Formester
Online form builder with workflows and integrations
LimeSurvey
Open-source survey platform with unlimited questions and responses
Self-hosted survey software with 30+ question types, multilingual support, conditional logic, and GDPR compliance. Used by businesses, academics, and governments in 80+ countries.
Overview
The Leading Open-Source Survey Solution
LimeSurvey is a mature, feature-rich survey platform trusted by businesses, academic institutions, governments, and organizations across 80+ countries since 2006. It delivers enterprise-grade survey capabilities without vendor lock-in or per-response pricing.
Comprehensive Survey Capabilities
Create unlimited surveys with 30+ question types, conditional logic, and question branching. Choose from 900+ templates or build fully branded surveys with custom CSS, JavaScript, fonts, and logos. Deploy surveys in 80+ languages, share via public links or QR codes, or restrict access through invite-only modes. Advanced data analysis tools, real-time statistics, and RemoteControl API (XML-RPC/JSON-RPC) support sophisticated research and feedback workflows.
Privacy-First Architecture
Built for organizations prioritizing data sovereignty, LimeSurvey offers GDPR compliance, data anonymization, two-factor authentication, and WCAG 2.0 accessibility. Self-host on your infrastructure using Apache/nginx, PHP 7.4+, and MySQL/PostgreSQL/MariaDB/MSSQL databases. Extend functionality through plugins and integrate with SAML, LDAP, Google Analytics, and REST APIs. Ideal for academic research, employee feedback, customer satisfaction studies, and any scenario requiring complete control over survey data and infrastructure.
Highlights
Unlimited surveys and questions with 30+ question types and 900+ templates
Conditional logic, question branching, and multilingual support (80+ languages)
GDPR-compliant with data anonymization, two-factor auth, and WCAG 2.0 accessibility
Self-hosted deployment with RemoteControl API and plugin/integration ecosystem
Pros
- No per-response fees or artificial survey limits
- Complete data ownership and privacy control through self-hosting
- Mature platform with 18+ years of development and active community
- Extensive customization via CSS, JavaScript, plugins, and API access
Considerations
- Requires technical expertise for server setup and maintenance
- Self-hosting demands ongoing infrastructure management and updates
- Interface may feel less modern compared to newer SaaS alternatives
- Plugin ecosystem quality varies; some integrations require custom development
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider LimeSurvey, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Organizations requiring GDPR compliance and complete data sovereignty
- Academic institutions conducting research with sensitive participant data
- Enterprises needing unlimited surveys without per-response pricing
- Teams with technical resources to manage self-hosted infrastructure
Not ideal when
- Non-technical users seeking instant setup without server management
- Small teams lacking DevOps resources for hosting and maintenance
- Projects requiring cutting-edge UI/UX with minimal configuration
- Users preferring fully managed SaaS with zero infrastructure responsibility
How teams use it
Academic Research Studies
Universities collect sensitive participant data with full GDPR compliance and institutional data sovereignty while leveraging multilingual support for international studies.
Employee Engagement Surveys
HR departments gather anonymous feedback across global offices using conditional logic and multilingual capabilities without per-response costs or data leaving company servers.
Customer Satisfaction Programs
Businesses deploy branded surveys via public links and QR codes, analyze responses with built-in statistics tools, and integrate data through RemoteControl API into CRM systems.
Government Citizen Feedback
Public sector agencies ensure accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.0), maintain data on sovereign infrastructure, and support multiple official languages for inclusive participation.
Tech snapshot
JavaScript42%
PHP35%
CSS12%
HTML5%
SCSS2%
Twig2%
Frequently asked questions
What are the server requirements for self-hosting LimeSurvey?
Minimum requirements include Apache 2.4+ or nginx 1.1+, PHP 7.4+ with mbstring and PDO, and MySQL 8.0+, PostgreSQL 12+, MariaDB 10.3.38+, or MSSQL 2016+. Recommended setup uses latest nginx, PHP with php-fpm and extensions (gd2, imap, ldap, zip), and latest MariaDB/MySQL.
Is LimeSurvey truly unlimited for surveys and responses?
Yes, the self-hosted version has no artificial limits on surveys, questions, or responses. Capacity depends only on your server resources and database configuration.
How does LimeSurvey handle GDPR compliance?
LimeSurvey includes data anonymization features, participant data encryption, two-factor authentication, and configurable data retention policies. Self-hosting ensures data never leaves your controlled infrastructure, simplifying GDPR compliance.
Can I customize the look and feel of surveys?
Yes, you can fully brand surveys with custom fonts, colors, logos, CSS, and JavaScript. Choose from 900+ templates or build themes from scratch to match your organization's identity.
What integrations and APIs are available?
LimeSurvey offers RemoteControl API (XML-RPC/JSON-RPC) for programmatic survey management, plus integrations for SAML, LDAP, SURFconext, Google Analytics, and various plugins for extended functionality like audit logging and data export formats.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
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- 3,478
- Forks
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Repo age13 years old
Last commit5 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageJavaScript
Last synced 5 hours ago