Akvo Flow vs Monival

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.

Monival is a monitoring and evaluation platform for collecting field data offline, tracking indicators, running evaluations, managing compliance and budgets, and reporting in real time. It is designed for NGOs, research institutions, and government monitoring programmes. Its Android and iOS Data Collect app stores submissions on the device and syncs them when connectivity returns. Monival imports XLSForms from ODK and KoboToolbox, but repeat groups, conditional logic, constraints, calculations, and per-question translations do not transfer. Data can be exported as CSV or XLSX, sent through a REST API or webhooks, or accessed through an OData-shaped feed for Power BI and Excel. Organisation-scoped records and server-enforced roles control access to functions including form design, submission review, financial data, and administration. Traffic between web, mobile sync, and API is encrypted over HTTPS; collected media is stored on Monival's servers. The free Community plan is billed forever and allows up to three forms, 100 submissions per month, and five enumerators. Pro is listed at $1,500 per year.