LimeSurvey is widely used in European universities and research institutions. When teams need to move to Qualtrics for XM features, institutional access, or enterprise analytics, there is no native migration path. Pirai AI converts LimeSurvey LSS export files directly into Qualtrics QSF files. This is one of the few tools that handles LSS-to-QSF conversion without manual reformatting.
Why Teams Migrate from LimeSurvey to Qualtrics
| Reason | Detail |
|---|---|
| Institutional Qualtrics access | University or organisation has signed a Qualtrics enterprise licence |
| XM platform features | Qualtrics XM Directory, dashboards, and analytics not available in LimeSurvey |
| Hosting and maintenance | LimeSurvey requires self-hosting; Qualtrics is cloud-hosted |
| Enterprise support | Qualtrics provides enterprise SLAs, compliance certifications, and support |
What Is a LimeSurvey LSS File?
An LSS file is LimeSurvey's native survey export format. It is XML-based and contains all survey structure, question text, answer options, groups, and settings. When you export a survey from LimeSurvey, you get an LSS file. Pirai AI reads LSS files and generates Qualtrics-compatible QSF output.
Step-by-Step: LimeSurvey to Qualtrics
- 1Export your LimeSurvey survey as LSSIn LimeSurvey, go to Survey > Export > Export survey structure (.lss). Download the .lss file.
- 2Upload to Pirai AI and select QualtricsGo to platform.piraiai.com, upload the .lss, and select Qualtrics. Download the generated .qsf file.
- 3Import the QSF into QualtricsIn Qualtrics, go to Create New Project > Survey > From a File. Upload the .qsf. All questions and answer options are imported automatically.
- 4Review and configure in QualtricsAdd display logic, embedded data, and any Qualtrics-specific features. LimeSurvey conditions do not migrate automatically.
LimeSurvey to Qualtrics Question Type Mapping
| LimeSurvey Type | Qualtrics Result |
|---|---|
| Single choice (radio) | MC:SingleAnswer |
| Multiple choice (checkbox) | MC:MultipleAnswer |
| Short free text | TE:SingleLine |
| Long free text | TE:Essay |
| Array (Likert scale) | Matrix |
| Dropdown list | MC:SingleAnswer (dropdown) |
| Text display | DB (Descriptive Block) |
| Ranking | RankOrder |
What does not migrate: LimeSurvey conditions (branching logic), token-based access, quotas, and response data do not transfer. Multilingual surveys: migrate the primary language version first, then add other languages in Qualtrics after import.
Migrate your LimeSurvey surveys to Qualtrics without manual rebuilding.
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Get Started
Export your LimeSurvey LSS file, upload at platform.piraiai.com, select Qualtrics, and import the QSF via Qualtrics > Create New Project > From a File.
For the QSF file guide, see What Is a QSF File?. For the full migration landscape, see the Survey Platform Migration Guide.