Online Survey Tools

Whether you're looking for quick feedback from customers or you're an entrepreneur looking to test new project ideas, an online survey tool could be a great option.

Use this guide to compare online survey tools, including the key pros and cons to consider.

What is an online survey tool?

An online survey tool is a type of software that can give your company timely feedback about its products or services from a range of stakeholders.

A useful aid to your market research, online surveys can offer a range of customisable features to help you to better understand your customers and even predict their future spending habits. What's more, online surveys can lower the cost and admin involved with more traditional surveys or questionnaires.

Free vs Paid online surveys

Generally, online survey tools may be categorised into two groups:

• Surveys that provide 'lite' capabilities for free, and
• Paid-for plans with more comprehensive features

Both of these types of online survey tools can be beneficial, depending on your needs.

Free online survey tools often use no-frills surveys that send out questions to a restricted set of stakeholders. Meanwhile, paid online survey tools usually include a wider range of functions. These may include the chance to export and analyse results data, A/B testing and question randomisation (a method used to restrict survey biases).

How to compare online survey tools

Which are the best online survey tools for you? Think about the following:

• Affordability. What's your budget? Prices can vary a lot between paid-for survey tools.
• Features. Are you looking for specific features such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration, or a specific stylistic design? Ensure that your chosen survey option has the features that you need.
• Ease of use. How long does it take to create a form and send it out? If you can't navigate the online form service with ease, then neither will your customers.
• Customisation. You may want to choose a tool that lets you change the order of questions with ease, or gives respondents the chance to skip ones which aren't relevant to them.
• Customer support. Can you take advantage of quick help in the event that something goes wrong?

Eight popular online survey tools

Let's take a look at some of the most popular online survey websites available in Australia.

1. Client Heartbeat

Client Heartbeat is suited to individuals and companies willing to pay a little more to enjoy top-notch surveys. Client Heartbeat offers paid plans only, and these come with detailed tools for market studies and feedback collection.

Client Heartbeat pros and cons

• Access to CRM syncing tools to compare customer satisfaction with industry benchmarks.
• A 24/7 customer support service to address any queries you might have.
• Access to a testimonial widget to display survey responses on your website, without having to use complex Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

• Client Heartbeat only offers paid plans and prices are comparatively high.

2. Survey Planet

As an up-and-coming player in the online survey market, Survey Planet offers useful tools with both its free and paid plans. Its software lets you create surveys and collect results in the cloud, before sharing them on a range of social media platforms. With more features in its development pipeline, Survey Planet is definitely one to watch.

Survey Planet pros and cons

• No limit on surveys, questions or respondents.
• Multiple embed options available, including via email and websites.

• Form customisation is limited on the free plan — features like logo customisation are reserved for users of the paid plan.
• Survey data cannot be exported into an excel sheet with the free version.

3. Typeform

Typeform may be a great option if you're looking to build quick online surveys with minimal focus on design. With the free version providing a whole range of features, Typeform allows you to engage your audience without breaking the bank.

Typeform pros and cons

• Create an unlimited amount of surveys with any number of questions on the free plan.
• Export the data from your survey in both XLS and CSV for further analysis.
• Users get to customise their form with different templates and themes.

• No option to export survey results immediately to Microsoft Word.

4. SoGoSurvey

While SoGoSurvey best caters to larger organisations and businesses, their free plans also offer great value to smaller enterprises and individuals. You'll also get access to a large and well-developed data management interface.

SoGoSurvey pros and cons

• Make an unlimited number of surveys with no question limit on the free plan.
• Export the data from your survey in both Microsoft Word and CSV on the free plan.
• You can contact their 24/7 customer service for help regardless of whether you're on the free or paid-for plan.

• Premium plan options tend to be pricier than other online survey tools on the market.

5. Google Forms

If you're a frequent user of Google services like Drive, you may want to try the search engine giant's own online surveying tool. Not only is Google Forms completely free, but it also offers some features — such as logo customisation — that are usually only available with paid plans.

Google Forms pros and cons

• No limit on the number of surveys or respondents that you can reach out to.
• Instead of XLS/CSV sheets, all your survey data is funnelled into a Google Spreadsheet for easy review.
• You can customise your form with a large variety of templates and custom themes.

• No paid plan for those looking for more comprehensive features, such as 24/7 customer support.

6. Survey Gizmo

Like Typeform, Survey Gizmo lets you craft surveys that have great aesthetic appeal and beautiful designs. However, certain features such as data encryption, form customisation, and getting answers from an unlimited number of respondents aren't available with Survey Gizmo's free plan.

Survey Gizmo pros and cons

• You can create unlimited questions and you can run up to three surveys at a time on the free version.
• Survey Gizmo's premium plan offers unique features such as form APIs and form access by multiple users.

• Forms can't be embedded into your website or via email for free.
• A limit of 100 respondents per survey applies with its free plan.

7. Survey Monkey

Survey Monkey makes it easy for you to customise your forms through a variety of free templates. With Survey Monkey, its Basic Plan lets you can ask up to 10 questions and view responses from up to 100 people per survey.

Survey Monkey pros and cons

• Creating your form is easy with Survey Monkey's free templates.
• Unlike some other survey tools, Survey Monkey allows you to embed surveys into your personal websites for free.

• You need to purchase a paid plan to export your data, ask more questions, and invite more respondents to your form.
• Customisation is limited.

8. Zoho Survey

Zoho Survey offers a standard online survey tool with its free plan. Its Pro plan is competitively priced — $39.05 per month will give you features including survey answer notifications and integration with Google Sheets.

Zoho Survey pros and cons

• Access to multilingual survey creation.
• Premium plans come with some helpful features, including advanced reporting and access for up to three users.

• Limited to 15 questions and 150 responses per form with the free version.

Bottom Line

Whatever the reason you need to conduct online surveys, it's important to spend some time exploring the tools available to you. Compare each of the providers above side-by-side and you may just find a tool that works for you based on your needs.

Frequently asked questions

What extra features might I get with a paid plan?

Paid plans tend to offer a host of extra capabilities, including larger question sets (of typically more than 10) and different question types. You may also have a range of answer formats to choose from, such as star ratings. Many paid-for versions will let you add your company logo to your survey, unlike with some free plans.

What other types of software may I need to run a small business?

That depends on your business type and its budget. Examples may include CRM software and accounting software.

How could my company meet the cost of an online survey plan?

A small business loan may be one option to think about. Read our guide for more.