Grist 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?
Grist
Spreadsheet meets database for structured data
VS
LimeSurvey
Professional open-source survey software
| Feature | Grist | LimeSurvey |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,431 | ★ 3,688 |
| First released | 2021 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Airtable, Google Sheets | SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics |
Why pick each one
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 Grist or LimeSurvey better?
Neither is universally better. Grist has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Grist and LimeSurvey free and open-source?
Yes. Grist is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LimeSurvey under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grist and LimeSurvey with Docker?
Grist: yes. LimeSurvey: yes.