Comparison
A free, open-source alternative to SurveyMonkey
Grids, ranking, sliders, conditional logic, exports and per-question analysis — the survey work SurveyMonkey is used for, without plan tiers standing between you and your own responses.
| Response | Submitted | Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| #0148 | 2 min ago | 1:42 | 9 / 10 |
| #0147 | 6 min ago | 2:05 | 6 / 10 |
| #0146 | 11 min ago | 1:28 | 10 / 10 |
| #0145 | 18 min ago | 3:11 | 8 / 10 |
| #0144 | 24 min ago | 1:55 | 4 / 10 |
Export to CSV, Excel, or a PDF per response. No format is reserved for a plan.
Does Jackpoll cover the survey work SurveyMonkey is used for?
Yes — Jackpoll includes the toolkit most questionnaires need on every survey, without a tier deciding which parts you get: closed questions that can be counted, matrix grids, ranking, sliders and conditional logic. Grids ask about several statements on one scale at once, ranking captures preference order, sliders capture degree, and conditional logic means respondents only see what applies to them.
Analysis works the way the question was asked. Counts per option for choice questions, per-row breakdowns for grids, mean and median for sliders, readable text for open answers, and views that switch between bar, donut and line as you read.
Matrix grids
One scale across many rows, in single- or multi-select form.
Conditional logic
AND/OR rules decide which questions appear.
Exports
CSV, Excel and a PDF per individual response.
| Type | Summarised as | Auto-graded |
|---|---|---|
| Short answer | Grouped text | |
| Multiple choice | Count per option | |
| True / False | Count per option | |
| Checkboxes | Count per option | |
| Dropdown | Count per option | |
| Multiple choice grid | Column counts per row | |
| Checkbox grid | Column counts per row | |
| File upload | Downloadable list | |
| Slider | Mean and median | |
| Rating | Distribution | |
| Date & time | Grouped by date | |
| Ranking | Preference order | |
| Rating grid | Mean per row | |
| Signature | Signed / not signed | |
| Word cloud | Words by frequency |
Does Jackpoll limit responses or exports by plan?
No — Jackpoll has no tiers: unlimited surveys, unlimited responses, full export, and every question type available from the first survey you make. That avoids the uncomfortable moment with subscription survey tools of discovering that the answers you have already collected are only partly available on your current plan.
The project pays for itself through optional supporters rather than plan upgrades, which is why there is nothing to unlock. If you would rather not depend on anyone's hosting at all, the same software runs on your own server.
Your responses are not a plan feature
Unlimited surveys, unlimited responses, every export format, every question type — available from the first survey you make, with nothing to unlock later.
Jackpoll compared with SurveyMonkey
| Feature | Jackpoll | SurveyMonkey |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open source — the full source is public | Proprietary |
| Self-hosting | Yes, Docker and Docker Swarm ready | Not offered |
| Cost model | Free, no paid tiers | Free tier plus paid subscription plans |
| Response volume | Unlimited | Depends on the plan |
| Export of raw responses | CSV, Excel and per-response PDF, always included | Depends on the plan |
| Live word cloud & live quiz | Built in, with a presenter view | Not offered |
| Where responses are processed | EU-hosted, or your own server | Vendor-hosted |
About this comparison
This table compares structural properties — licence, hosting model, pricing model — because those rarely change. It deliberately avoids specific prices and plan limits, which vendors change without notice. Last reviewed July 2026; check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding.
How does Jackpoll protect data in employee surveys?
Jackpoll protects employee and student surveys with consent banners, privacy notices and lawful-basis controls built into the product, and per-survey retention rules that delete or anonymise responses automatically after a window you set. Such surveys draw questions from a data protection officer sooner or later, and none of this has to be bolted on.
Data-subject rights are implemented rather than promised: a complete export in machine-readable form, and erasure across every table when an account is removed. For public bodies and universities, self-hosting settles the residency question completely.
Responses older than this are removed automatically by a daily job. Leave empty to keep them indefinitely.
Anonymise instead of delete
Keeps the statistics, drops anything identifying.
After 90 days, responses stay as anonymous statistics.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Jackpoll support matrix and grid questions?
- Yes — multiple choice grids, checkbox grids and rating grids, each with per-row result breakdowns.
- Can I export all my responses?
- Yes. CSV and Excel for raw data and a PDF per response, with no export restrictions.
- Is it suitable for research?
- It covers the common instrument types, exports cleanly for analysis elsewhere, and can be self-hosted when an ethics board requires the data to stay on institutional infrastructure.
Keep reading
Related pages on the same topic.
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