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Akvo Flow

akvo.org

Free plan Open source WebAndroidAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 9.0 #1 of 21 in Mobile Forms Automation Software

What it is

Akvo Flow is a data collection tool for organisations that use data to drive change. Its online workspace lets teams create, edit, copy and store surveys, then connect enumerators’ devices and assign survey groups for a set period. Forms can capture qualitative and quantitative responses, water test results, GPS data, images, geographical shapes, barcodes and QR codes. Monitoring forms track selected data points over time. The Android app collects information offline and can upload it automatically when coverage returns or manually by USB. Flow exports data and form codebooks, and its Comprehensive report presents basic statistics and charts. The open source platform connects with other tools through an API. Roles and permissions help control team access; Akvo says data transmission between system components uses SSL encryption and users choose what to keep private or share. Flow runs on Android, web, API and self-hosted platforms. Flow Basic is free for new clients, with a 300-submission limit, one export format and one user. Flow Pro + pricing is custom.

Spec sheet

What it does
Akvo Flow is a cloud-hosted field-survey and monitoring platform for collecting, evaluating and displaying geographically referenced data.Read 15 Oct 2026 · engineeringforchange.org
Purpose
Akvo Flow is presented as a data collection tool for organisations that use data to drive change.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Intended users
Akvo describes Flow as serving development organisations, including NGOs, governments, knowledge institutions, and private sector organisations.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
API
The documented REST API is read-only, accepts GET requests over HTTPS and returns collected Flow data for third-party applications.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github-wiki-see.page
Integrations
Akvo says its open source platform can connect with other tools and systems using its API.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Security
Akvo says it uses SSL encryption for data transmission between system components.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Support
Akvo says hosted platform customers receive a support team and access to tool documentation; the listed Pro plan includes a service package.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Headquarters
Amsterdam, NetherlandsRead 28 Sep 2026 · akvo.org
Founded
2006Read 28 Sep 2026 · akvo.org
Access controls
Flow provides roles and permissions for managing team members’ data access.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
API and extensibility
The public GitHub repository contains the web platform, backend, dashboard interface, mobile app links and data import/export components.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
App permissions
The app uses location for geolocation and image geotagging, phone state for device assignment and uploads, and storage for forms and media.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.freshdesk.com
Assignments
Managers can connect enumerator devices and create survey groups and time-limited assignments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Company founded
Akvo says it was founded in 2006 by an open-source pioneer and a hydrologist.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Company LinkedIn facts
LinkedIn lists Akvo as founded in 2008, headquartered in Amsterdam and employing 51–200 people.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company type
Akvo describes itself as a nonprofit headquartered in the Netherlands with offices across four continents.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Data capture
Forms can collect qualitative and quantitative answers, water test results, GPS data, images, geographical shapes, barcodes, and QR codes.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Data exports
Flow exports collected data in multiple formats for cleaning, analysis, geoshape work and viewing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Data location
The privacy policy says survey data is hosted and processed on servers in the European Union.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Data ownership
Akvo states that users retain ownership of survey content and that private survey data is not sold.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Exports and reports
Flow can export data and form codebooks, and its Comprehensive report summarizes a dataset with basic statistics and charts.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Field assignments
Users can connect enumerators’ devices to the workspace and create survey groups and assignments for a specified timeframe.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Independent praise: broad field use
Engineering for Change records use by more than 250 organisations and over four million submitted forms across water, health, education, agriculture, food security and wildlife projects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · engineeringforchange.org
Independent praise: domain flexibility
Rural Water Supply Network describes Flow as domain agnostic and notes use beyond water, including monitoring illegal trawling, health and food security.Read 15 Oct 2026 · rwsn.blog
Independent praise: ease and offline maps
CartONG's benchmarking found Flow relatively easy to set up and use, with acceptable documentation and support, and praised offline map display and historical point access.Read 15 Oct 2026 · im-portal.org
Installation
The Flow app is distributed outside Google Play and requires enabling installation from unknown sources.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.freshdesk.com
Languages
The workspace and app are offered in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese; the app also supports Hindi.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Licence
The GitHub repository identifies the project as AGPL-3.0 licensed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: analytics and bulk creation
CartONG found Flow's analysis insufficient on its own, GPS coordinates not editable and initial data-point creation unavailable in bulk.Read 15 Oct 2026 · im-portal.org
Limit: Android only
The government evaluation identifies the Flow app's Android-only availability, with no iOS app, as a weakness.Read 15 Oct 2026 · government.nl
Limit: perceived cost
The government evaluation reports that Flow is perceived as expensive, particularly by governments and smaller NGOs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · government.nl
Limit: support delays
A field workshop report records serious delays getting headquarters support for data analysis and time-consuming platform problems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ircwash.org
Monitoring
Monitoring forms track change over time for specific data points.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Monitoring forms
Monitoring forms track change over time for selected data points, supporting baseline-to-endline work.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
No app-store listing
Akvo's installation instructions explicitly state that Flow is not installed through the Google Play Store.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.freshdesk.com
Notable plan limits
Flow Basic is only for new clients and is limited to 300 data point submissions, one export format, and one user.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Notable scale requirement
Engineering for Change says app users need at least a 2G connection to receive forms and transmit data when connecting to the platform.Read 15 Oct 2026 · engineeringforchange.org
Offline collection
The Android app collects without network coverage and uploads automatically when connectivity returns or manually through USB.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Offline use
The Android app can collect data without network coverage and upload it automatically when coverage returns or manually via USB.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Question and media types
Forms can capture quantitative and qualitative answers, water-test results, GPS, images, geographic shapes, cascading choices, barcodes and QR codes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Scale claimed
Akvo's product page reports 1.5 million data points, more than 200 organisations and use in over 70 countries.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Security transmission
Akvo says SSL encryption protects data transmission between system components.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org
Self-hosting
Engineering for Change says the entire Flow code base is published on GitHub even though the hosted product is cloud based.Read 15 Oct 2026 · engineeringforchange.org
Support documentation
The help centre lists getting-started, workspace, app, data-collection, monitoring, API and FAQ sections.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.freshdesk.com
Survey design
The survey editor lets users create, edit, copy, and store one or multiple surveys in an online workspace.Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Survey editor
The online workspace lets users create, edit, copy and store one or more surveys.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
System requirements
The current support article requires Android 4.1 or newer, GPS, at least 1 GB storage, a camera and a screen of at least 3.7 inches.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.freshdesk.com
Validation and logic
The form designer supports limits and question logic to control what is asked and in which order.Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvo.org

Plans and prices

Flow Basic Free £0/m Only for new clients · 300 max data point submissions · 1 data export format · 1 user Read 9 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Flow Basic Free £0/m only for new clients · 300 data-point submissions · 1 export format · 1 user · EN/FR/ES · self-service configuration Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org
Flow Pro + Priced on request Custom submissions based on organisation needs · 4 export formats · unlimited users · configuration service · support service package Read 15 Oct 2026 · akvoflow.org

Every Akvo Flow plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Collects images, GPS and varied response types
  • Android app supports offline data capture
  • Assignments can be organized by group and timeframe
  • Exports include data and form codebooks
  • Roles and permissions manage team access

Limits

  • Flow Basic is only for new clients
  • Basic limits submissions to 300 data points
  • Basic allows one export format and one user
  • Pro + pricing is custom

Who it suits

Flow is intended for development organisations, including NGOs, governments, knowledge institutions and private-sector organisations. It suits teams coordinating field surveys, especially where Android users need offline collection.

Akvo Flow in depth

Read the full write-up

Akvo Flow is a structured field-data platform for organisations running surveys, monitoring programmes and coordinating enumerators. It suits NGOs, governments and other development-focused teams that need offline Android collection and controlled access to shared data. The main drawback is the narrow free tier: serious multi-user work quickly requires a custom Pro + agreement.

Overview

Flow combines an online survey workspace with field assignments, monitoring and reporting. Teams can create, edit, copy and store multiple surveys, then connect enumerators’ devices and assign survey groups for a defined period. Monitoring forms track selected data points over time, so Flow fits recurring programme measurement better than a one-off questionnaire tool.

Its capture model is broad. Forms accept qualitative and quantitative answers, water-test results, GPS locations, images, geographical shapes, barcodes and QR codes. Roles and permissions govern team members’ access, while Akvo says customers retain control of their data and can keep it private or share it openly. SSL protects transmission between system components.

Key features

Field collection and coordination

The Android app works without network coverage. Collected records upload automatically when connectivity returns, or can be transferred manually by USB. That makes Flow practical for field teams working in intermittent-connectivity environments, although its mobile collection is Android-only. Assignment groups and timeframes give managers a way to organise enumerators rather than distributing forms ad hoc.

Reporting and integration

Flow exports collected data and form codebooks. Its Comprehensive report summarises a dataset with basic statistics and charts, enough for an initial view of results without building a separate reporting workflow. The open-source platform can connect to other systems through its API, which is the more important capability for organisations that already use a data warehouse, dashboard or case-management system.

Access and support

Permission controls are useful when programmes involve multiple staff or partners with different responsibilities. Hosted-platform customers receive a support team and tool documentation; the Pro + plan also includes a service package. Those provisions make the paid tier more credible for organisations that need operational assistance, not just software access.

Pricing

Flow Basic — £0 per month

Basic is free but only available to new clients. It permits up to 300 data-point submissions, one data-export format and one user. That can cover a small pilot or an individual evaluator validating a form, but the single-seat limit prevents a normal enumerator-and-manager setup, while the submission cap can be reached quickly in an active project.

Flow Pro + — custom pricing

Pro + sets submissions according to the organisation’s needs, provides four export formats and allows unlimited users. A service package is included. This is the appropriate tier for recurring programmes, several field workers or teams that need broader export options, but buyers must request a quote rather than budget from a published figure.

Platforms

Flow is delivered through the web and an Android mobile app, with API access and a self-hosted option. Android supports offline capture, while the web workspace handles survey administration, assignments and reporting. The platform mix is suitable for field operations that standardise on Android; teams requiring native iOS collection should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

Flow is aimed at development organisations, including NGOs, government departments, knowledge institutions and private-sector programmes that use evidence to guide change. It is strongest when a project needs enumerator coordination, longitudinal monitoring, varied media and location capture, and an integration path through an API. It is a poor fit for a lone user who needs several hundred submissions, or for teams whose mobile workforce uses iPhones.

Pros and cons

Pros

Offline Android collection: field staff can capture without coverage and synchronise later, including manual USB transfer.

Rich field data: GPS, photographs, shapes, water tests, barcodes and QR codes sit alongside ordinary qualitative and quantitative responses.

Programme workflow: monitoring forms, device connections and time-bounded assignments support organised, repeat fieldwork.

Integration and governance: API connectivity, role-based permissions and stated data ownership support larger institutional deployments.

Cons

Basic is highly constrained: one user, one export format and 300 submissions make it mainly a pilot tier.

Pro + has no published price: teams cannot assess cost without requesting a custom quote.

Android-only mobile app: mixed-device or iOS-first field teams face a platform mismatch.

Alternatives

REDCap is the better starting point for eligible nonprofits seeking a free, self-hosted-capable research platform with Android and iOS support. Choose GIS Cloud when geospatial publishing and asset tracking are the priority. Jotform suits general web and mobile form creation rather than Flow’s enumerator-led programme workflow. Survey Solutions is a free alternative for organisations wanting server and tablet components without a subscription. DataScope offers freemium plans with explicit user, form and action quotas. FormConnect is aimed at single-user, offline form work with a one-time purchase. Monival is a freemium option with offline mobile collection, enumerator limits and API-oriented feeds. TrueContext is the alternative for teams considering a higher-priced, team-wide workflow product.

Verdict

Choose Akvo Flow when your organisation needs coordinated enumerators, offline Android capture and ongoing monitoring in one governed system. Its data types, API and Pro + support package reward structured institutional projects. Look elsewhere if you need iOS field apps, transparent paid pricing or a free plan that supports more than one user and a few hundred submissions.

Verdict

Akvo Flow combines survey creation, field assignments, offline Android collection and reporting in one data collection tool. Its free Basic tier has tight submission, export and user limits; larger teams can request custom Pro + pricing.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to Akvo FlowAll alternatives →