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Surveys · head to head

KoboToolbox vs Zonka Feedback

KoboToolbox logo

KoboToolbox

Surveys

Offline-first data collection for humanitarian, development and research field work

From
Free
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

  • Only KoboToolbox has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: KoboToolbox the free Community plan caps at 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of file storage, and any form collecting photographs exhausts storage long before it exhausts the submission count.; 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: KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, 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 KoboToolbox and Zonka Feedback actually diverge.

Attributes where KoboToolbox and Zonka Feedback differ
AttributeKoboToolboxZonka Feedback
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month by submission countquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 KoboToolbox

  • Offline data collection
  • XLSForm and browser form builder
  • Skip logic and validation
  • Multilingual forms
  • GPS and media capture
  • Exports and analysis
  • Self-hosting

Only in Zonka Feedback

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

Both cover

  • Case management

What people use each for

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

KoboToolbox

  • A rapid needs assessment after a disaster where enumerators work for days without mobile coveragenot Zonka Feedback
  • A ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasonsnot Zonka Feedback
  • An NGO running the same longitudinal household survey in four languages across three countriesnot Zonka Feedback
  • A research group that needs a free instrument for a modest sample and an SPSS export at the endnot Zonka Feedback

Zonka Feedback

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

Where each one falls short

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

KoboToolbox

  • The free Community plan caps at 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of file storage, and any form collecting photographs exhausts storage long before it exhausts the submission count.
  • The Starter paid plan allows only 1,000 submissions a month for $21, which is fewer than the free nonprofit tier, so a small commercial user pays more for less than a charity gets free.
  • Eligibility for the free plan depends on Kobo's assessment of your organisation and purpose, which introduces an approval step that a consultancy working on behalf of an NGO may not clear.
  • Self-hosting is genuinely possible but the stack is substantial to deploy and maintain, so a ministry choosing it for data residency reasons takes on real infrastructure staffing cost.
  • Analysis and reporting inside the platform are basic compared with dedicated tools, so most serious use exports to Excel, Power BI or statistical software, and that export step is where data governance often gets loose.

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

KoboToolbox

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free for qualifying nonprofit and public good organisations
    • 5,000 submissions per month
    • 1 GB file storage
  • Starter$21/month
    • 1,000 submissions per month
    • 0.5 GB file storage
    • For private and for-profit use
  • Professional$129/month
    • 25,000 submissions per month or 300,000 per year
    • Unlimited file storage
    • Priority support
  • Teams$undefined/month
    • 50,000 submissions per month or 600,000 per year
    • Shared team administration
    • Pricing published by plan tier

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 KoboToolbox if

  • You need offline data collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, Self-hosted.
  • You also want xlsform and browser form builder.
KoboToolbox 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 KoboToolbox or Zonka Feedback better?
Neither clearly leads. KoboToolbox starts at Free and Zonka Feedback at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KoboToolbox or Zonka Feedback?
KoboToolbox has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for KoboToolbox and On request for Zonka Feedback.
Does KoboToolbox or Zonka Feedback run on more platforms?
KoboToolbox runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted. Zonka Feedback runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use KoboToolbox for free?
Yes. KoboToolbox has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zonka Feedback starts at On request.
What is KoboToolbox best used for?
KoboToolbox is most often used for a rapid needs assessment after a disaster where enumerators work for days without mobile coverage, a ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasons, an ngo running the same longitudinal household survey in four languages across three countries, a research group that needs a free instrument for a modest sample and an spss export at the end. Of those, a rapid needs assessment after a disaster where enumerators work for days without mobile coverage and a ministry of health running a national survey that must be self-hosted in country for data protection reasons are not what Zonka Feedback is typically brought in for.
What can KoboToolbox do that Zonka Feedback cannot?
KoboToolbox covers Offline data collection, XLSForm and browser form builder, Skip logic and validation, Multilingual forms. Zonka Feedback covers Multi-channel surveys, Kiosk and offline mode, Real-time dashboards, AI Feedback Intelligence. Both handle Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KoboToolbox: Is KoboToolbox free?

Free for qualifying nonprofit and public good organisations under the Community plan, currently 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of storage. Commercial use requires a paid plan from $21 a month.

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.

KoboToolbox: Who funds it?

Kobo Inc is a US nonprofit funded roughly 38 per cent by grants and contributions and 62 per cent by service contracts, subscriptions and training, based on its 2024 figures.

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

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

KoboToolbox: Can I host it myself?

Yes. The server stack is open source and is regularly deployed in country for data residency reasons.

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.

KoboToolbox: Are forms portable?

Yes. It uses XLSForm and ODK standards, so instruments move between Kobo and other ODK-compatible servers.

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