Software Architecture

Last updated: 21 Sep 2023

KoboToolbox consists of the following components, all of which are open source (see links for source code):

  • kpi - for creating survey forms and reusing assets through a question library.

  • kobocat and kobocat-templates - for deploying surveys, collecting, and analyzing data.

  • enketo-express - HTML5 Web app for collecting data, previewing forms, editing data submissions.

  • kobocollect - Android app for collecting data.

KoboToolbox is based on elements from several other open source tools, most importantly pyxform, formhub/onadata, and the OpenDataKit. As a result, all forms and collected data are compatible with these tools.

High-level server-side overview

image

The best way to use KoboToolbox is on one of the two public instances - kf.kobotoolbox.org and eu.kobotoolbox.org (for organizations that prefer data hosting in the European Union). There is no software to be installed on your computer. Installing KoboToolbox on your own computer is not necessary and is only recommended if you work in an environment with absolutely no Internet access.

For installing KoboToolbox on a local computer or server, visit github.com/kobotoolbox/kobo-install.