Field data collection review

ODK review

ODK is open-source software for building forms and collecting data offline, using the ODK Collect Android app or web forms that send submissions to an ODK Central server. It is used mainly by researchers and field teams in public health, global development, crisis response and environmental research.

Facts checked: November 2026 · Rank 15 of 18 · How we rank

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Our score: 5.9/10
Best for: Longitudinal field studies on Android, self-hosted or in the cloud
Pricing: ODK Cloud hosted subscription, or free open-source self-hosting
Vendor: Get ODK Inc., fully remote team

Unique feature

Entities for longitudinal follow-up

Entities let forms create and update shared lists, such as study participants, so each subject is registered once and later visits link back to the same record.

Fit

Who ODK suits

Best for

Longitudinal field cohorts tracking participants across visits
Offline household or community data collection on Android devices
Projects that need to self-host on institutional servers

Less suited to

Teams who prefer not to design forms in XLSForm spreadsheets
Studies wanting built-in charts or statistics
Regulated trials needing formal query management and e-signature controls

Features

Key features

What the vendor documents publicly, checked against its own pages. “Not stated” means we could not confirm it, not that it is missing.

✓ Yes◐ Partly+ Add-on– No? Not stated

?Vendor builds your databaseNo form-build service documented; Enterprise plan includes a success manager
◐Build forms yourselfForms designed as XLSForm spreadsheets, then uploaded to Central
✓Audit trailServer logs every action; form audit log can record changes and reasons
◐Electronic signaturesSignature widget saves drawn image; no Part 11 controls stated
✓Edit checks at data entryConstraints and required questions checked as the user advances
◐Queries and source data verificationSubmission review states (Has Issues, Approved) and comments; no formal SDV
–RandomisationChoice-order randomising only; not treatment allocation
✓ePRO and participant self-entryPublic Access Links open web forms for respondents
◐eConsentSignature widget can support consent forms; no eConsent module documented
✓Offline mobile data collectionODK Collect Android app designed to work offline
✓Forms in several languagesMultiple form languages; users switch language in Collect
–CDISC export (ODM / SDTM)Exports: CSV (ZIP) and OData feed
◐Built-in reports and dashboardsSubmission table and map view; charts made in external tools
–Built-in statistical analysisAnalysis done in external tools (Excel, Power BI, R, Python)
–Numbered tables, figures and listingsNo report outputs; analysis in external tools
✓APIREST, OData and OpenRosa APIs; ODK Cloud API on Professional plan
✓Free or open-source optionOpen source (Apache 2.0); free to self-host and self-support

Verdict

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

Open source with a free self-hosting option
Entities support longitudinal follow-up of participants
Form audit log can record answer changes and reasons

Limitations

Forms are built in XLSForm spreadsheets
No built-in charts or statistics documented
API and Entities need the Professional plan on ODK Cloud

Details

Pricing, hosting and regulation

Pricing

ODK Cloud hosted subscription, or free open-source self-hosting. Published prices: ODK Cloud Standard about $199 a month and Professional about $499 a month on the vendor pricing page (monthly and yearly billing differ); Enterprise by quote. Self-hosting is free. Pricing source.

Hosting and security

Hosting regions: ODK Cloud: US or EU data centres (security page); homepage also offers India. Self-hosting of ODK Central is free for technical teams; institutions such as LSHTM host their own ODK servers. ODK Cloud isolates each customer's infrastructure.

Certifications: SOC 2 (hosting provider), ISO 27K (hosting provider).

Regulatory support

Vendor says ODK Cloud data centres are "GDPR compliant"; PHI requires a separate HIPAA BAA.. Whatever the software offers, your own procedures, validation and training are still needed for a regulated study.

Scale and set-up

Vendor cites over 2 million users and 250 million submissions a year. ODK Cloud plans run from 10K to 100K+ monthly submissions with unlimited users.. Self-service: forms written in XLSForm and uploaded to Central. ODK Cloud is vendor-hosted; self-hosting suits technical teams. Refund within 14 days of payment..

Alternatives

Sources (checked November 2026)