CommCare vs Open Data Kit (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CommCare and Open Data Kit share a 2.0 GPA, both have a free plan, and CommCare starts cheaper, at $100 a month against $199 a month.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CommCare grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Open Data Kit grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CommCare
No-code apps for frontline case management and data collection
Open Data Kit
Open-source mobile and web data collection
Which one is for you
Pick CommCare if
- Fits if you run a health or social programme with field workers and follow-up visits
- Works for a pilot of up to 5 mobile workers
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as it is for testing with 5 mobile workers
- Pricey if you grow: $2 a month for each extra mobile user, active or not
- Watch out: web applications and Power BI feeds need Advanced at $1,000 a month
- Watch out: buying online covers up to 3 project spaces; more needs a sales call
Pick Open Data Kit if
- Fits if you can run your own server and want free software
- Works for field teams that all carry Android phones
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have no one to run a server, as the free route is self-hosted
- Not for you if your team uses iPhones, because the Collect app is Android only
- Pricey if you want ODK Cloud: $199 a month on yearly billing for Standard
- Watch out: API access and Entities need Professional at $499 a month
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACommCareFair | 2.0GPAOpen Data KitFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DStandard is $100 a month on yearly billing plus $2 for each extra mobile user. Web apps and Power BI and Tableau feeds sit on Advanced at $1,000. | CThe software is free only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. ODK Cloud starts at $199 a month on yearly billing. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Free Edition is for testing: 1 project space and 5 mobile workers. | BSelf-hosted ODK is free with no response caps, and you support yourself. It needs a server and technical setup. |
| Features | CNo-code apps, offline case management, reports, messaging and security. Web applications, BI feeds and de-identification need Advanced, and texts cost $0.01 to $0.10 each. | CVaried question types, offline use, analysis links and Entities. The Collect app is Android only, and API access and Entities need Professional. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Building a case-management app is real design work. | DNo store rating on record. Self-hosting means installing and running a server, and forms are written in a spreadsheet format. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus Android and iOS apps, with Zapier, Power BI, Tableau and Excel links. No desktop app. | CWeb app plus an Android app (Android 5 or above), with Excel, Power BI, Python and R links. No iPhone app. |
| Best for | no-code mobile apps for frontline programmes | free self-hosted field data collection |
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: CommCare and Open Data Kit. How we grade
Price against what you get
CommCare starts at $100 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Open Data Kit starts at $199 a month and scores 1.7.
CommCare scores higher and starts $99 a month lower. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 38 score higher than CommCare for less, and 105 score higher than Open Data Kit for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Open Data Kit is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- CommCare also covers case management.
At a glance
| CommCare | Open Data Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $100 per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly) | $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free Edition for testing: 1 project space and 5 mobile workers. | ODK is open-source software you can self-host and support yourself for free; hosted ODK Cloud is paid. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Dimagi, Inc. | Get ODK Inc. |
| Price read from | commcare.dimagi.com | getodk.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CommCare
- Billing counts mobile users, active or inactive, at $2 per extra user a month; web users are unlimited.
- Text messages carry per-message fees, roughly $0.01 to $0.10 through Dimagi's gateway depending on country.
- Web applications, Power BI and Tableau feeds and data de-identification need the Advanced plan.
- Buying online covers up to 3 project spaces; 4 or more need a sales conversation.
Open Data Kit
- ODK Collect is an Android app; the docs list Android 5 or above as the minimum.
- ODK Cloud limits active projects and monthly submissions; extra capacity is a Basic add-on at $199 a month yearly or $249 monthly.
- API access and Entities need Professional or higher.
- ODK Cloud lists a full refund if you are unhappy within 14 days of payment.
Key features
CommCare
- No-code app builder
- Program staff build and deploy mobile apps without engineers, with multi-language support and multimedia.
- Offline case management
- Track clients over time and collect data with no signal; everything syncs when connectivity returns.
- Reports and exports
- A web report builder, scheduled exports and Excel dashboards; Power BI and Tableau OData feeds on Advanced.
- Messaging
- One-way messaging and live text chat; two-way text messaging is an add-on or Advanced feature.
- Security
- The vendor says it is SOC 2 certified, GDPR compliant and signs HIPAA BAAs on Advanced.
Open Data Kit
- Forms with rich questions
- Include photos, GPS locations, skip logic, calculations, external datasets and multiple languages.
- Online and offline
- Use the Android app or the web app; data syncs automatically when an internet connection is found.
- Analysis connections
- Download data or connect Excel, Power BI, Python and R to build dashboards and automations.
- Hosted or self-hosted
- Run the open-source software yourself, or pick ODK Cloud with storage in the US, Europe or India.
- Entities
- Entities, on Professional and above, carry data between forms and users for follow-up workflows.
Plans
CommCare
Free Edition$0
For testing purposes: 1 project space, 5 mobile workers, unlimited form submissions.
Standard$100
per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
50 mobile users included, offline case management; shown as was $250, with no end date given.
Pro$500
per month, billed annually ($600 billed monthly)
250 users included, case sharing, child cases, a web report builder, APIs and priority support.
Advanced$1,000
per month, billed annually ($1,200 billed monthly)
500 users included, Power BI and Tableau integration, web applications, de-identification and two-way SMS.
Enterprise$4,000
per month and up, billed annually
Custom user volume, single sign-on, account management, customized terms and roadmap input.
Open Data Kit
Self-hosted ODK$0
Open-source software you install, host and support yourself; the hosted version is ODK Cloud.
Standard$199
per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly)
1 active project, unlimited forms and users, 10K monthly submissions, email support within 3 business days.
Professional$499
per month, billed yearly ($599 billed monthly)
25K monthly submissions, Entities to flow data between forms, API access, email support within 1 business day.
EnterpriseCustom
10+ active projects, 100K+ monthly submissions, single sign-on, custom domain, uptime SLA, phone support.
Ways to pay less
CommCare
- Annual discount
About 17% off with annual billing
Paying annually costs about 17% less than paying monthly, for example $500 versus $600 a month on Pro.
- Other savings
Subsidized pricing for health ministries
Ministries running national community health programs qualify for subsidized pricing through Dimagi's eCHIS offering.
Open Data Kit
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% when paying yearly
ODK Cloud's page offers up to 20% off when paying yearly: Standard is $199 a month yearly against $249 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CommCare or Open Data Kit?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CommCare is cheaper to start with: $100 a month, against $199 a month for Open Data Kit. CommCare starts at $100 per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly), and Open Data Kit starts at $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, CommCare or Open Data Kit?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CommCare and Open Data Kit have a free plan.
Which platforms do CommCare and Open Data Kit run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CommCare lists an iOS app. Both list a web app and an Android 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.