This information-gathering through feedback and insight from various stakeholders including customers, employees, etc., is necessary to making the right decisions in today’s data-driven world. Online surveys are now among the most popular methods of gathering such information. It could be for market research, employee satisfaction or customer feedback gathering. Online survey makers present it in a convenient, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
In this article, we will discuss 12 of the best online survey tools available. We will see what features and benefits they bring to the table and briefly explain why they may be the right choice for your needs.
What Do I Mean by Online Survey?
An online survey, in the real sense, refers to a questionnaire taken through the internet. This mostly happens through a tool or platform set for the survey. Such tools make it easy for customization questionnaires to be possible and even apply any form of question. The data collected is often electronic and hence very easily possible to analyze and interpret the results.
These online questionnaires are highly in demand since they remove paper forms, phone interviews, or people from the process of collecting data. It provides a scalable solution that covers an immense No. of people at a cost that barely represents only a fraction of the time and cost used in employing traditional methods of surveying. The respondent is able to give his answers promptly anywhere in the world since instant processing of data is allowed.
Why Do I Advise You to Use Online Surveys Tools?
1. Convenience and Accessibility
Anyone who owns the internet can access online questionnaires. This implies that the respondents get to submit their forms at their comfort therefore, giving high response rates in the end, thus getting a wide demographics regardless of where you may seek those candidates.
2. Cost-Effective
Traditional surveys by phone interview or in-person questionnaire are expensive to run-considering travel, data entry, and printing. Online surveys can be much less costly; there are also plentiful free- or low-cost tools that provide broad features.
3. Customization and Branding
Most online survey tools allow you to personalize your surveys so that they reflect your brand identity. You can put a logo, change colour schemes, and even change question formats, so your surveys can really look professional and personalized.
4. Analysis of data
Best Online survey tools for business feature built-in analytics to make the processing and interpretation of results much easier. Therefore, you quickly make sense of the responses by summary statistics and advanced visualizations to draw actionable insights from them, thereby saving too much time that would be wasted in manual data entry or analysis.
5. Time Saving
Online surveys are built for speed. The platform will automatically collect responses and compile those into reports, saving you hours of work. Most tools also let you see how response rates and data are tracking in real time.
6. Better Data Quality
Since online survey tools tend to check answers on the fly-for instance, to ensure a required field has been filled in-the data should therefore be of greater quality. Some are more geared toward highlighting inconsistencies in their own answers.
How I Shortlisted the Survey Tools
There are plenty of options. To narrow this down to the best options and save them hassle and even time for any potential inconvenience, I consider a couple of the most critical criteria that most creators look for when designing their online survey:
1. Ease of Use:
Having a good user interface that provides drag-and-drop features saves one plenty of time, especially when you’re a first-time survey creator.
2. Customizability:
I needed to look for tools which provide wide ranges of customizations-from branding options all the way down to types of questions and the flexibility of designing a survey.
3. Advanced features:
The best tool is more than just a basic survey. Seek out tools that have advanced features like logic jumps, branching, integration into other platforms, and of course, amazing analytics.
4. Pricing:
While there are so many free tools available, the best survey tools come with very good value in paid plans, through features that are enhanced or advanced reporting capabilities.
5. Support and Resources:
Comprehensive customer support, tutorials, and documentation can ensure a smooth experience.
6. Data Security:
Amidst times when data privacy has become a concern, I looked to focus on tools that allow secure data storage and have compliance with regulations like GDPR.
Comparison Table
| Tool Name | Pricing |
| Google Forms | Free |
| SurveySparrow | Free, Business ($99/month) |
| Qualtrics | Custom Pricing, Enterprise ($1500/year) |
| Zoho Forms | Free, Premium ($10/month) |
| JotForm | Free, Paid ($29/month) |
| SurveyPlanet | Free, Pro Plan ($20/month) |
| Cognito Forms | Free, Team Plan ($15/month) |
| Wufoo | Professional Plan ($19/month) |
| Alchemer | Basic ($49/month) |
| Formshare | Team Plan ($29/month) |
| Formbricks | Free, Hosted ($39/month) |
| Fillout | Free, Professional ($29/month) |
12 Best Online Survey Tools To Try in 2024
1. Google Forms
- Rating: 4.7/5
- Best For: Simple surveys and academic research
Google Forms is one of the most handy and best online survey tools for academic research available in the marketplace today. It very easily integrates with other Google Workspace apps, making it highly useful for schools and small companies, wherein the interface is clean and intuitive, learning curve minimal and thus enables users to create professional-looking surveys within minutes.
Its collaboration tools allow multiple users to work on a single survey simultaneously. Response tracking, which happens in real-time along with automatic data visualization, can yield quick analysis anytime. Surveys can be added to websites, and it can be administered through different channels, making it highly versatile for most use cases.
- No. of Surveys: Unlimited
- No. of Responses Allowed: Unlimited
Key Features
- Real-time collaboration
- Automatic response collection in Google Sheets
- No skipped logic
- No branch
- File upload
- Personalized theme and branding
- Mobile responsive UI
Pros
- Totally free
- User friendly interface
- Smoothened integration with Google Workspace
- Good collaboration features
- Real time response tracking
Cons
- No customization options
- Lacking basic analytical capabilities
- Does not have advanced survey logic
- Too restricted question types
- White-labeling not supported
Pricing
- Free
2. SurveySparrow
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Best For: Conversational surveys and customer feedback
SurveySparrow is different in the innovation it brings in what it calls “conversational surveys, much more like normal chats rather than questionnaires.” The new approach to designing surveys under this system will definitely see a higher fill rate among the respondents due to its intriguing interface and mobile-first design philosophy. It also supports classic as well as chat-like experiences for surveys and thus is suitable for many use cases and audiences.
The platform is very rich in features, with advanced workflow automation, options for styling, and much more powerful integration capabilities with the business tools that are most popular. The company’s focus on the user experience benefits both the person making the survey and the respondent, thus it is a good alternative for businesses seeking meaningful feedback.
- No. of Surveys: Varies
- No. of Responses Allowed: 100-Unlimited (according to plan)
Key Features
- Conversational interface
- NPS surveys supported
- Multi-language support
- Advanced logic and piping
- Offline surveys collection
- Work-flows that can be automated as per a customer’s prescription.
Pros
- High completion rate
- Slick looking user interface
- Good template library
- Has advanced automation features
- Provides very detailed analytics.
Cons
- Too costly for small organizations
- The curve to learn how to use the advanced features of the app is pretty steep
- Only has a really limited free version
- Mobile app is somewhat behind
Pricing
| Plan | Cost |
| Free | 0 |
| Business | $99/month |
3. Qualtrics
- Rating: 4.8/5
- Best For: Research of enterprise level, complex surveys
Qualtrics would be described as the gold standard of survey and research platforms at enterprise levels. They have built depth in features and capabilities that exist without parallel. It is designed to handle complex survey requirements and yet maintains the scientific rigor in both data collection and analysis. It has advanced statistical tools, sophisticated branching logic, and comprehensive reporting.
It has a very high analytical engine that helps scan for enormous data and finally serves worthwhile insights with many statistical methods and visualizations. More pluses the platform offers are industry-specific solutions and customizable workflows, thereby giving flexibility in methodologies and organizational research diversity requirements.
- No. of Surveys: Unlimited Responses
- No. of Responses Allowed: Unlimited in its enterprise plans
Key Features:
- Advanced Statistical Analysis
- Text Analysis and Sentiment Scoring
- Complex Survey Logic
- Employee Experience Management
- Brand tracking
- Academic research tools
Pros:
- The elaborate research facility
- Elaborate analytics and reporting
- Good feature to ensure security
- It is at the helm of any industrial process logic
- Excellent data visualization
Cons
- Extreme learning curve
- Too expensive for small organizations
- The user interface is extremely complex
- Need to learn for a long period before used at the maximum level
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Custom Pricing | Varies |
| Enterprise | $1500/year |
4. Zoho Forms
- Rating: 4.4/5
- Best For: Business process automation and data collection
The Zoho Forms application is well known to generate web forms and online surveys that are rich in features and integrate with other apps and third-party tools.
It is an all-inclusive business solution to offer automation of data collection processes and, eventually, ease workflows. It provides the user with flexibility and customization through its drag and drop interface that ensures the form created looks exactly like their brand identity.
With extremely powerful integration capabilities, Zoho Forms can link up with CRM systems, payment gateways, and more, creating end-to-end automated workflows. Advanced features include e-signatures, payment collection, and multi-language support.
- No.of Surveys: Based on plan
- No. Of Responses Allowed: 500-Unlimited
Key Features:
- Collect electronic signatures
- Payment through integration
- Workflow automation
- Data collection offline
- Custom scripting
- Mobile app
Pros:
- Integration capabilities are strong
- Excellent workflow automation
- Comprehensive form fields
- Good value for money
- Mobile friendly
Cons
- Interface overwhelming sometimes
- Few templates
- Some features required technical knowledge to operate
- Support response time can be better
Pricing:
| Plan | Pricing |
| Free | 0 |
| Premium | $10/monthly |
5. JotForm
- Rating: 4.6/5
- Best For: Visual form building and e-commerce integration
JotForm is a flexible form builder with a rich library of templates and strong e-commerce functionalities. The platform offers users an intuitive and drag-and-drop interface allowing easier creation of complex, involved forms. Its outstanding feature is the capacity to accept payments via multiple payment gateways that can be super convenient for businesses that sell products or services through forms.
This platform has advanced widgets and integrations with the form builder, which makes it possible to create everything from simple contact forms to complex order forms with calculation fields. The latest additions of mobile forms and HIPAA compliance features on JotForm have further expanded its utility across various industries.
- No. of Survey : 5-Unlimited (plan dependent)
- No. of Responses Allowed: 100-Unlimited
Key Features:
- 10,000+ templates
- Payment processing
- PDF form creator
- Mobile forms
- HIPAA compliance
- Conditional logic
Pros:
- Extensive template library
- Strong features of e-commerce
- Robust file uploads
- Excellent form widgets
- Good mobile support
Cons
- Limits on form submission in lower tiers
- Pricey for high volume
- Some advanced features require technical know-how
- Storage limits on basic plans
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Free | 0 |
| Paid | $29/month |
6. SurveyPlanet
- Rating: 4.3/5
- Best For: Quick and easy making of a survey
SurveyPlanet approaches the activity of making a survey quite straightforward, aimed toward simplicity and ease of use. It boasts one of the most intuitive interfaces in the marketplace, making it even more appealing to beginners and for anyone who needs to create surveys quickly. It features a strong set of pre-written questions and templates that a user can use to hasten creating his or her own surveys.
The clean design philosophy of the platform carries into the survey-taking experience, so respondents can focus on thoughtful answers without distraction. It may lack some of the really advanced features in premium tools, but SurveyPlanet really delivers essential functionality in an accessible package.
- No. of Surveys: Unlimited
- No. of Responses Allowed: Unlimited
Key Features:
- Pre-written survey questions
- Customization of the survey theme
- Branching logic
- Export of results
- Embedded survey
- Multiple language support
Pros:
- Very user-friendly interface
- Generous free plan
- Unlimited surveys and responses
- Quick creation of surveys
- Clean design of the survey
Cons:
- Limited advanced features
- Basic analytics capabilities
- Question types are limited
- No payment integration
- Branching logic is limited in the free plan
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Free | 0 |
| Pro Plan | $20/month |
7. Cognito Forms
- Rating: 4.4/5
- Best For: Advanced arithmetic and conditional logic
Cognito Forms is ideal for complex forms with heavy calculations and logistic conditions. What strikes me a lot here is the ability to mathematicize and to add dynamic form building that fits according to whatever user input there will be. It comes very well with fantastic form-building abilities from simple contact forms to large form orders complete with correct mathematical calculation.
It is its power to produce real forms that can calculate and display information in real-time time which makes it ideal in price quotes, orders, and financial applications. Other than that, Cognito Forms has solid capabilities of data management, which can be relied on to collect, organize, and analyze form submissions within an organization.
- No. of Surveys: By plan
- No. of Responses Allowed: 500 – Unlimited
Key Features:
- Advanced calculations
- Electronic signatures
- Uploading files
- Payment processing
- Sharing entries Custom branding
Pros:
- Good power calculation abilities
- Strong conditional logic
- Good value for money in terms of features
- Excellent data structuring
- Comes with safe data handling
Cons:
- Steep learning curve
- Less template selection
- Responsive display on mobile
- Only basic reporting functionality.
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Free | 0 |
| Team Plan | $15/month |
8. Wufoo
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Best For: Auto Forms and Collecting Payments
Wufoo owns really powerful automated capabilities combined with robust forms building, and that is why it is best for businesses looking to ease their data collection processes. It brings simplicity and sophistication in the same workflow because complex forms can be created yet the one trying to create doesn’t have to be techy about the same. Its form builder is well-furnished with excellent features, such as accepting payments, uploading files, and customizable notifications.
All of this is manageable while remaining easy on the interface. Wufoo is really powerful because it auto-tiaries the workflow with full integration options and a strong API. The platform offers reporting tools, which are full-length in nature, letting the user analyze submissions and monitor other performance metrics better.
- No. of Surveys: 3-Unlimited (plan dependent)
- No. of Responses Allowed: 100-Unlimited
Key Features:
- Rule builder
- Payment integration
- File upload
- Custom themes
- API access
- Report builder
Pros:
- The automation features at the top
- Amazing integration options
- Elaborative reports
- User-friendly interface
- Consistent performance
Cons:
- Base plans include entry of only few forms
- Old interface
- Less recent design options
Pricing
| Plan | Cost |
| Professional Plan | $19/month |
9. Alchemer
- Rating: 4.7/5
- Best for: Advanced market research and customer insights
Alchemer, formerly SurveyGizmo, is also one of the more all-inclusive research platforms and does not focus on basic survey functions. This gives the platform even more advanced capabilities in terms of market research, customer feedback, and even employee engagement surveys. The advanced features include sophisticated question types, apart from the complex logic.
It also includes very strong analytical tools and can support even large-scale research projects. Alchemer underlines data security and compliance and is quite good for enterprises and companies that handle sensitive data. It allows integration with different business systems, and it also has an API capability set that ensures free data flow between various tools and platforms.
- No. of Surveys: Unlimited No. of surveys
- No. of responses: It is dependent on the No. of the plan
Key Features
- Advanced question logic
- Custom scripting
- Text analytics
- Multilanguage surveys
- Strong security features
- API access
Pros
- In-depth research features
- Strong data security
- Support from customers is strong
- Reports are advanced
- There are strong integration capabilities
Cons
- Overpriced for small business
- It is a tough interface
- It has a lot of learning curve
- Few features are available in more simple plans
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Basic | $49/month |
10. Formshare
- Rating: 4.2/5
- Best for: Group form development and data collection
Formshare was founded with the belief that teams need to work better at executing and collecting data on their form development projects. The interface also gives a collaborative space where various members of an organization can develop and analyze the survey. Its approach to the designing of forms lies in the features which include real-time collaboration, version control, and management of permissions by the team.
This makes it excellent for cases involving multiple stakeholders in the same process of creating a survey or analyzing data collected. Formshare also has fantastic data visualization tools and allows you to share results with the rest of your team in real time.
- No. of Surveys Allowed: Based on plan
- No. of Responses: 1,000-Unlimited
Key Features:
- Real-time collaboration
- Version control
- Team permissions
- Data Visualization
- Custom Branding
- API Integration
Pros:
- Best collaboration features available
- Excellent for team management
- Real-time sharing of data
- Easy to use
- Deployable to any deployment
Cons:
- It lacks some features of its advanced versions
- Analyses are quite simple
- The No. of templates is very limited.
- Way, way costlier in terms of deploying large teams.
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Team | $29/month |
11. Formbricks
- Rating: 4.3/5
- Best For: Open-source survey solutions
Formbricks is a new way of building surveys as it is an open-source solution that presents a platform with hosted and self-hosted options. The platform will give developers and organizations complete control over their infrastructure for surveying, maintaining professional-grade features. Its architecture allows for extensive customization and integration options and, therefore makes it the preference for businesses that require special adjustments or whose clients are adamant in being totally and completely owning the data.
This platform supports in-product surveys, user targeting, and enhanced branching logic, all while keeping the core experience simple and intuitive. The commitment of the Formbricks to transparent and community-driven development is particularly appealing to organizations that have technical know-how.
- No. of Surveys: Unlimited Amount of
- No. Responses Allowed: Support the open-source version
Key Features:
- Self-hosting available
- Option for in-product surveys
- Ability to target the users
- Custom application developed API access to own applications
Pros
- Fully owned data High degree of customizability
- Active Community
- No lock-in with vendor Modern interface
Cons
- Requires technical experience Minimal template choices
- Self-hosting can be complicated Analytics is basic in the free variant
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Free | 0 |
| Hosted | $39/month |
12. Fillout
- Rating: 4.4/5
- Best for: Developer-friendly form creation.
Fillout is distinct as a developer-centric form builder with enough features and the scope for full customization of options available. Coupled with its rich API-first approach, the features of the platform happen to be made even more ideal for developers needing form functionality integrated into their applications.
It also provides advanced features like custom JavaScript callback functions, support for webhooks, and greater form validation capabilities. Focus remains on high scalability and performance. It best serves needs with considerable heavy traffic in applications and more complex form configuration requirements. Fillout provides services for non-techie users- visual form builder with other developer-friendly features.
- No. of Surveys: Available depending on the plan.
- No. Of Responses Allowed: You may accommodate up to 500-U.
Key Features:
- Advanced Integration API.
- Custom JavaScript support
- Webhook integrations
- Form validation
- File handling
- Custom styling
Pros:
- High developer features
- Excellent API documentation
- Good performance
- Flexible customization
- Modern tech stack
Cons:
- Easy learning curve for non-developers
- Limited No. of templates
- Premium features are costly
- Basic visual modification
Pricing:
| Plan | Cost |
| Free | 0 |
| Professional | $29/month |
Tips for Creating Effective Online Surveys
1. Defining the Purpose of Your Survey:
First, before you decide on a tool, first define the purpose of your survey. Whether this is to collect customer feedback or to do a market study, knowing your goal will allow you to determine what questions to ask and how to design your survey.
2. As Brief and Simple as Possible:
The shorter the survey, the more likely respondents are to complete it. Avoid very broad questions or long-winded complicated questions. A general rule of thumb is that a survey should not take up more than 5-10 minutes.
3. Free of Leading or Biased Questions:
A survey using leading or biased questions provides low-quality responses. This will be achieved if questions are phrased clearly and neutrally. Additionally, you ought to ask clear questions that are easily understandable for the target audience.
4. Pretest Your Survey:
You should pretest your survey before administering it to large audiences. Testing the survey helps find all existing errors, unclear phrases, and technical issues.
5. Offer Incentives:
Offering incentives such as a discount, a gift card, or even an entry into a raffle has been proven to increase response rates by healthy margins.
Conclusion
Depending on your needs, whether it is simplicity, design, or more analytically advanced, you can choose the right online survey tool for you. Follow these tips to make an effective survey and gather valuable data to help you make good decisions about your business or project. These top 12 online survey tools are best suited for your survey needs.
FAQs
1. What is the best online survey tool for beginners?
Google Forms is the easiest and most accessible for beginners.
2. Is the online survey free?
Most online survey tools provide basic plans for free and advanced functionalities with a price tag attached.
3. How to get the respondents to answer my online survey?
Online incentives, shorter surveys, and a smooth method of accessing boost the response rate significantly.
4. Is there any automatically generated report on the survey findings?
All these online survey tools often provide automatic analysis and reporting features which analyze the finding and give sense.
