SurveyMonkey alternatives: 5 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
Maquinaria de encuestas seria sin la factura empresarial; el autoalojamiento sigue implicando que tú gestionas la maquinaria
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup, one-click Ubuntu installer, Docker Compose, or Helm
enginesOptional Qwen 3 through bundled vLLM, or Google Vertex AI, Azure, AWS Bedrock and OpenAI-compatible endpoints
dataHosted data lives in Formbricks Cloud; self-hosted survey and response data lives in PostgreSQL, cache/jobs in Redis or Valkey, analytics through Cube, and uploads in S3-compatible storage.
the catch vs SurveyMonkeyFormbricks is excellent for product and customer feedback, but it lacks SurveyMonkey's mature research panel, broad question-bank ecosystem, and advanced statistical reporting.
setupThe current self-host stack includes PostgreSQL, Redis/Valkey, Formbricks Hub and Cube; uploads need object storage, and bundled AI needs an NVIDIA GPU.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Los modales de Typeform, sin la renta mensual
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup, or Docker Compose with MongoDB and KeyDB/Redis
enginesOptional OpenAI-compatible API for AI features; default model documented as gpt-3.5-turbo-0125
dataHosted data lives in HeyForm Cloud; self-hosted forms and responses live in MongoDB, cache/session data in KeyDB/Redis, and uploads on the server or S3-compatible storage.
the catch vs SurveyMonkeyHeyForm makes attractive surveys, but it does not match SurveyMonkey's advanced analysis, randomization, research methodology features, or respondent-panel access.
setupSelf-hosting needs Docker, a domain, reverse proxy/TLS, email configuration, and persistent database/storage volumes.
facts verified 2026-08-10
El motor de encuestas que hace casi todo, siempre que disfrutes administrando PHP
licenseGPL-2.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted Cloud signup, or download the Community Edition PHP package and run its web installer
dataCloud data lives in LimeSurvey's selected hosting region; self-hosted surveys and responses live in MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server, with multiple tabular/statistical export formats.
the catch vs SurveyMonkeyLimeSurvey has far deeper survey logic than most free tools, but its dense administration and self-hosting burden are much less approachable than SurveyMonkey, while its free cloud plan permits only 25 responses monthly.
setupThe useful unlimited route is self-hosting, which requires a PHP web server, database, mail, updates and backups; the hosted free plan permits only 25 responses per month.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Google Forms dentro de Nextcloud; la simplicidad es la función y la limitación
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour server
installInstall the Forms app from the Apps page of an existing Nextcloud server
dataForms and responses remain in the Nextcloud instance's database; response tables can be exported as CSV.
the catch vs SurveyMonkeyNextcloud Forms keeps responses under your control, but it is intentionally simple and lacks SurveyMonkey's advanced logic, templates, analysis, benchmarking, and respondent sourcing.
setupIt requires an already-running compatible Nextcloud server and administrator access to install and update the app.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Formularios, encuestas, cuestionarios y salida a Sheets; la sobriedad en el diseño es obligatoria
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installUse Forms in a Google account
enginesGemini-assisted form creation may be available on eligible Workspace plans; the free core product does not require an AI backend
dataForms are stored in Google Drive; responses live in Google Forms or a linked Google Sheet and can be downloaded as CSV.
the catch vs SurveyMonkeyGoogle Forms is effortless and exports cleanly to Sheets, but its design, branching, survey governance, and statistical analysis are basic compared with SurveyMonkey.
setupA Google account is required; there is no self-hosted option.
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Microsoft FormsThe personal free tier stops at 200 responses per form, so it is a demo with better branding
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formbricks | AGPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 12,700 | 2026-08 |
| HeyForm | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 8,881 | 2026-07 |
| LimeSurvey | GPL-2.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 3,700 | 2026-08 |
| Nextcloud Forms | AGPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 378 | 2026-08 |
| Google Forms | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
People still pay for SurveyMonkey because a basic form is trivial; people pay when the form feeds a dependable business workflow and never loses a response. The recurring cost buys spam control, email delivery, storage, exports, accessibility, conditional logic, and integrations, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $468 a year.
Is there a free alternative to SurveyMonkey?
Yes: Formbricks, HeyForm, LimeSurvey and 2 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own SurveyMonkey?
Our verdict is PARCIAL. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For SurveyMonkey, run a structured survey, calculate transparent summaries, and export responses. The hard boundary is panel access, benchmarking, templates, advanced logic, and enterprise governance, plus integrations, deliverability, and workflow depth. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/surveymonkey.
