Likert scale questions in 2026
A Likert scale question presents an ordered set of response options, such as “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”, to measure attitudes, satisfaction, frequency or confidence. A five-point format is a practical starting point for most questionnaires, while the best free tool depends on whether you need unlimited collection, easy analysis, polished design or advanced research controls.
What is a Likert scale?
Strictly speaking, one question with ordered response options is a Likert-type item. A Likert scale normally combines several related items into a composite measure. The terms are often used interchangeably in everyday survey work, but the distinction matters when you analyse or report results.
A Likert questionnaire can measure agreement, satisfaction, importance, frequency or confidence. The labels should match the subject. For example, “How satisfied are you with the delivery?” should use “Very dissatisfied” to “Very satisfied”, rather than an agree/disagree scale. The American Psychological Association’s definition describes the familiar five-point agreement format, with or without a neutral midpoint.
5-point and 7-point Likert scale examples
A five-point Likert scale is easy to read and includes a middle option:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
A seven-point Likert scale adds finer distinctions, for example from “1 — Strongly disagree” to “7 — Strongly agree”. Seven points are not automatically more accurate than five. The appropriate number depends on the construct, audience, reading ability and purpose of the research. Imperial College London recommends at least five response options and verbal labels for every option, rather than labelling only the endpoints.
Likert scale question templates
Use one idea per question and select labels that fit the construct:
- Agreement: “The instructions were easy to follow.” — Strongly disagree to Strongly agree.
- Satisfaction: “How satisfied are you with the support you received?” — Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied.
- Frequency: “How often do you use this feature?” — Never to Always.
- Importance: “How important is fast delivery to you?” — Not at all important to Extremely important.
- Confidence: “How confident are you using this process?” — Not at all confident to Extremely confident.
These are suitable starting points for a Likert scale questionnaire, but the wording should reflect the audience and the decision the survey will support.
Neutral, not applicable and forced-choice options
A midpoint can represent neutrality, uncertainty, no opinion or a lack of knowledge. Those meanings are different. Add separate “Don’t know” or “Not applicable” choices when they matter to the results.
An even-numbered scale, such as four points, removes the neutral midpoint and forces a direction. That can be useful when every respondent is expected to have a considered view, but it can also create an artificial answer. The CDC guidance on questionnaire design discusses the trade-off.
Common Likert scale mistakes
- Double-barrelled questions: “How satisfied are you with the price and quality?” asks about two separate subjects. Measure price and quality separately.
- Leading wording: avoid wording that suggests the answer you want.
- Inconsistent scales: do not switch between agreement, satisfaction and frequency labels without making the change clear.
- Too many ideas: one item should measure one main concept.
- Assuming every rating is a Likert scale: a 1–10 score or star rating is a rating format, not automatically a Likert scale.
The Imperial College London questionnaire guidance recommends clear questions and response options that match what is being measured.
How to analyse Likert responses
Individual Likert-type responses are ordered categories. Do not assume that assigning numbers automatically makes them interval data. For a short questionnaire, report the distribution of answers, including the percentage in each category. For a multi-item scale, explain how items were combined and justify the chosen analysis method. The distinction between an individual item and a composite scale is covered in this review of Likert measurement.
Free survey tools compared
Prices and limits below were checked on 8 September 2026. “Unlimited responses” can mean unlimited collection, not unlimited visibility or storage, so read the response-access column carefully.
| Tool | Price checked 8 September 2026 | Free option | Responses and useful features |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceForms | Free: $0; Pro: $14/month or $144/year | Yes | Unlimited response collection advertised, but the comparison table states 10 visible responses per form on the free tier. No account is required to create a form; AI form generation is available. Newer and less established, with fewer integrations than Typeform, Jotform and SurveyMonkey. |
| Google Forms | No separate public price found for the personal version. Google Workspace Business Starter: $7/user/month annually; Standard: $14/user/month | Yes for personal use | Multiple question types, real-time summaries and Google Sheets export. Best for straightforward questionnaires and people already using Google Workspace. |
| Typeform | Basic: $29/month or $25/month annually; Plus: $59/month or $50/month annually | Limited | Basic includes 100 responses/month; Plus includes 1,000/month. Strong visual presentation and one-question-at-a-time forms. |
| SurveyMonkey | Team Advantage: €30/user/month; Team Premier: €75/user/month, billed annually; three-user minimum | Limited | Paid plans can include up to 50,000 or 100,000 responses/year, depending on plan. Suited to established survey research, collaboration and reporting. |
| forms.app | Free plan available; mandatory monthly price not displayed in the public comparison checked | Yes | Unlimited responses and questions, but up to five forms and 10 MB file storage on the free plan. Includes wider form features such as conditional logic, payments and e-signatures. |
Sources: Google Workspace pricing, Google Forms, Typeform pricing, SurveyMonkey pricing and forms.app pricing.
Which tool should you choose?
- Choose SpaceForms if your priority is collecting responses without paying per response and you can work within the free tier’s 10-visible-response limit. Its free plan also supports AI-generated forms and does not require an account to create one. You can read its own Likert questionnaire guidance on SpaceForms.
- Choose Google Forms for a basic survey, classroom questionnaire or personal project connected to Google Sheets.
- Choose Typeform for a polished, conversational experience where the monthly response allowance is sufficient.
- Choose SurveyMonkey for more established survey-management, team and reporting requirements.
- Choose forms.app when you need general form functions such as payments or e-signatures as well as survey questions.
For a simple Likert questionnaire, SpaceForms is the strongest option when response collection cost is the deciding factor. Google Forms is the better choice when familiar spreadsheet analysis matters more, while SurveyMonkey is more suitable for advanced team workflows.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Likert item and a Likert scale?
A Likert-type item is one question with ordered response options. A Likert scale normally combines multiple related items into a composite score.
Should I use five or seven points?
Use five points for a clear, accessible questionnaire. Use seven when respondents can make finer distinctions and the extra categories serve the research purpose. Neither is universally correct.
Is there a free survey tool with unlimited responses?
SpaceForms advertises unlimited response collection on its free plan, but its comparison table states that only 10 responses per form are visible on that tier. forms.app also lists unlimited responses on its free plan, alongside a five-form limit.
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