CommCare vs SurveyCTO (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SurveyCTO grades higher than CommCare: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
SurveyCTO grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
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
SurveyCTO
Offline-capable data collection for field research
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 SurveyCTO if
- Fits if your team collects data in areas with no signal
- Works for research projects that need data quality checks
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small: $225 a month on yearly billing before any extras
- Tight if you go over the cap: 5,000 submissions on Basic and 10,000 on Pro, then $100 per 1,000
- Watch out: the free Community plan has no support access
- Watch out: SOC 2 report and server location choice need Pro, and AI credits are sold separately
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACommCareFair | 2.2GPASurveyCTOFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DBasic is $225 a month on yearly billing, above the dearest tenth ($149) of forms tools. Pro is $315 and Advanced $630. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Free Edition is for testing: 1 project space and 5 mobile workers. | CCommunity is free for testing and training: 10 forms, 200 submissions a month and 200 MB, with no support access. A 15-day trial gives all features at the same limits. |
| 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. | BOffline collection, data quality tools, case management, security and AI tools. The listing's gaps are about caps and plan limits, not missing field-survey features. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Building a case-management app is real design work. | CNo store rating on record. Forms are built to a spreadsheet-style design, and field teams need setup and training. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus Android and iOS apps, with Zapier, Power BI, Tableau and Excel links. No desktop app. | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Google Sheets, Stata, R, Power BI and Salesforce links. No desktop app. |
| Best for | no-code mobile apps for frontline programmes | offline field surveys with data quality checks |
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 SurveyCTO. 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. SurveyCTO starts at $225 a month and scores 2.7.
SurveyCTO scores higher, and starts $125 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 38 score higher than CommCare for less, and 6 score higher than SurveyCTO 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
- CommCare is open source, according to its own site.
- SurveyCTO is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| CommCare | SurveyCTO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $100 per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly) | $225 per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free Edition for testing: 1 project space and 5 mobile workers. | Community subscription for testing and training: 10 forms, 200 submissions a month and 200 MB of storage, without support access. |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial with all features: 10 forms, 200 submissions and 200 MB storage |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Dimagi, Inc. | Dobility, Inc. |
| Price read from | commcare.dimagi.com | surveycto.com |
| 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.
SurveyCTO
- Plans cap monthly submissions: 5,000 on Basic and 10,000 on Pro; extra submissions cost $100 per 1,000 credits.
- Extra AI credits are sold separately as prepaid or on-demand credits.
- The free Community subscription has no access to the support team.
- Server location selection and the SOC 2 report need Pro or higher.
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.
SurveyCTO
- Offline mobile collection
- The SurveyCTO Collect app works offline on Android and iOS and supports CAPI, CATI and ACASI interview modes.
- Data quality tools
- Real-time checks flag issues, with review and correction of submissions and automated statistical checks.
- Case management
- Follow-up and longitudinal surveys can be tied together; advanced offline case management is on the Advanced plan.
- Security
- The vendor says it is SOC 2 certified and GDPR and HIPAA compliant, with end-to-end encryption and SSO.
- AI tools
- AI translation, transcription and form design help, drawn from a monthly credit allowance that depends on the plan.
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.
SurveyCTO
Community$0
Free sandbox: 10 forms, 200 submissions a month, 200 MB storage, all paid features but no support team access.
Basic$225
per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly)
10 GB storage, 5,000 monthly submissions, 100 forms, unlimited users and devices, 1,000 AI credits.
Pro$315
per month, billed annually ($350 billed monthly)
25 GB storage, 10,000 monthly submissions, 500 forms, limited API access, server location choice, 2,500 AI credits.
Advanced$630
per month, billed annually ($700 billed monthly)
Unlimited storage, submissions and forms, all APIs, advanced offline case management, 5,000 AI credits.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom storage, submissions and forms, custom training, an enterprise success team and custom AI credits.
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.
SurveyCTO
- Annual discount
10% off with annual payment
The pricing page gives a 10% discount whenever an annual subscription is paid up front; Basic is $225 a month annually versus $250 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CommCare or SurveyCTO?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CommCare is cheaper to start with: $100 a month, against $225 a month for SurveyCTO. CommCare starts at $100 per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly), and SurveyCTO starts at $225 per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, CommCare or SurveyCTO?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CommCare and SurveyCTO have a free plan.
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.