KoBoToolbox
Data collection for all.
Overview
KoBoToolbox is a suite of tools for building forms, collecting data, and analyzing it. Developed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, it is designed to work in challenging environments, with robust offline capabilities. While not exclusively for citizen science, its powerful, free, and open-source nature makes it an excellent choice for NGOs, researchers, and organizations conducting structured environmental surveys, especially in areas with limited connectivity.
✨ Key Features
- Intuitive form builder with over 20 question types
- XLSForm support for complex forms
- Offline data collection on Android devices and web browsers
- Free, unlimited use for humanitarian organizations
- Data visualization and reporting tools
- Team management and row-level permissions
- Open-source and self-hostable
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Completely free and open-source
- Extremely robust offline capabilities
- Strong focus and reputation in the humanitarian and development sectors
- Can be self-hosted for complete data control
Unique Value: Provides a powerful, professional-grade, and completely free suite of tools for field data collection that is trusted by thousands of humanitarian and research organizations worldwide.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Humanitarian needs assessments
- Public health surveys
- Post-disaster damage assessments
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Unstructured biodiversity photo collection
- Projects requiring a public-facing portal for volunteers to browse all data
- Online data classification tasks
🏆 Alternatives
KoBoToolbox offers more advanced features and is more scalable than simpler tools like Anecdata. While similar to ArcGIS Survey123 in capability, it is open-source and free, making it accessible to organizations without an Esri license.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
- ✓ Dedicated Support (Custom Installation tier)
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Two free servers are available: one for humanitarian organizations (unlimited use) and one for everyone else (up to 10,000 submissions/month and 5 GB data storage).
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