Enketo vs Ona (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ona grades higher than Enketo: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Enketo grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Ona grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 Ona if
- Fits if you run field surveys and want maps and charts from the results
- Works for small projects within 500 submissions, or unfunded groups that qualify for the grant
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with 500 submissions across 10 forms
- Pricey if you outgrow it: Standard is $199 a month and Pro $299
- Watch out: submission caps are 15,000 on Standard and 30,000 on Pro
- Watch out: local hosting for in-country data laws means contacting Ona
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAEnketoWeak | 2.0GPAOnaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Hosted versions come from other providers. | DStandard is $199 a month, above the dearest tenth ($149) of forms tools, and Pro is $299. Unfunded grassroots groups can apply for free access. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree and open source with no response caps, but you run it yourself or get it inside another tool. | CFree: 1 private project, 10 forms and 500 submissions in total. A real programme passes that quickly. |
| Features | DIt only renders forms. You need ODK Central, KoboToolbox or similar to build forms and keep data, so it is not useful alone. | COffline forms, maps, charts, organisations and integrations. Submission limits are 500, 15,000 and 30,000 by plan, and the listing does not say which plan has which integration. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. Running it yourself means installing and configuring a server. | CNo store rating on record. Forms are written in XLSForm or the online builder, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, on any device and offline, with KoboToolbox, ODK Central, OpenSRP and Medic links. | BWeb, running on phones and desktops, with Tableau, Google Sheets and RapidPro links, an API and webhooks. No native app is listed. |
| Best for | showing XForm surveys in a browser | mobile data collection for field programmes |
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 Ona. 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. Ona starts at $159.20 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Ona scores higher, and starts $159.20 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, none scores higher than Enketo for less, and 38 score higher than Ona 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.
- Ona also covers dashboards.
At a glance
| Enketo | Ona | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $199 per month, or $1,910.40 billed yearly |
| Free plan | Enketo is free and open source; you can run it yourself or use a tool that has it built in. | 1 private project, 10 forms in total and 500 form submissions. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Enketo LLC | Ona Systems |
| Price read from | enketo.org | ona.io |
| 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.
Ona
- Submission limits vary by plan: 500 on Free, 15,000 on Standard and 30,000 on Pro.
- The pricing table lists Tableau, Google Sheets and RapidPro integrations, an API and webhooks; check which plans include each.
- Unfunded grassroots organizations can apply for free access through the Impact Grant program.
- Local hosting for in-country data laws is arranged by contacting Ona.
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.
Ona
- Forms for the field
- Forms capture GPS, validation, logic, repeats, signatures and photos, authored in XLSForm or the online builder.
- Works offline
- Forms run on smartphones and desktops with or without a connection; data uploads when one is found.
- Maps and charts
- Maps browse or filter submissions, summary charts graph the data and XLS Reports build Excel dashboards.
- Organizations
- Organization accounts share projects across a team and manage permissions centrally; filters can hide sensitive fields.
- Integrations
- The pricing table lists Tableau, Google Sheets, RapidPro, an API and webhooks.
Plans
Enketo
Self-hosted$0
Free open-source software you install and support yourself; paid hosted services come from other providers.
Ona
Free$0
1 private project, 10 private forms, 500 submissions, community support.
Standard$199
per month, or $1,910.40 per year
2 private projects and 15,000 form submissions, with email support.
Pro$299
per month, or $2,870.40 per year
5 private projects and 30,000 form submissions, with 24-hour priority support.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom limits and pricing for multiple countries and projects; sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Enketo
No public discounts listed.
Ona
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
Paying annually saves 20% on the monthly price: Standard is $1,910.40 a year versus $199 a month.
- Nonprofit
Impact Grant for grassroots groups
Ona gives free access to unfunded grassroots organizations through its Impact Grant program.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Enketo or Ona?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Enketo is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $159.20 a month when paid by the year for Ona. Enketo is free, and Ona starts at $199 per month, or $1,910.40 billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Enketo or Ona?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Enketo and Ona 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.