Alternative to Alchemer: crosstabs, significance tests and SPSS export in every plan, unlimited users

When Alchemer is a good fit

Alchemer is an established platform with an extensive feature set. In several situations Alchemer may be the better choice:

If you need advanced market research methods. In the Full Access plan, Alchemer offers TURF, conjoint, MaxDiff and R scripts. QUESTIONSTAR does not offer these methods as dedicated features.
If carry-forward is a standard tool in your questionnaires. Alchemer offers option piping as a dedicated feature. With QUESTIONSTAR you handle this via display logic.
If surveys are meant to become part of a larger feedback platform. Workflow automation, in-app feedback (Digital), reputation management (Chatmeter) and AI sentiment (Pulse) come from a single source.
If you need a SOC 2 report or data centers outside Europe. Alchemer is audited to SOC 2 Type 2 and operates data centers in the USA, the EU, Canada and Australia.
If you buy panel respondents directly from the provider. Alchemer offers Panel Services on request.

Use QUESTIONSTAR when...

QUESTIONSTAR focuses on availability and team costs: crosstabs with significance tests and SPSS export, part of Full Access at Alchemer, are included in every plan with us.

...when crosstabs, significance tests and SPSS export should not depend on the plan. QUESTIONSTAR: filters, crosstabs, group comparisons, t-tests and other significance tests, SPSS export with variable labels, value labels and measurement level, included in every plan including Free. At Alchemer, crosstabs with significance tests and SPSS export are part of Full Access according to the license comparison.
...when several people work on the team. QUESTIONSTAR PROFESSIONAL: €995/year with 10 concurrently active surveys and unlimited users. Alchemer charges Self-Serve plans per user: Full Access $1,895 per user per year, maximum 3 users; from 4 users, Platform Plans on request.
...when the number of responses should not be capped. QUESTIONSTAR: unlimited responses in all paid plans. Alchemer Self-Serve plans include 75,000 to 125,000 responses per year and account, based on the highest license in the account, plus monthly limits; exceeding them incurs no extra charges, but the plan is reviewed. Surveys are unlimited at Alchemer, while with QUESTIONSTAR the number of concurrently active surveys is limited per plan.
...when quotas, complex logic and anonymous responses should be available in every plan. QUESTIONSTAR: branching with multiple conditions, quotas, block randomization, loops and piping in every plan. At Alchemer, AND/OR logic, piping and looping, quotas, page randomization and the "Anonymous Survey Data" feature are included from Professional; distributed quotas and answer-option quotas only in Full Access.
...when your survey should be translated automatically. QUESTIONSTAR: automatic translation into 106 languages, unlimited language versions, your own languages can be added. Alchemer supports more than 200 languages; according to the help, translations are entered by the user, and Alchemer does not offer automatic translation.
...when you want a reliable point of contact. QUESTIONSTAR offers GDPR-compliant EU hosting (IONOS data centers in Germany) and support by email and phone for all customers, regardless of plan. Alchemer offers an EU data center in Frankfurt and European phone support for Professional and Full Access with annual payment.

Feature comparison

Point by point, without marketing language. Note: QUESTIONSTAR prices in EUR. Alchemer prices per the provider in USD per user. The Self-Serve plans are compared; Platform Plans are agreed individually. All Alchemer pricing is listed and billed in US dollars.

Criterion	QUESTIONSTAR	Alchemer
Pricing model	Plan by number of concurrently active surveys; unlimited users from PROFESSIONAL	Price per user; Self-Serve up to 3 users, above that Business Platform on request
Free entry	Free: 1 active survey, 50 responses, all survey features	7-day trial (Professional); no permanent Free plan on the pricing page
Annual	STANDARD €395/year (3 active surveys); PROFESSIONAL €995/year (10 active surveys, unlimited users)	Collaborator $315, Professional $1,075, Full Access $1,895 per user per year
Monthly	MONTHLY €59/month per active survey (1 to 5)	Collaborator $55, Professional $165, Full Access $275 per user per month
Responses	Unlimited in paid plans	75,000 / 100,000 / 125,000 per year and account (highest license in the account), plus monthly limits; if exceeded, plan review, no extra charges
Crosstabs with significance tests	Yes, in every plan	Yes, Full Access (chi-square, Fisher test for 2x2, column proportions); Segmented Reports from Professional
SPSS export with labels	Yes, in every plan	Yes, Full Access
Questionnaire logic	Multiple conditions, quotas, block randomization, loops, piping, in every plan; no dedicated carry-forward, via display logic	AND/OR logic, piping/looping, option piping (carry-forward), quotas, randomization from Professional; distributed quotas Full Access; simple logic in all plans
Advanced methods	Not as dedicated features (TURF, conjoint, MaxDiff)	TURF, conjoint, MaxDiff, R scripts in Full Access
Multilingual support	Unlimited languages, automatic translation into 106 languages	200+ languages incl. RTL; translation by the user, no automatic translation
Report export	Analysis reports as editable Word, PowerPoint and Excel files + PDF	Standard report as PDF, Word, PowerPoint with charts, Excel tables only, in every plan; according to the help intended for further editing; whether charts are exported as native Office charts is not documented
Anonymity	In every plan, with a minimum number of respondents per analysis group	"Anonymous Survey Data" feature from Professional
Whitelabel	From MONTHLY (academic from CHAIR)	"Powered by" logo removable from Professional; custom domain as an add-on
SSO for user accounts	PROFESSIONAL as an add-on, CUSTOM included	Business Platform
API / AI	REST API, webhooks, native MCP server in every plan	API in Business Platform; AI features (questionnaire assistant, Smart Question, Pulse); official MCP server not documented
Hosting	IONOS Germany	Data centers USA, EU (Frankfurt), Canada, Australia; chosen when opening the account
DPA	Directly downloadable	Can be concluded within the account
Provider / certification	German company; ISO 27001 data centers	Alchemer LLC, USA; ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2
Support	Email and phone for all customers	Email 24/7; phone for Professional/Full Access with annual payment (US/Canada 6am to 6pm MT, EU 6am to 6pm CET)
Academic plans	STUDENT, RESEARCHER, CHAIR, CAMPUS	No dedicated university plans; discount for non-profit organizations (US EIN verification required)

See sample exports: View example .sav · Screenshot QS export dialog · Example Office report (PPTX)

Start for free View example report

Switching: AI migration via MCP

Alchemer offers an export of the survey questions to Word (all plans), a print view, a survey link and an API for Business Platform customers. QUESTIONSTAR currently has no dedicated Alchemer importer; the AI-based MCP path handles the reconstruction.

How it works: AI migration via MCP

Export survey questions to Word, alternatively print as PDF or provide the survey link.
Hand the file or link to an AI agent (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others) with the QUESTIONSTAR MCP server.
The AI reconstructs question texts, answer options and pages in QUESTIONSTAR; you add logic, quotas and language versions during the review.

Limit of the reconstruction: What gets carried over is what is visible in the source material. You can recreate Option Piping via display logic; conjoint, MaxDiff and TURF tasks, custom scripts and workflow automations are not transferred.

The time required depends on the complexity. For larger inventories we offer a guided migration service.

For surveys already in the field, a clear cutoff date is advisable: close running surveys in Alchemer, start new waves in QUESTIONSTAR. You export previous responses as Excel or CSV and, if needed, bring them in via the MCP path.

For businesses and universities

QUESTIONSTAR covers surveys from a single research group to a large corporation, with all survey features already in the Free plan.

Hosting: IONOS SE in Germany, ISO 27001 certified data centers, in every plan. On-premise possible in the CUSTOM plan.
GDPR: DPA directly downloadable, sub-processor list public.
SSO: for user accounts in PROFESSIONAL as an add-on, in CUSTOM included; for universities DFN-AAI and eduGAIN from CHAIR on request.
Academic plans: STUDENT €29/month, RESEARCHER €295/year, CHAIR €895/year, CAMPUS on request.
Support: by email and phone for all customers, regardless of plan.

From roughly 30 to 50 simultaneously active surveys or individual compliance requirements, get in touch with us directly. That is sorted out faster by phone or email than through a pricing page.

Where Alchemer does more in these situations: advanced methods (TURF, conjoint, MaxDiff), Option Piping as a dedicated feature, a broad product family for customer feedback, panel services, a SOC 2 report and data centers on several continents.

Discuss an enterprise setup

Your data stays your data

If QUESTIONSTAR no longer convinces you at some point, you get all of your data out: as SPSS, CSV or Excel. Any time, without cancellation, without extra charge, without having to ask. We treat data export as a baseline, not a bargaining chip.

Who is QUESTIONSTAR a good fit for as an Alchemer alternative?

Icon: watercolor illustration of a pie chart with a magnifying glass, market research

For market research

When crosstabs with significance tests, quotas and SPSS export are part of daily work, but not everyone on the team needs the highest plan: QUESTIONSTAR with all analysis features in every plan. The limit: if conjoint, MaxDiff or TURF are central methods, Alchemer Full Access offers these directly.

For teams with multiple users

When several colleagues create and analyze surveys: QUESTIONSTAR PROFESSIONAL €995/year with 10 simultaneously active surveys, unlimited users and unlimited responses. The limit: if you want to combine surveys with workflow automation and reputation management on one platform, Alchemer covers more.

For international surveys

When surveys run in many languages and translations should not be done by hand: QUESTIONSTAR translates automatically into 106 languages, in every plan. The limit: if you have translations professionally produced anyway, automatic translation adds little; Alchemer supports more than 200 languages for this.

For universities and research teams

For university departments and research teams with ongoing survey operations, QUESTIONSTAR offers dedicated academic plans: STUDENT €29/month, CHAIR €895/year, CAMPUS on request, with significance tests and SPSS export in every plan and university SSO from CHAIR on request. The limit: if your research builds on conjoint or MaxDiff, Alchemer Full Access offers these methods directly.

Common questions when switching from Alchemer

What is the difference between the pricing models?

Alchemer bills Self-Serve plans per user and year, with a response quota per account; analysis features such as crosstabs and SPSS export sit in Full Access. QUESTIONSTAR bills by simultaneously active surveys; all survey and analysis features are included in every plan, and from PROFESSIONAL without a limit on the number of users. Example: three people who create crosstabs themselves and export SPSS each need a Full Access license with Alchemer ($1,895 per year each). Anyone who only views reports gets by with a lower-tier license or a shared report. With QUESTIONSTAR everyone works in PROFESSIONAL (€995/year, up to 10 simultaneously active surveys).

Where is the data stored?

Possible with both. QUESTIONSTAR hosts with IONOS in Germany (EU), in every plan. Alchemer offers an EU data center in Frankfurt (AWS) that you choose when opening the account, alongside data centers in the US, Canada and Australia; accounts in different data centers are separate. The difference lies with the provider: QUESTIONSTAR is a German company, Alchemer LLC is based in the USA. Both offer a DPA. Whether a US provider with an EU data center fits your project is something your data protection officer assesses on a case-by-case basis.

Does QUESTIONSTAR have conjoint, MaxDiff or TURF?

Not as dedicated features. If these methods are central to your studies, Alchemer Full Access is stronger there. For crosstabs, group comparisons, significance tests and SPSS export you do not need a higher plan with QUESTIONSTAR.

How do I map Option Piping (carry-forward)?

QUESTIONSTAR has no dedicated feature for this; you recreate carry-forward via display logic by showing answer options depending on earlier answers.

Are wave-to-wave comparisons still possible?

Yes. You export existing results from Alchemer as Excel or CSV and bring them into QUESTIONSTAR via the MCP path. You build comparisons between waves using filters or with your AI assistant via MCP. When you do, check whether questions and answer codings are comparable.

Can I bring over my Alchemer surveys?

Yes, via the AI-based MCP path from the Word export of the questions, from a PDF or from the survey link. You export existing responses as Excel or CSV and bring them over via the MCP path as well.

Is phone support included in every plan?

Yes, by phone and email on all plans, including Free.

When does Alchemer remain the better choice?

When Conjoint, MaxDiff or TURF are part of your standard toolkit, when you use Option Piping as a dedicated feature, when surveys become part of a larger feedback platform, or when you need a SOC 2 report.

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Alchemer is a brand of Alchemer LLC (Louisville, Colorado, USA). QUESTIONSTAR has no business relationship with Alchemer LLC. The mention is for product identification (nominative use). All comparison data refers to publicly available product information as of the last review on October 21, 2026.