Create online surveys: easy and fast with free tools
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 6:49 am
Doodle
The Doodle app makes it possible to create simple online surveys to define, for example, the date of the next business lunch or dinner. When a user creates a survey, the questionnaire automatically receives a randomly generated web address that is hosted on the servers of the Swiss company Doodle AG. The survey creator can now send the link to his respondents via email . In order not to miss any appointments, Doodle can be synchronized with numerous calendars and address books (Google, Outlook, iCloud, etc.). In addition to the positive and negative response options , the following values are available:
“If necessary” option
Private survey (answers can only be seen by participants)
The participant can only choose one option
Some of the options have a limit of participants
Doodle allows you to create online surveys for free with or without registration. Frequent users also have the option of purchasing two paid options with additional features such as SSL encryption, individual design options and ad-free use of the site. Advantages : Easy, no registration required. The app allows you to create surveys quickly and is available as an app for iOS and Android. Disadvantages: Surveys are stored on the provider's server and are only suitable for setting a date or for small or private surveys. Surveys created in the free version are not encrypted.
Polldaddy
Polldaddy is based on an editor from the company Automattic, which is also responsible for the WordPress content management system. This editor, which can be used by accessing it from a WordPress.com account, can create an unlimited number of detailed surveys or questionnaires, as well as questions or evaluation sheets . There is also no limit to the number of possible answers and the number of participants. With Polldaddy you have two options to release the final surveys, either by sending a link by email (you can share it on social networks or in online forums and communities) or by inserting it directly into your website. If you want to create online surveys in Spanish with Polldaddy, you will have to add it additionally from the control panel, since it is only available in English. The basic version of this tool for creating online surveys is characterized by:
15 pre-designed survey templates
19 different types of questions
SSL Encryption
It is possible to insert your own logo in the surveys
Allows you to integrate multimedia content such as images or videos
Paid packages allow you to implement additional features such as the ability to customize the design of the questionnaires using CSS , to use your own domain name to create the survey link or to export the results in an Excel or PDF file, to name a few. Advantages : unlimited number of questions and answers. You can choose between different designs, the surveys are encrypted, there is an iOS application and it allows you to create reports with filters to facilitate the analysis of the results. Disadvantages : the surveys are stored on the provider's server, basic knowledge of CSS is required to design elaborate surveys and it is necessary to integrate the Spanish language pack manually.
LimeSurvey
This free, GPL-licensed online survey tool is software written in the PHP programming language and based, by default, on a MySQL database. LimeSurvey can be downloaded for free from its official website and hosted on professors edu email database your own web server or on a local computer. Alternatively, you can turn to an external hosting provider or get access to LimeService, the hosting service of its developers. Thanks to the licensing, it is possible to adapt the source code to individual needs, as well as to program plugins. LimeSurvey supports more than 80 different languages and has a design editor with which to modify surveys. Among its most important features are:
Unlimited number of surveys, questions and participants
28 different types of questions
Multilingual surveys
Conditional questions based on previous surveys
Anonymous and public surveys
Integration of images and videos
Anyone who wants to financially support the development team can opt for one of the paid packages and get, for example, the Premium “ComfortUpdate” add-on that allows you to extend the current version of LimeSurvey with just a few clicks. Advantages: open source software that can be installed on a server or on your own computer, which means full control of the data collected. Supports over 80 languages. Disadvantages : lack of accessibility and sometimes confusing. Its configuration requires a large investment of time.
SurveyMonkey
Whether it's a simple opinion poll or an in-depth market study, SurveyMonkey is a web-based online survey tool. With over 15 question types ( e.g. multiple choice or rating scales) and a refined branching logic, this application provides users with the tools they need to determine the course of the survey. SurveyMonkey users not only benefit from hundreds of professional templates , but also from email support provided by the SurveyMonkey team. Once your survey is created, you can embed it on your website, publish it on social media, or send it to different recipients via email. For results analysis, SurveyMonkey provides the following features:
Real-time results
Display in the form of tables and graphs
Filters by properties (e.g. name, email address, etc.)
Cross-reference tables to discover trends
SurveyMonkey can be used for free in its basic version, which allows an unlimited number of questions and 100 responses per survey, or in a paid version. The latter offers additional features such as technical support in English, central user administration if used at a corporate level, or implementation of your own logo.
Advantages : SSL encryption, mobile apps for Android and iOS. It has a very useful branching logic, as well as pre-designed templates. In its “Platinum Edition” option, it allows central user administration.
Disadvantages : Surveys are stored on the provider's server. It is complex and its free version is very limited.
SoSci Survey
SoSci Survey is unique among online survey creation options on the market. In addition to allowing free use of its software for up to 20 participants, it also allows non-commercial scientific surveys to be conducted free of charge (including all its features). Thanks to detailed documentation, from the first draft of the survey to the implementation of the questionnaire itself, even inexperienced users can create high-quality surveys for up to 5,000 participants. Questionnaire options include:
Over 30 question types (e.g. open-ended, multiple choice, value scale)
Integration of images, audio and video files
Filter questions and ramifications
SSL encryption and password protection
Possibility of exporting the results through Excel or SPSS
Freely configurable filters and various designs
SoSci Survey is a low-cost cloud-based solution from Germany that can be installed on the provider's server or installed and hosted on your own web server. Universities and educational institutions receive a free one-year license. Advantages : It allows you to conduct surveys for scientific research at no cost. It offers SSL encryption and password protection. It can be installed on your own server. Disadvantages : It is only available in English and German. It is not suitable for small studies. It is a specialized tool for creating online surveys, but not for the analysis of them.
The Doodle app makes it possible to create simple online surveys to define, for example, the date of the next business lunch or dinner. When a user creates a survey, the questionnaire automatically receives a randomly generated web address that is hosted on the servers of the Swiss company Doodle AG. The survey creator can now send the link to his respondents via email . In order not to miss any appointments, Doodle can be synchronized with numerous calendars and address books (Google, Outlook, iCloud, etc.). In addition to the positive and negative response options , the following values are available:
“If necessary” option
Private survey (answers can only be seen by participants)
The participant can only choose one option
Some of the options have a limit of participants
Doodle allows you to create online surveys for free with or without registration. Frequent users also have the option of purchasing two paid options with additional features such as SSL encryption, individual design options and ad-free use of the site. Advantages : Easy, no registration required. The app allows you to create surveys quickly and is available as an app for iOS and Android. Disadvantages: Surveys are stored on the provider's server and are only suitable for setting a date or for small or private surveys. Surveys created in the free version are not encrypted.
Polldaddy
Polldaddy is based on an editor from the company Automattic, which is also responsible for the WordPress content management system. This editor, which can be used by accessing it from a WordPress.com account, can create an unlimited number of detailed surveys or questionnaires, as well as questions or evaluation sheets . There is also no limit to the number of possible answers and the number of participants. With Polldaddy you have two options to release the final surveys, either by sending a link by email (you can share it on social networks or in online forums and communities) or by inserting it directly into your website. If you want to create online surveys in Spanish with Polldaddy, you will have to add it additionally from the control panel, since it is only available in English. The basic version of this tool for creating online surveys is characterized by:
15 pre-designed survey templates
19 different types of questions
SSL Encryption
It is possible to insert your own logo in the surveys
Allows you to integrate multimedia content such as images or videos
Paid packages allow you to implement additional features such as the ability to customize the design of the questionnaires using CSS , to use your own domain name to create the survey link or to export the results in an Excel or PDF file, to name a few. Advantages : unlimited number of questions and answers. You can choose between different designs, the surveys are encrypted, there is an iOS application and it allows you to create reports with filters to facilitate the analysis of the results. Disadvantages : the surveys are stored on the provider's server, basic knowledge of CSS is required to design elaborate surveys and it is necessary to integrate the Spanish language pack manually.
LimeSurvey
This free, GPL-licensed online survey tool is software written in the PHP programming language and based, by default, on a MySQL database. LimeSurvey can be downloaded for free from its official website and hosted on professors edu email database your own web server or on a local computer. Alternatively, you can turn to an external hosting provider or get access to LimeService, the hosting service of its developers. Thanks to the licensing, it is possible to adapt the source code to individual needs, as well as to program plugins. LimeSurvey supports more than 80 different languages and has a design editor with which to modify surveys. Among its most important features are:
Unlimited number of surveys, questions and participants
28 different types of questions
Multilingual surveys
Conditional questions based on previous surveys
Anonymous and public surveys
Integration of images and videos
Anyone who wants to financially support the development team can opt for one of the paid packages and get, for example, the Premium “ComfortUpdate” add-on that allows you to extend the current version of LimeSurvey with just a few clicks. Advantages: open source software that can be installed on a server or on your own computer, which means full control of the data collected. Supports over 80 languages. Disadvantages : lack of accessibility and sometimes confusing. Its configuration requires a large investment of time.
SurveyMonkey
Whether it's a simple opinion poll or an in-depth market study, SurveyMonkey is a web-based online survey tool. With over 15 question types ( e.g. multiple choice or rating scales) and a refined branching logic, this application provides users with the tools they need to determine the course of the survey. SurveyMonkey users not only benefit from hundreds of professional templates , but also from email support provided by the SurveyMonkey team. Once your survey is created, you can embed it on your website, publish it on social media, or send it to different recipients via email. For results analysis, SurveyMonkey provides the following features:
Real-time results
Display in the form of tables and graphs
Filters by properties (e.g. name, email address, etc.)
Cross-reference tables to discover trends
SurveyMonkey can be used for free in its basic version, which allows an unlimited number of questions and 100 responses per survey, or in a paid version. The latter offers additional features such as technical support in English, central user administration if used at a corporate level, or implementation of your own logo.
Advantages : SSL encryption, mobile apps for Android and iOS. It has a very useful branching logic, as well as pre-designed templates. In its “Platinum Edition” option, it allows central user administration.
Disadvantages : Surveys are stored on the provider's server. It is complex and its free version is very limited.
SoSci Survey
SoSci Survey is unique among online survey creation options on the market. In addition to allowing free use of its software for up to 20 participants, it also allows non-commercial scientific surveys to be conducted free of charge (including all its features). Thanks to detailed documentation, from the first draft of the survey to the implementation of the questionnaire itself, even inexperienced users can create high-quality surveys for up to 5,000 participants. Questionnaire options include:
Over 30 question types (e.g. open-ended, multiple choice, value scale)
Integration of images, audio and video files
Filter questions and ramifications
SSL encryption and password protection
Possibility of exporting the results through Excel or SPSS
Freely configurable filters and various designs
SoSci Survey is a low-cost cloud-based solution from Germany that can be installed on the provider's server or installed and hosted on your own web server. Universities and educational institutions receive a free one-year license. Advantages : It allows you to conduct surveys for scientific research at no cost. It offers SSL encryption and password protection. It can be installed on your own server. Disadvantages : It is only available in English and German. It is not suitable for small studies. It is a specialized tool for creating online surveys, but not for the analysis of them.