Open source survey tools let you run surveys on your own server so the responses stay under your control. Pick a survey-first platform for research and feedback, a field tool for offline data collection, or a form builder for simpler jobs, and check the licence first, because some keep features in a separate commercial edition.
When you host a survey tool yourself, every response lands on a machine you're responsible for. That's the whole appeal, and it's also the whole job: nobody else is keeping that data safe, backed up and patched.
With that in mind, I've grouped eight open source survey tools by who the survey is for and where it runs. Each one comes from its own repository or site, they're in no particular order, and the licence is the first thing noted in every entry.
Four kinds of survey, four kinds of tool
Research and customer feedback on your own server
LimeSurvey and Formbricks are the survey-first tools here. The first is a full online survey platform built around research-style questionnaires with branching. The second covers link, website and in-app surveys for product and customer feedback, and runs with Docker.
Field work and offline collection
KoboToolbox and Open Data Kit (ODK) are built for collecting data in the field. ODK pairs a server with an Android app designed for places where connectivity or power can't be relied on, which matters if your interviewers work away from a desk.
Form builders that double as surveys
OpnForm and HeyForm are form builders first. They'll run a survey, a quiz or a poll, but they aren't research platforms. Nextcloud Forms is a simple questionnaire app that only works if you already run a Nextcloud server.
A library for developers
SurveyJS isn't a ready-to-send survey tool at all. It's a JavaScript library your developers drop into your own web app to show surveys and collect answers there.
Licence and job, side by side
| Tool | Job and licence | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Formbricks | Link and in-app surveys, open core | Website and in-app surveys self-hosted with Docker |
| HeyForm | Conversational forms, AGPL | Surveys, quizzes and polls one question at a time |
| KoboToolbox | Field data collection, AGPL | Field surveys with a question library and data export |
| LimeSurvey | Survey platform, GPL | Research-style surveys with branching and many question types |
| Nextcloud Forms | Nextcloud app, AGPL | Simple questionnaires inside an existing Nextcloud server |
| Open Data Kit (ODK) | Offline field surveys, Apache | Android data collection where signal or power drops out |
| OpnForm | Form builder, open core | Self-hosted forms and surveys on an AGPL core |
| SurveyJS | Developer library, MIT | Rendering JSON-defined surveys inside your own web app |
Not every open source licence asks the same of you
Five of the eight sit under the AGPL, either for the whole project or for the core. Using an AGPL tool as it comes is simple. If you modify it and offer your changed version to people over a network, you're expected to publish those changes under the same licence. One tool here is GPL v2 or later, one is Apache 2.0 and one is MIT, and those ask less of you when you change the code.
Two of the AGPL projects are open core, meaning some features sit under a separate Enterprise or proprietary licence in the same repository. Before you commit, check that the feature you want, such as single sign-on or advanced logic, is in the open core and not the commercial part.
You become the sysadmin and the data controller
Free to download isn't free of effort. You'll need a server, or Docker, or an existing Nextcloud install, and someone who'll run the database, the backups and the updates. The responses sit on your infrastructure, so you're the one answering for them under data protection law, not a vendor.
For some teams that's the point. If you're collecting sensitive answers, keeping them in-house can be the deciding reason to self-host, and our guide to form builders for health data covers hosted options built for that. If nobody wants the server job, our list of Google Forms alternatives sticks to hosted tools.
The eight tools, in no particular order
Formbricks
Best for: AGPLv3 core with separate Enterprise-licensed code: link, website and in-app surveys for customer feedback, self-hosted with Docker without a subscription, per its README.
HeyForm
Best for: Released under AGPL-3.0: a conversational form builder for surveys, quizzes and polls with no coding needed, though it hasn't had a commit since Apr 2025.
KoboToolbox
Best for: AGPL-3.0 server for collecting data in the field, with forms, a shared question library, sharing settings, reports and export through an API.
LimeSurvey
Best for: Licensed GPL v2 or later: a full survey platform you install on your own server for research-style surveys with branching and many question types.
Nextcloud Forms
Best for: Under AGPL-3.0-only: simple surveys and questionnaires inside your own Nextcloud server, with visual results and CSV export in the same format Google Forms uses.
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Open Data Kit (ODK)
Best for: Apache 2.0 tools for field data collection: a server plus an Android app for filling in forms where connectivity or power is unreliable, using the XForms standard.
OpnForm
Best for: Open core: an AGPLv3 form builder you can self-host for surveys and forms, with some advanced features in a proprietary Enterprise edition.
SurveyJS
Best for: MIT-licensed JavaScript library for React, Angular, Vue or plain JavaScript that renders JSON-defined forms in your own app; its creator and dashboard are separate products.
My advice on choosing one
If you run research or customer feedback surveys and have someone comfortable with a server, start with one of the two survey-first platforms and ignore the rest. If your surveys happen in the field, on phones, with patchy signal, go straight to the field tools, because a general form builder won't cope with offline collection.
If you only need the odd questionnaire and already run Nextcloud, use what you've got. And if your developers want surveys inside your own product, a library is the cleaner route than bolting a separate tool on. Whatever you pick, run one real survey end to end, including export, before you announce it to anyone.
Check the project is still alive
Open source tools live or die by their maintainers. Before you build on one, open its repository and look at when the last commit landed, whether issues get answers and whether releases still appear. One tool on this list hasn't had a commit for a while, which doesn't make it broken, but it does mean you'd be relying on the code as it stands.
Do you make an open source survey or form tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free open source alternative to Google Forms?
Yes. Several form builders and survey platforms here are open source and can be self-hosted. You won't pay for the software, but you'll run the server, backups and updates yourself.
Do I need a server to run an open source survey tool?
For self-hosting, yes: a server, a Docker setup or an existing Nextcloud install, depending on the tool. Some projects also offer a hosted version if you'd rather not run anything.
Can I use open source survey software commercially?
Usually yes, but check each licence. GPL, Apache and MIT all allow commercial use with different conditions, AGPL adds sharing duties if you modify the code and offer it over a network, and open core tools keep some features under a commercial licence.
What does open core mean for a survey tool?
The main application is open source, while some advanced features sit under a separate Enterprise licence. Check which features you need before you choose.
Where are survey responses stored when I self-host?
On your own server or the hosting you control. That gives you control over the data, and it also makes you responsible for securing and backing it up.
Which open source survey tools work offline?
Field data collection tools are built for it. Look for an Android app that saves answers on the device and sends them to the server once there's a connection.
