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Surveys · head to head

SurveyCTO vs Zoho Survey

SurveyCTO logo

SurveyCTO

Surveys

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Survey logo

Zoho Survey

Surveys

Survey tool with a choice of data centre region, bundled into the wider Zoho suite

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; Zoho Survey the data centre region is set when the Zoho account is created and changing it later requires a vendor-assisted migration, so a hasty signup can lock an organisation into the wrong jurisdiction.
  • They diverge on capability: SurveyCTO covers XLSForm authoring, Zoho Survey covers Regional data centres.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SurveyCTO and Zoho Survey actually diverge.

Attributes where SurveyCTO and Zoho Survey differ
AttributeSurveyCTOZoho Survey
Pricing modelPer month by submission volumeFree tier, then per user per month
PlatformsWeb, Android, iOSWeb, iOS, Android

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

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

Only in Zoho Survey

  • Regional data centres
  • Zoho CRM integration
  • Logic and piping
  • Multilingual surveys
  • Report sharing

Both cover

  • Offline collection

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 Zoho Survey
  • An impact evaluation that needs audio auditing and timing metadata to prove interviews were conducted as reportednot Zoho Survey
  • A panel study revisiting the same households annually and needing offline case assignment to find them againnot Zoho Survey
  • A statistics unit that must keep data inside a specific region and produce a SOC 2 report for its fundernot Zoho Survey

Zoho Survey

  • An organisation already running Zoho CRM that wants survey responses on the customer record without integration worknot SurveyCTO
  • A buyer whose procurement requires European, Indian, Australian or Canadian data residencynot SurveyCTO
  • A support team measuring satisfaction after tickets close in Zoho Desknot SurveyCTO
  • A field team collecting responses offline and syncing when connectivity returnsnot 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

Zoho Survey

  • The data centre region is set when the Zoho account is created and changing it later requires a vendor-assisted migration, so a hasty signup can lock an organisation into the wrong jurisdiction.
  • The free tier caps both questions and responses per survey tightly, so it functions as an evaluation rather than a plan any team can run on.
  • Reporting and statistical analysis are thin compared with research-grade tools, and advanced methods such as conjoint or maximum difference scaling are absent.
  • Integrations outside the Zoho suite are shallow, so organisations on Salesforce, HubSpot or Microsoft stacks lose most of the value that makes the product attractive.
  • Interface conventions and quality vary across Zoho applications, so users moving between Survey, CRM and Analytics face inconsistent behaviour and separate learning curves.

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

Zoho Survey

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited surveys with a cap on questions and responses per survey
    • Basic reporting and link or email distribution
    • Zoho branding on surveys
  • Paid tiers$undefined/year
    • Priced per user with higher response allowances at each tier
    • Skip logic, piping, white labelling and offline collection unlocked by tier
    • Included for organisations licensing the Zoho One suite

Which should you pick?

Choose SurveyCTO if

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

Choose Zoho Survey if

  • You need regional data centres.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want zoho crm integration.
Zoho Survey review

Questions people ask

Is SurveyCTO or Zoho Survey better?
Neither clearly leads. SurveyCTO starts at Free and Zoho Survey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SurveyCTO or Zoho Survey?
SurveyCTO starts at Free and Zoho Survey at Free.
Does SurveyCTO or Zoho Survey run on more platforms?
SurveyCTO runs on Web, Android, iOS. Zoho Survey runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Zoho Survey is typically brought in for.
What can SurveyCTO do that Zoho Survey cannot?
SurveyCTO covers XLSForm authoring, Automated quality checks, Audio auditing, Case management. Zoho Survey covers Regional data centres, Zoho CRM integration, Logic and piping, Multilingual surveys. Both handle Offline 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.

Zoho Survey: Can I choose where my survey data is stored?

Yes, at account creation across several regions including Europe, India, Australia and Canada. Changing it afterwards requires a migration request to Zoho.

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.

Zoho Survey: Is it included in Zoho One?

Yes. If your organisation licences Zoho One, Survey is part of the suite, which usually removes the case for a separate survey subscription.

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.

Zoho Survey: Is it good enough for market research?

For basic questionnaires yes. For quota-managed or statistically demanding studies, a research-grade platform is a better fit.

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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