Forsta vs Sawtooth Software (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sawtooth Software grades higher than Forsta: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sawtooth Software grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Sawtooth Software
Survey software for conjoint and MaxDiff market research
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 Sawtooth Software if
- Fits if you need conjoint or MaxDiff, not a general survey tool
- Works for students and small projects under 50 respondents
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run real studies, as the free plan stops at 50 respondents per survey
- Skip it if you want a price list, since Professional and Premier are quote-only
- Skip it if you want monthly billing, as only annual subscriptions are sold
- Watch out: Lighthouse Studio, the Premier tool, is a Windows-installed program
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAForstaFair | 2.4GPASawtooth SoftwareFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; buyers are told to talk to an expert. | COnly the free plan has a published price; paid plans are by quote, so value sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no free trial on record, and the page tells buyers to talk to an expert. | CFree Discover plan: unlimited surveys and questions, conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Features | BDecipher surveys, AI-assisted setup, panel and sample, dashboards and expert services cover the whole job and then some. | BChoice-based conjoint, MaxDiff, standard questions, analysis, AI open-end help and a respondent panel. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in this narrower job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A platform with many modules and product names to sort out. | CNo rating on record. Conjoint design has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with enterprise connections such as Adobe Analytics, Dynamics 365, Brandwatch and Cint. | BWeb plus a Windows program (Lighthouse Studio), with two integrations listed. |
| Best for | enterprise survey and market research programs | conjoint and MaxDiff studies |
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 Sawtooth Software. How we grade
Where they differ
- Forsta also covers forms and dashboards.
At a glance
| Forsta | Sawtooth Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Free plan on Discover: unlimited surveys and questions, choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Forsta | Sawtooth Software |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | sawtoothsoftware.com |
| 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.
Sawtooth Software
- Only the free plan has a published price; Professional and Premier are sold by quote.
- Only annual subscriptions are sold; monthly payment is not offered.
- The free plan stops at 50 respondents per survey.
- Lighthouse Studio (Premier) is a Windows-installed application.
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.
Sawtooth Software
- Choice-based conjoint
- Design and field conjoint studies to see which features and prices people pick. Advanced conjoint types are in the Premier plan.
- MaxDiff (best-worst scaling)
- Respondents pick best and worst from small sets of items. Up to 120 items per exercise on Discover and up to 2,000 on Lighthouse Studio.
- Standard survey question types
- Multiple choice, grids, open-ends, ranking, constant sum and numeric questions, with skip logic and quotas.
- Built-in analysis
- Real-time reports, crosstabs, key drivers and cluster analysis, with export to SPSS and Excel.
- AI follow-up and open-end analysis
- Smart follow-up questions and open-end analysis are listed in the plan comparison as AI features.
- Respondent panel
- Sawtooth says its panel service reaches over 200 million verified respondents worldwide.
Plans
Forsta
Pricing could not be confirmed. See forsta.com.
Sawtooth Software
Free$0
Discover with up to 50 respondents per survey, unlimited surveys and questions, and choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff.
ProfessionalCustom
Discover with unlimited respondents per survey. Price is by quote; annual subscriptions only.
PremierCustom
Lighthouse Studio for Windows with advanced conjoint and MaxDiff and more customization. Price is by quote.
Ways to pay less
Forsta
No public discounts listed.
Sawtooth Software
- Education
Academic pricing for students and educators
Sawtooth lists discounts for students or educators using the software for non-commercial use.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Forsta or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Forsta has no price we could confirm, and Sawtooth Software publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Forsta or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sawtooth Software has a free plan. Forsta does not.
Which platforms do Forsta and Sawtooth Software run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sawtooth Software lists a Windows app. 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.