surveydown review
A flexible developer framework for custom surveys, with limited built-in analytics and distribution tools.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
surveydown is an open-source framework for building programmable surveys with Markdown, Quarto, R and Shiny. Authors define survey content in a Quarto document and application logic in R, then render the result as an interactive Shiny application. It supports text, choice, slider, date and matrix questions, along with conditional question and page display. This makes it a strong fit for R and Quarto developers who want source-based control over survey structure, behavior and presentation rather than a conventional no-code editor.
Its main advantage is the combination of authoring flexibility and survey logic. Conditional page skipping and stopping can support more tailored respondent paths, while customizable themes, SCSS and progress bars provide control over the interface. Surveys can run in local, preview or database modes, with PostgreSQL response storage and Supabase guidance. The response dashboard also supports preview and data download. These features suit teams that are comfortable managing R and Shiny applications and want survey content to live alongside technical project files.
The trade-off is its developer-oriented scope. Deployment requires an R/Shiny-capable host, including self-managed infrastructure, so organizations must account for hosting separately from the open-source software. Its published feature set focuses on survey creation, branching, storage and response access rather than a broader research platform: there is no API or audience panel, and analytics are centered on the response dashboard and downloads. Choose surveydown when programmable authoring, custom logic and database storage matter most; choose another survey product when you need built-in audience recruitment, API connectivity or deeper analytics workflows.
surveydown pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Author surveys in Markdown and Quarto with R and Shiny rendering
- Supports conditional display, page skipping and stopping logic
- Stores responses in PostgreSQL, including Supabase deployments
- Where it doesn't
- Requires an R/Shiny-capable host for deployed surveys
- Response analysis centers on a dashboard and data downloads
- Does not include an API or audience panel
surveydown fact sheet, pricing and score →
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