Surveys have quietly become one of the most powerful business tools of the last decade, and oftentimes their success depends on the right survey software.
But the market is crowded.
There’s everything from free survey tools that work straight out of the box to enterprise platforms with AI-powered analytics.
The trick is matching the software’s strengths to your business needs and knowing what really matters when it comes to features and data security.
In this guide, we break down the best options for six distinct use cases: from small businesses running their first customer poll to enterprises needing advanced analytics across multiple departments.
Best survey software for small businesses with a free plan
Small businesses often need to collect feedback fast, without the overhead of paid plans or complex tools.
What matters most at this stage is a user-friendly interface that supports creating surveys and access to basic survey data for quick analysis in tools like Google Sheets.
The right survey app should balance ease of use with enough features to help improve response rates and guide early decisions.
👇 These tools are a smart starting point if you want to collect feedback without spending a cent:
SurveyLab
For small businesses, SurveyLab’s Starter plan is a strong entry point.
- You get advanced question logic, multi-language surveys, data export, filters, and survey branding – tools that would normally sit in paid tiers elsewhere.
- The free plan after the 14-day trial still keeps these features but caps responses at 50 total, making it a safe way to test without commitment.
- Small teams value that SurveyLab integrates with CRM tools like Salesforce or Zendesk from day one, so collecting customer feedback flows right into their existing systems.
- With over 85,000 registered users and 15 years in the market, it’s a platform proven to work for both first-time survey creators and seasoned professionals who want reliable survey analysis and easy distribution.
Zoho Survey
Zoho Survey, launched in 2013 by Zoho Corporation, stands out because it connects directly with Zoho CRM. This makes collecting customer feedback and linking it to sales data easy.
- The free tier includes multilingual surveys, unlimited survey questions, and data filtering.
- It’s the right survey tool if you want basic advanced analytics without paying extra, and it can distribute surveys across email, social, or embedded links.
Google Forms
Since 2008, Google Forms has been the go-to free survey tool for businesses, schools, and nonprofits.
- It links with Google Sheets for instant data analysis, supports unlimited survey questions, and is strong for traditional surveys.
- While it lacks advanced analytics, its speed and integration with all the tools in Google Workspace make it ideal for small businesses on a budget.
Survicate (free tier)
Founded in 2013, Survicate is built for real-time feedback.
- The free tier gives you 125 responses per month, multilingual surveys, and visually appealing widgets that sit right on your website or in emails.
- Even on the free plan, you get survey analysis and data filtering, making it perfect for small businesses that want targeted customer insights without extra costs.
Survey tools for startups focused on market research
Startups rely heavily on valuable feedback to validate ideas and fine-tune products. That means collecting survey responses from a clear target audience, often across multiple channels.
The best tools for startups support fast survey distribution and light survey logic, making it easier to test concepts and turn raw customer data into actionable insights.
👇 If you’re running early tests or growing fast, these options can help you gather insights quickly:
SurveyLab
For early-stage startups, agility matters, and that’s where SurveyLab’s Advanced plan shines.
- Startups can create multilingual surveys in any format, from traditional surveys to visually appealing widgets on their website.
- Features like custom survey themes and advanced reporting mean you can present investor-ready results without extra tools.
- SurveyLab’s automation and API integrations let lean teams connect surveys to Intercom, Slack, or Google Workspace, so feedback is collected and acted on fast.
- Founders running market research will appreciate the data filtering, dashboards, and mobile-ready designs that keep completion rates high.
- With clients ranging from small companies to global corporations, SurveyLab has the credibility and flexibility that startups need.
Typeform
Typeform, founded in 2012 in Barcelona, is known for conversational surveys that feel like a chat, not a form.
- This style helps startups collect honest, high-quality responses during early-stage market research.
- It supports multilingual surveys and survey analysis, which makes it one of the right survey tools for understanding your audience better.
ProProfs Qualaroo
Qualaroo uses “Nudges” to ask questions while users interact with your site or app.
- It integrates heatmaps and advanced analytics to connect survey data with behavior.
- For startups, this means collecting customer feedback in context, without sending people to an external form.
Tally.so
Created in 2020, Tally.so is a no-code friendly platform with unlimited survey questions even on the free plan.
- It’s visually appealing, supports multilingual surveys, and integrates with business tools like Notion and Airtable.
- Startups like it because it’s quick to set up and easy to distribute surveys without learning a complex system.
Best survey tools for enterprise data collection and analysis
For enterprise teams, data quality and advanced reporting are the priorities. These companies need tools that can collect data from thousands of survey respondents and support survey design across departments.
Powerful analytical tools and integrations for further analysis make all the difference when working with large volumes of survey data and customer feedback.
👇 For larger teams working with deep data, these platforms are built to handle scale and complexity:
SurveyLab
For large organizations, SurveyLab’s Enterprise plan is a full research environment.
- It supports massive-scale data collection with advanced dashboards that combine survey results and account statistics in one place.
- AI surveys, automation, and integration with CRM or BI tools streamline enterprise workflows.
- Complex survey logic, multilingual support, and custom development on demand make it fit for multinational deployments.
- Enterprises also get SLA-backed uptime (99.997%) and security measures that meet both EU and US compliance standards.
- For companies managing millions of responses across departments, SurveyLab delivers a single platform where advanced analytics, data filtering, and enterprise-grade security work together.
Qualtrics
Founded in 2002 in Provo, Utah, Qualtrics has become one of the industry leaders for enterprise-level survey analysis.
- It’s built for organizations that need to collect massive volumes of customer feedback, employee data, or academic research responses.
- Its advanced analytics include predictive modeling, text analysis, and deep data filtering, making it ideal for identifying trends across millions of survey responses.
- Qualtrics supports multilingual surveys, complex survey logic, and integrates with hundreds of business tools to fit into large corporate systems.
Medallia
Medallia, launched in 2001, focuses on capturing and analyzing customer and employee experience data in real time.
- Its AI-powered analysis tools scan feedback for sentiment, urgency, and emerging issues, giving enterprises a fast and accurate view of performance.
- The platform is strong for enterprises running multilingual surveys across global teams, and it supports advanced analytics dashboards for leadership-level decision-making.
- For organizations that want actionable insights as soon as data is collected, Medallia stands out.
QuestionPro
Founded in 2005, QuestionPro is popular among enterprises for its balance of customization and security.
- It supports multilingual surveys, custom logic, and advanced analytics while meeting enterprise-grade compliance standards.
- QuestionPro’s data filtering and comprehensive survey design options make it a fit for complex projects, from internal audits to global market research.
- Enterprises value its ability to distribute surveys through secure channels and manage responses in a controlled environment.
Free online survey tools for educators and nonprofits
Educators and nonprofits often need free tools to create unlimited surveys and send them to broad audiences. All without paying for advanced features they may never use. Tools with custom themes and easy web links work well in this space.
A good survey app here supports offline surveys and has a low learning curve.
👇 These survey tools are reliable choices for schools and nonprofits working with tight budgets:
SurveyLab
SurveyLab has a soft spot for educators and nonprofits, and it shows. We offer custom discounts for nonprofit organizations, making the already accessible platform even more affordable.
- Multi-language surveys support over 100 languages, with automatic detection of the respondent’s browser settings, which is ideal for academic research or international volunteer projects.
- Educators benefit from mobile surveys that work on any device, while advanced logic and question types make complex research possible without technical know-how.
- SurveyLab’s free trial gives schools and nonprofits time to test advanced features before committing, and secure EU-based servers keep respondent data compliant with GDPR – a must for institutions handling sensitive information.
Microsoft Forms
Part of Microsoft 365 since 2016, Microsoft Forms is built with privacy in mind.
- It integrates with Excel for data analysis, supports multilingual surveys, and is perfect for academic research.
- Its simplicity makes it easy for teachers or nonprofit staff to send surveys and collect data without a learning curve.
Jotform
Founded in 2006, Jotform offers a free tier with five forms and unlimited survey questions.
- It’s popular among educators and nonprofits for its library of templates, multilingual surveys, and visually appealing layouts.
- With advanced analytics and survey analysis built in, it’s a solid choice for creating both traditional surveys and more creative forms.
LimeSurvey (self-hosted)
LimeSurvey, launched in 2003, is open-source and self-hosted, which means you own the data.
- It’s great for academic research or nonprofits with strict privacy needs.
- It offers unlimited survey questions, multilingual surveys, and advanced analytics with deep data filtering for comprehensive survey projects.
Survey software for businesses prioritizing data security
When handling sensitive customer data, privacy and data security become non-negotiable. These businesses need tools that support encrypted survey responses, anonymous surveys, and secure survey distribution.
Many also require GDPR compliance and self-hosted options for full control. The right survey software here blends advanced tools with strong controls over who can view or export survey results.
👇 When privacy and control are key, these are the tools we’d trust to keep data protected:
SurveyLab
Data protection is one of our strongest selling points. With ISO 27001 certification, GDPR compliance, TLS 1.3 encryption, and adherence to OWASP security guidelines, we meet the highest enterprise and government standards.
- Businesses can password-protect surveys, filter by IP, and use encrypted links to control access.
- Event logs track every change, giving full visibility over multi-user accounts.
- Sensitive industries like finance, healthcare, and government value that SurveyLab stores all data on EU-based servers, protected by bank-level encryption.
- For companies where a security breach is not an option, SurveyLab delivers the right survey tool with the right safeguards, without slowing down the research process.
Formstack by Intellistack
Since 2006, Formstack has served industry leaders in sectors like healthcare.
- It’s HIPAA compliant, encrypts all data, and integrates with over 250 business tools.
- With multilingual surveys, advanced analytics, and offline forms, it’s the right survey tool when security and compliance matter most.
Alchemer
Formerly SurveyGizmo, Alchemer is trusted by large organizations for its advanced privacy controls.
- It supports unlimited survey questions, data filtering, multilingual surveys, and comprehensive survey designs.
- The platform is strong in survey analysis, making it a favorite for regulated industries.
SmartSurvey
Founded in 2002, SmartSurvey hosts data in the UK and focuses on GDPR compliance.
- It’s ideal for businesses needing secure distribution methods like email, SMS, or QR codes.
- Multilingual surveys, advanced reporting, and visually appealing analytics dashboards help with decision-making.
Online survey platforms built for customer experience teams
CX teams live and breathe customer feedback. Their goal is to collect feedback at key moments and share actionable insights across the business.
These tools often include sentiment analysis and fast survey distribution via email or links. With the right setup, these teams can quickly spot issues and adapt based on what people really say.
👇 To stay close to your customers and learn what matters, these tools can help you listen better:
SurveyLab
Customer experience teams need more than a form builder. They need a feedback engine.
- SurveyLab’s Professional plan adds dashboards, advanced reports, and teamwork features so CX teams can track CSAT, NPS, and CES in real time.
- Surveys can be distributed via email, SMS, QR code, or embedded widgets, making it easy to collect customer feedback across multiple touchpoints.
- Automation via Webhook API means you can trigger a survey the moment a customer’s interaction ends (for example, after a support ticket closes in Zendesk). Real-time survey analysis and closed-loop feedback workflows help service teams react instantly to customer needs, reducing churn and improving satisfaction scores.
GetFeedback (by SurveyMonkey)
Acquired by SurveyMonkey in 2019, GetFeedback is built for customer experience teams that use Salesforce.
- It’s mobile-friendly, supports multilingual surveys, and has advanced analytics for tracking NPS and CSAT.
- Real-time survey analysis makes it easy to act on feedback immediately.
Delighted by Qualtrics
Founded in 2013, Delighted specializes in short, impactful surveys.
- You can distribute surveys via email, SMS, or web links, and track results in real time.
- Its multilingual surveys and advanced analytics help businesses spot service issues quickly.
AskNicely
AskNicely, founded in 2014, collects customer feedback in real time, often right after a service is delivered.
- Multilingual surveys, data filtering, and advanced analytics make it a powerful tool for teams focused on improving service experiences.
Match your survey software to your business goals
The survey software market isn’t short on choice, but that’s exactly why clarity matters.
A small business doesn’t need the same toolkit as a multinational, and a CX team’s priorities differ from those of a research-heavy nonprofit.
The best results come from matching the platform’s capabilities to your exact business goals.
SurveyLab stands out for its flexibility. One platform, multiple tiers, and a feature set that scales from a free starter plan to enterprise-level deployments. That’s why it works as well for a bootstrapped startup as it does for a compliance-driven corporate giant.
If your business decisions rely on collecting customer feedback, the right survey tool is an engine for insight. Choose wisely, and the data will do the talking.