EtherCalc vs LimeSurvey
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted office suites options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
EtherCalc
Real-time collaborative spreadsheet editor
VS
LimeSurvey
Professional open-source survey software
| Feature | EtherCalc | LimeSurvey |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | CPAL-1.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,041 | ★ 3,688 |
| First released | 2013 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Google Sheets | SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics |
Why pick each one
Choose EtherCalc if…
- Released under the CPAL-1.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Choose LimeSurvey if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is EtherCalc or LimeSurvey better?
Neither is universally better. LimeSurvey has the larger community, while EtherCalc is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are EtherCalc and LimeSurvey free and open-source?
Yes. EtherCalc is licensed under CPAL-1.0 and LimeSurvey under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EtherCalc and LimeSurvey with Docker?
EtherCalc: yes. LimeSurvey: yes.