Survey Solutions

Survey Solutions is free survey data collection software developed in the World Bank’s Data group. Its Questionnaire Designer supports multilingual surveys, collaboration, online and tablet testing, compiler guidance, and formatted PDF output. Questionnaires can include nested rosters, answer piping, cascading and linked questions, barcodes, pictures, audio, and external sensor data. Survey modes include offline tablet interviews, browser surveys, phone interviews, and mixed-mode work. Validation tools include macros, calculated variables, lookup tables, and paradata monitoring. GIS features cover location, distance, area, geofencing, and offline interviewer guidance using satellite images and GPS. Server components can run on premises or in the cloud, and REST APIs support dashboards, reports, database connections, and automated quality controls. Server and tablet components are free downloads, with no restrictions on use by public or private companies. Self-hosting means administrators handle backups, updates, and maintenance. The Interviewer app requires an Android tablet running Android 8.0 or later with at least 2 GB RAM.

Survey Solutions provides broad questionnaire design, collection, GIS, and integration options at no software cost. Teams should account for hosting responsibilities and the specific limits of web and tablet interviewing.

Survey Solutions suits statistical offices, NGOs, universities, think tanks, and private survey firms that need survey collection across tablet, browser, phone, or mixed modes. It also fits teams able to manage their own server hosting and maintenance.

Survey Solutions is a no-cost platform for designing questionnaires and collecting data by tablet, browser, phone, or mixed mode. It is best suited to institutional research teams handling complex fieldwork, GIS, or custom data pipelines. Its capabilities are unusually broad for free software, but hosting work and browser-interview constraints require careful planning.

Overview

Developed by the World Bank’s Data group since 2012, Survey Solutions combines questionnaire authoring, interviewing, validation, analytics, and integration tools. National statistical offices, NGOs, universities, think tanks, and private survey firms are among its intended users, and the maker reports use in more than 150 countries. That audience points to a platform built for serious studies rather than occasional feedback forms. Smaller teams may find its deployment and configuration demands disproportionate to a simple survey.

Key features

The Questionnaire Designer handles multilingual content, team collaboration, online and tablet testing, compiler guidance, and formatted PDF output. Its question model supports nested rosters, answer piping, cascading and linked questions, barcodes, pictures, audio, and external sensor data. These options make it practical for household, establishment, and field studies whose interviews cannot be reduced to a flat list of questions.

Quality controls are a substantial strength. Macros, calculated variables, lookup tables, answer validation, and paradata monitoring let designers enforce rules, adapt interview paths, and investigate how interviews were conducted. Logic branching and response analytics are built in, so teams can manage conditional instruments and review results without assembling a separate survey engine.

Survey modes cover offline tablet CAPI, browser CAWI, phone CATI, and mixed-mode projects. GIS tools collect location, distance, and area data, add geofences, and provide offline interviewer guidance with satellite imagery and GPS. That combination is valuable for geographically distributed field teams. The web interviewer, however, needs an internet connection throughout, does not support geography questions, renders barcode questions as text, and permits picture questions only as image uploads. Those differences can force separate instruments or a tablet-first design.

REST APIs connect custom dashboards and reports, external databases, and automated quality checks. The R package covers almost all API calls, giving R-based analysts a practical route to repeatable workflows. Optional connections include Google reCAPTCHA and Maps, Esri mapping, Amazon SES and S3, and Twilio SendGrid; those third-party services can add charges.

Pricing

Survey Solutions is free software. The Free plan costs free and provides server and tablet components as free downloads, with no restrictions on use by public or private companies. Free Survey Solutions software is also free; it includes the server and tablet downloads, while the user supplies tablets and server hosting.

There are no paid tiers or seat and response quotas in these terms, but “free” does not mean zero operating cost. A self-hosted installation makes the administrator responsible for backups, updates, and continuing maintenance. External services may bill separately, and the organization must provide compatible hardware and infrastructure.

Platforms

Supported platforms are Android, web, Windows, Linux, API, and self-hosted deployment. Server components can run on premises or in the cloud, with documented Docker, AWS, Azure, and Windows Server options. The Interviewer app requires an Android tablet running Android 8.0 or later with at least 2 GB of RAM. Web interviewing is more constrained than tablet work because it is always online and lacks geography support.

Who it's for

Choose Survey Solutions for national statistics, NGO programs, academic studies, or commercial field surveys that need offline interviewing, sophisticated skip logic, GIS capture, and an API-controlled data workflow. It is especially compelling when an organization has technical staff to run its own server and maintain integrations. A small team seeking a hosted, lightweight form builder should look elsewhere, as should projects that require unrestricted browser geography, barcode scanning, or native picture capture.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Free downloads with no public-versus-private-use restriction make large deployments financially accessible.
• Pro: Offline CAPI, CATI, CAWI, and mixed-mode support accommodates varied collection operations.
• Pro: GIS, geofencing, sensor inputs, and paradata support demanding field research.
• Pro: REST APIs and broad R-package coverage support custom reporting and automated controls.
• Con: Self-hosting shifts backups, upgrades, and maintenance to the customer.
• Con: The web interviewer requires constant connectivity and omits geography questions.
• Con: Browser barcode and picture handling is narrower than tablet interviewing.
• Con: Android tablet hardware and Android 8.0-or-later requirements limit device choices.

Alternatives

Browse Survey Software for a wider field of questionnaire products, or Survey API Software when programmatic access is the primary requirement. Teams focused on field forms can compare Mobile Forms Software.

Alchemer is a freemium, hosted-oriented option with Android, iOS, web, and API access; its free tier allows 75,000 annual responses on the Collaborator plan, while Professional allows 100,000, making it worth considering for response-volume planning. Typeform offers a free ongoing plan with unlimited forms but only 10 responses per month, so it fits very small, presentation-led surveys. KoboToolbox is a freemium alternative with web, iOS, and API platforms; its Starter plan costs $21 a month and includes 1,000 submissions for private or personal use.

Formbricks provides self-hosted and hosted choices; Hobby allows one workspace and 250 responses per month, while Pro costs $89 monthly. SurveyMonkey suits conventional survey workflows, with a Basic plan limited to 10 questions and restricted responses. REDCap is a free platform available at no charge to eligible nonprofit organizations joining its consortium. Refiner has a free tier capped at 25 responses per month. Enalyzer Employee Engagement offers a free 10-response plan and a Professional plan for one user with 50,000 responses per survey.

Verdict

Survey Solutions is a strong recommendation for organizations running complex, multi-mode research that can supply Android tablets, hosting, and technical administration. Its combination of offline collection, GIS, rigorous logic, and open integration costs no software license fee. Look elsewhere if you need a fully managed service, a simpler setup, or richer browser support for geography, barcodes, and camera-based questions.