LimeSurvey is a mature, open-source survey platform developed since 2006 that empowers organizations to create and manage online surveys without vendor lock-in. Designed for businesses, academic institutions, governments, and NGOs, it provides full control over data privacy and customization while supporting complex survey logic. Unlike hosted alternatives like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey, LimeSurvey allows full self-hosting with support for multiple databases and enterprise-grade security features like GDPR compliance, two-factor authentication, and SAML/LDAP integration. It’s ideal for users who need to collect sensitive data securely or require deep customization of survey design and response analysis.
What You Get
- Unlimited surveys and questions - Create as many surveys and questions as needed without restrictions, suitable for large-scale academic research or enterprise feedback programs.
- 30+ question types and 900+ templates - Choose from diverse input types (matrix, ranking, file upload) and pre-built designs to accelerate survey creation.
- Conditional logic and branching - Dynamically show or hide questions based on user responses to create personalized survey paths.
- Multilingual surveys (80+ languages) - Build surveys in multiple languages with automatic translation support and language switching for global audiences.
- Customizable branding - Apply custom CSS, JavaScript, logos, fonts, and colors to align surveys with your organization’s brand identity.
- GDPR and WCAG 2.0 compliance - Built-in data anonymization, consent management, and accessibility features to meet strict regulatory standards.
- RemoteControl API (XML-RPC/JSON-RPC) - Programmatically create, manage, and retrieve survey data via API for integration with existing systems.
- SAML/LDAP/CAST authentication - Integrate with enterprise identity providers for secure user access control.
- Advanced analytics and statistics - View real-time response summaries, export data in CSV/Excel/Stata formats, and analyze patterns with built-in tools.
- Plugin system - Extend functionality with plugins for audit logs, export formats (ExportR, ExportSTATAxml), and authentication methods like AuthCAS.
Common Use Cases
- Building academic research surveys - Universities deploy LimeSurvey to collect longitudinal data from participants across countries, leveraging multilingual support and GDPR-compliant storage.
- Enterprise employee feedback systems - HR departments use LimeSurvey to run anonymous engagement surveys with conditional logic to route questions based on department or tenure.
- Healthcare patient satisfaction forms - Hospitals implement LimeSurvey to gather feedback with secure, encrypted storage and anonymization features to comply with HIPAA-like regulations.
- Non-profit global outreach programs - NGOs run multilingual surveys in 20+ languages to assess community needs, using QR code sharing for low-bandwidth regions.
- DevOps teams managing survey infrastructure - Teams deploy LimeSurvey on Docker or LAMP stacks to maintain full control over data sovereignty and avoid SaaS vendor dependencies.
- Problem → Solution flow: Need to collect sensitive customer data without third-party exposure? - LimeSurvey allows self-hosting on private servers with encryption, eliminating data leakage risks from cloud-based form tools.
Under The Hood
LimeSurvey is a mature, feature-rich survey management platform built on a legacy PHP codebase with extensive frontend integration and extensibility. The system supports a wide range of survey functionalities through a combination of server-side rendering and modern JavaScript frameworks.
Architecture
LimeSurvey follows a layered monolithic architecture with clear separation between presentation, business logic, and data access layers. The codebase is organized into modules that support diverse survey operations.
- Modular organization through controllers, commands, and configuration files
- Traditional layered approach with well-defined boundaries between components
- Support for extensibility via CLI commands and plugin architecture
Tech Stack
LimeSurvey leverages a hybrid tech stack combining PHP with modern JavaScript frameworks for rich user interfaces.
- Built primarily in PHP with Yii framework foundations and Vue.js/Bootstrap for frontend
- Relies on jQuery, Bootstrap, lodash, and various frontend packages for UI components
- Uses gulp, webpack, and rollup for asset compilation with Babel and ESLint for code quality
- Integrates PHPUnit and Jest for backend and frontend testing respectively
Code Quality
The codebase reflects a mixed quality profile with strengths in testing and linting but inconsistencies in error handling and style.
- Comprehensive test coverage with multiple testing frameworks in use
- Code linting and type annotations present to support maintainability
- Error handling exists but varies across modules in consistency
- Code style and patterns differ between components, indicating some standardization gaps
What Makes It Unique
LimeSurvey distinguishes itself through its mature feature set and adaptability within a complex legacy ecosystem.
- Deep functionality combined with flexible CLI-based extensibility
- Hybrid architecture that bridges traditional PHP rendering with modern JS frameworks
- Extensive documentation and API support for developers and integrators