Create Online Survey Free: 5 Best Tools Compared

Free survey tools seem generous, but the fine print varies wildly between “unlimited” and “heavily capped.” We break down the five leading free survey platforms, compare their exact limits, and show you how to create an online survey free using Google Forms step by step.

Free survey tools available: over 20 ·
Average response limit on free plans: 100 per survey ·
Top-rated free platform (G2): Google Forms ·
Surveys created daily (estimated): 3 million

What is the best free app to create an online survey?

Five tools dominate the free survey space, but each has a distinct trade‐off. The pattern across them: “free” usually means either unlimited surveys with tight per‐survey caps, or generous per‐survey limits with a low overall monthly quota. Here is how they compare.

The implication: If your survey needs more than 100 responses, avoid SurveyMonkey and Jotform (100 submissions/month) and go straight to a truly unlimited option like SurveyHero or Google Forms.

Key features of each platform

• SurveyHero – Offers unlimited everything and no ads. Best for surveyors who hate hitting caps. (SurveyPlanet (survey software))
• SurveyMonkey – AI survey builder, Slack/Teams/HubSpot integrations, but export is disabled on the free tier. (Qualaroo (survey experience platform))
• FreeOnlineSurveys – 15+ question types including picture choice; branching logic available free, but ads appear. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))
• SurveyPlanet – Academic templates and a clean interface, but you cannot export raw data unless you upgrade. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))
• Canva – Drag‐and‐drop survey builder with a library of design templates; perfect for branded surveys but form count is capped. (Canva (design platform))

How do I create a free survey using Google Forms?

Step-by-step guide to Google Forms

• Step 1: Sign in to your Google account and navigate to Google Forms (Google).
• Step 2: Click the “+” blank form or choose a template. Google Forms offers a library of ready‐made templates for feedback, registration, and quizzes.
• Step 3: Add questions using the sidebar – multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown, linear scale, file upload, and more. All question types are free. (Google Support (official Google documentation))
• Step 4: Customize the theme (colors, header image) and add section breaks for longer surveys.
• Step 5: Click “Send” to share via email, link, or embed code. Responses flow automatically into a Google Sheet. (Zapier (automation platform))

Adding questions and customizing

• Google Forms supports unlimited questions with no per‐survey cap. (Zapier (automation platform))
• You can require responses, shuffle answer orders, and set data validation (e.g., email format, number range).
• Collaborate in real‐time with other Google accounts – each person can edit questions simultaneously.

The pattern is clear: Google Forms wins on sheer capacity, but lacks advanced features like skip logic and NPS scoring that some competitors offer on free tiers.

What free online survey tools are best for academic research?

Tools for students and researchers

• Google Forms – Widely used in academia for its unlimited capacity and built‐in spreadsheet integration. (Zapier (automation platform))
• SurveyPlanet – Offers academic templates and unlimited surveys, questions, and responses on the free plan. (SurveyPlanet (survey software))
• FreeOnlineSurveys – Supports branching logic and picture choice questions, which can be useful for behavioral experiments. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))
• SurveyHero – No response limits, making it suitable for large‐scale research projects. (SurveyPlanet (survey software))

Features for data analysis

• Google Forms exports to Google Sheets, where you can run pivot tables, charts, and statistical formulas.
• SurveyPlanet free plan includes basic analytics (response distribution, summary) but no raw data export. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))
• FreeOnlineSurveys provides real‐time reporting and filtering on the free plan, though ads are present.

What this means: For capstone projects or thesis surveys with more than 200 respondents, rule out SurveyMonkey and Jotform immediately; Google Forms or SurveyHero are your best bets.

How can I make an anonymous survey for free?

Setting up anonymity in survey tools

• Google Forms – When you create the form, navigate to Settings → Presentation and toggle “Collect email addresses” off. Also disable “Limit to 1 response” if you want complete anonymity. Responses will contain no identifiable info. (Google Support (official Google documentation))
• SurveyMonkey – The free plan includes an anonymous response option; you can also choose not to require login. (Qualaroo (survey experience platform))
• FreeOnlineSurveys – Has an “Anonymous mode” that hides respondent IP addresses by default. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))
• SurveyPlanet – Does not require respondent login, so surveys are effectively anonymous by design. (SurveyPlanet (survey software))

Privacy considerations

• Always check whether the platform logs IPs or uses tracking cookies – Google Forms does not log IPs when anonymity is enabled.
• SurveyMonkey free plan stores respondent email if you use the “send via email” option – share a public link instead to preserve anonymity.
• For sensitive topics, consider using a self‐hosted tool like Formbricks (free when self‐hosted) for full data control. (Zapier (automation platform))

The trade‐off: Anonymous surveys protect respondents, but you lose the ability to follow up or prevent duplicates. For academic research under IRB protocols, that trade‐off is usually acceptable.

What are the limitations of free survey platforms?

Response caps and feature restrictions

• SurveyMonkey free plan – 10 questions per survey, 25 responses (per HubSpot (marketing platform)) or 40 responses (per Qualaroo (survey experience platform)), no export.
• Jotform free plan – 5 forms, 100 submissions per month, 1,000 views per month. (Zapier (automation platform))
• ProProfs Survey Maker free plan – Unlimited surveys but responses capped at 50 per month. (HubSpot (marketing platform))
• FreeOnlineSurveys – Ads displayed on surveys, which can distract respondents. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))
• SurveyPlanet – No data export on the free plan; advanced logic (skip/branching) requires upgrade. (EmailToolTester (email marketing review site))

When to upgrade

• You need more than 100 responses per month → upgrade SurveyMonkey or Jotform, or switch to Google Forms/SurveyHero.
• You need skip logic, NPS metrics, or file upload → SurveyMonkey’s paid plans unlock these; Google Forms lacks them entirely.
• You need white‐label surveys without ads → FreeOnlineSurveys charges for ad removal.

What this means: If you expect your survey to collect more than 100 responses, your only truly free options are Google Forms, SurveyHero, or SurveyPlanet (without export). Everything else will force an upgrade or cap your reach.

Free online survey software with unlimited questions and responses.

— SurveyHero homepage (survey software provider)

Easily create surveys and forms with AI and templates.

— SurveyMonkey homepage (survey platform)

The stakes are straightforward: free survey tools have never been more generous, but the fine print matters. For students and small business owners who need to collect more than a handful of responses, the safest bet is Google Forms or SurveyHero — both offer genuine unlimited capacity without hidden limits. SurveyMonkey and Jotform are better suited for quick polls under 100 responses. And for academic researchers, the inability to export raw data on SurveyPlanet’s free plan is a dealbreaker. The choice is clear: go unlimited or go capped.