Formbricksvs
LimeSurvey
Both score similarly on sovereignty (82 vs 84). The right choice depends on the details below – open source, self-hosting, pricing and focus.
Score comparison
| Formbricks | LimeSurvey | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty | 82 | 84 |
| Privacy | 84 | 82 |
| Open Source | 94 | 92 |
| Business fit | 80 | 82 |
| Migration ease | 72 | 66 |
| Pricing transparency | 78 | 80 |
| Enterprise readiness | 78 | 80 |
Features & facts
| Formbricks | LimeSurvey | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Germany | Germany |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud/SaaS | Yes | Yes |
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| DPA / AV-Vertrag | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | No | unknown |
| Data location | EU / Frankfurt (cloud, per provider) | Germany (recommended for the EU) among others; self-determined when self-hosting |
| From | 0 $ / Monat | on request |
| Founded | 2022 | 2003 |
Formbricks
Germany
German open-source platform for surveys, feedback and experience management – cloud or self-hosted.
Strengths
- Open source under AGPLv3 and self-hostable
- Cloud version and self-hosting available
- SOC 2 Type II stated by the provider
- Public DPA available
Weaknesses
- ISO 27001 is still in progress, not completed according to the provider
- Public subprocessor list was not clearly verified in this pass
- May be more powerful than needed for very simple forms
LimeSurvey
Germany
Established open-source survey platform from Hamburg – free to self-host or as a cloud with a German server location.
Strengths
- Very broad feature set for surveys and panels
- Open source (GPL) and free to self-host
- Cloud with selectable storage location, Germany recommended for the EU
- Established in research, public sector and business
Weaknesses
- Interface feels more technical in places than lightweight US tools
- Self-hosting requires operation and maintenance
- No publicly verified ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification found
Choose Formbricks if…
- SaaS teams collecting privacy-first user feedback
- Companies replacing Typeform or Qualtrics with open source
- Teams requiring self-hosting or transparency
Choose LimeSurvey if…
- Research, universities and public sector
- Companies with privacy and data-residency requirements
- Teams wanting a self-hostable survey platform
Scores are editorial orientation, not legal advice. Details are based on public provider information and are not independently verified.