ODK
ODK (Get ODK Inc.) is an open-source data collection platform offering ODK Cloud subscriptions, ODK Central server software, and the ODK Collect Android app for offline-capable field data collection, serving public health, humanitarian, and research organizations worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ODK does
ODK (Open Data Kit) is an open-source data collection platform operated by Get ODK Inc., a privately held California corporation headquartered in San Diego with a small (1-10), fully-remote global team. The platform enables organizations to build powerful forms with photos, GPS, skip logic, calculations, and multi-language support, and to collect data in offline or low-connectivity field environments that auto-sync when connectivity is restored. Core products include ODK Collect (Android mobile app for field data collection), ODK Central (server software for managing forms, submissions, users, and entities), and ODK Cloud (the company's fully managed hosted service). The underlying technology stack spans Java, Kotlin, JavaScript, and Python, and the ecosystem is anchored by industry-standard specifications maintained by ODK: XLSForm (Excel-based form design), OpenRosa (client-server communication protocols), and ODK XForms (W3C-based form specification), plus the pyxform conversion library and official pyODK (Python) and ruODK (R) SDKs.
The commercial model is a hybrid freemium/product-led motion. Self-hosting the open-source software is free, while ODK Cloud is sold via three subscription tiers (Standard at $199/mo, Professional at $499/mo, Enterprise at custom pricing) with annual billing offering up to 20% savings and modular Basic add-ons ($199/mo yearly or $249/mo monthly) for additional projects and submission capacity. Enterprise customers can request demos and receive SSO, custom domain, uptime SLA, and a dedicated success manager. Distribution is primarily direct/self-serve globally, with sales-assisted enterprise demos layered on top. The company holds SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, and ISO 27001 certifications, with optional data residency in the US, EU, or India, and reports 99.9999% uptime since April 2023.
The user base spans public health (WHO for disease surveillance covering 1.4 billion people), humanitarian and development organizations (Red Cross, HOT, Carter Center), research institutions (MORU, CSIRO, Bangor University, Biostat Global), and agriculture (Ilex). ODK reports more than 2 million users globally sending over 250 million submissions annually, supported by a 17,000+ member community forum, GitHub open-source repositories, and 100+ G2 reviews. Infrastructure partners include AWS, DigitalOcean, Cloudflare, GitHub, and Stripe; HOT is a flagship strategic partner for geospatial field mapping.
ODK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ODK
- Legal name
- Get ODK Inc.
- Website
- https://getodk.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ODK (Get ODK Inc.) is an open-source data collection platform offering ODK Cloud subscriptions, ODK Central server software, and the ODK Collect Android app for offline-capable field data collection, serving public health, humanitarian, and research organizations worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ODK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Field Data Collection Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Document Preparation Services (561410), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- OCR, ICR & Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) (BPAAAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Electronic Data Capture (EDC) Platforms (HLACAOAA)
Keywords
Where ODK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ODK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- ODK Cloud Subscriptions: Cloud-hosted service with three tiers (Standard, Professional, Enterprise) offering recurring subscription revenue. Includes managed hosting, support, and automatic updates. Annual billing offers 20% savings vs monthly.
- Basic Add-ons: Additional project and submission capacity available as add-ons for $199/month (yearly) or $249/month (monthly). Each add-on includes 1 project and 10K monthly submissions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard - $199/mo - Essentials for basic projects |
| Subscription | Monthly | Professional - $499/mo - For professionals with advanced needs |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise - Custom pricing - For important work at scale |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Discount - Save up to 20% |
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic Add-on - $199/mo (yearly) or $249/mo (monthly) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
ODK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ODK provides an open-source data collection platform comprising ODK Central (server software for managing forms, submissions, and users), ODK Collect (Android mobile app for offline-capable field data collection), and ODK Cloud (fully hosted managed subscription service). It supports building forms with photos, GPS, skip logic, calculations, external datasets, and multiple languages, with automated sync when connectivity is restored. Data can be downloaded or connected to Excel, Power BI, Python, and R for analysis.
Product overview
ODK (Open Data Kit) is an open-source data collection platform consisting of ODK Central (server software for managing forms and submissions), ODK Collect (Android mobile app for offline/online field data collection), and ODK Cloud (fully managed hosted service). The ecosystem includes XLSForm (Excel-based form specification), pyxform (Python conversion library), OpenRosa APIs (communication standards), and official SDKs including pyODK for Python and ruODK for R. ODK supports building powerful forms with photos, GPS, skip logic, calculations, and multiple languages, enabling data analysis with tools like Excel, Power BI, Python, and R.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ODK Cloud ODK's fully hosted, managed, and supported cloud service providing fast, reliable, and secure access to the ODK data collection platform. Available in Standard ($199/mo), Professional ($499/mo), and Enterprise (custom pricing) tiers with varying project limits, submission volumes, and features such as SSO and uptime SLA. Targeted at organizations that prefer managed hosting over self-hosting.
- ODK Central Server application for managing forms, submissions, users, and entities within the ODK ecosystem. Used by project managers to configure data collection projects, assign forms to enumerators, and oversee data flow. Deployable as self-hosted open-source software or through the ODK Cloud managed service.
- ODK Collect Android mobile app used by field data collectors to fill out forms designed in ODK Central. Works online and offline, supports photos, GPS, audio, and structured inputs, and syncs data automatically when an internet connection is available. Distributed via the Google Play Store and as open-source software.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 million+ people use ODK globally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ODK
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ODK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
ODK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered infrastructure, core and flagship.
- Amazon Web ServicesinfrastructureAWS is used as the underlying cloud infrastructure for ODK Cloud services (sub-processor for personal data such as submissions)
- DigitalOceaninfrastructureDigitalOcean is listed as a sub-processor for non-submission personal data categories, used for hosting and infrastructure
- CloudflareinfrastructureCloudflare is listed as a sub-processor for CDN and security services
- GitHubinfrastructureGitHub is used for code repository and CI/CD as a sub-processor
- XLSForm (xlsform.org)coreXLSForm is an Excel-based form specification that is integral to ODK's form design workflow. ODK maintains and supports the XLSForm standard.
- pyxformcorePython library maintained by ODK that converts XLSForms into ODK XForms - core dependency for the form conversion pipeline
- OpenRosa WorkGroupcoreOriginal working group that developed OpenRosa communication standards for ODK client-server communication. Working group is no longer active but standards continue in use.
- HOT (Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team)flagshipStrategic partnership for greater geospatial impact. HOT uses ODK for field mapping of vulnerable places, collaborating on humanitarian mapping projects.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
ODK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- doForms: Mobile forms and field data collection platform for enterprise verticals (utilities, insurance, healthcare) — comparable to ODK in mobile/offline form collection with a more commercial customer base.
- FormAssembly: Enterprise form and data collection platform focused on compliance-heavy use cases (HIPAA, GDPR) — emerging player with overlap to ODK Enterprise in secure, compliant form-based data collection.
- Magpi: Mobile data collection platform used in public health, agriculture, and field research — comparable to ODK in vertical focus and mobile-first data collection workflows.
Direct peers
- KoboToolbox: Open-source mobile data collection platform widely used by humanitarian, health, and development organizations — directly comparable to ODK in form-building, offline capability, and target verticals (UN agencies, NGOs).
- SurveyCTO: Commercial, managed data collection platform for academic and development research — directly comparable in offline form-based data collection, target customers (researchers, NGOs), and managed-cloud subscription model.
- CommCare (Dimagi): Mobile data collection and case management platform for frontline health workers in low-resource settings — competes in the same offline-first, NGO-funded mobile data collection space as ODK.
- Ona Data: Open-source mobile data collection and analytics platform built around OpenRosa and XLSForm — directly comparable to ODK in technology stack, target verticals, and managed-cloud offering.
Broad incumbents
- Qualtrics: Enterprise experience management and survey platform owned by Silver Lake/CPPIB — competes with ODK in form-based data collection and survey workflows, but at a much larger enterprise scale and price point.
- Typeform: Consumer-friendly form and survey builder with strong PLG motion — adjacent competitor targeting overlapping form-based data collection use cases with greater resources and brand recognition.
- Jotform: Long-established online form builder serving SMBs and enterprises — adjacent competitor in form-based data capture with a much larger user base and broader feature set than ODK.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ODK social profiles
Digital presenceODK compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ODK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ODK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ODK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ODK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ODK
What does ODK do?
ODK provides an open-source data collection platform comprising ODK Central (server software for managing forms, submissions, and users), ODK Collect (Android mobile app for offline-capable field data collection), and ODK Cloud (fully hosted managed subscription service). It supports building forms with photos, GPS, skip logic, calculations, external datasets, and multiple languages, with automated sync when connectivity is restored. Data can be downloaded or connected to Excel, Power BI, Python, and R for analysis.
Is ODK a public or private company?
ODK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ODK founded?
ODK was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ODK based?
ODK is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does ODK make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. ODK Cloud Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are basic Add-ons.
Who are ODK's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are doForms, FormAssembly and Magpi. Direct peers are KoboToolbox, SurveyCTO, CommCare (Dimagi) and Ona Data. Broad incumbents are Qualtrics, Typeform and Jotform.
Does ODK have an API?
Yes. ODK provides REST APIs including the ODK Central API for server management and the OpenRosa API for client-server communication. The ODK Central API enables managing users, projects, forms, submissions, datasets, and entities. OpenRosa APIs include Authentication, Form Submission, Form List, and Integrity APIs. The pyODK Python library provides SDK access to Central. Professional and Enterprise subscriptions include API access for building integrations that automate data collection, management, and usage. Developer documentation is at docs.getodk.org/central-api.
What industry is ODK in?
ODK's product category is Field Data Collection Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAAKAB, OCR, ICR & Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), with a secondary code of HLACAOAA, Electronic Data Capture (EDC) Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7372.