Qualtrics vs Sawtooth Software (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sawtooth Software grades higher than Qualtrics: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Qualtrics grades higher on the free plan. Sawtooth Software grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Qualtrics
Survey and experience research platform with a free account
Sawtooth Software
Survey software for conjoint and MaxDiff market research
Which one is for you
Pick Qualtrics if
- Fits if you are a student or researcher running a small survey
- Works for universities and large companies already licensed
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you outgrow Free, as the one published paid price is $5,040 a year
- Tight if you need more than 500 responses, 3 active surveys or 8 question types
- Watch out: custom look and feel, quotas, dashboards and the workflow engine are not in the free account
- Not for you if you want an easy price check, since other products are quoted through sales
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
| 2.2GPAQualtricsFair | 2.4GPASawtooth SoftwareFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DStrategic Research is $420 a month billed annually, $5,040 a year, far above the category's $66 dearest-tenth line. | COnly the free plan has a published price; paid plans are by quote, so value sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree account: 500 responses, 3 active surveys of up to 30 questions and 8 question types with basic logic. A student or one-off project can live on that. | CFree Discover plan: unlimited surveys and questions, conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Features | BSurvey builder, templates, distribution, analysis, AI help and connected experience programs cover the whole job. Quotas, dashboards and workflows are not in the free account. | 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 large platform with a learning curve for its reports and programs. | CNo rating on record. Conjoint design has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and the listing names no integrations or apps. | BWeb plus a Windows program (Lighthouse Studio), with two integrations listed. |
| Best for | a free survey account for research and students | 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: Qualtrics and Sawtooth Software. How we grade
Where they differ
- Qualtrics also covers forms and dashboards.
At a glance
| Qualtrics | Sawtooth Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $420 per month, billed annually ($5,040 a year) | Not published |
| Free plan | Free account: 500 responses, 3 active surveys of up to 30 questions each, 8 question types and basic skip, display and branch logic. | Free plan on Discover: unlimited surveys and questions, choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Free trial | 30-day trial of Strategic Research | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Qualtrics | Sawtooth Software |
| Price read from | qualtrics.com | sawtoothsoftware.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Qualtrics
- The free account stops at 500 responses, 3 active surveys and 8 question types.
- The one published paid price is $5,040 a year; other products are quoted through sales.
- Custom look and feel, quotas, dashboards and the workflow engine are not in the free account.
- Many universities hold a full license; the free-account page offers a check by .edu address.
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
Qualtrics
- Survey builder and templates
- A drag-and-drop builder with 50+ templates. Paid plans offer 23 question types, branching, quotas and 20+ pre-built research solutions.
- Distribution
- Surveys go out by link, email, SMS, website, QR code or mobile app, and paid plans can draw on Qualtrics' integrated panels.
- Analysis and reporting
- Free accounts get reports; paid plans add dashboards, crosstabs, Stats iQ statistical tools, and text, sentiment and topic analysis.
- AI assistance
- A Research Agent guides study design, with AI-assisted analysis and generative summaries of video feedback on paid plans.
- Video and audio feedback
- Paid plans collect video feedback, audio feedback, video diaries, focus groups and interviews inside surveys.
- Connected experience programs
- Surveys sit in the same system as customer and employee experience data, so results can trigger actions across programs.
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
Qualtrics
Free$0
500 responses, 3 active surveys with up to 30 questions each, 8 question types, 50+ templates and reports.
Strategic Research$420
per month, billed annually ($5,040 a year)
23 question types, quotas, response weighting, dashboards, Stats iQ and text analysis, and a workflow engine.
Enterprise and XM solutionsCustom
Customer, employee and market research products priced by interactions through a sales request.
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
Qualtrics
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, Qualtrics or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Qualtrics starts at $420 per month, billed annually ($5,040 a year), and Sawtooth Software publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Qualtrics or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Qualtrics and Sawtooth Software have a free plan.
Which platforms do Qualtrics 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.