Epicollect5 vs Survey Solutions (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Epicollect5 grades higher than Survey Solutions: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Epicollect5 grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. Survey Solutions grades higher on features.
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
Survey Solutions
Free survey software from the World Bank for CAPI and CAWI
Which one is for you
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
Pick Survey Solutions if
- Fits if you run a statistics office or research team with its own IT support
- Works for large household surveys with interviewers on tablets
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted service, as you install your own server
- Skip it if you have no IT help, because setup and upkeep are yours
- Watch out: hosting costs depend on your own server, so the free software is not the whole bill
- Watch out: the site does not say which operating systems the tablet app supports
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAEpicollect5Very good | 2.2GPASurvey SolutionsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CThe software costs nothing, but you must run your own server, so hosting and staff time are on you. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no cap a normal project would reach. | BThe software is free with no response caps, but there is no hosted version. |
| Features | CForm builder, mobile collection, exports, an API and logic. The docs point to KoboToolbox, ODK or Google Forms for mission-critical work. | BQuestionnaire designer, offline tablet, web and phone interviews, data validation, GIS capture and APIs. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You design each project in the form builder. | DNo store rating on record. You install and manage a server before anyone can interview. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus Android and iOS apps with GPS and media capture, an export API and Google Maps and Earth links. No desktop app. | CWeb server plus an interviewer tablet app whose operating systems the site does not name. APIs are listed, integrations are not. |
| Best for | free field data collection from a university team | free survey software you host on your own server |
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: Epicollect5 and Survey Solutions. How we grade
Price against what you get
Epicollect5 has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Survey Solutions has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Epicollect5 scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, none scores higher than Epicollect5 for less, and none scores higher than Survey Solutions 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
- Survey Solutions is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Epicollect5 | Survey Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to use without limits, subject to a fair usage policy; as many projects and entries as you want. | The software is free; you run your own server, on your premises or in the cloud. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance | The World Bank Group |
| Price read from | docs.epicollect.net | mysurvey.solutions |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Survey Solutions
- You install and manage the server yourself; the team helps with setup but this is not a hosted subscription.
- The site points to cost planning tools in its documentation, since hosting costs depend on your own server setup.
- The site does not state which operating systems the interviewer tablet app supports.
Key features
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.
Survey Solutions
- Questionnaire Designer
- Build multi-language questionnaires with nested rosters, linked and cascading questions, and a compiler that flags problems.
- Mixed interview modes
- Collect offline on tablets (CAPI), online through a web interface (CAWI) and by phone (CATI).
- Data validation
- Validation and interview flow use C# expressions, with macros, calculated variables and lookup tables.
- GIS capture
- Capture locations, distances and areas, with geofencing and offline guidance to interview points using satellite images.
- APIs and monitoring
- REST APIs support quality controls and dashboards, and paradata lets you monitor survey progress.
Plans
Epicollect5
Free$0
100% free service with unlimited projects and entries, provided as-is under a fair usage policy.
Survey Solutions
Survey Solutions$0
Free software: questionnaire designer, headquarters server, supervisor and interviewer tools; you host it.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Epicollect5 or Survey Solutions?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Epicollect5 and Survey Solutions are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Epicollect5 or Survey Solutions?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Epicollect5 and Survey Solutions have a free plan.
Which platforms do Epicollect5 and Survey Solutions 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.