Delighted charges $224 a month to ask your customers one question and store the answers in their cloud. Pulsecheck does the same NPS, CSAT and CES capture on your own server, with detractor alerts and per-segment breakdowns. $29, once. It is subtraction.
If you've searched for a Delighted alternative, Pulsecheck is the pay-once option worth putting at the top of the list: Pulsecheck is $29, one time, and covers the same core job Delighted charges $224+/mo for.
What makes Pulsecheck the pick for 2026
- Three survey types — NPS (0-10), CSAT (1-5) and CES (1-7), each with correct documented score math (NPS = %promoters minus %detractors, ranged -100 to 100).
- Three delivery channels — A standalone survey link, personalized email sends via your own SMTP, and an embeddable widget script.
- One response per recipient — Email-keyed dedupe at the database level means a second submit gets a friendly already-responded message.
- Detractor alerts — A Slack-ready webhook and/or email fire instantly on low scores, and soft-fail so they never block response capture.
- Dashboard — Score trend over time, the promoter/passive/detractor split, and a response feed with comments.
Pulsecheck vs Delighted, at a glance
| Pulsecheck | Delighted | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | $224+/mo |
| NPS / CSAT / CES | Yes | Yes |
| Email + link + widget delivery | Yes | Yes |
| Detractor alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Segments / tags | Yes | Higher tiers |
| Responses | Unlimited | Plan-capped |
| Your data | Your SQLite file | Their cloud |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No |
Delighted costs more in a single month than Pulsecheck does for good, unlimited responses included.
Common questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes, Pulsecheck is MIT-licensed at github.com/bensblueprints/nps-survey-tool-mvp. The $29 buys the packaged Windows installer and 1-click setup; building from source is free.
Where do my responses live?
In a SQLite file on your own server. It is 100% local, with no telemetry and no response caps.
Is this a subscription in disguise?
No. $29 once, no renewal, no monthly response limit.
The bottom line
Pulsecheck won't out-feature Delighted on every axis — no subscription tool with a bigger team and a bigger roadmap loses on everything. But for the core job, $29 once against $224+/mo forever is a trade most people should at least look at. Pulsecheck is part of OneTimeSuite, a catalog of pay-once apps that replace subscription SaaS.
Try Pulsecheck — $29, once
One-question surveys by link, email or widget with instant detractor alerts, self-hosted.