LimeSurvey vs SurveyMonkey
Considering a switch from SurveyMonkey to a European alternative? LimeSurvey offers full GDPR compliance and EU-only data hosting without the legal uncertainties that come with US-based services. Here's how they compare on features, pricing, and data protection.
Quick Overview
LimeSurvey
EU- Headquarters
- Hamburg, DE
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- Yes
SurveyMonkey
USSurveyMonkey is an online survey and form builder platform that helps businesses and researchers create surveys, collect responses, and analyze feedback data.
The Case for LimeSurvey
- LimeSurvey stores all data exclusively in Germany, under European jurisdiction. Unlike SurveyMonkey, which is subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702, LimeSurvey cannot be compelled by foreign governments to hand over your data.
- LimeSurvey offers a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that is fully aligned with GDPR Article 28. There is no legal ambiguity about data transfers or adequacy decisions — your data processor is European, and the law that governs it is European.
- As an open-source solution, LimeSurvey gives you full code transparency. You can verify that the software does what it claims, audit it for security vulnerabilities, and even self-host it for maximum control — something that is simply not possible with SurveyMonkey.
- You can try LimeSurvey for free before committing. This makes it easy to evaluate whether it meets your needs alongside — or as a replacement for — SurveyMonkey, without any financial risk.
Why Switch to LimeSurvey?
Concerns with SurveyMonkey
- US CLOUD Act jurisdiction
- Respondent data stored and processed on US servers
- Extensive profiling of survey participants
- Response data and PII accessible to US authorities
LimeSurvey Compliance
GDPRDPA
- Headquarters
- Hamburg, DE
- Data Centers
- DE
Get Started
Categories
LimeSurvey vs SurveyMonkey — FAQ
Is SurveyMonkey GDPR compliant?
SurveyMonkey may offer GDPR compliance features and EU data residency options, but as a US-headquartered company, it remains subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702. These laws can compel US companies to hand over data regardless of where it is stored. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework provides some safeguards, but its predecessors (Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield) were both invalidated by the European Court of Justice. LimeSurvey, as a European company, is not subject to these US laws at all.
How does LimeSurvey compare to SurveyMonkey in features?
LimeSurvey offers Survey builder, 30+ question types, Branching logic, Multi-language, and 5 more features. While SurveyMonkey's ecosystem may be larger due to its market position, LimeSurvey covers the core functionality that most teams need. The trade-off is typically between breadth of integrations (SurveyMonkey) and data sovereignty with regulatory certainty (LimeSurvey).
Can I migrate from SurveyMonkey to LimeSurvey?
Yes. Most European software providers, including LimeSurvey, offer migration tools or documentation to help you transition from US-based services. Under GDPR Article 20, you have the right to data portability — meaning SurveyMonkey must provide your data in a machine-readable format. The migration process varies in complexity depending on your data volume and integrations, but for most teams it can be completed within a few days to a few weeks.