Open Data Kit vs Survey Solutions (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Survey Solutions grades higher than Open Data Kit: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Survey Solutions grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, 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.
Open Data Kit
Open-source mobile and web data collection
Survey Solutions
Free survey software from the World Bank for CAPI and CAWI
Which one is for you
Pick Open Data Kit if
- Fits if you can run your own server and want free software
- Works for field teams that all carry Android phones
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have no one to run a server, as the free route is self-hosted
- Not for you if your team uses iPhones, because the Collect app is Android only
- Pricey if you want ODK Cloud: $199 a month on yearly billing for Standard
- Watch out: API access and Entities need Professional at $499 a month
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
| 2.0GPAOpen Data KitFair | 2.2GPASurvey SolutionsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software is free only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. ODK Cloud starts at $199 a month on yearly billing. | CThe software costs nothing, but you must run your own server, so hosting and staff time are on you. |
| Free plan and trial | BSelf-hosted ODK is free with no response caps, and you support yourself. It needs a server and technical setup. | BThe software is free with no response caps, but there is no hosted version. |
| Features | CVaried question types, offline use, analysis links and Entities. The Collect app is Android only, and API access and Entities need Professional. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. Self-hosting means installing and running a server, and forms are written in a spreadsheet format. | DNo store rating on record. You install and manage a server before anyone can interview. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb app plus an Android app (Android 5 or above), with Excel, Power BI, Python and R links. No iPhone 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 self-hosted field data collection | 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: Open Data Kit and Survey Solutions. How we grade
Price against what you get
Open Data Kit starts at $199 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Survey Solutions has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Survey Solutions scores higher and starts $199 a month lower. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 105 score higher than Open Data Kit 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
- Open Data Kit is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Open Data Kit | Survey Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly) | Free |
| Free plan | ODK is open-source software you can self-host and support yourself for free; hosted ODK Cloud is paid. | The software is free; you run your own server, on your premises or in the cloud. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Get ODK Inc. | The World Bank Group |
| Price read from | getodk.org | mysurvey.solutions |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Open Data Kit
- ODK Collect is an Android app; the docs list Android 5 or above as the minimum.
- ODK Cloud limits active projects and monthly submissions; extra capacity is a Basic add-on at $199 a month yearly or $249 monthly.
- API access and Entities need Professional or higher.
- ODK Cloud lists a full refund if you are unhappy within 14 days of payment.
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
Open Data Kit
- Forms with rich questions
- Include photos, GPS locations, skip logic, calculations, external datasets and multiple languages.
- Online and offline
- Use the Android app or the web app; data syncs automatically when an internet connection is found.
- Analysis connections
- Download data or connect Excel, Power BI, Python and R to build dashboards and automations.
- Hosted or self-hosted
- Run the open-source software yourself, or pick ODK Cloud with storage in the US, Europe or India.
- Entities
- Entities, on Professional and above, carry data between forms and users for follow-up workflows.
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
Open Data Kit
Self-hosted ODK$0
Open-source software you install, host and support yourself; the hosted version is ODK Cloud.
Standard$199
per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly)
1 active project, unlimited forms and users, 10K monthly submissions, email support within 3 business days.
Professional$499
per month, billed yearly ($599 billed monthly)
25K monthly submissions, Entities to flow data between forms, API access, email support within 1 business day.
EnterpriseCustom
10+ active projects, 100K+ monthly submissions, single sign-on, custom domain, uptime SLA, phone support.
Survey Solutions
Survey Solutions$0
Free software: questionnaire designer, headquarters server, supervisor and interviewer tools; you host it.
Ways to pay less
Open Data Kit
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% when paying yearly
ODK Cloud's page offers up to 20% off when paying yearly: Standard is $199 a month yearly against $249 monthly.
Survey Solutions
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Open Data Kit or Survey Solutions?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Survey Solutions is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $199 a month for Open Data Kit. Open Data Kit starts at $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly), and Survey Solutions is free.
Which has a free plan, Open Data Kit or Survey Solutions?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Open Data Kit and Survey Solutions have a free plan.
Which platforms do Open Data Kit and Survey Solutions run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Open Data Kit lists an Android 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.