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Research · head to head

SurveySparrow vs Thermo SampleManager LIMS

SurveySparrow logo

SurveySparrow

Research

Survey and feedback platform for employee engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thermo SampleManager LIMS logo

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

Research

Enterprise LIMS for regulated QC laboratories, with LES and SDMS in one product

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SurveySparrow has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SurveySparrow the free plan allows 75 responses per quarter, 3 active surveys and 10 questions per survey; Thermo SampleManager LIMS no pricing is published in any form, and Thermo Fisher routes even basic cost questions through a request for quote, so early stage budget planning is guesswork.
  • They diverge on capability: SurveySparrow covers Survey creation, Thermo SampleManager LIMS covers Sample lifecycle management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SurveySparrow and Thermo SampleManager LIMS actually diverge.

Attributes where SurveySparrow and Thermo SampleManager LIMS differ
AttributeSurveySparrowThermo SampleManager LIMS
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, Linux
Founded2011Unknown

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 SurveySparrow

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

Only in Thermo SampleManager LIMS

  • Sample lifecycle management
  • Specifications and OOS handling
  • Laboratory execution system
  • Scientific data management
  • Stability studies
  • Instrument management
  • Environmental monitoring

What people use each for

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

SurveySparrow

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

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

  • A pharmaceutical QC laboratory that needs enforced method execution and electronic signatures for GMP release testingnot SurveySparrow
  • A multi site chemical or petrochemical business standardising sample handling and specifications across laboratoriesnot SurveySparrow
  • A water or environmental testing laboratory with high sample throughput and regulatory reporting obligationsnot SurveySparrow
  • A laboratory replacing a LIMS plus separate LES and SDMS estate and wanting to retire two integrations along with the old systemnot SurveySparrow

Where each one falls short

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

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

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

  • No pricing is published in any form, and Thermo Fisher routes even basic cost questions through a request for quote, so early stage budget planning is guesswork.
  • Implementation is configuration heavy and normally requires Thermo Fisher professional services or a specialist partner, and services costs routinely exceed the licence cost in the first year.
  • Computer system validation is the customer responsibility on top of implementation, so a GMP laboratory carries a validation programme of its own before go live and repeats a subset of it at every upgrade.
  • Cloud hosting is charged as an annual fee scaled to licence count, so seats drive infrastructure cost as well as licence cost and occasional users are expensive twice.
  • The product carries a long codebase history and its configuration model is specialist, which makes in house administrators hard to recruit and creates a dependency on external consultants for changes that would be self service in a newer LIMS.

Pricing, plan by plan

SurveySparrow

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

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

On request
  • SampleManager LIMS$undefined/year
    • Quoted through the Thermo Fisher sales team, nothing published
    • Annual hosting fee calculated on the number of licences for cloud deployments
    • Deployment as Thermo managed AWS, on premise, or customer cloud

Which should you pick?

Choose SurveySparrow if

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

Choose Thermo SampleManager LIMS if

  • You need sample lifecycle management.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want specifications and oos handling.
Thermo SampleManager LIMS review

Questions people ask

Is SurveySparrow or Thermo SampleManager LIMS better?
Neither clearly leads. SurveySparrow starts at Free and Thermo SampleManager LIMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SurveySparrow or Thermo SampleManager LIMS?
SurveySparrow has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SurveySparrow and On request for Thermo SampleManager LIMS.
Does SurveySparrow or Thermo SampleManager LIMS run on more platforms?
SurveySparrow runs on Web. Thermo SampleManager LIMS runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
Can I use SurveySparrow for free?
Yes. SurveySparrow has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thermo SampleManager LIMS starts at On request.
What is SurveySparrow best used for?
SurveySparrow is most often used for running conversational surveys and nps programmes, collecting employee and customer feedback on a schedule, embedding surveys in websites, email and chat channels. Of those, running conversational surveys and nps programmes and collecting employee and customer feedback on a schedule are not what Thermo SampleManager LIMS is typically brought in for.
What can SurveySparrow do that Thermo SampleManager LIMS cannot?
SurveySparrow covers Survey creation, Engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, Analytics dashboard. Thermo SampleManager LIMS covers Sample lifecycle management, Specifications and OOS handling, Laboratory execution system, Scientific data management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Thermo SampleManager LIMS: Does SampleManager include LES and SDMS?

Yes. Laboratory execution and scientific data management are part of the product rather than separate purchases, which removes two integration projects.

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
Thermo SampleManager LIMS: How much does it cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is quoted, and cloud deployments carry an annual hosting fee based on licence count.

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
Thermo SampleManager LIMS: Is it validated when I buy it?

Thermo Fisher supplies qualification documentation, but computer system validation of your configured instance remains your responsibility.

Thermo SampleManager LIMS: Can I run it on premise?

Yes. Thermo managed AWS, on premise and customer cloud deployments are all offered.

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