KoboToolbox vs SurveyCTO (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, KoboToolbox grades higher than SurveyCTO: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
KoboToolbox grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
KoboToolbox
Open-source data collection for field surveys, online or offline
SurveyCTO
Offline-capable data collection for field research
Which one is for you
Pick KoboToolbox if
- Fits if you're a nonprofit, UN agency or researcher collecting data in the field
- Works for survey teams collecting offline on Android phones and tablets with long, spreadsheet-built questionnaires
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're a company or individual hoping for free, as the free plan is for nonprofits, schools and government
- Skip it if your team is on iPhones and wants an app, since KoboCollect is Android only
- Pricey if you're a business past 1,000 submissions a month, where the next plan is $88 billed yearly, and there's no trial
- Watch out: going over a submission or storage limit blocks new submissions until the quota resets or you upgrade
- Watch out: these prices come from a July 5, 2026 archive copy, because the live pricing page could not be loaded
Pick SurveyCTO if
- Fits if your team collects data in areas with no signal
- Works for research projects that need data quality checks
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small: $225 a month on yearly billing before any extras
- Tight if you go over the cap: 5,000 submissions on Basic and 10,000 on Pro, then $100 per 1,000
- Watch out: the free Community plan has no support access
- Watch out: SOC 2 report and server location choice need Pro, and AI credits are sold separately
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAKoboToolboxGood | 2.2GPASurveyCTOFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$21 a month billed yearly for unlimited projects, unlimited data collectors and 1,000 submissions a month, which lands just under this category's $24 middle. For a company the next rung is brutal: 5,000 submissions costs $88, past the dearest tenth. | DBasic is $225 a month on yearly billing, above the dearest tenth ($149) of forms tools. Pro is $315 and Advanced $630. |
| Free plan and trial | CDepends entirely who you are. Nonprofits, government agencies, UN bodies and schools get 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB free, caps a busy project would still reach. Everybody else gets nothing free and no trial either. | CCommunity is free for testing and training: 10 forms, 200 submissions a month and 200 MB, with no support access. A 15-day trial gives all features at the same limits. |
| Features | AIt does the whole survey job and several things nothing else in this category does: XLSForm questionnaires with cascading selects and translations, GPS, photo, audio and barcode questions, offline collection, automatic transcription of audio answers, and exports to Stata, ArcGIS and Power BI. | BOffline collection, data quality tools, case management, security and AI tools. The listing's gaps are about caps and plan limits, not missing field-survey features. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and there's a real learning curve: the serious questionnaires are written as XLSForm spreadsheets, projects have to be deployed, and collectors need accounts. The visual Formbuilder is the gentle route. | CNo store rating on record. Forms are built to a spreadsheet-style design, and field teams need setup and training. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus the KoboCollect Android app, both working offline, with an API that downloads data and deploys projects, and exports into Excel, Power BI, Tableau and ArcGIS. No iPhone app: Apple users fill forms in a browser. | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Google Sheets, Stata, R, Power BI and Salesforce links. No desktop app. |
| Best for | field surveys that have to work offline | offline field surveys with data quality checks |
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: KoboToolbox and SurveyCTO. How we grade
Price against what you get
KoboToolbox starts at $21 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SurveyCTO starts at $225 a month and scores 2.7.
KoboToolbox scores higher and starts $204 a month lower. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, none scores higher than KoboToolbox for less, and 6 score higher than SurveyCTO 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
- KoboToolbox is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- SurveyCTO is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- KoboToolbox also covers reports.
- SurveyCTO also covers case management.
At a glance
| KoboToolbox | SurveyCTO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $21 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly); nonprofits have a free plan | $225 per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Community plan, free for nonprofits, government agencies, UN organizations and educational institutions: 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of file storage. Other users pay $99 a month for it. | Community subscription for testing and training: 10 forms, 200 submissions a month and 200 MB of storage, without support access. |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial with all features: 10 forms, 200 submissions and 200 MB storage |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Kobo | Dobility, Inc. |
| Price read from | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) | surveycto.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
KoboToolbox
- The free Community plan is limited to nonprofits, government agencies, UN organizations and educational institutions; others pay.
- Going over a plan's submission or storage limit blocks new submissions until the quota resets or the plan is upgraded.
- KoboCollect is an Android app; iPhones and iPads collect data through web forms in a browser.
- Prices here come from a July 5, 2026 archive copy of the pricing page, because the live page could not be loaded.
SurveyCTO
- Plans cap monthly submissions: 5,000 on Basic and 10,000 on Pro; extra submissions cost $100 per 1,000 credits.
- Extra AI credits are sold separately as prepaid or on-demand credits.
- The free Community subscription has no access to the support team.
- Server location selection and the SOC 2 report need Pro or higher.
Key features
KoboToolbox
- Formbuilder and XLSForm
- Build forms in a visual Formbuilder or as XLSForm spreadsheets, with skip logic, validation, calculations, cascading selects and translations.
- Offline data collection
- Web forms and the KoboCollect Android app both store submissions on the device without a connection and upload them once it returns.
- GPS and multimedia questions
- Forms can capture GPS locations, photos, audio and video, and the KoboCollect app adds device features such as barcode scanning.
- Audio transcription and translation
- Audio responses can be transcribed and translated automatically within a monthly quota: 10 minutes on Community and 120 on Professional.
- Reports, data tables and exports
- Custom reports, table views and bulk editing are built in, and data exports work with Excel, Google Sheets, Power BI, Tableau, ArcGIS and Stata.
- API
- The API downloads data as JSON, CSV or XLSX, submits or edits records, creates and deploys projects, and manages users and permissions.
SurveyCTO
- Offline mobile collection
- The SurveyCTO Collect app works offline on Android and iOS and supports CAPI, CATI and ACASI interview modes.
- Data quality tools
- Real-time checks flag issues, with review and correction of submissions and automated statistical checks.
- Case management
- Follow-up and longitudinal surveys can be tied together; advanced offline case management is on the Advanced plan.
- Security
- The vendor says it is SOC 2 certified and GDPR and HIPAA compliant, with end-to-end encryption and SSO.
- AI tools
- AI translation, transcription and form design help, drawn from a monthly credit allowance that depends on the plan.
Plans
KoboToolbox
Community (nonprofit)$0
For nonprofits, government agencies, UN organizations and educational institutions: unlimited projects, 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of storage.
Starter$21
per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
For companies and personal use only: unlimited projects and data collectors, 1,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of file storage.
Community (other)$88
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
The Community plan as sold to companies and individuals outside the nonprofit category: 5,000 submissions a month and 1 GB of storage.
Professional$129
per month, billed annually ($159 monthly); nonprofit rate
25,000 submissions a month and unlimited file storage. Organizations outside the nonprofit category pay $166 billed annually or $199 monthly.
Teams$249
per month, billed annually ($289 monthly); nonprofit rate
50,000 submissions a month, unlimited storage and 1 team with member roles. Other organizations pay $309 billed annually or $359 monthly.
Enterprise SolutionsCustom
Unlimited submissions and 10 teams, with single sign-on included and hosting in a choice of 28 countries or on your own infrastructure.
SurveyCTO
Community$0
Free sandbox: 10 forms, 200 submissions a month, 200 MB storage, all paid features but no support team access.
Basic$225
per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly)
10 GB storage, 5,000 monthly submissions, 100 forms, unlimited users and devices, 1,000 AI credits.
Pro$315
per month, billed annually ($350 billed monthly)
25 GB storage, 10,000 monthly submissions, 500 forms, limited API access, server location choice, 2,500 AI credits.
Advanced$630
per month, billed annually ($700 billed monthly)
Unlimited storage, submissions and forms, all APIs, advanced offline case management, 5,000 AI credits.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom storage, submissions and forms, custom training, an enterprise success team and custom AI credits.
Ways to pay less
KoboToolbox
- Nonprofit
Free Community plan and lower rates for nonprofits
Nonprofits, government agencies and UN organizations get the Community plan free and pay less for Professional and Teams than other organizations do.
- Education
Nonprofit pricing for educational institutions
The pricing page counts educational institutions in its nonprofit category, which includes the free Community plan and the lower paid rates.
- Annual discount
Lower monthly rate with annual billing
Billed annually, Starter is $21 instead of $25 per month, and the nonprofit rates are $129 instead of $159 for Professional and $249 instead of $289 for Teams.
SurveyCTO
- Annual discount
10% off with annual payment
The pricing page gives a 10% discount whenever an annual subscription is paid up front; Basic is $225 a month annually versus $250 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KoboToolbox or SurveyCTO?
As of Nov 13, 2026, KoboToolbox is cheaper to start with: $21 a month, against $225 a month for SurveyCTO. KoboToolbox starts at $21 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly); nonprofits have a free plan, and SurveyCTO starts at $225 per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, KoboToolbox or SurveyCTO?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both KoboToolbox and SurveyCTO have a free plan.
Which platforms do KoboToolbox and SurveyCTO run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SurveyCTO lists an iOS app. Both list a web app and an Android 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.