KoboToolbox vs LimeSurvey
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted office suites options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
LimeSurvey
Professional open-source survey software
| Feature | KoboToolbox | LimeSurvey |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 75 · Good | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 182 | ★ 3,733 |
| First released | 2014 | 2003 |
| Replaces | SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics | SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics |
What are KoboToolbox and LimeSurvey?
KoboToolbox
KoboToolbox is an open-source suite of tools for field data collection in challenging environments. It is widely used by humanitarian and research organizations.
- Offline mobile data collection
- Complex survey forms
- Data analysis tools
- Used in humanitarian work
LimeSurvey
LimeSurvey is a free, open-source online survey tool. It enables users to develop and publish surveys, collect responses, and analyze results without programming knowledge.
- Advanced survey logic
- Many question types
- Statistical analysis
- Multilingual surveys
KoboToolbox vs LimeSurvey: key differences
KoboToolbox is written in Python, while LimeSurvey is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for KoboToolbox versus GPL-2.0 for LimeSurvey. LimeSurvey is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for KoboToolbox. LimeSurvey is the more established project (first released 2003), while KoboToolbox arrived in 2014. LimeSurvey has the considerably larger community, at 3,733 GitHub stars versus 182.
Why pick each one
Choose KoboToolbox if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
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 KoboToolbox or LimeSurvey better?
LimeSurvey is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider KoboToolbox if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are KoboToolbox and LimeSurvey free and open-source?
Yes. KoboToolbox is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LimeSurvey under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KoboToolbox and LimeSurvey with Docker?
KoboToolbox: yes. LimeSurvey: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, KoboToolbox or LimeSurvey?
LimeSurvey has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for KoboToolbox. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.