Asset visits you can verify
Each tap, toilet or handpump check carries a location state and a photo, so a reviewer can tell a real site visit from a form filled at the block office.
Alternatives · CommCare
When your programme is mostly surveys, not long-running case files
This CommCare alternative guide is for Indian NGOs, CSR teams and research agencies weighing Dimagi's platform against Bharat Survey. CommCare is built around case management for frontline workers who follow the same families over months. Bharat Survey is built around verified survey visits: assigned areas, GPS evidence, supervisor QA and optional field teams. The right choice depends on which of those your programme really is.
- Published CommCare prices, checked September 2026
- Case management vs verified survey visits
- Five other tools NGOs compare, briefly
- An honest list of when CommCare wins
Survey 3/6 · AmenitiesOffline
How is drinking water in your area?
- Comes regularly
- Comes sometimes
- Rarely / never
- Don't know
✓ Section saved on phone · autosave
BackNext
Sync
6
Safe on phone
8
Synced to server
Last sync12:40
Offline permit18 h left
Photos pending3
3,000
Target homes
2,184
Visits
1,962
Completed
1,871
Accepted
Daily accepted surveysLast 12 days
Quality
Accepted1871
In review64
Outside area19
Weak signal8
Top issues · by panchayat
Water62%
Roads48%
Power31%
Drains24%
Survey roundsHousehold visitsOffline AndroidLocation evidenceSupervisor QASeat-based teamsXLSForm importBlock and village codes
Two different jobs
Teams often compare these tools as if they did the same thing. They overlap, but their centre of gravity is different.
CommCare
Longitudinal case files
A frontline worker registers a household or patient, then returns over weeks or months. Each visit updates the same case, and follow-up rules decide who is due next. Dimagi lists offline case management on every paid plan.
Bharat Survey
Verified survey visits
An enumerator is assigned an area and a form for a shift. Each interview is checked against that area, timed and reviewed by a supervisor before it counts. Results roll up by district, block, village or ward.
Checked September 2026
CommCare figures are from Dimagi's public pricing page. Bharat Survey does not publish list prices; we quote per project.
| CommCare | Bharat Survey | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free edition for testing: 5 mobile workers, 1 project space | No free plan; paid pilot on quotation |
| Entry paid plan | Standard: $100/month, 50 mobile users | Seat-based licence on quotation |
| Higher plans | Pro $500/month (250 users), Advanced $1,000/month (500 users), Enterprise from $4,000/month | Seats added on request, approved per account |
| Extra users | $2 per mobile user per month | Extra seats quoted |
| Annual billing | About 17% saving vs monthly | Per contract |
| Offline | Offline case management | Offline surveys with work permit downloaded before the shift |
| Hosting regions | US, EU or India cloud | Hosted service |
| Location checks | Not stated on pricing page | Five evidence states against assigned village or ward |
| Field teams | Software platform | Software plus optional enumerator teams |
Prices are in US dollars as listed by Dimagi. SMS charges are extra on CommCare; confirm current terms with the vendor.
Our position
Two open tools NGOs weigh
Before looking at us, many programmes compare these two. A quick, fair read.
Before
CommCare
Frontline programmes with follow-ups
- Case management and follow-up logic
- Monthly plans by number of mobile users
- India hosting region listed
- Multi-language support on all paid plans
- App builder for custom workflows
With Bharat Survey
KoboToolbox
Surveys and assessments on a budget
- Form-centric, XLSForm based
- Community Plan for nonprofit users
- Quotas by submissions and storage
- Android KoboCollect works offline
- Lighter setup, no case files
Other tools on the shortlist
Programme teams in India rarely compare only two products. Here is how we think about the other names that come up, without pretending to review tools we have not tested in depth.
01Open-source field work for Indian NGOsAvni
Open-source field work for Indian NGOs
Avni is an open-source platform that many Indian NGOs use for field programmes with registrations and follow-ups. If you want open source and your programme is case-based, it deserves a close look. If your need is survey rounds with location proof and supervised enumerators, compare it with Bharat Survey on those two points.
- Open source
- Programme and follow-up oriented
02Built around water and sanitation assetsmWater
Built around water and sanitation assets
mWater is known for mapping water points and WASH infrastructure. For a pure WASH asset registry it is a natural fit. For household WASH surveys tied to Indian village and ward codes, our geography layer may save setup time.
- WASH focus
- Asset mapping
03Research data capture in academic settingsREDCap
Research data capture in academic settings
REDCap is widely used by universities and hospitals for study databases. Access usually runs through an institution. Community field surveys outside such an institution often need a different setup.
- Institutional research
- Study databases
04Survey operations with verificationBharat Survey
Survey operations with verification
Android-first offline app, XLSForm import, location evidence, QA and back-checks, dashboards by Indian geography, and optional field teams.
- Seat-based
- Hindi-first
Location evidence
Survey #BS-0412
- In areaInside approx. boundary
- Accuracy±12 m
- Time09:42 · fresh fix
- Mock GPSNot detected
- Interview length11 min
Added to accepted count
Sector-specific searches
Water and sanitation surveys in India often mix household questions with asset checks. What matters in the field:
Household modules in the same trip
Enumerators complete the asset form and the household questionnaire in one shift, with skip logic deciding which modules apply.
No network needed on site
Work is downloaded before the shift. Photos and answers wait on the phone until signal returns.
Results by gram panchayat
Dashboards group findings by district, block, gram panchayat and village, using codes already loaded for the account.
More names teams search
Magpi is a mobile data collection tool often picked for quick forms and small teams. If your survey is short, your team is small and nobody needs to verify where interviews happened, a simple forms tool may be all you need. Bharat Survey starts to earn its cost when enumerators are paid per interview, work across many villages, or report to a client who will audit the data.
Fulcrum is used for GIS-flavoured field data, such as inspections and asset records on a map. If your work is mainly about drawing and updating map features, a GIS-first tool fits. If your inspections follow a checklist with photos and you need each visit tied to an assigned ward or village, see our field inspection app page.
Research groups in India sometimes want REDCap-style structure for community surveys but do not sit inside an institution that provides it. Bharat Survey is not a clinical trial database and does not claim clinical compliance. It is useful when the study is a household or facility survey that needs offline collection, versioned forms, supervisor review and a clean export for analysis in Stata, R or Excel.
Not the right fit if
- Frontline workers follow the same cases over many months
- You need SMS reminders and case-sharing rules built in
- Your programme needs a free 5-user test space before buying
- You need data hosted in a specific CommCare cloud region under its compliance terms
A good fit if
- Survey rounds: baseline, midline, endline
- Enumerators whose visits must be verified by location
- Reporting by district, block, village or ward
- You also need a field team, not only software
Features
Everything in the app and web panel.
Learn moreSurvey app development
Custom workflows when the standard app is not enough.
Learn moreWhatsApp and SMS surveys
Remote collection alongside field visits.
Learn moreField inspection app
Checklists, photos and verified visits.
Learn moreCustomer feedback software
Feedback from beneficiaries and customers.
Learn moreFAQ
Straight answers to the questions people ask most about this topic.
How much does CommCare cost?
Dimagi's pricing page in September 2026 lists Standard at $100 a month for 50 mobile users, Pro at $500 for 250, Advanced at $1,000 for 500, and Enterprise from $4,000. Extra mobile users cost $2 each per month. A free testing edition allows 5 mobile workers.
Does Bharat Survey do case management like CommCare?
Not in the same way. Bharat Survey is built for survey visits with verification and supervision. It supports repeat survey rounds, but it is not designed for long-running case files with follow-up schedules. For that, CommCare or Avni are closer fits.
Can Bharat Survey work offline in villages without network?
Yes. The Android app downloads the assigned work before the shift, collects interviews without network and syncs later. Location evidence, timestamps and durations are kept with each record for review.
Can we move forms from CommCare?
CommCare forms are built in its own app builder. Bharat Survey imports XLSForm, so the usual route is to rebuild the survey as an XLSForm or in our form builder. We help with this during setup.
Sources: CommCare pricing (Dimagi) · KoboToolbox pricing · Avni · mWater · REDCap
India Nationwide, Hindi-first
Tell us your sample size, states and timeline. We will say plainly whether CommCare or Bharat Survey fits better.