Sovereign alternative to Typeform
Typeform made the conversational form popular, one question at a time. It is a proprietary SaaS, closed source and billed by response volume. LimeSurvey gives you polished forms as open source, hosted in Europe on your dedicated instance.
Typeform polishes the answering experience, with a smooth design and a one-question-at-a-time rhythm that lifts engagement. In return, it is a proprietary service whose monthly response count is capped per plan, and whose code stays closed.
LimeSurvey offers structured questionnaires, one-question-at-a-time mode included, with no response cap. Bunker hosts it in Europe on a dedicated instance, with your organization's SSO and a replicated database. Your data stays in Europe, and the instance moves back onto your infrastructure.
Point-by-point comparison
| Criterion | LimeSurvey (Bunker) | Typeform |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Open source (GPLv2+), auditable | Proprietary, closed source |
| Hosting | Europe | SaaS, non-EU infrastructure possible |
| Response cap | None | Per monthly plan |
| One-question-at-a-time form | Yes | Yes |
| Targeted reminders to non-respondents | Yes, via tokens | No |
| Question types | 28 | Reduced |
| Open export (CSV, Excel, SPSS, R) | Yes, no quota | Plan-dependent |
| Anonymous answers with tokens | Yes | No |
| Dedicated instance | Yes | No, shared SaaS |
| On-premise reversibility | Yes, re-internalizable | No |
The answering experience, without the lock-in
Typeform's strength is its rendering: one question at a time, a refined layout, a strong completion rate on short forms. LimeSurvey also offers a one-question-at-a-time display and customizable themes, served on your own domain.
The difference is ownership. Typeform remains closed software you rent. LimeSurvey is open source: you audit the code, you keep your data and you bring the instance back whenever you want.
The response cap
With Typeform, the number of responses you collect each month is bounded by the plan. A form that performs pushes you to the next tier, or lets you lose answers once the quota is hit.
Managed LimeSurvey does not cap collection. You receive as many answers as you need, you export them in open formats, and the instance price does not follow your volume.
The reminder Typeform cannot send
Typeform shares a public link: it does not know who has answered and who has not. There is no way to remind only the stragglers without messaging everyone again.
LimeSurvey assigns a token to each participant. You remind only the non-respondents, as many times as needed, while keeping the results anonymous if you enable that mode. On a closed-list survey, that detail drives the response rate.
Frequently asked questions
Does LimeSurvey make forms as polished as Typeform?
LimeSurvey offers a one-question-at-a-time display, customizable themes and a rendering served on your own domain. The experience gets close to Typeform for short forms, with long questionnaires, conditional logic and 28 question types on top.
Is there a limit on the number of responses?
No. Unlike Typeform's plan-based model, managed LimeSurvey does not cap collection. You gather as many answers as you need and export them with no quota.
Is my data hosted in Europe?
Yes. Bunker hosts your LimeSurvey instance in Europe, on a replicated PostgreSQL database, with your organization's SSO. You export your data anytime and can bring the instance back onto your own infrastructure.
Forms you get to keep
A dedicated LimeSurvey instance in Europe, open source, with no response cap.
Other comparisons
Bunker is not affiliated with Typeform. "Typeform" is a trademark of its publisher, referenced here for comparison to designate the competing service.