You need to gather feedback fast. Maybe you're validating a product idea, collecting event feedback, or surveying customers. But expensive survey software makes no sense when you're just getting started.
We tested 10 popular free survey makers to see which ones actually deliver and which ones hide behind paywalls. This guide shows you the real limits, hidden restrictions, and which tool works best for your specific needs.
How We Tested These Tools
We created identical surveys in each platform to test setup time, ease of use, question types available, customisation options, and the actual limits you hit on the free tier.
- No-signup vs signup required: Can you create and share without an account?
- Question types: Multiple choice, open-ended, rating scales, matrices, ranking
- Response limits: Unlimited responses or capped, and at what number?
- Export options: Can you download results as CSV or Excel on the free plan?
- Customisation: Branding, colours, conditional logic
- Mobile responsiveness: Does it work on phones?
- Time to launch: Minutes from signup to sharing a live survey
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Get Started at VoteGenerator →Quick Comparison Table
Here is how all 10 tools stack up on the features that matter most for free users:
| Tool | No Signup | Free Responses | CSV Export Free | Mobile | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VoteGenerator 3 active polls |
✓ Yes | 100 / poll | Paid only | ✓ Yes | Quick polls, instant feedback |
| Google Forms | Google account | Unlimited | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Structured surveys, teams |
| SurveyMonkey | ✗ Required | 25 per survey | ✗ Paid only | ✓ Yes | Upgrade path to paid |
| Typeform | ✗ Required | 10 per month | ✗ Paid only | ✓ Yes | Beautiful forms, brand control |
| Jotform | ✗ Required | Limited monthly | ✗ Paid only | ✓ Yes | Form-heavy surveys |
| Microsoft Forms | Microsoft account | Unlimited | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Enterprise / Office users |
| Zoho Survey | ✗ Required | 25 per survey | ✗ Paid only | ✓ Yes | Zoho ecosystem users |
| SurveySparrow | ✗ Required | 25 per survey | ✗ Paid only | ✓ Yes | NPS surveys, CSAT |
| Tally | ✗ Required | Unlimited | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Simple forms, clean design |
| LimeSurvey | ✗ Required (cloud) | Unlimited | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Self-hosted surveys |
1. VoteGenerator
Price: Free · Signup: None required · Free responses: 100 per poll · Active polls: 3 at a time
VoteGenerator is purpose-built for creating quick surveys and polls with zero friction. You land on the site, start typing your question, and share a link or QR code in under a minute. The free tier provides all poll types and real-time results. CSV export, advanced analytics, and branding removal require a paid plan.
- Zero signup friction
- QR code generation for instant mobile sharing
- Real-time response tracking
- All 8 poll types on free tier
- Clean, intuitive interface
- 100 responses per poll on free tier
- CSV export requires paid plan
- 3 active polls at a time (free)
- No advanced conditional logic
If you need to launch a survey in 30 seconds with zero friction, VoteGenerator is unbeatable. The no-signup approach makes it ideal for event feedback, classroom polls, or quick customer tests. The honest trade-off is the 100-response cap and paid-only CSV export, but for basic feedback collection those constraints rarely matter.
2. Google Forms
Price: Free with Google account · Signup: Requires Google account
Google Forms is the default choice for businesses and teams already in Google's ecosystem. You get unlimited responses, full CSV export, and integration with Google Sheets for real-time analysis.
- Unlimited responses, no caps
- Full CSV export free
- Google Sheets integration
- 10+ question types
- Team collaboration
- Requires a Google account
- Limited visual customisation
- Interface feels dated
- Not ideal for branded surveys
For internal surveys and team feedback, Google Forms is reliable and trusted. It is especially useful if you already have a Google account and want to analyse results in Sheets. For customer-facing surveys where branding matters, you will feel the limits quickly.
3. SurveyMonkey
Price: Free (limited) · Paid from $25/month · Signup: Required · Free responses: 25 per survey
SurveyMonkey is built to convert free users to paid plans. The free tier caps you at 25 responses per survey and removes CSV export entirely. Response limits reset when you start a new survey, but that means losing your data continuity.
- Wide range of professional templates
- Advanced question types
- Good testing ground before upgrading
- Mobile responsive
- Only 25 responses per survey free
- No CSV export on free plan
- Requires signup and email validation
- Paid plan needed for real use
The 25-response cap makes SurveyMonkey's free tier impractical for anything beyond testing. Better to use Google Forms or VoteGenerator first, then upgrade to SurveyMonkey's paid plans if you need their advanced analytics and templates.
4. Typeform
Price: Free (limited) · Paid from $25/month · Signup: Required · Free responses: 10 per month across all forms
Typeform is visually stunning and justifiably popular for branded surveys. But the free tier is extremely restricted. You get just 10 total responses per month shared across every form in your account. That is not per survey; it is 10 total for the entire month.
- Exceptional visual design
- Customisable themes and branding
- Good question variety
- Conversational survey flow
- Only 10 responses per month free
- No CSV export on free plan
- Requires signup
- Expensive paid plans
Use Typeform's free tier only as a design reference or prototype. Ten responses per month makes it unusable for real surveys. If you love Typeform's look, the paid plan is worth it. Otherwise, Google Forms or Tally offer better free-tier value.
5. Jotform
Price: Free · Paid from $34/month · Signup: Required · Free tier: Limited monthly submissions, 5 forms max
Jotform is primarily a form builder that handles surveys well. The free tier has monthly submission limits, extensive templates, and conditional logic available without upgrading. CSV export requires a paid plan.
- Many pre-built templates
- Conditional logic on free tier
- Good question variety
- Mobile responsive
- CSV export is paid only
- Requires signup
- Free tier limited to 5 forms
- Interface feels crowded
Jotform's free tier is better than SurveyMonkey or Typeform for form building. If you do not need to export results immediately, it works. The CSV export paywall makes data analysis frustrating on the free plan.
6. Microsoft Forms
Price: Free with Microsoft account · Signup: Requires Microsoft / Office account
If your organisation uses Microsoft 365, Forms integrates seamlessly with your existing tools. Unlimited responses and Excel integration make it a strong free option, provided you already have an Office account.
- Unlimited responses
- Excel integration for analysis
- CSV export available
- Built-in analytics
- Requires Microsoft account
- Limited customisation
- No conditional logic
- Less intuitive than Google Forms
If you are already in the Microsoft ecosystem with Office 365, use Forms. Otherwise, Google Forms is more accessible. For pure survey needs, neither beats VoteGenerator's no-signup simplicity.
7. Zoho Survey
Price: Free (limited) · Paid from $25/month · Signup: Required · Free responses: 25 per survey
Zoho Survey caters to organisations using other Zoho products. The free tier's 25-response limit is one of the lowest we tested. Without Zoho CRM or similar, there is little reason to choose this over Google Forms.
- Zoho ecosystem integration
- Decent question variety
- Good templates
- Only 25 responses free
- CSV export is paid only
- Requires signup
- Not as polished as competitors
Skip the free tier unless you are already using Zoho CRM or other Zoho products. The 25-response cap is too restrictive for meaningful survey work. Better alternatives are available at no cost.
8. SurveySparrow
Price: Free (limited) · Paid from $99/month · Signup: Required · Free responses: 25 per survey
SurveySparrow specialises in NPS and customer satisfaction surveys. The design is polished and mobile-first. But the 25-response free cap and expensive paid plans make it hard to recommend unless you specifically need its NPS features.
- Excellent for NPS and CSAT
- Beautiful survey design
- Mobile-first approach
- Only 25 responses free
- No CSV export free
- Paid plans start at $99/month
- Designed for specialised use cases
If you specifically need NPS surveys and have budget, SurveySparrow is professional and polished. For general-purpose surveys, the free tier is too limiting and paid plans are too expensive for most small teams.
9. Tally
Price: Free · Signup: Required (free account) · Free responses: Unlimited
Tally is a newer entrant focusing on clean, simple form building. The free tier is genuinely comprehensive: unlimited responses, CSV export included, and no ads. If you want a no-fuss experience and are willing to create a free account, Tally is worth a look.
- Unlimited responses on free
- CSV export included free
- Clean, minimalist interface
- Conditional logic available
- No ads on free plan
- Requires a free signup
- Fewer templates than Google Forms
- Smaller community
- Limited customisation and branding
Tally is an underrated option. If you prefer minimalism, want free exports, and are fine creating an account, it sits nicely between VoteGenerator (no signup) and Google Forms (more features). Worth trying before defaulting to Google.
10. LimeSurvey
Price: Free (self-hosted) · Cloud from $99/month · Signup: Required (for cloud)
LimeSurvey is open-source survey software. The cloud version competes with enterprise solutions, but self-hosting is completely free if you have the technical resources. It is a mature, well-documented platform.
- Self-hosting is completely free
- Unlimited responses and exports
- Advanced branching logic
- Full customisation
- Self-hosting requires technical setup
- Steep learning curve
- Cloud version is expensive
- Interface feels dated
LimeSurvey is best for organisations with development resources to self-host or that need enterprise features. For most small businesses, the setup complexity does not justify it when Google Forms or VoteGenerator are available at zero friction.
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No signup, instant sharing, results in real-time. Perfect for "Did this solve your problem?" questions.
Unlimited responses, Gmail and Sheets integration, easy sharing with coworkers.
If you need to pay, Typeform's design is unmatched. If budget is tight, Tally offers clean design free.
Both offer branching logic. Google Forms is more reliable; Jotform has it on free but export is paid.
Students do not need accounts. Teachers create polls in seconds. Real-time results work perfectly in classrooms.
Generate a QR code, display it on screen, get instant feedback. No email needed from attendees.
SurveySparrow is specialised but expensive. Google Forms handles basic NPS free and unlimited.
Google Forms has unlimited responses free. SurveyMonkey's paid tier ($25+) is worth it for professional templates and analytics.