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Free and low-cost online survey tools for your business

3-minute read

Surveys provide valuable information about consumers and employees. Traditionally, they were conducted by phone, by mail or in person. Recently, however, online surveys have become a fast, cost-effective alternative.

What makes online survey tools useful?

  • learn about your current and potential clients, as well as their purchasing habits
  • detect and resolve unexpressed problems
  • generate contacts
  • test ideas for new products and services
  • strengthen your reputation as an informed leader by sharing your discoveries
  • know people’s opinion about your products and services
  • measure employee satisfaction and commitment
  • compile employee performance evaluations

How do online survey tools work?

The process is easy. Simply open an online account, use an existing survey template or create your own, decide what type of questions you want to ask and integrate them into the survey. Once complete, you can post it online or email it to multiple recipients. Some providers even allow you to post your survey on social networking sites like Facebook.

Online surveys allow you to automate certain tasks and calculations, thereby facilitating and accelerating response gathering and analysis, while reducing errors and omissions.

Free and inexpensive survey tools

Depending on your objectives, you could use online survey tools on their own or combined with more traditional methods. Several providers offer free versions of their services (see options below). These versions are more limited than paid versions, some of which are relatively inexpensive. For the purposes of this review, we found that a French version is offered only if the solution’s interface is in French. Most of the solutions presented can be used to create surveys in French and several other languages, in particular when opting for a paid version.

Revised September 2023

This table lists applications alphabetically and isn’t exhaustive. Hyperlinks to external sites do not constitute endorsement by BDC of those websites or any information, opinions, products or services expressed or described on them.

Furthermore, the list is only a starting point and excludes applications that do not let you set up and manage an online survey either in English or in French, or that are neither low cost nor free. When assessing online survey tools for your organization, you will probably consider many other factors.

BDC will review and edit this list regularly. If you are a vendor and would like us to consider adding your solution, please contact us.

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