Forsta vs Medallia (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Forsta grades higher than Medallia: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Forsta grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Forsta if
- Fits if you run large market research studies with a research team
- Works for companies that need survey panels and dashboards in one place
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price on the page, because none is published
- Not for you if you need a free plan or trial, as there isn't one
- Watch out: it is far more platform than a simple contact or sign-up form needs
- Watch out: product names change by use case, such as Decipher for surveys and Research HX for panels
Pick Medallia if
- Fits if you run feedback programs across a contact centre, digital channels and staff
- Works for large companies that want one contract covering several experience programs
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a quick survey or form, since this is built for enterprise programs
- Not for you if you need a price before talking to sales, because none is published
- Watch out: pricing is by experience data records in annual tiers, which is hard to estimate in advance
- Too light for nothing, but too heavy for small teams that just need a few surveys
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAForstaFair | 1.8GPAMedalliaWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; buyers are told to talk to an expert. | CNo price is published. The pricing page describes annual tiers based on experience data records, not seats or surveys, so there's nothing to compare against the forms category's $19 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no free trial on record, and the page tells buyers to talk to an expert. | FNo free plan and no trial are listed. Access starts with a conversation with the vendor. |
| Features | BDecipher surveys, AI-assisted setup, panel and sample, dashboards and expert services cover the whole job and then some. | BFeedback capture across channels, text analytics with alerts, role-based reports and employee programs. The listing shows no gap in the job, only that it's a bigger job than a form tool does. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A platform with many modules and product names to sort out. | CNo store rating on record. It's an enterprise platform with programs to set up, roles to assign and alerts to route, so expect a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with enterprise connections such as Adobe Analytics, Dynamics 365, Brandwatch and Cint. | CWeb only on the listing, and no integrations are named. |
| Best for | enterprise survey and market research programs | enterprise feedback programs across many channels |
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: Forsta and Medallia. How we grade
Where they differ
- Forsta also covers forms.
In commonWebAI featuresSurveysReportsDashboards
At a glance
| Forsta | Medallia | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Forsta | Medallia, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Forsta
- No prices are published and there is no free plan or trial; buyers are directed to talk to an expert.
- It is an enterprise platform with many modules, so it is more than a form or survey builder.
- Product names vary by use case, such as Decipher for surveys and Research HX for panels and dashboards.
- Integration pages list enterprise tools such as Adobe Analytics, Dynamics 365 and Cint rather than small-team apps.
Medallia
- No prices are published; the pricing page says to contact the company.
- Pricing is described as an experience data record model in annual tiers, not per seat or per survey.
- It is built for enterprise programs, so it is heavier than a form or small-survey tool.
Key features
Forsta
- Decipher survey platform
- Surveys can be built by drag and drop or in XML and Python, with nested routing, quotas, loops, 85 or more question types and 80 or more languages.
- AI-assisted setup
- Word documents can be imported as surveys with AI, and templates, automatic logic checks and AI summaries of open-ended answers are listed.
- Panel and sample
- A sample marketplace is built in, with panel management for running your own panel.
- Dashboards
- Survey results can be turned into live dashboards and data visualizations through the Research HX product.
- Experience programs
- Separate solutions cover customer, brand and employee experience, including reputation management, review requests and local listings.
- Expert services
- Consulting, data science, onboarding, participant management and technical assistance are offered next to the software.
Medallia
- Feedback capture across channels
- Collects surveys and signals from digital journeys, contact centers and employee programs into one platform.
- AI and text analytics
- Medallia says all data is analyzed with its AI-powered analytics, which drive alerts and closed-loop workflows.
- Role-based reporting
- Reports are shaped by role so that frontline teams and executives see the feedback relevant to them.
- Employee experience programs
- Listening programs cover the employee journey from candidate to exit.
- Agile Research
- Pre-built surveys for quick market insights, a product line that now also answers at the former CheckMarket address.
Plans
Forsta
Pricing could not be confirmed. See forsta.com.
Medallia
Pricing could not be confirmed. See medallia.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Forsta or Medallia?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Forsta has no price we could confirm, and Medallia has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Forsta or Medallia?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Forsta nor Medallia has 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.