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Marketing · head to head

Simple Analytics vs SurveyCTO

Simple Analytics logo

Simple Analytics

Marketing

Privacy-friendly analytics without cookies

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
SurveyCTO logo

SurveyCTO

Surveys

Offline field survey platform priced by submissions rather than seats, built for research data quality

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Simple Analytics the free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history; SurveyCTO pricing is by submission volume, forms and storage rather than by users, so a small team running continuous high-volume collection can pay more than a 200-person survey team that runs for six weeks
  • They diverge on capability: Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking, SurveyCTO covers Offline collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Simple Analytics and SurveyCTO actually diverge.

Attributes where Simple Analytics and SurveyCTO differ
AttributeSimple AnalyticsSurveyCTO
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by submission volume
PlatformsWebWeb, Android, iOS
CategoryMarketingSurveys
Founded2016Unknown

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 Simple Analytics

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Privacy-focused
  • GDPR compliant
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • English language support

Only in SurveyCTO

  • Offline collection
  • XLSForm authoring
  • Automated quality checks
  • Audio auditing
  • Case management
  • Random assignment
  • Server region selection

What people use each for

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

Simple Analytics

  • Cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent bannernot SurveyCTO
  • Keeping visitor data hosted in the EU for GDPR purposesnot SurveyCTO
  • Replacing or running alongside Google Analytics with a single-page dashboardnot SurveyCTO

SurveyCTO

  • A household survey with 200 enumerators across a country where paying per seat would cost more than the fieldworknot Simple Analytics
  • An impact evaluation that needs audio auditing and timing metadata to prove interviews were conducted as reportednot Simple Analytics
  • A panel study revisiting the same households annually and needing offline case assignment to find them againnot Simple Analytics
  • A statistics unit that must keep data inside a specific region and produce a SOC 2 report for its fundernot Simple Analytics

Where each one falls short

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

Simple Analytics

  • The free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • Data older than 30 days is automatically deleted on the free plan
  • The paid plan starts at $20 per month for 100,000 pageviews and includes only 1 user, with each extra user costing another $20 per month
  • Single Sign-On, role-based access, SOC 2 documentation, an SLA and raw data export are Enterprise features quoted only by demo request
  • On yearly plans, exceeding your estimated limit gives you one week to raise it before Simple Analytics raises it for you
  • Paying by Bitcoin adds 10% and is only offered on yearly billing
  • Bank transfer is only available for bills from $500 and adds 10% in banking and service fees
  • Unlimited pageviews on the free plan are subject to a fair use policy rather than a stated number

SurveyCTO

  • Pricing is by submission volume, forms and storage rather than by users, so a small team running continuous high-volume collection can pay more than a 200-person survey team that runs for six weeks
  • Forms are authored in XLSForm spreadsheet syntax, which is precise and versionable but has a real learning curve, and organisations without someone comfortable in it stall at form design
  • Overage is charged at 100 US dollars per 1,000 extra submissions, which is easy to trigger on the Basic tier at 5,000 a month and produces surprise invoices during an active field round
  • Server region selection only appears on the Pro tier and a custom GDPR data processing agreement only on Advanced, so European data protection requirements push the price to at least 315 and often 630 dollars a month regardless of volume
  • It is built for structured research fieldwork, not for business process forms, so it has no dispatch, no invoicing and no formatted document output, and a field service business would be buying the wrong tool

Pricing, plan by plan

Simple Analytics

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 30-day data retention
    • Fair use policy applies
    • Unlimited pageviews within fair use
  • Self-Serve$20/month
    • Monthly or annual billing (2 months free with yearly)
    • 1 user included; additional users $20/month each
    • Up to 5 sites per user
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing available upon demo request
    • Traffic recovery (20-60% of invisible traffic)
    • Raw data access

SurveyCTO

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Permanent free subscription for testing and training
    • 10 forms
    • 200 monthly submissions
  • Basic$225/month
    • Billed annually, 250 USD month to month
    • 100 forms
    • 10 GB storage
  • Pro$315/month
    • Billed annually, 350 USD month to month
    • 500 forms
    • 25 GB storage
  • Advanced$630/month
    • Billed annually, 700 USD month to month
    • Unlimited forms, storage and submissions
    • Advanced offline case management

Which should you pick?

Choose Simple Analytics if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Simple Analytics review

Choose SurveyCTO if

  • You need offline collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, iOS.
  • You also want xlsform authoring.
SurveyCTO review

Questions people ask

Is Simple Analytics or SurveyCTO better?
Neither clearly leads. Simple Analytics starts at Free and SurveyCTO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Simple Analytics or SurveyCTO?
Simple Analytics starts at Free and SurveyCTO at Free.
Does Simple Analytics or SurveyCTO run on more platforms?
Simple Analytics runs on Web. SurveyCTO runs on Web, Android, iOS.
Can I use Simple Analytics for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Simple Analytics best used for?
Simple Analytics is most often used for cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent banner, keeping visitor data hosted in the eu for gdpr purposes, replacing or running alongside google analytics with a single-page dashboard. Of those, cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent banner and keeping visitor data hosted in the eu for gdpr purposes are not what SurveyCTO is typically brought in for.
What can Simple Analytics do that SurveyCTO cannot?
Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Privacy-focused. SurveyCTO covers Offline collection, XLSForm authoring, Automated quality checks, Audio auditing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Simple Analytics: How much does Simple Analytics cost?

Simple Analytics offers a free plan forever and a Self-Serve plan at $20/month per user (or $240/year with 2 months free). Enterprise pricing is available upon request.

Source
SurveyCTO: Do I pay per enumerator?

No. Users and devices are unlimited on every paid tier. You pay for monthly submissions, forms and storage.

Simple Analytics: What currencies does Simple Analytics accept?

Simple Analytics accepts Euros, US Dollars, and British Pounds. Payment methods include credit/debit cards, Bitcoin (with +10% fee), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Bank transfers are available for invoices $500+, with 10% additional fees applied.

Source
SurveyCTO: Is there a free version?

Yes, a permanent community subscription with 10 forms, 200 monthly submissions and 200 MB of storage, intended for testing and training rather than production.

Simple Analytics: How long is the free trial?

Simple Analytics offers a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card to start.

Source
SurveyCTO: What happens if I exceed my submissions?

Extra credits are 100 US dollars per 1,000, with discounts of 20 per cent or more at volume. Plan the tier around your peak field month, not your average.

Simple Analytics: Can I cancel Simple Analytics anytime?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any moment without penalties or notice requirements.

Source
SurveyCTO: Can I choose where the data is stored?

Only on Pro and above. If data residency matters, budget for at least the Pro tier.

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