Open Data Kit vs SurveyCTO (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SurveyCTO 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
Open Data Kit grades higher on value for money and the free plan. SurveyCTO grades higher on features, 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
SurveyCTO
Offline-capable data collection for field research
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 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
| 2.0GPAOpen Data KitFair | 2.2GPASurveyCTOFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | BSelf-hosted ODK is free with no response caps, and you support yourself. It needs a server and technical setup. | 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 | CVaried question types, offline use, analysis links and Entities. The Collect app is Android only, and API access and Entities need Professional. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. Self-hosting means installing and running a server, and forms are written in a spreadsheet format. | CNo store rating on record. Forms are built to a spreadsheet-style design, and field teams need setup and training. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb app plus an Android app (Android 5 or above), with Excel, Power BI, Python and R links. No iPhone app. | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with Google Sheets, Stata, R, Power BI and Salesforce links. No desktop app. |
| Best for | free self-hosted field data collection | 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: Open Data Kit and SurveyCTO. 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. SurveyCTO starts at $225 a month and scores 2.7.
SurveyCTO scores higher, and starts $26 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 105 score higher than Open Data Kit 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
- Open Data Kit is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- SurveyCTO is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- SurveyCTO also covers case management.
At a glance
| Open Data Kit | SurveyCTO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly) | $225 per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | ODK is open-source software you can self-host and support yourself for free; hosted ODK Cloud is paid. | 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 | Get ODK Inc. | Dobility, Inc. |
| Price read from | getodk.org | surveycto.com |
| 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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, Open Data Kit or SurveyCTO?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Open Data Kit is cheaper to start with: $199 a month, against $225 a month for SurveyCTO. Open Data Kit starts at $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly), and SurveyCTO starts at $225 per month, billed annually ($250 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Open Data Kit or SurveyCTO?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Open Data Kit and SurveyCTO have a free plan.
Which platforms do Open Data Kit 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.