Askia vs Sawtooth Software (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sawtooth Software grades higher than Askia: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sawtooth Software grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Sawtooth Software
Survey software for conjoint and MaxDiff market research
Which one is for you
Pick Askia if
- Fits if you run a research agency with fieldwork in several modes
- Works for teams that interview offline on phones or tablets
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a small survey form, as this is a professional suite
- Skip it if you want a price first, as no prices, plans or trial are published
- Watch out: the site does not say which desktop systems its design and analysis programs run on
- Watch out: no free plan is listed
Pick Sawtooth Software if
- Fits if you need conjoint or MaxDiff, not a general survey tool
- Works for students and small projects under 50 respondents
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run real studies, as the free plan stops at 50 respondents per survey
- Skip it if you want a price list, since Professional and Premier are quote-only
- Skip it if you want monthly billing, as only annual subscriptions are sold
- Watch out: Lighthouse Studio, the Premier tool, is a Windows-installed program
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAAskiaFair | 2.4GPASawtooth SoftwareFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published, so value sits at C. | COnly the free plan has a published price; paid plans are by quote, so value sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial is listed; the site offers a demo survey and free mobile app downloads. | CFree Discover plan: unlimited surveys and questions, conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Features | BDesign, multi-mode fieldwork, offline mobile interviewing, analysis, tracker management and AI help. Nothing in the listing shows a gap. | BChoice-based conjoint, MaxDiff, standard questions, analysis, AI open-end help and a respondent panel. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in this narrower job. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. A professional research suite with a learning curve. | CNo rating on record. Conjoint design has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with no integrations listed. | BWeb plus a Windows program (Lighthouse Studio), with two integrations listed. |
| Best for | research teams fielding across several modes | conjoint and MaxDiff studies |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Askia and Sawtooth Software. How we grade
Where they differ
- Askia also covers dashboards.
At a glance
| Askia | Sawtooth Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Free plan on Discover: unlimited surveys and questions, choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Askia | Sawtooth Software |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | sawtoothsoftware.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Askia
- No prices, plans or trial are published; the site points to contact details.
- It is a professional research suite, so it is heavier than a general form builder.
- The site does not say which desktop operating systems its design and analysis programs run on.
Sawtooth Software
- Only the free plan has a published price; Professional and Premier are sold by quote.
- Only annual subscriptions are sold; monthly payment is not offered.
- The free plan stops at 50 respondents per survey.
- Lighthouse Studio (Premier) is a Windows-installed application.
Key features
Askia
- Questionnaire design
- askiadesign builds one questionnaire for web, telephone, face-to-face or mobile use, with templates, routing tools and shared editing.
- Multi-mode fieldwork
- askiafield manages telephone, web, face-to-face and mobile surveys, with sample and quota control and predictive dialling.
- Offline mobile interviewing
- Interviewers collect data on iOS and Android devices, online or offline, and the data is sent when the connection returns.
- Analysis and tracker management
- askiaanalysis handles large data sets, tables and charts, and multi-wave trackers, with an SDK and API for custom dashboards.
- AI assistance
- The blog lists Ask IAN, an AI analysis assistant, and an update to Codeit that adds AI help with coding open-ended answers.
Sawtooth Software
- Choice-based conjoint
- Design and field conjoint studies to see which features and prices people pick. Advanced conjoint types are in the Premier plan.
- MaxDiff (best-worst scaling)
- Respondents pick best and worst from small sets of items. Up to 120 items per exercise on Discover and up to 2,000 on Lighthouse Studio.
- Standard survey question types
- Multiple choice, grids, open-ends, ranking, constant sum and numeric questions, with skip logic and quotas.
- Built-in analysis
- Real-time reports, crosstabs, key drivers and cluster analysis, with export to SPSS and Excel.
- AI follow-up and open-end analysis
- Smart follow-up questions and open-end analysis are listed in the plan comparison as AI features.
- Respondent panel
- Sawtooth says its panel service reaches over 200 million verified respondents worldwide.
Plans
Askia
Pricing could not be confirmed. See askia.com.
Sawtooth Software
Free$0
Discover with up to 50 respondents per survey, unlimited surveys and questions, and choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff.
ProfessionalCustom
Discover with unlimited respondents per survey. Price is by quote; annual subscriptions only.
PremierCustom
Lighthouse Studio for Windows with advanced conjoint and MaxDiff and more customization. Price is by quote.
Ways to pay less
Askia
No public discounts listed.
Sawtooth Software
- Education
Academic pricing for students and educators
Sawtooth lists discounts for students or educators using the software for non-commercial use.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Askia or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Askia has no price we could confirm, and Sawtooth Software publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Askia or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sawtooth Software has a free plan. Askia does not.
Which platforms do Askia and Sawtooth Software run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Askia lists iOS and Android apps and only Sawtooth Software lists a Windows app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.