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Surveys · head to head

SurveyCTO vs Tally

SurveyCTO logo

SurveyCTO

Surveys

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tally logo

Tally

Surveys

Form builder with unlimited forms and responses on the free plan, edited like a text document

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Tally built-in analysis is limited to basic summaries, so any real analysis means exporting responses to a spreadsheet or database.
  • They diverge on capability: SurveyCTO covers Offline collection, Tally covers Document-style editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SurveyCTO and Tally actually diverge.

Attributes where SurveyCTO and Tally differ
AttributeSurveyCTOTally
Pricing modelPer month by submission volumeFree tier, paid for branding and team features
PlatformsWeb, Android, iOSWeb

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

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 SurveyCTO

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

Only in Tally

  • Document-style editor
  • Unlimited free responses
  • Conditional logic and calculations
  • Payment collection
  • Notion and Airtable sync
  • Custom domains

What people use each for

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

SurveyCTO

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

Tally

  • A startup collecting waitlist or beta signups that will grow well past a free response cap elsewherenot SurveyCTO
  • A small team that wants form submissions landing directly in Notion or Airtablenot SurveyCTO
  • A charity or community group running a public consultation with no software budgetnot SurveyCTO
  • A quick internal request or intake form that needs to exist within the hournot SurveyCTO

Where each one falls short

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

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

Tally

  • Built-in analysis is limited to basic summaries, so any real analysis means exporting responses to a spreadsheet or database.
  • There is no offline data collection, which rules it out for field research or events without reliable connectivity.
  • The company is very small and bootstrapped, so support is email and documentation with no account management, and some procurement processes will reject that.
  • Advanced research features such as quotas, randomisation and panel integration are absent, so it is a form builder rather than a research instrument.
  • Design control is deliberately narrow, so brands that need pixel-level form styling will find the theming options constraining even on the paid tier.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Tally

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited forms, questions and responses
    • Conditional logic, calculations and file uploads
    • Integrations including Notion, Google Sheets and webhooks
  • Tally Pro$29/month
    • Remove Tally branding
    • Custom domains and form redirects
    • Team workspaces and collaboration

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Tally if

  • You need document-style editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want unlimited free responses.
Tally review

Questions people ask

Is SurveyCTO or Tally better?
Neither clearly leads. SurveyCTO starts at Free and Tally at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SurveyCTO or Tally?
SurveyCTO starts at Free and Tally at Free.
Does SurveyCTO or Tally run on more platforms?
SurveyCTO runs on Web, Android, iOS. Tally runs on Web.
Can I use SurveyCTO for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SurveyCTO best used for?
SurveyCTO is most often used for a household survey with 200 enumerators across a country where paying per seat would cost more than the fieldwork, an impact evaluation that needs audio auditing and timing metadata to prove interviews were conducted as reported, a panel study revisiting the same households annually and needing offline case assignment to find them again, a statistics unit that must keep data inside a specific region and produce a soc 2 report for its funder. Of those, a household survey with 200 enumerators across a country where paying per seat would cost more than the fieldwork and an impact evaluation that needs audio auditing and timing metadata to prove interviews were conducted as reported are not what Tally is typically brought in for.
What can SurveyCTO do that Tally cannot?
SurveyCTO covers Offline collection, XLSForm authoring, Automated quality checks, Audio auditing. Tally covers Document-style editor, Unlimited free responses, Conditional logic and calculations, Payment collection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SurveyCTO: Do I pay per enumerator?

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

Tally: Is the free plan really unlimited?

Yes for forms, questions and responses. The paid tier sells branding removal, custom domains and team features rather than volume.

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.

Tally: Is Tally suitable for research surveys?

Only simple ones. It has logic and calculations but no quotas, randomisation or panel management.

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.

Tally: Is it GDPR compliant?

Tally is a European company operating under GDPR, and buyers with strict requirements should request the data processing agreement before rollout.

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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