Head-to-head · Forms & Surveys
Typeform vs LimeSurvey
Which one to pick in 2026 — comparing 🇺🇸 Typeform with the European alternative 🇪🇺 LimeSurvey on the things that actually decide who can read your data.
🇺🇸 Typeformvs🇪🇺 LimeSurvey
Verdict
Who has stronger privacy guarantees by law?
LimeSurvey — GDPR-native and outside the US CLOUD Act / FISA 702 reach.
Which one encrypts your data end-to-end by default?
Neither ships full E2E by default — check the table for nuance.
Which one tracks you for ads?
Typeform relies on ad tracking. LimeSurvey doesn't.
Which one is open source?
LimeSurvey is open source. Typeform is proprietary.
Side-by-side
Typeform vs LimeSurvey — full comparison
Criteria
🇪🇺 LimeSurvey
🇺🇸 Typeform
Headquarters
Hamburg, Germany
San Francisco, CA, USA
Jurisdiction
Germany (GDPR)
USA (CLOUD Act, FISA 702)
Data location
Germany
Global, US-controlled
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
Yes
End-to-end encryption
No
No
Open source
Yes
No
Ownership
LimeSurvey GmbH
Typeform S.L. (private, US VC-backed — General Atlantic)
Founded
2003
2012
Make the switch
Try LimeSurvey instead of Typeform
Open-source survey platform
Other European alternatives to Typeform