I first used SurveyMonkey while working as a CPA on a compliance project. At the time, it felt like the only real option. But after spending thousands of dollars, running into limitations, and getting nowhere with support, it became clear that most survey tools are not built to help users: they are built to serve investors.
That experience inspired me to build a team and launch SurveyKing. With a background in both finance and software, I set out to offer something better—an affordable, powerful SurveyMonkey alternative.
Since launching in 2015, we’ve helped over 50,000 users, including unions, universities, and nearly every branch of government, collect feedback, manage research, and build custom workflows.
I tested nearly every survey platform while building SurveyKing and writing this article. Whether you choose us or not, this breakdown reflects firsthand experience from someone who’s worked with the world’s largest companies as both a financial analyst and a developer—roles that demand objectivity, attention to detail, and data-driven decision-making.
In the process of writing this article and building SurveyKing, I personally tested nearly every survey platform available. Whether you choose SurveyKing or not, what you’ll find here is a breakdown rooted in real testing, from someone who’s worked as both a financial analyst and a developer for some of the largest organizations in the world.
| Alternative | Min. Price | Selling Features |
|---|---|---|
| SurveyKing | $19/mo | Simplicity, research tools |
| Alchemer | $55/mo | Comprehensive reporting |
| SurveySparrow | $39/mo | Third-party integrations |
| QuestionPro | $99/mo | Enterprise, education focus |
| Qualtrics | $1,000+ | Research tools, tailored modules |
| SurveyHero | $35/mo | Ease of use, themes |
| TypeForm | $29/mo | Beautiful UI, calculator, quizzes |
| Sogolytics | $199/mo | Enterprise focus |
| Pointerpro | $69/mo | Assessments, themes |
| Opinion Stage | $39/mo | Easy of use, video question |
| Google Forms | Free | Easy of use, free |
| Microsfot Forms | Free | Easy of use, free |
| Delighted | $19/mo | Tracking NPS |
| Conjointly | $1,800/yr | Advanced research tools |
| Smartsurvey | $40/mo | Easy of use |
| Shout | $13/mo | Price, CRM integrations |
| SurveyLegned | $13/mo | Price, themes |
| Zoho Survey | $9/mo | Price, ease of use |
| BlockSurvey | $29/mo | Data security |
| Survio | $18/mo | Simple UI, shareable reports |
| SurveyPlatent | $20/mo | Easy of use, cost |
| Jotform | $39/mo | Templates |
| 123 Form Builder | $37/mo | Templates, themes |
| Paperform | $19/mo | Event registration, assessments |
| HubSpot | $20/mo | Custom properties, bulk email |
| Usersnap | $39/mo | Customer feedback |
| Gorilla | $240/yr | Advanced experiments |
Why People Are Leaving SurveyMonkey
After working with thousands of users who made the switch, a few key reasons repeatedly come up. If you’re evaluating SurveyMonkey alternatives, these are the pitfalls to keep in mind.
These issues are exactly why we built SurveyKing to offer hands-on support, advanced features on every plan, and real research tools without enterprise pricing. But whether you choose us or another tool, understanding these limitations can save you thousands—and hours of frustration.
1. Poor Support or Customization
The number one reason people leave SurveyMonkey is the support or lack thereof. We’ve had countless customers say, “Wait… you can build that for us in a week? SurveyMonkey wouldn’t even help us.”
When you’re running large surveys or complex workflows, responsive human support can be the difference between being stuck and scaling. Every project is unique and often needs a few custom touches. Yet SurveyMonkey offers limited hands-on help, even for paying customers.
2. Too Expensive
SurveyMonkey’s pricing model is a common source of frustration. You are charged per response once you cross a certain threshold, often leading to surprise bills in the thousands—even for simple large-scale surveys.
Team features such as shared dashboards and global settings require an enterprise plan, often out of reach for small organizations and schools. Features like cross-tabulation and phone support start at $1,500 yearly.
3. Limited Features for Individual Users
Individual users are also locked into confusing limitations. The lowest-tier upgrade is $99 per month or $468 per year, but even at that level, you do not get access to key features such as:
- Matrix or rating questions
- Star ratings
- Advanced logic in both survey building and reporting
- Multi-layered filtering
You are limited to basic skip logic and minimal customization while paying premium pricing.
4. Weak Research Functionality
From a serious research standpoint, SurveyMonkey falls short. While it allows you to build a basic questionnaire with tools like image choice, click maps, and a simplified best-worst question (not a true MaxDiff), it lacks the advanced features researchers need to make decisions, such as:
- MaxDiff (full version with probabilities)
- Conjoint analysis
- Van Westendorp pricing (optimal price points)
- Gabor-Granger studies (revenue maximizing price)
If you’re doing product-market fit work or pricing research, you’re on your own.
5. Outdated Survey Builder
Despite a recent update early in 2025, the builder feels sluggish and clunky:
- Still no use of modern frameworks like ReactJS
- No way to reorder answer choices
- No display logic—only skip logic
- Ranking questions force users to rank every option, even when only a top 2–3 is needed
- Navigating between pages is slow and frustrating
6. Voting Limitations (Unions and Member Organizations)
SurveyMonkey is surprisingly limited in terms of union votes or secure elections. You can only use a single passcode, with no option to assign multiple codes to prevent duplicate votes or restrict access. This limitation makes it unsuitable for high-integrity voting scenarios.
7. No True White Label
If you’re a market research firm or agency conducting surveys on behalf of clients, there’s no real white label option. The closest you’ll get is research.net, a SurveyMonkey-branded domain. You can’t use your own URL, which weakens brand control and client trust.
27 SurveyMonkey Alternatives: Competitors, Better Tools
Below is a detailed breakdown of 27 SurveyMonkey alternatives, including direct competitors and platforms that offer more power, flexibility, or value. Each review highlights key strengths, drawbacks, and a simplified pricing summary—so you can quickly compare options without digging through complicated pricing pages.
1. SurveyKing
Yes, we’re ranking SurveyKing first because it was built specifically for people frustrated with SurveyMonkey and other overpriced enterprise tools.
We offer simple, low-cost pricing packed with advanced features and, most importantly, real support to ensure your project succeeds. One of our favorite parts of running SurveyKing is working directly with users to build custom workflows, solving problems bigger platforms won’t respond to. Every improvement we’ve made has come from listening to people like you looking for something better.
If you’re wondering how we actually compare, this table makes it easy:
| Feature | SurveyKing | SurveyMonkey |
|---|---|---|
| Support | Can build custom features upon request | $1,500 minimum for basic phone support |
| Price | $19 a month. Enterprise starts at $500 annually | The minimum of $99 monthly or $468 annually to get started. Enterprise can be as much as $5,000+ |
| Research Questions | All except a/b tests | Virtually none. A/b tests are useful |
| Advanced Logic | Build advanced skip, display, or report rules | Adanved logic and cross tabs are $1,500 minimum. |
| Ease of Use | Eaiset to use on the marekt. Question import option from Google docs, Word. | Clunky. Hard to use. Can’t do simple things like answer reorder. |
| QR Code Surveys | Custom designed for your brand | No design options |
| White Labeling | Can use your own company subdomain. Example | Can only use research.net or a subdomain still using SurveyMonkey |
| Notifications | Can add custom PDFS for things assessments | Basic responses |
For just $19 per month, you get access to advanced question types like MaxDiff and Conjoint, robust reporting tools, and direct access to real humans—something no other tool offers at this price point.
The builder is fast and intuitive, with an import feature that lets you copy surveys directly from Word or Google Docs. Need someone to build your survey? For just $100, our integrated consulting service will create your survey (and logic if needed) with a 48-hour turnaround and two months of free upgrades to complete your project.
SurveyKing also includes one of the best anonymous survey features available. Device information, IP, and timestamps are not logged. For password-protected surveys, authors cannot view the submitted codes. With anonymous email collectors, you can track who has completed a study without compromising anonymity.
For enterprise users, we offer true white labeling with your domain, custom HTML and CSS, and full API access to manage surveys and responses dynamically. This is ideal for agencies and research teams that need a fully branded experience.
Of course, no tool is perfect. SurveyKing does not yet offer answer piping, block-level quota logic, or statistical testing in cross-tabs. However, for most users switching from SurveyMonkey, you will gain far more flexibility, cost savings, and support. If you need advanced functionality, reach out. We can build it for you under a low-cost enterprise license.
Best For: Teams switching from SurveyMonkey who want advanced features, full anonymity, and real support without enterprise pricing.
Pricing: $19 per month (Enterprise from $500 per year)
Key Features: MaxDiff and Conjoint, anonymous surveys, white labeling, API access, flat-rate consulting, Word and Google Doc import
2. Alchemer
Alchemer, (formerly SurveyGizmo) is one of the best all-around survey platforms on the market, especially for teams that need robust reporting and advanced research features at a mid-range price.
The builder is relatively easy to use, though it can feel a bit crowded at times. Still, it supports advanced question types like MaxDiff, Conjoint, and image heatmaps, along with strong answer piping to carry responses from one question to another. This is something most platforms struggle with.
Where Alchemer really stands out is in its reporting tools. You can build reports on the fly, segment results, and apply complex filters using advanced logic. It is a significant step up from SurveyMonkey when it comes to post-survey data analysis.
One standout feature is automated data cleaning. Alchemer can identify and flag low-quality responses, such as straight-liners or speeders, helping to improve data integrity without manual cleanup.
Another unique capability is the ability to integrate R scripts directly into your survey for custom statistical processing. This is an extremely valuable feature for more technical research teams.
Best For: Teams switching from SurveyMonkey who want to conduct serious research.
Pricing: Starts at $55 per month or $315 per year for basic access. For research-focused question types, the full access license starts at $1,895 per year.
Key Features: Custom question developer kit, research question types, advanced reporting, automated data cleaning, R script integration.
3. SurveySparrow
SurveySparrow is an excellent choice for teams that need seamless integrations across platforms. It connects with Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Analytics, Mailchimp, and more. The interface is clean and modern, and the platform supports a variety of question types and themes.
The reporting section is well organized, with easy-to-build filters and segment reports. SurveySparrow also supports multilingual surveys, making it ideal for global teams that need to reach audiences in multiple languages.
The Reputation Management module is a standout feature allowing you to manage and monitor reviews from platforms like Google and Amazon. The AI-powered sentiment analysis summarizes customer feedback and tracks performance by location, all in one dashboard.
While the builder includes helpful features like answer piping, there are some limitations. For example, you cannot rank a top three in ranking questions; all items must be ranked. The platform also lacks a multi-row opinion scale, limiting Likert-style survey flexibility. There are no research question types available. The form displays one question at a time by default, and although a section break option exists, some formatting elements, such as explanatory text, did not consistently display during testing.
Best For: Organizations looking for a user-friendly tool with strong integrations and built-in sentiment tracking.
Starting Price: $19 per month for basic features and 2,500 responses. Business plans with advanced question types start at $720 per year, billed quarterly or annually. Monthly billing is not available.
Key Features: Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Analytics, and Mailchimp integrations; constant sum and payment collection; answer piping; multilingual support; AI sentiment analysis; centralized review dashboard.
4. QuestionPro
QuestionPro is a robust survey platform for enterprises, large organizations, and academic institutions. It offers a wide range of statistical tools, dashboards, and question types, making it feel like a simpler, more affordable version of Qualtrics.
It offers the most extensive variety of question types in the industry. QuestionPro is the only tool on this list, including MaxDiff, Conjoint, Van Westendorp, and Gabor Granger. Other standout options include image heatmaps, constant sum, cascading dropdowns, push-to-social, signature capture, stopwatch, and CAPTCHA questions. It’s also one of the only tools with a timer element, ideal for quizzes or assessments that need to be completed within a set time.
QuestionPro offers custom scripting, block flow, answer piping, and a powerful logic engine for teams that need advanced customization. One standout feature is the market segmentation simulator for Conjoint analysis—you can test different product concepts and instantly compare projected market share. No other survey platform offers a tool quite like this.
Despite the feature set, the UI has a few quirks. The distribution page defaults to email, with the web link tucked away in the top corner. Some actions, like changing a question type, aren’t intuitive—or even possible in some cases. Reporting is split into multiple dashboards (standard vs. research), which can add complexity for first-time users. Even basic things like changing the question type—I couldn’t figure it out.
Surprisingly, even on this advanced platform, we couldn’t create a “rank top 3 of 10” question—something increasingly common and available on tools like SurveyKing.
Best For: Enterprises, large organizations, and institutions needing a powerful research platform with advanced question types and custom logic.
Pricing: $1,188/year for the advanced plan. Access to research questions and Conjoint reporting requires a custom quote.
Key Features: Market share simulator, full suite of research question types, custom scripting, advanced logic and reporting, customer/employee experience modules, more affordable than Qualtrics for similar functionality.
5. Qualtrics
Qualtrics is one of the most advanced survey platforms available, built for large-scale research and enterprise-level programs. It supports tools such as MaxDiff, Conjoint, and Gabor Granger, along with dedicated modules for employee and customer experience.
One standout feature is the ability to embed custom JavaScript into surveys, which is useful for advanced logic or UI customization. Qualtrics also offers an active community forums where users can share solutions and troubleshoot issues collaboratively.
However, the biggest drawback is pricing. We have seen institutions quoted over $50,000 just for a support package. Several clients have switched to SurveyKing after being priced out of a renewal or left with limited options.
Usability is another concern. While the UI is powerful, it often feels crowded and unintuitive. Even basic skip logic takes time to configure, and branching logic is difficult to manage. The report builder is also clunky, with no easy way to share live results via a simple web link.
In testing, we experienced slow load times in the reporting section. In one instance, a basic survey response took over two minutes to appear. Before it loaded, the platform displayed a “no data found” message, indicating a delay on the backend.
Best For: Large teams and institutions conducting advanced research, custom-scripting workflows, or full-scale customer and employee feedback programs.
Pricing: Not publicly listed. One visible option after creating an account is a research license at $420 per month.
Key Features: MaxDiff, Conjoint, Gabor Granger, dedicated customer and employee modules, JavaScript embedding, community support, and Single Sign-On for universities and large organizations.
6. SurveyHero
SurveyHero is a user-friendly online survey tool that balances simplicity with solid functionality, making it a compelling alternative to SurveyMonkey. While it may not offer the most advanced features, its elegant interface, and efficient reporting capabilities provide significant value for its price point.
The builder is clean and intuitive, allowing for easy creation of surveys with features like skip and display logic. Users can quickly generate segment reports and apply filters, streamlining the data analysis process.
A standout feature is the ability to export surveys to PDF, particularly useful for creating paper forms for offline responses. SurveyHero also supports multilingual surveys, enabling you to reach a diverse audience effectively.
The tool supports a full white label, including your own subdomain and custom CSS. You can also embed custom JavaScript. These features are available with the enterprise license.
Best for: Individuals and organizations seeking a simple, cost-efficient survey tool without the complexity of more advanced platforms.
Pricing: $35/month for unlimited responses. $59/month for more advanced feature like logic. $255 a month for enterprise and true white label.
Key Features: User-friendly survey builder with drag-and-drop functionality. Skip and display logic for tailored survey paths. PDF export for offline survey distribution. Multilingual support.
7. TypeForm
Typeform is renowned for its visually appealing and interactive surveys, offering a user-friendly interface that enhances respondent engagement. It is particularly well suited for simple surveys and quizzes, providing a conversational experience that feels more like a dialogue than a traditional form.
While Typeform excels in design, it has significant limitations for more advanced use cases. It does not support multi-page surveys or advanced question types such as Conjoint or MaxDiff. Multi-rating questions are also limited, with only matrix-style formats available.
Reporting features are basic, with no support for advanced filtering, segmentation, or data-cleaning capabilities. The AI-powered summary tool is little more than simple text tagging. For any meaningful data analysis, you will need to export responses to Excel.
One unique feature is the Calculator, which allows you to assign scores or prices to responses. This is ideal for order forms or scoring-based quizzes. Typeform also includes reCAPTCHA to prevent spam submissions and a dedicated Quiz Mode that can be toggled on or off, making it easy to build assessments for education or hiring workflows.
The platform integrates with tools such as Mailchimp, Google Sheets, and Salesforce, helping you automate workflows and sync data with your existing systems.
However, the free plan only allows ten responses per month. To remove branding, add custom redirects, or collect more than 750 responses, you will need to upgrade to a higher plan.
Best For: Individuals and teams looking for visually engaging, interactive surveys or quizzes that do not require advanced analytics.
Pricing: $29 per month for 100 responses. To collect over 750 responses or enable custom redirects, the Business plan is required at $99 per month.
Key Features: Visually engaging interface, calculator feature for scoring or pricing, integrations with Mailchimp, Google Sheets, and Salesforce, reCAPTCHA spam protection, dedicated quiz mode, and basic reporting with Excel export.
8. Sogolytics
Sogolytics is a feature-rich survey platform designed for businesses, academic institutions, and organizations that require advanced survey capabilities. It offers a wide range of question types and robust reporting tools, making it a versatile choice for complex projects.
One standout feature is the Drill-Down question, which allows respondents to answer multiple interdependent dropdowns. This is perfect for location- or category-based survey flows. Sogolytics also offers constant sum questions with text input, which is especially useful for finance-related or budget allocation surveys. Other unique options include signature blocks, CAPTCHA, and symbol-based ratings. The ranking question even allows users to rank a top three, which is more uncommon than it should be.
The platform’s assessment and quiz tools include automatic scoring, category tagging, and result display, making it ideal for training, education, or certification use cases. Sogolytics also includes AI-powered analytics to identify response patterns and track trends, along with built-in text translation for multilingual surveys.
However, there is a major flaw. In multi-page surveys, responses are not saved when a user clicks “Next Page.” Unless the full survey is completed, all previous answers are lost. This can result in significant data loss. To enable page-level saving, users must upgrade to the highest-tier plan.
The user interface is also quite cluttered. Even simple actions can involve multiple steps. For example, creating a web link takes four steps, and saving a question involves selecting from several “Done” buttons. Matrix questions automatically flip columns into rows on mobile devices, which can make Likert scales harder to read and interpret.
In early 2025, Sogolytics released an update that allows users to test advanced question types with a 10-day trial. This change makes the platform easier to evaluate. Previously, a demo request was required. However, some advanced features—such as segment reports—still require a scheduled demo to gain access.
Best For: Organizations and institutions needing a comprehensive survey tool with advanced question types, assessments, and AI-driven analytics.
Pricing: $25 per month (billed annually) includes 1,500 monthly responses and core features. The $66 per month plan adds advanced question types, including Net Promoter Score. Full access is available at $99 per month, which unlocks assessments, analytics, and multilingual features.
Key Features: Drill-Down questions, numeric allocation, signature blocks, CAPTCHA, AI-powered analytics, automatic scoring for assessments, multilingual support, and broad distribution options via email, SMS, social media, or embedded surveys.
9. Pointerpro
We included Pointerpro (formerly Survey Anyplace) in the top 10 because it solves a unique need that most survey platforms overlook: the ability to create custom PDF reports from survey responses. This feature is ideal for delivering personalized assessments or detailed, branded reports to respondents.
At SurveyKing, we have built similar one-off PDF solutions for clients, but Pointerpro provides a full report builder that allows you to generatedynamic, branded PDFs without coding.
From a survey perspective, Pointerpro covers all the basic question types and includes constant sum. The image choice question is exceptionally well designed, making it an excellent option for market research. The platform also has a modern theme builder with stylish backgrounds and flexible layouts.
While the interface is generally easy to use, the survey builder can feel clunky at times. There is no drag-and-drop functionality, and you may find yourself clicking “Save” frequently to progress through your workflow.
Best For: Consultants, coaches, and HR professionals who need to deliver customized assessments with branded, downloadable reports. Ideal for quizzes, personality tests, and maturity assessments.
Pricing: $69/month includes 2,000 monthly responses and most features. Access to the PDF builder (ReportR) and advanced logic, like custom formulas, requires a custom plan via sales.
Key Features: Create white-labeled PDFs from individual survey results, advanced logic and scoring for assessments, well-designed image choice questions, and stylish themes.
10. Opinion Stage
Opinion Stage is a no-code survey builder focused on creating interactive, one-question-at-a-time experiences. This format helps reduce survey fatigue and improves completion rates, especially for casual or mobile-first audiences.
The platform supports common question types, such as multiple-choice, open-ended (short and long text), and image/video-based questions. While it doesn’t offer advanced research options, it’s capable of quick feedback, quizzes, or content-driven lead generation.
Opinion Stage includes basic skip logic, which allows for a more personalized experience by showing or hiding questions based on previous answers. This improves both flow and response quality. There’s also a library of pre-made templates and an AI survey generator that can instantly create a draft survey based on your goals.
One standout is that API access is available even on free accounts, making it easy to integrate and test before upgrading. The builder is clean and intuitive, with no required technical skills—ideal for non-developers or solo operators.
Best For: Individuals and small teams looking to create visually engaging, low-friction surveys, quizzes, or feedback forms with minimal setup or tech overhead.
Pricing: $39/month for 2,500 monthly responses and core features. $79/month includes 10,000 responses, branding removal, and question randomization. Enterprise pricing includes custom CSS and a dedicated account manager.
Key Features: One-question-at-a-time interface, image, and video questions skip logic, free-tier API access, AI survey generator, and template library.
Additional Platforms
To keep this article focused, we’ve only listed the top 10 tools in detail above. But there are other platforms worth mentioning. Below is a quick summary of 16 additional survey tools—not ranked, just grouped together for reference. Some are simple and free, others are highly specialized for specific use cases.
I’ve personally tested all of these tools both currently and the past nine years as I’ve helped lead SurveyKing. And while writing this section, I reviewed their latest pricing pages and help docs to make sure the info here is up to date.
Google Forms – Probably the most well-known free survey tool. It supports basic question types like multiple choice, ratings, and open-ended responses—enough to collect simple feedback or pilot data for more complex studies. You get unlimited responses, but exports don’t include start times, making it hard to detect speeders or clean data by timing.
Microsoft Forms – Similar to Google Forms, but with a few upgrades. It includes a built-in Net Promoter Score question, automatic survey closing by date, response editing, and email receipts. The export is also cleaner—showing both start and submission times—making it easier to review response quality.
Delighted – A platform built specifically for tracking Net Promoter Score over time. It offers a clean interface to explore responses, filter by attributes like store location or product type, and establish NPS benchmarks across segments. Pricing starts at $19/month for 50 responses, with $249/month allowing 500 responses. The API is available, but pricing requires a quote. Discounts available on annual plans.
Conjointly – A specialized platform for advanced research. It offers every method you can think of: Conjoint, MaxDiff, Monadic Tests, Kano Model, Brand-Price Trade-Off, Product Variant Selector, and more. Each question type includes built-in reports designed for that method. Pricing starts at $1,895/year for a single license.
SmartSurvey – A UK-based platform that’s clean, easy to use, and offers more than just the basics. It supports question types like constant sum and semantic differential, along with a solid theme builder. Plans start at $40/month for core features and 1,000 responses. To unlock ranking questions and unlimited responses, you’ll need the $90/month plan.
Shout – A hybrid tool for surveys and quizzes. It supports simple question types, Net Promoter Score, A/B testing, and even a calculator feature. The report builder is solid—you can apply advanced filters, compare groups, and choose which elements appear in shared reports. Pricing starts at $20/month for 1,000 responses, or $156/year for unlimited responses.
SurveyLegend – A visually focused survey tool with one standout feature: its image ranking question. Images are well formatted for different sizes, and users can click to rank their top three—plus you can redirect based on image choice, which is great for market research. The free plan allows 1,000 responses but no data export. For $19/month, you can use logic/branching and collect 5,000 responses, but can only export 1,000 of them.
Zoho Survey – A surprisingly robust and affordable option. It covers all the essentials, plus advanced questions like Net Promoter Score, continuous sum, matrix dropdowns, and signature fields. The reporting section is easy to navigate and supports filters and exports. Pricing starts at $9/month for 1,000 responses, with $35/month giving you 3,000.
BlockSurvey – A privacy-focused platform that supports MaxDiff, Conjoint, and Gabor Granger, though it lacks built-in statistical tools. Its standout feature is token-gated survey access, which helps protect anonymity—especially for sensitive use cases. Pricing starts at $29/month for 500 responses, and goes to $49/month for 3,000. Strong option for research-minded users who prioritize security.
Survio – A simple, user-friendly platform with question types like Net Promoter Score, image choice, and semantic differential scales. It doesn’t support segmentation or cross-tab reports, so advanced analysis needs to be done manually in Excel. However, you can share reports, and the PowerPoint exports look surprisingly professional. Pricing is a bit steep: $18/month only gives 150 responses. To get 2,000 responses/month, you’ll need to pay $152/month.
SurveyPlanet – A clean, basic survey tool with question types like multiple choice, open text, sliders, and ratings. The free plan includes unlimited responses, which is rare. Their paid plan is just $20/month, unlocking features like branching logic and email/SMS notifications. Simple, reliable, and great for quick surveys.
Jotform – More than just a survey builder, Jotform also offers tools like a store builder, workflow builder, and even a PDF-to-form converter. You can list products with pricing and integrate payments via Stripe, PayPal, or Venmo. However, it lacks built-in data filtering or cross-tab tools—you’ll need to export data to Excel for any analysis. Their $39/month plan includes 1,000 responses, while $49/month gets you 10,000.
123FormBuilder – A basic form and survey tool without advanced features—there’s no Net Promoter Score or research-grade question types. It does include a calculator function, product elements, and embedded payment options. Pricing is fair: $37/month gives you 5,000 responses, and $49/month gives you up to 20,000.
Paperform – A straightforward form builder with templates for event registration, payment forms, calculators, and quizzes. While flexible, the builder feels clunky—there’s no live preview, and survey logic is limited. The reporting section only shows basic counts and percentages, and while it includes a “Net Promoter Score” question, it doesn’t calculate a true NPS score (−100 to +100). Pricing starts at $19/month for 100 responses, with $59/month for 1,000 responses and API access, and $129/month for 10,000 responses.
HubSpot Forms – A simple, customizable form builder built into the broader HubSpot ecosystem. It integrates seamlessly with HubSpot CRM and Salesforce, making it ideal for managing large distribution lists across enterprise or academic environments. While question logic is limited, HubSpot works well for screener surveys or routing respondents into more advanced tools.
Usersnap – A customer feedback tool built specifically for product teams. It integrates directly into the Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC), connecting with tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, Trello, and Slack. Feedback is captured via widgets and becomes actionable—part of the dev workflow instead of a post-launch afterthought.
Gorilla – A research-focused tool built for psychologists, universities, and cognitive scientists. It was frequently mentioned to our team by universities looking to replace Qualtrics. The experiment builder is powerful but difficult to use—branching logic is managed through “nodes” in a separate section outside the main survey builder. During testing, we couldn’t complete a basic setup.
That said, it’s one of the only tools to support Flanker Tasks, Stroop Tasks, and Thatcher Tasks—ideal for advanced cognitive experiments. It also allows for branching, randomization, and group allocation. Individual access is $240/year. Department-level pricing starts at $6,390/year (200 users, 5,000 responses), with the standard plan at $14,500/year for unlimited users and what appears to be a soft cap of 12,000 responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
To help guide your switch from SurveyMonkey, we’ve answered some of the most frequent questions users ask when exploring alternatives. Whether you’re moving for cost, features, or support, this section will help you make an informed decision.
What’s the Most Affordable Surveymonkey Alternative?
SurveyKing is the most affordable SurveyMonkey alternative at just $19/month. That price includes unlimited surveys, advanced research question types like MaxDiff and Conjoint, full reporting tools, and real human support—something many competitors lock behind enterprise plans.
Unlike SurveyMonkey, SurveyKing also offers flat-rate consulting ($100 per custom survey build) and enterprise plans starting at just $500/year, making it a perfect fit for both small teams and research-heavy organizations.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison:
| Feature | SurveyKing | SurveyMonkey |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Cost | $19/mo | $99/mo |
| Enterprise | $500+ annually | $5,000+ |
| Consulting | $100 to build a survey + upgrade, $100 hour for custom features | Not available |
Can I Migrate Data From SurveyMonkey?
Yes—you can migrate SurveyMonkey data into SurveyKing, including full survey structures and response data. Our implementation team can work directly with your exports (CSV, Excel) or API pulls to recreate your surveys and preserve historical data.
Not all platforms offer this, but SurveyKing makes it possible because our backend is built for flexibility—with fewer than 50 database tables powering the entire system. That clean, efficient structure means we can map your old data accurately and quickly.
For most migrations:
- Small projects are done in 1 day or less (≈ 8 hours)
- Larger projects may take up to 1 week
- Consulting rate: $100/hour
Even with consulting, total migration + license cost is typically far less than a SurveyMonkey enterprise plan—and you end up with more flexibility, features, and support. Schedule a migration call to get started moving!
Why Do SurveyMonkey Alternatives Feel Limited?
Most survey tools aren’t built to help users—they’re built to satisfy investors. As someone with experience in software development and financial operations, I’ve seen this dynamic play out across B2B SaaS: Many tools in the survey and analytics space are owned by private equity or venture capital firms. Their top priority? Revenue extraction, not user experience.
That’s why you run into:
- Constant paywalls
- Enterprise-only features (even basic support)
- Tools that remove functionality to push upgrades (yes, we’ve seen this happen at universities)
We’ve had countless companies come to SurveyKing saying things like:
“They told us we couldn’t even use that question type unless we paid for the enterprise package.”
“They literally turned off features mid-contract.”
And if you think it’s just speculation, consider this: SurveyMonkey was once publicly traded. In its final SEC 10-K filing as a public company, it reported $138 million in research and development spending for 2022. Here is a link to that filing.
Since launcing SurveyKing, we’ve watched them roll out almost no new core features—you still can’t run a true MaxDiff with probability in the results!
So where does that money go? Not into helping users. That’s why we built SurveyKing: A survey platform built by people who actually want to help your business—not just exract revenue.
What Survey Tool is Best For My Industry?
It depends on your project type and how advanced your survey needs are. Here’s a quick guide based on common use cases and what we’ve seen work best in real-world scenarios:
| Project Type | Best Alternative |
|---|---|
| General Surveys | SurveyKing, SurveySparrow |
| Academic Research | SurveyKing, QuestionPro |
| Customer Feedback | Qualtrics, Delighted |
| Employee Satisfaction | Qualtrics, SurveyKing |
| Unions / Government | SurveyKing, QuestionPro |
| Market Research | QuestionPro, Conjointly |
| Assessments | Pointerpro, SurveyKing |
Need help deciding? Tell us your use case, and we’ll point you to the best fit, even if it’s not us.
Which Tools Are The Easiest to Use?
SurveyKing is one of the easiest platforms to use, especially compared to tools like SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, or QuestionPro. Our interface is clean, intuitive, and designed to eliminate complexity. Most users can get up and running with minimal guidance, and our help docs are straightforward and easy to follow.
We’ve received consistent feedback from teams saying that onboarding new users with SurveyKing takes a fraction of the time. With over 50,000 users, we rarely get support tickets asking how to use the platform—most are requests for custom workflows or features; that’s a sign of great UX: when support isn’t about confusion… it’s about doing more.
Do Any Alternatives Offer Support for Creating or Customizing Surveys?
Yes—but very few offer it affordably or without an enterprise contract. To our knowledge, SurveyKing is the only platform that offers low-barrier, flat-rate consulting for survey builds and workflow setups.
For $100, we’ll:
- Build your survey for you
- Set up advanced skip and display logic (perfect for research, HR, or voting projects)
- Include two months of platform access to complete your project
Most other platforms either:
- Don’t offer consulting at all
- Require an expensive enterprise license to access implementation help
- Outsource setup to third parties at 5–10x the cost
At SurveyKing, we built this service to support researchers, analysts, and teams that want speed and clarity—not upsells.
If you’re exploring SurveyMonkey alternatives, you might not need to switch entirely—maybe you just need better support in a few key areas. Below is a curated list of tools that can supplement SurveyMonkey or help you reduce your costs if you choose to stay.
Additional Tools For Consideration
If you’re exploring SurveyMonkey alternatives, you might only be dissatisfied with certain parts of the platform. The tools and services below can help fill those gaps or supplement your workflow. In some cases, they may even reduce your overall costs if you decide to continue using SurveyMonkey.
Survey Panels
Need responses but don’t have a contact list? Or don’t want to useSurveyMoneky audience, a survey panel lets you target specific demographics or audiences.
Cint– A flexible, self-service paneling tool. Works well even with free tools like Google Forms.
Prolific – Focused on academic-quality participants, with deep demographic targeting.
Statistical Tools & Analysis
Statistical testing is important—but SurveyMonkey locks advanced options behind expensive plans.
Excel + Free Calculators – You can export your data, run a pivot table, and plug in counts to tools like this statistical significance calculator.
Kolabtree – A marketplace for data scientists and analysts. Great for building custom analysis scripts or automating complex reporting.
Website Feedback & Heatmaps
SurveyMonkey’s website widget is very limited—just a pop-up survey launcher.
Hotjar – See heatmaps, scroll behavior, and full-screen recordings of real users. Also includes pop-up feedback widgets.
Userpilot – Combines feedback tools with product-led growth features like churn tracking, user journey analysis, and upgrade path optimization.
Email Survey Delivery
Sending emails can be a hassle for any researcher. On SurveyMonkey, tracking survey invitations requires their Advantage plan, which starts at $468 per year. A platform like Mailchimp can help improve delivery rates and reduce the overall cost of sending email invitations. Mailchimp also includes a basic form builder that can work for simple surveys. You can even add query strings to your emails to track survey completion rates more effectively.
If you are only dissatisfied with specific parts of SurveyMonkey, it might make sense to supplement your workflow rather than switch platforms entirely. Tools like Mailchimp can help fill functionality gaps and, in some cases, reduce overall costs while continuing to use SurveyMonkey for core survey functions.
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