Question 1

What are the differences between the plans?

Accepted Answer

Our plans differ primarily in two factors: Number of surveys running in parallel at the same time — how many surveys you can have active at once. Term — monthly or annual subscription. In addition: Larger plans include user management (custom roles, security policies, project groups). Number of invitation emails per month is set as a limit — not decisive for most use cases. Functionally, all survey features are identical in every plan — plans differ in volume, Whitelabel branding and user management. In the free plan there's one restriction: 1 active survey with up to 50 responses plus a subtle QUESTIONSTAR notice in the layout. Details on the Pricing page.

Question 2

Which payment methods are accepted?

Accepted Answer

Credit cards: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB, UnionPay PayPal Bank transfer (when ordering by invoice)

Question 3

Are my payments secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All transactions on our website are encrypted. All payment providers through which we process your payments are PCI DSS certified and thus meet the highest security standards for online payments. We ourselves don't store credit card numbers or payment-provider credentials.

Question 4

Can I order by invoice?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If your company can’t pay via the supported payment systems, you can order any plan by invoice. Select "Invoice" when choosing the payment methods. You receive the invoice by email and in your profile under "My invoices". If you’ve entered a different billing email address, the invoice goes there. Your account is unlocked according to your chosen plan. Payment term: 14 days from the issue date. On late payment, the account is downgraded to the FREE plan (all surveys except the most recently started one are stopped, access to respondent data is limited to 50 records). Once payment is received, the restrictions are lifted — you have to restart the stopped surveys yourself.

Question 5

How is an upgrade to a higher plan billed?

Accepted Answer

When upgrading during a running license, only a difference amount is due: the unused but paid term of your previous plan is deducted from the price of the new plan. The new license starts on the order date. On each subsequent renewal, the full price of the new plan applies (unless you’ve downgraded or canceled in the meantime).

Question 6

How is a downgrade billed?

Accepted Answer

On downgrade, the current plan first applies until the end of its term. After that, the downgraded plan applies. The renewal charge is made accordingly on that date. At the same time, surveys exceeding the downgraded plan's allowance are stopped — by FIFO (first-in-first-out): the surveys started first are stopped first, until the permitted number of simultaneous surveys is reached.

Question 7

How do I cancel my plan?

Accepted Answer

In the profile settings → "Plan and account usage" → "Cancel subscription". The plan applies until the end of the license term, then the account is transferred to the FREE plan. In the process, all surveys except the most recently started one are stopped. The day after expiry, the FREE-plan restrictions take effect for the most recently started survey.

Question 8

How many responses can I collect?

Accepted Answer

In the free plan: one active survey with up to 50 responses. In the Business plans, currently no fixed limit per survey — tiered response volumes aren't part of the model. Functionally, all survey features are identical in every plan — plans differ only in volume, Whitelabel and user management.

Question 9

Do I need programming skills for customizations?

Accepted Answer

No. Layout, colors, logos, personalization — all adjustable via the interface. An HTML/CSS/JavaScript editor is available in every plan, but isn't required.

Question 10

Do I need SPSS or R for the analysis?

Accepted Answer

For many studies, no. Statistics (regression, t-tests, correlations, crosstabs) run in the browser. For special cases (factor analysis, clustering, structural equation models) you export the raw data as an SPSS, CSV or XLSX file.

Question 11

Can we run QUESTIONSTAR on our own servers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on-premise is possible — especially for larger organizations for which the online licenses aren't enough in volume. Get in touch and we'll check what fits your infrastructure: sales@questionstar.com

Question 12

Do respondents need an account?

Accepted Answer

No. Respondents only need the link, QR code or embed. Account creation is for the survey owner — one time, free.

Question 13

Which channels can I distribute surveys on?

Accepted Answer

Direct link, personal token links, QR code, embed in five modes (inline, button, tab, modal, bubble), social link with OG preview, email sending with personalization and reminders. One survey — all channels in parallel, one shared dataset. Details on /product-tour (Step 3 "Distribute").

Question 14

Is there real-time analysis?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Answers appear immediately in the dashboard — live counter without refresh. Charts show the current state of the collection at any time. Interactive live-voting setups (e.g. during a lecture or concert) are also possible. For very large events (thousands in parallel) please coordinate in advance.

Question 15

Where is the data stored?

Accepted Answer

By default in Germany — the IONOS data centers in Frankfurt and Berlin. GDPR-compliant by default, DPA included, no US sub-processor in the standard configuration. Hosting within the EU is available on request.

Question 16

Are you GDPR-compliant? Can we get a DPA?

Accepted Answer

Yes, QUESTIONSTAR is GDPR-compliant by default. Compliance under Art. 28 (processing on behalf), Art. 32 (security measures) and Art. 33 (incident notification) GDPR. We provide a prepared DPA (data processing agreement) as a PDF. Download the document in the footer under "DPA", fill it in and send it to us at support@questionstar.com — we countersign and send it back.

Question 17

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Until the end of the paid term, you have full access. We recommend exporting all data and reports before the plan expires. After that, the account is downgraded to the free plan — the data is preserved, but only what the free-tier limits allow stays visible (one survey × 50 responses). On a later upgrade, full access is back. If you want to delete everything immediately — the profile setting "Delete account": all data, including surveys and answers, is gone irreversibly. No support ticket needed.

Question 18

Can we prevent multiple responses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Selectable per survey: cookie-based (one browser, one response) or via a personal token link (one person, one response). Both have limits — we tell you which upfront.

Question 19

Who processes data besides QUESTIONSTAR?

Accepted Answer

Hosting: IONOS data centers Frankfurt and Berlin (Germany) Email delivery: SendGrid (Twilio Inc., USA — with standard contractual clauses and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework) CDN: Microsoft Azure Frankfurt for static assets Full sub-processor list in our privacy policy and on /security. For strict EU-only procurement, please coordinate in advance.

Question 20

Does it work with screen readers? Is QUESTIONSTAR accessible?

Accepted Answer

ARIA tags are maintained throughout and tested in practice. Not every question type is equally suitable (sliders without steps are problematic). There's no formal WCAG certification.

Question 21

Can several people work on one survey?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Share a survey with other users — even in the free plan. The invited person doesn't need to be a member of your account; they get access to exactly this survey with the rights you grant per person (12 granular rights plus an "administrator" switch). In plans with user management, organizational tools come in: project groups (share a survey with a whole group), define your own roles (Editor, translator, designer as templates; custom roles can be created), security policies (minimum password length, auto-logout) and an activity log.

Question 22

Can we use single sign-on (SSO)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, configurable on request. Company SSO: any OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect identity provider — e.g. Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Google Workspace, Okta, Auth0 or your own IdP stacks. University SSO via Shibboleth: QUESTIONSTAR is a Service Provider in eduGAIN and DFN-AAI. Connection to further federations via Shibboleth can be set up quickly on request. Details at /university-sso. Get in touch: sales@questionstar.com

Question 23

Who is eligible to use the Academic plans?

Accepted Answer

With our Academic plans we support academic and non-commercial use. To take advantage of them, sign up with an email address of your college or university. We maintain a database of universities and colleges to verify eligibility. Colleges and universities with our campus license let their staff and students use the Academic plans at no extra cost — if you sign up with such a university email, your account is upgraded automatically.

Question 24

Which tools can we integrate?

Accepted Answer

Workflow automation: Zapier, n8n, webhooks Analytics & BI: Google Data Studio, Microsoft Power BI API: complete REST API with Swagger documentation at api.questionstar.com Panel integration: universal connection to panel providers (quotas, callbacks, data flow) AI: MCP server for AI assistants Overview and guides: /integrations

Question 25

Can we import existing Qualtrics surveys?

Accepted Answer

Yes. .QSF and .CSV are imported directly. Existing logic, question types, answer options and data are carried over. Guide: /help/integrations/qualtrics

Question 26

Can we process or export the data further?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Export raw data as CSV, XLSX or SPSS (.sav). Reports as Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF — with real, editable Office charts. Pass data directly into other systems via REST API and webhooks. Native integration with Data Studio and Power BI. Automate data into thousands of external apps via Zapier or n8n.

Question 27

What happens automatically with a detractor (or other critical answers)?

Accepted Answer

Conditional email notifications or webhooks can be configured per survey. Example: on an NPS score ≤ 6 → email to the sales team with the answer as payload. More complex conditions (several questions combined) and actions (webhook + follow-up question + redirect) are also possible. Closed-loop workflows in a CRM, helpdesk or Slack can be triggered directly.

Question 28

Is there a free demo period?

Accepted Answer

You use the free plan indefinitely — no time limit, no credit card. Functionally, all survey features are identical to the paid plans; the free-tier limits are one active survey with up to 50 responses and a subtle QUESTIONSTAR notice in the layout. If you need more responses or full Whitelabel, you switch straight to a Business plan — no separate trial version needed.

Question 29

How can I order additional surveys or a larger license?

Accepted Answer

If you need more active surveys than our highest plan allows, write to us: sales@questionstar.com. Together we'll find a suitable solution — from custom licenses to on-premise setups.

Question 30

Can I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In your account's profile settings you can delete it any time. In doing so, all data is deleted irreversibly — customer data, surveys, collected data, contact lists, images, layout templates and more. The deletion can't be undone. If you delete an active paid plan, no costs are refunded. Alternative: downgrade to the FREE plan. All data is preserved, the account stays active under the free-tier restrictions. On a later upgrade, your data is still available.

Question 31

How does pretest mode work?

Accepted Answer

The survey runs realistically — logic, timing, user flow. Multiple testers at once are possible. Answers are not saved — the real dataset stays clean, n = 0 at study start. No data mixing, no filtering afterward.

Question 32

Are there industry benchmarks for NPS or other metrics?

Accepted Answer

No. QUESTIONSTAR calculates your score, not your comparison to someone else's benchmarks. That's deliberate: external benchmarks often sound more helpful than they are methodologically — different sample structures, survey periods and scale formats usually make industry-wide comparisons unreliable. We recommend using your own comparison values (previous period, your own segments).

Question 33

Can we set quotas?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set a maximum per answer option or respondent profile — by demographics, region, age group or your own logic. When the quota is full, you decide what happens: continue to the end of the survey, branch to another path, or politely decline. Important for balanced samples in market research and academia, and for representative citizen surveys.

Question 34

What happens with many participants at once?

Accepted Answer

Real-time analysis is smooth up to about 2,000 responses in parallel. For larger collections (tens of thousands of participants in one time window) we recommend staggered invitations over several days — that keeps response times and server performance stable. For very large events please coordinate in advance: sales@questionstar.com

Question 35

Can we share results publicly?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Aggregated results can be shared as an online report via link — no login. Useful for transparency obligations in participation processes or public results communication. Individual personal answers of course stay invisible in the process.

Question 36

What is the sample size calculator?

Accepted Answer

A standalone QUESTIONSTAR tool for planning the sample size for a quantitative study — freely accessible, no registration, no data storage. It calculates minimum sample sizes based on confidence level, margin of error, population size and expected variance. Available in the footer Resources column or directly: /stichprobenrechner.

Common questions.
With short answers.

Plans & payment

Product features

Data protection & GDPR

User management & team

Integration & migration

Demo, trial & onboarding

Methodology & study design

Common questions.With short answers.

Common questions.
With short answers.