fbpx
Supported by:
Brown School of Public Health   The Rockefeller Foundation

helpful platforms
to run an online survey

Online surveys allow you to quickly and easily hear from a large number of people, including those in remote or hard-to-reach areas. Many tools are free, or offer affordable packages that align with your resources. Combined with the knowledge you already have, these results can help you allocate resources and shape activities and programs so that they are reflective of local needs.


Best Platform for Any Skill Level

SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a well-known, trusted survey tool. It is simple to use and has the benefit of potential familiarity for respondents. Measuring feedback is simple, so changes, actions, and next steps can easily be made once results are gathered.

In what context is this tool best?

The paid plans allow for easy design and analysis when working with large numbers of respondents. The free version is useful if only working with a few dozen respondents.

Advantages

  • Well-known and trusted survey interface

  • Sample survey templates based on survey purpose

  • Example question bank

  • Offers a broad range of question types such as short answer, multiple choice, paragraphs, and drop-down

  • Options to create more than just surveys — quizzes and polls can be made as well

  • Feedback can be collected via link, social media, chat, and more

  • Survey results can be exported or integrated with other programs

Limitations

  • Free version only allows a maximum of 10 questions per survey and does not allow data to be exported

  • Responsibility of sharing the survey with the target audience falls solely on the creators of the survey

  • Some larger organizations might filter out emails from SurveyMonkey

Paid Recruitment

Yes, paid recruitment services are offered through SurveyMonkey.

Price

  • Free option. Free survey templates, including those for marketing and healthcare surveys, are also available.

  • Personal and business plans cost anywhere range from $25+ per month with additional features available at higher rates.

  • Note: Inquire about free services as a public health organization working on COVID-19 messaging.

Most Robust Platform

Pollfish

Pollfish is a customizable survey program that covers the spectrum of survey creation, distribution, and analysis. The company’s mobile app and its surveying strategy offer an effective way to accurately capture public opinion within targeted demographic groups or a larger community.

In what context is this tool best?

The cheapest subscription plan is most useful for capturing a relatively small sample of broader public opinion. For users with a more flexible budget, the tool’s full scope of features makes it an efficient investment for accurately surveying, marketing to, and analyzing public opinion within highly specific parameters.

Advantages

  • Offers detailed demographic options for targeted marketing

  • Customizable options for survey themes are available

  • Offers a broad range of question types such as short answer, multiple-choice, paragraphs, and drop-down

  • Gain insights such as the geolocation, organizational role, and mobile usage of the survey respondents

  • Allows for screening questions that allow or block respondents from taking the survey

Limitations

  • More expensive option for online surveys and analysis, but offers a full range of features. One-time surveys could be created to be cheaper than other paid platform options.

Paid Recruitment

The program offers the option to buy survey respondents from the App Store and Google Play. Samples can be provided for surveys of any size

Price

  • Users must purchase a paid subscription

  • Pricing depends upon survey structure and numerical target for number of respondents. See pricing calculator and overview of plans

  • Note: Inquire about free services as a public health organization working on COVID-19 messaging.

Best Platform for Simple Polls and Surveys

Google Forms

Google Forms offers a free, easy way to create a customized survey for a target audience. A product of Google, users only need a Google account to create a Form.

In what context is this tool best?

Lower barriers to entry and Google’s automatic collection of results in a Google Sheet make this survey useful for those looking for a cost-effective way to survey their community. Users will need to accompany the survey with a marketing plan since distribution is the sole responsibility of the user.

Advantages

  • Interface is both free and easy to use

  • Offers a broad range of question types such as short answer, multiple-choice, paragraphs, and drop-down

  • The results are integrated with Google Sheets (spreadsheets; see results in bar graphics, pie charts, and more)

  • Survey takers do not need to have a Google account to take them, they only need the survey link

Limitations

  • Customizable visual survey design is very limited

  • Responsibility of sharing the form and performing outreach falls solely on the creators of the form

Paid Recruitment

There is no option for paid recruitment with Google Forms but it’s cousin platform, Google Surveys does offer this service.

Price

Free, but a Google account is needed

Best Platform for Data Analysis & Visualization

Google Consumer Surveys

Another offering from Google’s comprehensive marketing toolkit, Surveys lets users create surveys, target the people they want, and get results fast.

In what context is this tool best?

Google Surveys is best when users want to “dig deep” when gaining insights. Learn the “why” and “how” measuring certain parameters is (and is not) effective.

Advantages

  • The program is intuitive to use

  • Multiple survey formats available

  • Audience and desired number of responses are up to the survey creator

  • Initial survey data can be seen within a few hours of it going live

Limitations

  • Customization is limited

  • No free plans available

  • A maximum of 10 questions is allowed

Paid Recruitment

Google Surveys handles recruitment and finds respondents for a small fee per completed survey.

Price

Google Survey charges a nominal fee per completed response. The price per complete goes up as the complexity of the survey and target audience increases.

Platform Used by Research Professionals

Qualtrics XM

Qualtrics offers a comprehensive, top-line surveying and analysis platform.

In what context is this tool best?

This tool offers effective means of surveying and analyzing results from large populations.

Advantages

  • Multiple options for survey format and theme (50+ templates) to accommodate a range of mobile and electronic devices and platforms

  • With over 8 question types offered, such as short answer, multiple choice, paragraphs, and drop-down, there are numerous options for customizable surveys

  • Offers detailed automatic analysis and filtering of results

Limitations

  • Free version has some restrictions including no data exports and more limited questions types (6 total)

  • Responsibility of sharing the survey with the target audience falls solely on the creators

Paid Recruitment

There is no option for paid recruitment with Qualtrics.

Price

  • Users can now access a free basic survey tool

  • Plans appear to start in the low thousands

  • Note: Inquire about free services as a public health organization working on COVID-19

Best Platform Using Social Media

Facebook Polls

Facebook allows for pages to create simple polls that can be shared with followers. These polls are limited in scope but can capture follower base opinion relatively quickly.

In what context is this tool best?

Creating a Facebook poll is recommended when seeking feedback from the organization’s existing follower base. The use of qualifying questions can help determine responses from specific demographic groups, but paid advertising is recommended if seeking responses from users outside of followers.

Advantages

  • Easy access to users and increased motivation to respond, since it can be done by either accessing the organization’s Facebook page, or by seeing the poll pop up in one’s newsfeed

  • Qualifying questions can help target specific demographic respondents

  • Quick and easy to create and disseminate

Limitations

  • Sample will be limited to existing followers; services for customization and setup are limited

  • Results, including participant’s individual answers, are shown publicly

Paid Recruitment

There is no option for paid recruitment when creating Facebook polls

Price

It is free to create a Facebook poll, but admin or editor access is needed for the necessary organization’s pages

Best Platform for a Modern and Fresh Feel

Typeform

A newer option than some of the other options in this chart, Typeform lets users create surveys, forms, quizzes, and more.

In what context is this tool best?

Best for those who want surveys with a modern and “human” feel, Typeform’s plans offer more customization, responses, and integrations. The free version is best for basics and seeing if the tool is right for the audience and project at hand.

Advantages

  • Templates for everything from quizzes to polls

  • Simple interface

  • Easy to access data

  • Free to register

Limitations

  • Limited features with the free plan (only 3 free typeforms, only 10 questions allowed per form, and 100 responses allowed per month)

  • Paid plans can add up fast

Paid Recruitment

There is no option for paid recruiting with Typeform

Price

  • Free and paid options are available

  • Paid plans range from $35 to $75 a month, and allow for more responses, email notifications for respondents, and other capabilities, such as integrations with programs such as Mailchimp and Airtable

  • Note: Inquire about free services as a public health organization working on COVID-19

      ©2021 | Brown University School of Public Health