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Survey software · head to head

SurveyMonkey vs Qualtrics

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published September 30, 2026 · Updated October 20, 2026

SurveyMonkey is a general-purpose survey tool a generalist can learn in an afternoon, with published plan prices and a three-seat minimum on team plans. Qualtrics is a research and experience-management platform with no published prices, sold by interactions or employee count and meant to be run by trained staff. Business teams doing routine surveys land on SurveyMonkey; enterprises and research institutions land on Qualtrics.

Side by side

SurveyMonkeyQualtrics
What it isThe familiar general-purpose survey platformEnterprise experience-management and research platform
Best forTeams wanting a known, all-round toolEnterprises and research institutions
HeadquartersUnited StatesUnited States
Pricing modelPer user / monthQuote only
PricingFree Basic plan, individual annual plans, and team plans per user with a three-seat minimum and per-response overage.Free account capped at 500 responses per survey; paid products are quote-only, priced by interactions such as survey responses for CX and research, or by employee count for EX, with unlimited users.
Free optionFree planFree plan
List price
as listed on September 30, 2026		€39 per month, billed monthly (Standard Monthly, individual); team plans from €30 per user per month, billed annually, minimum 3 usersQuote only
Place in our survey software ranking#7 of 17#8 of 17
Websitesurveymonkey.comqualtrics.com

Both are reviewed in full in Best Survey Software in 2026. Position in that ranking can be paid for; the wording of a review or of this comparison cannot. Placement disclosure.

Which one to choose

Choose SurveyMonkey if

surveys are built by generalists, you want expert-written templates and crosstabs without training, and you want to know the price before talking to sales.

SurveyMonkey, #7 in the ranking · Visit SurveyMonkey →

Choose Qualtrics if

you have a dedicated researcher or a formal experience program, need conjoint, MaxDiff, quotas or built-in statistics, and can go through a quote-based sale.

Qualtrics, #8 in the ranking · Visit Qualtrics →

Where they differ

How you buy it

SurveyMonkey publishes its prices: a free Basic plan, Standard Monthly at €39, and team plans from €30 per user per month for at least three users billed annually, with extra responses at €0.10 each. Qualtrics publishes none; it prices customer and research work by interactions such as survey responses and employee programs by headcount, with unlimited users. Only SurveyMonkey shows the cost before a sales conversation.

Edge: SurveyMonkey

Research methods and analysis depth

Qualtrics runs conjoint and MaxDiff studies, offers Stats iQ statistical analysis, quota management and AI text analysis on paid plans, and sells panels across more than 200 markets. SurveyMonkey's plans cover crosstabs, statistical significance, response quotas, benchmarks and SPSS export, with advanced logic and block randomization on higher tiers. For formal research methods, Qualtrics goes considerably further.

Edge: Qualtrics

Who can actually operate it

SurveyMonkey's editor is quick to learn, its hundreds of templates rest on expert-written questions, and its build-with-AI option drafts a survey fast. Qualtrics takes training to use well, and in the site's view teams without a dedicated researcher tend to leave most of it untouched. For a team of generalists, SurveyMonkey gets a usable survey out sooner.

Edge: SurveyMonkey

Running a program across a large organization

Qualtrics sells customer experience, employee experience and market research products, from engagement and lifecycle programs to omnichannel CX and brand research, and it prices them for unlimited users. SurveyMonkey's team plans add shared surveys and results, with SSO and custom data centers on Enterprise for five or more users. For organization-wide experience management, Qualtrics is the more complete system.

Edge: Qualtrics

Tally: SurveyMonkey 2, Qualtrics 2, even 0.

When neither fits

A team that needs quotas and serious reporting but cannot justify a Qualtrics contract falls between the two; Alchemer is the closer fit, with research features non-specialists can learn. If the work is an ongoing NPS or CSAT program, SurveySparrow is built for that.

See Alchemer and SurveySparrow among the 17 products in Best Survey Software in 2026.

Questions and answers

Is Qualtrics worth the cost over SurveyMonkey?

For an enterprise or research institution with trained staff, often yes: conjoint, MaxDiff, Stats iQ and experience programs across the company go beyond SurveyMonkey's crosstabs and benchmarks. For a small or mid-sized business running routine feedback surveys, it usually means paying for capabilities nobody touches.

Do SurveyMonkey and Qualtrics both sell survey respondents?

Yes. SurveyMonkey Audience reaches people in more than 130 countries, priced from $1 per response. Qualtrics offers access to panels across more than 200 markets, as well as research communities, under its quote-based pricing. If panel cost needs to be known before you commit, SurveyMonkey makes that easier.

Can I try SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics for free?

Both have free accounts, and both are restricted. SurveyMonkey's free Basic plan allows 10 questions per survey and limited responses. The Qualtrics free account allows 3 active surveys, 30 questions and 500 responses per survey, without Stats iQ, quotas or custom branding. Treat either as a way to try the editor.

How is Qualtrics priced compared with SurveyMonkey?

Qualtrics lists no prices: customer experience and market research are charged by interactions such as survey responses, and employee experience by the number of employees, with unlimited users included. SurveyMonkey charges per plan or per user, with yearly or monthly response allowances and €0.10 for each extra response.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on September 30, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.