Enketo vs Epicollect5 (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Epicollect5 grades higher than Enketo: 3.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Epicollect5 grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Epicollect5
Free mobile and web data collection from Oxford University
Which one is for you
Pick Enketo if
- Fits if you run ODK Central or a similar server and need a form viewer
- Works for developers building XForm tools
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a ready survey tool, as it only renders forms
- Skip it if you have no server and no technical help
- Too light for building forms or storing results, which other tools handle
- Watch out: the site says Enketo has joined KoboToolbox, so check its future as a separate product
Pick Epicollect5 if
- Fits if you need a free tool for a research or survey project
- Works for field teams with phones and GPS
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if the work is mission-critical, as the team says it is provided as-is with no guarantees
- Watch out: a fair usage policy applies, and it is not designed for free media storage
- Too light for case management or in-depth reporting
- Skip it if you need support or a service agreement, as it is not a commercial company
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAEnketoWeak | 3.0GPAEpicollect5Very good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Hosted versions come from other providers. | AFree with as many projects and entries as you want, under a fair usage policy. Nothing in forms tools costs less, and you need no server. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree and open source with no response caps, but you run it yourself or get it inside another tool. | AFree outright, with no cap a normal project would reach. |
| Features | DIt only renders forms. You need ODK Central, KoboToolbox or similar to build forms and keep data, so it is not useful alone. | CForm builder, mobile collection, exports, an API and logic. The docs point to KoboToolbox, ODK or Google Forms for mission-critical work. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. Running it yourself means installing and configuring a server. | CNo store rating on record. You design each project in the form builder. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, on any device and offline, with KoboToolbox, ODK Central, OpenSRP and Medic links. | BWeb plus Android and iOS apps with GPS and media capture, an export API and Google Maps and Earth links. No desktop app. |
| Best for | showing XForm surveys in a browser | free field data collection from a university team |
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: Enketo and Epicollect5. How we grade
Price against what you get
Enketo has no paid plan and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Epicollect5 has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Epicollect5 scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, none scores higher than Enketo for less, and none scores higher than Epicollect5 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
- Enketo is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Enketo | Epicollect5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Enketo is free and open source; you can run it yourself or use a tool that has it built in. | Free to use without limits, subject to a fair usage policy; as many projects and entries as you want. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Enketo LLC | Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance |
| Price read from | enketo.org | docs.epicollect.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Enketo
- Enketo is a form renderer, not a full survey platform: it is used through other tools or self-hosted.
- Paid hosting comes from other providers, such as ODK Central or KoboToolbox as a service.
- The site announces that Enketo has joined KoboToolbox.
Epicollect5
- The team says it is not a commercial company and provides the service as-is, with no guarantees.
- For mission-critical projects the docs suggest alternatives such as KoboToolbox, ODK or Google Forms.
- A fair usage policy applies, and Epicollect5 is not designed as free media storage.
Key features
Enketo
- Offline surveys
- Surveys deployed with Enketo keep working without a connection.
- Skip and validation logic
- Handles skip logic and answer checks in forms written in the OpenRosa XForm format.
- Any device
- Runs in a fairly modern browser on mobile or desktop hardware.
- Themes and widgets
- Forms can use themes such as Grid, plus widgets for Likert scales, drawing, signatures and image maps.
- Printer-friendly forms
- Forms can be printed from the browser.
Epicollect5
- Form builder
- Create projects and multi-form questionnaires in the web app, then download them to a device.
- Mobile collection
- The app runs on Android 10+ and iOS 15.6+, collecting GPS locations and media.
- Central views
- Entries can be viewed on a map, in tables and in charts on the project site.
- Export and API
- Data exports as CSV and JSON, and a developer API is documented.
- Logic
- Jumps, branches, groups and double-entry verification are documented in the form builder.
Plans
Enketo
Self-hosted$0
Free open-source software you install and support yourself; paid hosted services come from other providers.
Epicollect5
Free$0
100% free service with unlimited projects and entries, provided as-is under a fair usage policy.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Enketo or Epicollect5?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Enketo and Epicollect5 are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Enketo or Epicollect5?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Enketo and Epicollect5 have a free plan.
Which platforms do Enketo and Epicollect5 run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Epicollect5 lists iOS and Android apps. 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.