A modern DSL
alternative to Decipher.
Decipher pioneered programmer-first survey authoring. Fieldbase continues that ethos with a modern DSL — YAML instead of XML, Python-like scripts instead of script tags, AI that drafts the survey from a Word or PDF spec, all in a browser-based editor.
What Decipher does well
Decipher (now part of Forsta) has one of the most dev-friendly surfaces in market research. Script-tag-driven survey logic, deep CBC/MaxDiff support, mature SPSS/ASCII export, and a long enterprise track record. If your team is already fluent in Decipher's scripting language and your QA pipeline is built around it, there's real inertia there.
Where Fieldbase differs
- YAML, not XML. Surveys read like config files, not stylesheets. Fewer closing tags to balance, less visual noise, cleaner for both humans and AI to work with. See scripting →
- AI drafts the code from a questionnaire spec. Upload the Word/PDF spec; the AI writes the survey, you review and accept. Dramatically cuts the manual translation phase that eats most of a Decipher programmer's time.
- AI chat for live edits. Ask for changes in plain English — "add a quota gate on hRegion" — the AI proposes the edit in the editor, you accept.
- Design Test before you field. Design Health (level exposure, prohibition flags) and Precision scorecards (D-efficiency, implied-N) live next to the design in the editor. Catch an under-powered CBC before the panel bill arrives. See choice modeling →
- Same export surface, cleaner pipeline.
SPSS (.sav or .dat+.sps), CSV with UTF-8 BOM, Excel with type
hints, fixed-width ASCII — all off one canonical data model.
Long-form
cbc_long,maxdiff_long,cardsort_long,annotation_longship in the same download pack. See export → - Real-respondent survey simulator. Not a preview — the simulator fires parallel completes against the actual production path, verifies quota cells hit target exactly, and lands the results in a Test environment the Export wizard can read. See simulator →
- Modern UI. A current-generation editor, chat, data hub, and report module — not a 2010-era interface layered with gradual add-ons.
Side-by-side
| Fieldbase | Decipher | |
|---|---|---|
| Authoring | ||
| Authoring surface | YAML DSL + Python-like - script blocks, in-platform editor | XML + script tags, in-platform editor |
| AI drafts the survey from a spec document | Yes — upload a Word or PDF spec, AI writes the survey | No |
| AI chat for live edits | Yes — plain-English edits in any language | No |
| Scripting syntax | Python-like, concise | XML + inline scripting, verbose |
| Modern browser UI | Current-gen editor, chat, data hub, report module | 2010-era UI layered with add-ons |
| Advanced research methods | ||
| CBC (choice, rating, ranking) | First-class, three response modes | First-class, deep tooling |
| MaxDiff + TURF | First-class; TURF in-app | First-class |
| Pre-field Design Test (D-efficiency, implied-N) | Yes — Design Health + Precision scorecards in the editor | Design validation available; separate scorecard workflow |
| In-app CBC utilities + share simulator | Aggregate MNL part-worths + live share-of-preference | Deep Sawtooth integration (external) |
| Card sort (open/closed/hybrid) | Yes — first-class type | Supported with scripting |
| Qualitative annotation (image heatmap, text intensity, video dial) | First-class with in-app viewer | Image heatmap; others via scripting / add-on |
| Fieldwork | ||
| Quota precision under concurrent load | Row-level locks per completion — exact | Mature quota engine with soft-count buffer |
| Real-respondent survey simulator | Fires parallel completes through the production path | Test-respondent flows; limited concurrency simulation |
| Per-language fielding | Launch one language at a time (Test/Live/Paused/Closed per language) | Supported via project configuration |
| Live-fielding quota edits | Edit in place without a republish | Supported |
| Data & export | ||
| SPSS export | .sav binary + .dat/.sps syntax pair, PSPP-verified | .sav + .dat/.sps (format Decipher pioneered) |
| Fixed-width ASCII export | Yes — datamap-driven | Yes — the industry standard |
| CBC / MaxDiff long-form companion CSVs | Yes — cbc_long, maxdiff_long, design file, Design Health report in one pack | Long form via scripting / custom export |
| Partial exports (date / row count / variable filter) | Stackable filters at export time — no new variable needed | Scriptable filters, often requires a hidden QC variable |
| Datamap Designer (grid + text editor, templates) | Yes — grid or text view, template per tracker | Datamap configuration via XML and in-platform tools |
| Mid-field data import (update columns on existing respondents) | Yes — by respondentId, column-scoped | Supported with scripting |
| Test / Live environment on same route | Byte-identical export via ?env= | Separate test respondent workflow |
| Pricing & vendor | ||
| Pricing model | Free in early access; transparent going forward | Enterprise contracts |
| Vendor | Inginit Pte. Ltd. (independent) | Forsta (post Confirmit + FocusVision merger) |
| Procurement + legal | Lightweight — direct contact | Full enterprise procurement cycle |
| Best fit | Teams who want programmable surveys with a modern DSL and AI assist | Teams with deep existing Decipher workflows + enterprise contracts in place |
When Decipher is still the right call
- Your team's entire QA pipeline and panel integrations are built around Decipher's APIs.
- You have multi-year enterprise contracts that would be expensive to unwind.
- Your programmers are already highly fluent in Decipher's scripting dialect and prefer not to retrain.
FAQ
Can my team migrate a Decipher survey to Fieldbase?
Yes — the question-type coverage overlaps closely, and the export surfaces match. Email [email protected] with a sample Decipher survey (or just a shared datamap) and we'll walk you through what the port looks like.
How does the YAML syntax compare to Decipher XML?
Shorter and flatter. A single-select question is six lines instead of fifteen, no closing tags, options are a dict keyed by code. See question types for a sample.
Does Fieldbase integrate with the same panel providers?
Panel integrations are per-source URL + redirect handling, same pattern as Decipher. Send us your provider's URL format and we'll confirm compatibility.