Open Data Kit review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Open-source mobile and web data collection
Black Friday: is there a Open Data Kit sale?
Open Data Kit report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for free self-hosted field data collection
Open Data Kit is open source: you can host it yourself for free or pay for ODK Cloud. The mobile app is Android only. ODK Cloud starts at $199 a month, and API access and Entities need Professional.
Who Open Data Kit is for
- Fits if you can run your own server and want free software
- Works for field teams that all carry Android phones
Who Open Data Kit is not for
- 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
Why Open Data Kit gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyThe software is free only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. ODK Cloud starts at $199 a month on yearly billing.
- BFree plan and trialSelf-hosted ODK is free with no response caps, and you support yourself. It needs a server and technical setup.
- CFeaturesVaried question types, offline use, analysis links and Entities. The Collect app is Android only, and API access and Entities need Professional.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. Self-hosting means installing and running a server, and forms are written in a spreadsheet format.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb app plus an Android app (Android 5 or above), with Excel, Power BI, Python and R links. No iPhone app.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Open Data Kit's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/open-data-kit#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/open-data-kit.svg" alt="Open Data Kit: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Open Data Kit stands among form and survey tools
Open Data Kit's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 26 of the 148 other form and survey tools we grade, and level with 29.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 111 of 148) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $199 a month, against a middle price of $20 for the category: 103 of the 114 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. 105 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 149 form and survey tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Open Data Kit’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 35 of 148, level with 71
- BFree plan and trialAbove 111 of 148, level with 27
- CFeaturesAbove 5 of 148, level with 90
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 148, level with 6
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 148, level with 45
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 121 form and survey tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Open Data Kit, or make your own?
Your call
A form at its plainest is questions, a button and a table of answers.
You could make the core of Open Data Kit for yourself: forms and surveys. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $2,388 a year. Open Data Kit is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Forms and surveys: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Excel, Power BI and Python among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Open Data Kit’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Open Data Kit?
Open Data Kit (ODK) is open-source software for building forms and collecting data online and offline, with an Android app and a web app. The software is free to self-host, and ODK Cloud is a paid, fully hosted version run by its creators. Forms support photos, GPS locations, skip logic, calculations and multiple languages.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Open Data Kit pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Open Data Kit has a free plan, and paid plans start at $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- $199 per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- ODK is open-source software you can self-host and support yourself for free; hosted ODK Cloud is paid.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted ODK | $0 | Open-source software you install, host and support yourself; the hosted version is ODK Cloud. |
| Standard | $199per month, billed yearly ($249 billed monthly) | 1 active project, unlimited forms and users, 10K monthly submissions, email support within 3 business days. |
| Professional | $499per month, billed yearly ($599 billed monthly) | 25K monthly submissions, Entities to flow data between forms, API access, email support within 1 business day. |
| Enterprise | Custom | 10+ active projects, 100K+ monthly submissions, single sign-on, custom domain, uptime SLA, phone support. |
Read from getodk.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Open Data Kit before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 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.
Stated on getodk.org
Works with
Open Data Kit alternatives
- Open Data Kit vs KoboToolbox
Free plan · from $21/mo
- Open Data Kit vs SurveyCTO
Free plan · from $225/mo
- Open Data Kit vs Ona
Free plan · from $199/mo
Common questions
Does Open Data Kit have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Open Data Kit is listed for Web and Android.
Does Open Data Kit have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Open Data Kit is listed for Web and Android.
Is Open Data Kit open source?
Yes. Open Data Kit is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does Open Data Kit work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Does Open Data Kit have an API?
Yes. Open Data Kit offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.