need multi-channel surveys.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want kiosk and offline mode.
Zonka Feedback review

Questions people ask

Is REDCap or Zonka Feedback better?
Neither clearly leads. REDCap starts at On request and Zonka Feedback at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, REDCap or Zonka Feedback?
REDCap starts at On request and Zonka Feedback at On request.
Does REDCap or Zonka Feedback run on more platforms?
REDCap runs on Web, Linux, Windows. Zonka Feedback runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Zonka Feedback is typically brought in for.
What can REDCap do that Zonka Feedback cannot?
REDCap covers Form and survey designer, Longitudinal projects, Data quality rules, Randomisation. Zonka Feedback covers Multi-channel surveys, Kiosk and offline mode, Real-time dashboards, Case management.

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.

Zonka Feedback: Is pricing published anywhere?

No. Zonka quotes pricing based on feedback volume for the core product and data credits for AI Feedback Intelligence; nothing is listed as a fixed price.

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.

Zonka Feedback: Is AI Feedback Intelligence included in the base plan?

No, it is sold and priced separately from core feedback management.

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.

Zonka Feedback: Does it support offline feedback collection?

Yes, kiosk and tablet devices can capture feedback without a live network connection, which is a differentiator against purely web-based survey tools.

REDCap: Who supports it?

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

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