SurveyGold online surveys are ending.

Here's what's changing, what stays the same, and what to do next.

Timeline

  • Now No changes. SurveyGold works exactly as it does today.
  • March 2026 Candor goes live. Contact us about migrating your surveys to our state-of-the-art platform.
  • Through November 2026 Online survey renewals available month-to-month. Annual subscriptions purchased this year will be partially refunded at a prorated amount for any period past December 31, 2026.
  • December 31, 2026 Last day for online survey response processing.
  • After December 31, 2026 You can still open the SurveyGold desktop application and view your data. Online survey features will no longer be available.

What this means for your surveys

Surveys on surveygoldcloud.com: Survey links will stop working on January 1, 2027. Respondents will no longer be able to access them.

Surveys on your own website: If you exported an HTML survey form and placed it on your website, the form may still be visible after December 31 — but responses will no longer be processed. We recommend removing these forms before January 1 to avoid confusion for your respondents.

Before the cutoff: Make sure to collect any pending online responses into your SurveyGold desktop application.

What's Candor?

Candor is modern, cloud-based survey software. It works on any device — phone, tablet, laptop — and it's designed to be simpler than what you're used to.

I built it on what I learned from your support emails since 1999. Same person behind it.

If you could use SurveyGold, you can use Candor.

What's different

SurveyGold Candor
Platform Windows desktop + online surveys Cloud — works on any device, any browser
Survey creation Desktop application Drag-and-drop with built-in guidance
Results Charts, filtering, export (Excel, Word, CSV, SPSS on higher tiers) Charts, filtering, drill-down, CSV/PDF/Word/PowerPoint/SPSS export — all included
Languages English 45 languages
Accessibility Limited Built-in (screen readers, keyboard navigation)
Data security Local storage, PCI-compliant online backups AES-256 encryption, audit trails
Pricing Features vary by tier ($150–$250/year) One plan, everything included ($300/year)
Support Real people, not bots Same great response time

What it costs

Candor has one plan: $300/year (or $30/month). No tiers. Everyone gets everything.

If you're on SurveyGold Standard ($150/year): Candor is $150 more per year — but your response cap goes away. Standard limited you to 1,000 responses per survey. Candor is unlimited. And it works on any device, not just Windows.

If you're on SurveyGold Premium ($250/year): Candor is $50 more per year. Same level of features, modern platform, works everywhere.

Your first survey is free — with everything included. Unlimited questions, unlimited responses, full reporting, all export formats. No credit card required. Try it before you decide.

Academic, nonprofit, or homeschool? Save $20/month or $200/year automatically with an academic email. See who qualifies →

What to do

  1. Create your free Candor account

    Takes 30 seconds. No credit card.

  2. Try your first survey

    It's free — unlimited questions, unlimited responses.

  3. Move over at your own pace

    SurveyGold Online stays available through November 2026.

Try Candor free No credit card required

Common questions

What happens to my SurveyGold data?

Your desktop data is yours — always has been. You can always open SurveyGold and view everything you've collected. Only the online survey services end on December 31, 2026.

Can I transfer my surveys to Candor?

Yes. Export your surveys from SurveyGold using the Survey Definition File (SDF) format, then import directly into Candor and republish. There are some size limitations we're still improving, but the feature is available now. Reach out to us to discuss your needs — we're happy to help.

Can I keep using SurveyGold desktop?

Yes. You can always open the SurveyGold application and view your survey data. That never goes away.

However, once your subscription expires, your account converts to a Basic subscription. On Basic, you can still open the application and view all your data, but you won't be able to publish online surveys or export reports (like Word documents). If you need those features going forward, Candor includes them all.

What does "perpetual license" mean?

It means the SurveyGold desktop application will always open and let you view your data — even after your subscription ends. You'll never lose access to what you've already collected.

What changes: without an active subscription (Standard, Premium, or Ultimate), your account reverts to Basic. You can still view everything, but features like online survey publishing and data export (Word, Excel, CSV, SPSS) require a paid subscription — which will no longer be available after November 2026.

Will I have to relearn everything?

Candor is designed to be simpler than SurveyGold, not more complex. The concepts are the same — create questions, share a link, see results. The interface is more modern, and it guides you through each step.

What if I don't want to switch?

That's completely fine. SurveyGold desktop continues to work. We just can't maintain the cloud hosting service anymore.

Questions about the transition?

Ask us anything →

Real people. Same response time.

Ready when you are.

Try Candor free No credit card required