SurveyMonkey vs Qualtrics
Written by Mateus Rocha ·
Edited by Sebastiaan Smits ·
Fact-checked by Priya Nandakumar ·
Published September 30, 2026 · Updated September 30, 2026
SurveyMonkey is a general-purpose survey tool a generalist can learn in an afternoon, sold per user with a three-seat minimum on team plans. Qualtrics is a research and experience-management platform sold on quote-only annual contracts and meant to be run by trained staff. Business teams doing routine surveys land on SurveyMonkey; enterprises and research institutions with dedicated researchers land on Qualtrics.
Side by side
 SurveyMonkey |  Qualtrics | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The familiar general-purpose survey platform | Enterprise experience-management and research platform |
| Best for | Teams wanting a known, all-round tool | Enterprises and research institutions |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Pricing model | Per user / month | Quote only |
| Pricing | Free Basic plan, individual annual plans, and team plans per user with a three-seat minimum and per-response overage. | Limited free account; paid licenses are quote-only annual contracts, typically priced by module and response volume. |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan |
| Place in our survey software ranking | #4 of 17 | #5 of 17 |
| Website | surveymonkey.com | qualtrics.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 vetted question wording and crosstabs without training, and you can live with a three-seat minimum and per-response overage.
SurveyMonkey, #4 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 sign an annual contract priced by quote.
Qualtrics, #5 in the ranking · Visit Qualtrics →
Where they differ
How you buy it
SurveyMonkey has a free Basic plan, individual annual plans and per-user team plans, though teams must buy at least three seats billed annually and pay for responses over the limit. Qualtrics prices paid licenses by quote only, on annual contracts typically built from modules and response volume, often with increases at renewal. Neither is cheap, but only SurveyMonkey shows its structure before a sales conversation.
Edge: SurveyMonkey
Research methods and analysis depth
Qualtrics handles complex survey flow, embedded data, quotas and randomization, conjoint and MaxDiff studies, statistical analysis in Stats iQ and text classification in Text iQ. SurveyMonkey covers crosstabs, filters and benchmarks on paid plans, with advanced logic, quotas and SPSS export reserved for premium tiers. For formal research, Qualtrics goes much further.
Edge: Qualtrics
Who can actually operate it
SurveyMonkey's editor is quick to learn, its question bank supplies methodologist-written items that avoid common wording errors, and its AI builder drafts a survey from a prompt. Qualtrics takes training to use well, and 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 adds customer and employee experience modules with dashboards by role and closed-loop follow-up, which is what a formal program across many departments needs, although many of those capabilities are separate modules. SurveyMonkey offers team collaboration for sharing surveys and results. 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, built-in statistics and role-based dashboards have no equivalent in SurveyMonkey's data here. 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 sells panel respondents in many countries at transparent per-response prices. Qualtrics offers panel services as part of its platform, under its quote-based pricing. If panel cost needs to be known before you commit, SurveyMonkey makes that easier to find out.
Can I try SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics for free?
Both have free accounts, and both are restricted. SurveyMonkey's free Basic plan caps the results you can see. The Qualtrics free account is very limited in responses and features. Treat either as a way to look at the editor, not as a working plan.