TL;DR

• Delighted shuts down June 30, 2026. All data will be permanently deleted after that date.
• Zonka Feedback keeps what worked in Delighted (simple setup, clean surveys, real-time dashboards) and adds what was missing (AI thematic analysis, multi-channel distribution, bidirectional CRM sync, closed-loop automation).
• Migration takes 24-48 hours for most teams. We import historical data with timestamps intact so your NPS trend lines continue without breaks.
• This comparison covers specific use cases: simple users who want Delighted's ease back, multi-channel programs beyond email, AI seekers who need thematic analysis, teams dependent on deep CRM integrations, compliance-focused organizations needing HIPAA/BAA, advanced analytics needs, multi-location operations, and teams wanting Qualtrics-level features without enterprise pricing.

Delighted is shutting down in June. If you're researching alternatives, this isn't just another "Zonka vs Delighted" feature list. This is a migration-focused comparison built from helping actual Delighted users switch platforms.

Zonka Feedback is consistently rated 4.8/5 on Capterra and 4.7/5 on G2, reflecting customer satisfaction across ease of use, features, and value for money. In this article, I'll walk through specific situations to help you decide whether switching from Delighted to Zonka Feedback would fit your needs. Each section addresses a different use case, so you can see exactly how our platform handles what matters most to you.

Side-by-Side Comparison: Zonka Feedback vs Delighted

The pattern in this Zonka Delighted comparison: Zonka keeps Delighted's simplicity but removes its limitations, especially around channels, automation, integrations, and analytics.

For a complete view of your options beyond this head-to-head, see our guide on Delighted alternatives and competitors.

1. For Simple Users: Will I Lose Delighted's Ease of Use?

Your situation: You loved Delighted because it was fast and simple. You send email NPS surveys every 6 months. You don't need fancy features, just clean surveys and dashboards. Your biggest fear when switching from Delighted to Zonka: "Will I lose the simplicity?"

Is Zonka Feedback as Simple as Delighted?

Short answer: Yes.

What made Delighted simple:

• 5-minute setup from account creation to first survey sent
• Clean, mobile-optimized NPS survey templates
• Real-time dashboards with live scores and trend charts
• Drag-and-drop survey builder with no coding required

What you get with Zonka Feedback: The exact same simplicity. 5-minute setup, mobile-optimized templates, real-time dashboards, drag-and-drop builder. The core experience is identical. Advanced features exist when you're ready, but they're hidden until you need them. You won't see AI analysis or automation options cluttering your dashboard unless you turn them on.

You also get more control over your surveys (enable/disable surveys yourself without support tickets), better targeting options (send NPS at 30, 60, 90 days automatically without manual list management), and two-way SMS surveys (Delighted discontinued SMS in January 2022, Zonka brought it back with reply capability).

Teams migrating from Delighted to Zonka reported better response rates, primarily because of the SMS option and improved email deliverability.

"For us, it's definitely how easy to use it is. Zonka Feedback helped us turn in different types of surveys with our organization's flavor, for different settings, all very easily. Can be used by anybody!" — Verified G2 Review

Will My Team Need Training to Use Zonka?

No. If your team could use Delighted, they can use Zonka. The survey builder works the same way. The only difference is you have more options available when you need them.

Can I Start Simple and Add Features Later?

Yes. Many teams start with just email NPS surveys (exactly like Delighted) and add SMS, AI analysis, or automation months later when they're ready. Nothing forces you to use advanced features.

2. For AI Seekers: Is Zonka's AI Analysis Better Than Delighted?

Your situation: You have 500+ open-ended comments per month. Your team spends hours manually reading through feedback to identify patterns. You need to understand why NPS dropped this quarter, not just see that it dropped.

How Does Zonka's AI Compare to Delighted's Smart Trends?

What Delighted's Smart Trends offered: Keyword extraction showing "pricing" mentioned 47 times, and basic sentiment labels (positive/negative/neutral). You still needed to read all the comments manually to find actual patterns and themes. The AI told you what words appeared frequently, not what problems customers were actually describing.

Zonka vs Delighted on AI capabilities:

Zonka offers the same keyword extraction and sentiment analysis Delighted had, plus AI thematic grouping that automatically organizes 500 comments into 5-7 actionable themes in seconds.

Key AI features Delighted didn't have:

• Thematic grouping: 500 comments become 5-7 themes like "Slow response times," "Confusing billing," "Feature requests for mobile app"
• Impact scoring: See which themes actually drive your NPS changes (example: "Slow response times" mentioned by 78% of detractors but only 12% of promoters)
• Emotion detection: Identifies frustration, urgency, and satisfaction beyond basic sentiment
• Ask AI: Query your feedback in natural language ("What are detractors saying about pricing compared to last quarter?") and get answers with supporting quotes

"Surveys go out promptly and with accuracy. Responses are also swift and detailed. This allows me to do effective follow ups on negative responses. I am also able to report accurately on all responses achieved and measure CSAT rate before and after follow ups." — Verified G2 Review

Do I Need to Train the AI on My Specific Industry Terms?

No. Zonka's AI works out of the box without training. It understands context across industries (healthcare, SaaS, retail, finance) without you teaching it your terminology. You can start using it immediately.

How Accurate Is the Thematic Grouping?

You review and validate themes before acting on them. The AI groups similar comments together, but you have final say. Most teams find 90% accuracy on first pass, which saves significant manual work compared to reading every comment.

What if I Have Comments in Multiple Languages?

Zonka's AI analyzes feedback in 70+ languages. Comments in Spanish, French, German, or any supported language get grouped into themes automatically. You see themes in your preferred language regardless of which language customers wrote in.

Is AI Analysis Included in All Plans?

AI Feedback Intelligence is an add-on depending on volume. If you're currently spending 10+ hours/week on manual tagging, the ROI is clear. If you're not, you can start without it and add it later.

3. For Multi-Channel Needs: Can I Survey Beyond Email? 

Your situation: Your email response rates have dropped over the past two years. You need feedback from customers at physical locations, from field teams without laptops, or from people who prefer texting over email.

What Survey Channels Does Zonka Support That Delighted Didn't?

Delighted's channel limitations: Email surveys and web embeds worked effectively. SMS surveys existed until January 2022, when the feature was discontinued. After that, email and web were your only options.

Zonka's multi-channel distribution:

Email and web surveys work exactly as they did in Delighted. You also get:

• SMS with two-way replies: Customers reply directly with their score and comments (no app download or link clicking needed)
• WhatsApp: For international customers who prefer messaging apps
• iPad and Android kiosks: For in-person feedback at checkout or service counters
• QR codes: Print on receipts, packaging, or signage
• In-app surveys: For mobile products using our SDK
• Offline mode: Responses save on the device and sync automatically when it reconnects

A retail chain with 47 locations had email response rates around 2%. After adding iPad kiosks at checkout, response rates reached 38%. The immediate, in-person option worked better than asking customers to remember to check email later.

"Zonka Feedback has been a fantastic addition to our retail business. We use it to collect customer feedback at checkout and post-purchase via SMS surveys. The real-time dashboard gives us valuable insights into what customers love and where we need to improve." — Verified G2 Review

For complete guidance on when and where to collect NPS surveys across different channels, see our implementation guide.

Do Offline Surveys Work Without Internet?

Yes. Responses save on the device and sync automatically when it reconnects. This works for field teams, event booths, or anywhere internet is unreliable.

Can Customers Reply via SMS Without Clicking Links?

Yes. They can reply directly with their score and comments. No app download or link clicking needed.

How Quickly Do Offline Responses Sync?

Within seconds once the device reconnects to internet. A hundred responses collected offline at an event appear in your dashboard as soon as the tablet connects to WiFi.

4. For Integration Dependencies: Does Zonka Integrate Better Than Delighted?

Your situation: You trigger surveys from Salesforce or HubSpot when specific events happen (support case closed, deal won, customer reaches 90 days). You need NPS scores written back to contact records. Customer lists must stay current so you're not surveying churned customers. Your workflow depends on this integration working reliably.

How Is Zonka's CRM Integration Different from Delighted's?

Delighted's integration approach:

• Autopilot automated recurring survey sends on time intervals (every 3, 6, or 12 months)
• Survey list managed via manual uploads or API
• One-way sync to Salesforce and HubSpot (responses flowed from Delighted into your CRM, but you couldn't trigger surveys from CRM events or write scores back to custom fields)
• Manual CSV uploads needed to keep contact lists current
• No event-based triggering from your CRM

Zonka's bidirectional CRM integration:

Zonka integrates with 50+ platforms including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, Microsoft Dynamics, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and many more through native connectors. For custom needs, Zonka also offers bespoke integrations tailored to your specific workflow requirements.

Key differences from Delighted:

• Bidirectional CRM sync: Survey triggers fire from CRM events and scores write back to contact records automatically
• For HubSpot: Trigger surveys from workflow actions, write NPS/CSAT scores back to contact properties, sync custom fields bidirectionally
• For Salesforce: Trigger surveys from Process Builder, update custom fields automatically, create tasks when detractors respond, sync data both ways in real-time
• Live list sync: Customer lists stay current automatically. When a customer churns in your CRM, they're removed from survey lists within 15 minutes. No manual CSV uploads needed
• Event-based automation: Zendesk sends CSAT surveys automatically when ticket status changes to "solved." Intercom triggers NPS surveys 30 days after user activation. Slack posts detractor responses as channel alerts with customer context. Shopify integration triggers post-purchase surveys automatically after order fulfillment

"The ease of setting up, deploying and reviewing the pulse of our firm with the client feedback. The Salesforce integration is absolutely amazing, I wish other vendors would do the same. Very easy to use and setup." — Verified G2 Review

What About Delighted's Autopilot Feature?

Zonka is building an equivalent Autopilot feature that will be available before Delighted's complete shutdown on June 30, 2026. This will provide the same recurring survey automation, plus the ability to combine Autopilot scheduling with event-based triggers. For example, you can set up Autopilot to send quarterly NPS surveys AND trigger a CSAT survey when a specific CRM event occurs.

Does Zonka Support Custom Salesforce Fields?

Yes. During migration setup, we map your custom Salesforce objects and fields. If you have custom fields for account tier, renewal date, or industry vertical, Zonka syncs those automatically. Your existing Salesforce structure stays intact.

Can I Trigger Surveys Based on Multiple Conditions?

Yes. You can trigger surveys based on combinations like "Case closed + Customer tier = Enterprise + CSAT not sent in last 90 days." Zonka supports complex triggering logic through CRM workflows.

Will Customer List Sync Work if I Have 50,000+ Contacts?

Yes. Zonka handles enterprise-scale contact lists. Initial sync takes a few hours for large databases, then updates happen continuously in the background. Churned customers are removed from survey lists within 15 minutes of status change in your CRM.

What if My Integration Breaks or Stops Syncing?

You get real-time alerts if sync fails. Our support team monitors integration health and reaches out proactively if we detect issues. Most integration problems resolve in under 30 minutes.

What if I Need an Integration That's Not Listed?

Zonka offers bespoke integration development for custom workflows. If you have unique integration requirements or use internal tools, our team can build custom connectors tailored to your specific needs.

5. For Advanced Analytics & Multi-Location Needs: Can I Create Different Dashboards for Different Teams?

Your situation: You manage multiple locations or teams. Different stakeholders need different views of the data. Your CEO wants company-wide NPS. Regional managers need their specific locations. Product teams want to segment by plan type. Support teams need agent-level metrics.

How Does Zonka's Dashboard System Compare to Delighted's?

Delighted's dashboard approach: NPS trend charts and basic filtering by properties. You could view responses by individual properties (like plan type or region) one at a time. Dashboards showed company-wide metrics with simple trend visualization.

Zonka's role-based dashboard system:

The core NPS dashboards work the same way. You also get:

• Custom Dashboards: Build different dashboard views for different roles. Executives see company-wide metrics. Regional managers see only their region. Store managers see only their location. Support agents see only their own performance. Each person gets relevant data without manual filtering.
• Location-Level Views: Each location gets its own dashboard. Compare NPS across all stores to see which locations perform best. Drill down from company to region to individual location. Location managers access only their own data.
• Advanced Segmentation: Filter by any CRM field. Combine multiple filters like "Enterprise customers in healthcare who responded in Q4" or "Free trial users who converted in the past 30 days." Save frequently-used segments for quick access.
• Scheduled Reports: Automated weekly or monthly reports sent to stakeholders. Export data in CSV, Excel, or PDF. Create different report templates for different audiences.

"The real-time dashboard gives us valuable insights into what customers love and where we need to improve. Since implementing the platform, we've seen an improvement in our customer experience and retention rates. The NPS tracking has been particularly useful in understanding brand loyalty." — Verified G2 Review

Can I Create Different Dashboards for Different Teams?

Yes. Build unlimited custom dashboards and assign them to specific roles. Your support team sees agent metrics. Your product team sees feature feedback. Your executives see high-level trends. Each team gets what they need.

How Does Location-Level Reporting Work?

Each response gets tagged with a location (manually or via CRM sync). Metrics automatically roll up by location. You can compare locations side-by-side or track individual location trends over time.

Can I Export Data for Analysis in Excel or Tableau?

Yes. Export raw data in CSV or Excel. Schedule automated exports daily, weekly, or monthly. For BI tools like Tableau or Power BI, connect via BigQuery or Snowflake for real-time data access.

6. For Healthcare & Regulated Industries: Is Zonka Feedback HIPAA Compliant?

Your situation: You're a healthcare provider collecting patient feedback. You need a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) to comply with HIPAA. Your surveys will contain Protected Health Information (PHI), so the platform handling that data must meet HIPAA requirements.

What Compliance Features Does Zonka Offer Compared to Delighted?

Delighted's compliance limitations: Delighted did not offer HIPAA compliance or Business Associate Agreements. This meant healthcare organizations couldn't use Delighted for patient surveys that might contain PHI.

Zonka's healthcare compliance features:

Standard survey features work the same way. For healthcare and regulated industries, Zonka adds:

• ISO 27001 certification for information security
• HIPAA-compliant infrastructure meeting all technical and administrative safeguards
• Business Associate Agreement (BAA) included with Enterprise plans at no extra cost
• End-to-end encryption for data in transit and at rest
• Data residency options across four regions (US, EU, India, Australia)
• Role-based access controls to restrict PHI access
• Audit logs tracking who accessed which feedback and when

GDPR Compliance: Data minimization and right to erasure for EU patients, consent management, and data processing agreements for EU operations.

"Through this app we were able to track our patient experience in real time. This helps us to ensure that all our patients leave our hospital with a positive experience. Implementing Zonka has been a game-changer for our organization." — Verified Customer Testimonial

A 12-clinic network was collecting patient feedback on paper forms (8% response rate) because they couldn't find a HIPAA-compliant survey tool at their budget. After implementing Zonka Feedback with BAA in place, they deployed SMS surveys sent 24 hours after appointments. Response rates reached 32% while maintaining full HIPAA compliance.

For healthcare organizations running NPS programs for patient satisfaction, compliance isn't optional.

Is the BAA Included or Does It Cost Extra?

The Business Associate Agreement comes with Enterprise plans at no additional cost. It's signed during implementation so your surveys are compliant from day one.

Can I Choose Where Patient Data Is Stored?

Yes. Select from four regions: US, EU, India, or Australia. All survey responses and PHI stay within your chosen data center.

7. For Teams Who Need Advanced Capabilities (Without Enterprise Pricing)

Your situation: You outgrew Delighted's feature set. You looked at Qualtrics or Medallia but couldn't justify $100,000-400,000/year. You need specific capabilities that Delighted didn't offer.

What Enterprise Capabilities Does Zonka Feedback Provide?

What Delighted offered: Core NPS/CSAT/CES surveys, basic dashboards with trend charts, simple filtering by properties, email and web distribution (SMS was discontinued January 2022), API access for custom integrations, and team permissions for user access. It was built for simplicity and ease of use, which meant certain advanced features weren't available.

Zonka feedback's enterprise capabilities:

Everything Delighted offered, plus capabilities typically found in enterprise platforms:

• Cross-tab analysis: Filter by multiple criteria simultaneously. Instead of filtering by one variable at a time, ask "Show me NPS for Enterprise customers in healthcare who renewed in Q4" and get instant results. Cohort segmentation tracks how different customer groups perform over time (for example, customers acquired in Q1 2025 vs. Q2 2025).
• Multi-brand programs: Create separate feedback programs per brand, each with its own surveys, branding, and dashboards. White-label surveys with custom domains (surveys.yourbrand.com instead of generic survey links). Consolidated reporting shows performance across all brands while maintaining brand-specific views for each team.
• Data warehouse integration: BigQuery and Snowflake connectors pull survey data into your existing data infrastructure. Combine feedback data alongside CRM, support ticket, and product usage data for unified analysis. Enterprise API with custom rate limits and real-time webhooks for instant data push to your systems.
• Online reputation management: Unified dashboard for Google Reviews, Yelp, Facebook, and other review platforms. Monitor reviews across all locations from one place. AI-powered response suggestions based on review sentiment and content. Sentiment tracking shows how online reputation trends over time. Real-time alerts when negative reviews appear.
• Case management: Turn detractor responses into trackable cases with assigned owners. Create tickets automatically in Zendesk, Intercom, or Jira from negative feedback. Track resolution status and time-to-close for all cases. Communicate directly with customers from the platform to close the feedback loop.
• Enterprise governance: Role-based access with granular permissions (control who can edit surveys, view responses, export data). Audit logs track every system action (who accessed which feedback, when, what changes were made). SSO via SAML for enterprise authentication and centralized user management. SOC 2 Type II compliance (in progress, expected Q2 2026) joins existing ISO 27001 and HIPAA certifications.

"I'm a Customer Experience (CX) nerd! I help others build CX programs and measuring the CX is critical and a huge driving factor for any business! Zonka is the most robust tool for measuring a wide variety of CX activities. I love the major CX tools like Qualtrics, but that is so expensive. Zonka gives me that functionality at a much better price." — Verified Software Advice Review

How Does Zonka's Pricing Compare to Enterprise Platforms?

These capabilities typically cost $250-400k/year in enterprise platforms like Qualtrics or Medallia. Zonka's pricing is 70-80% lesser than those enterprise tools. It offers custom pricing based on response volume, features needed, compliance requirements, and integration complexity.

Delighted to Zonka Migration: How Long Does It Take?

Timeline: Simple migrations (email NPS only, under 10,000 contacts) complete in 24-48 hours. Complex migrations (multiple integrations, custom Salesforce fields, historical data import) take 4-5 days.

Step 1: Export Delighted Data

Before Delighted shuts down, export all your data:

• Historical responses (CSV export from Delighted dashboard)
• Contact lists with custom properties
• Survey templates and branding assets
• Integration credentials (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk)

What if Delighted's export is broken closer to shutdown? Contact Zonka support immediately. We've helped teams recover data from broken exports before deadlines. In worst-case scenarios, we can work with screenshots of your Delighted dashboards to rebuild surveys.

Step 2: Survey Replication

Zonka's migration team replicates your Delighted surveys:

• NPS/CSAT/CES question text copied exactly
• Survey branding (logo, colors, fonts) matched to your brand guidelines
• Email templates rebuilt with your messaging
• Distribution settings configured (who gets surveys, when, how often)

Step 3: Data Import + Integration Setup

Historical data import: Your Delighted CSV exports get imported with original timestamps intact. This preserves your NPS trend line. January 2024 responses stay dated January 2024, so your year-over-year trends continue without breaks.

Integration setup: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Intercom connections get configured. Custom field mappings created (Delighted's "Account Tier" maps to Salesforce's "Customer_Tier__c"). Zonka's team handles the technical setup. You verify data flows correctly.

Shopify integration (if applicable): If you're running e-commerce on Shopify, Zonka offers native Shopify integration to trigger post-purchase NPS surveys automatically, sync customer data bidirectionally, and track product-specific feedback trends. This replaces any Delighted-Shopify workflows you had running.

Step 4: Parallel Testing

Before shutting off Delighted completely, run both platforms in parallel for 48-72 hours:

• Send 10% of surveys through Zonka Feedback, 90% through Delighted
• Verify response rates match
• Check integration data flows correctly
• Confirm dashboards show accurate metrics

Once verified, flip to 100% Zonka Feedback. Delighted account can be deactivated.

For complete step-by-step guidance, see our detailed Delighted shutdown migration guide.

What Could Go Wrong During Migration?

Next Steps

You've spent years building your feedback program in Delighted. The surveys work. The data flows. Your team knows the workflow. The last thing you want is to rebuild all of that from scratch.

You won't have to. The migration is straightforward — surveys replicate exactly as they were, historical data imports with timestamps intact so your NPS trends continue, and most teams are live within 24-48 hours.

With Zonka Feedback, you keep what worked in Delighted and add what was missing: AI analysis, omni-channel surveys, bidirectional CRM sync, and closed-loop automation to take action on customer feedback. Schedule a demo so that we can understand what matters most for your team, show you how your current setup would look in our platform, and build a migration plan around your timeline.