Tally is our all-round free pick; Jotform is worth shortlisting for specialised forms and payments. Choose Fillout for database-connected forms, Google Forms for simple surveys, or Paperform for a form-led page with payments and workflows. Formstack suits a more substantial forms-and-documents setup. whatayarn fits voice answers and reviewing written feedback. The best form builder is the one that completes your workflow at a cost you can sustain.
A free plan can cover a small contact form for years or run out during one event. Before choosing, check whether the allowance is per month, across your account or per form, and whether the feature you need can actually be published for free.
This guide compares ten builders, including paid options, and keeps the free allowances visible. For questionnaire-specific reporting, see our survey tool comparison. For feedback widgets, requests and qualitative research, see customer feedback tools.
Compare form builders by the job
The monthly free submission allowances below apply across the account. Google, Microsoft and Formstack list per-form limits instead. Unlimited allowances have fair use qualifications where stated. Paid prices use the vendor’s displayed billing period; an annual monthly equivalent requires paying for a year.
| Form builder | Best forOur pick for the job | Plan and main limitationWhat to check before sharing |
|---|---|---|
| TallyOur all-round free pick | Forms with branching and integrationsIncludes calculations and file uploads.Broad free feature set | Unlimited forms and submissionsFair use applies. Free uploads are limited to 10 MB per file; Tally branding stays.No monthly response cap |
| Google FormsSurveys and a Sheets workflow | Simple surveys, polls and quizzesA practical choice when your answers belong in Google Sheets.Google account | Up to 500,000 responses per formAlso a 1 GB form-data limit. Uploaded files use Drive storage and require respondent sign-in.Per-form limits |
| FilloutForms connected to databases | Collect or update database recordsConsider its Airtable and Notion connections.Database workflow | Unlimited forms, 1,000 responses a monthFree includes branching and uploads up to 20 MB per file. Removing branding needs Pro.Monthly account allowance |
| Microsoft FormsSmall surveys for Microsoft users | Polls and quizzes with Excel exportCheck your actual Microsoft account type.Microsoft account | 200 responses per form on personal FreeWork and school limits differ. File uploads require organisation-restricted respondents.Per-form personal limit |
| JotformSmall forms needing specialist features | Templates, widgets and payment formsUseful when a particular widget solves your job.Specialist options | 5 forms, 100 submissions a monthAlso 100 MB upload storage and 500 stored submissions. Payment submissions have their own limit.Several usage limits |
| Zoho FormsSmall workflows in the Zoho ecosystem | A few forms with basic rulesCheck the exact Zoho integration your workflow needs.Zoho connections | 3 forms, 500 submissions a monthOne user and 200 MB storage. Advanced rules and some workflows require a paid plan.Small account allowance |
| TypeformTrying a conversational form | A small pilot of its form experienceFree includes logic, embedding and result export.Pilot-sized allowance | Unlimited forms, 10 responses a monthThe ten responses are shared by all forms. File uploads cannot be published on Free.Very low monthly cap |
| PaperformForm-led pages and paid workflows | A branded page built around the formShortlist it for payment forms and connected workflows.Design and operations | Free: 30 submissions a monthPro is US$49/month billed annually. Custom domains on Pro cost extra; team roles need Business.Free and paid tiers |
| FormstackForms, documents and signatures | An operational collection workflowSuite adds document generation and eSignatures to Forms.Larger workflow | Forms starts at $83/month paid annuallyOne builder, 25 forms, 1,000 submissions per form and 2 GB storage. A 14-day trial is not a free plan.Paid subscription |
| whatayarnVoice answers and feedback review | Collect voice alongside written answersStandard AI columns organise written feedback.Voice questions included | Unlimited forms and responsesFair use applies. Free has 100 MB storage, one-minute recordings and 5 MB uploaded files.No monthly response cap |
Tally: the best all-round free pick
Start with Tally if you need a public form with branching and a connection to another tool. Its free plan (opens in a new tab) includes conditional logic, calculations, payment collection and integrations with Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Zapier and Make. That is a useful package for registration, intake and survey forms.
The main tradeoffs are branding and upload size: free file uploads (opens in a new tab) allow 10 MB per file. Removing Tally branding, custom domains and collaboration are paid features.
“Unlimited” is qualified by its fair use policy (opens in a new tab), which gives sustained high-volume examples. Payment providers and connected services may also have their own costs. Choose Tally for the features you can use today; choose whatayarn when recording an answer inside the form is central to the job.
Google Forms: the best fit for simple surveys in Google Sheets
Google Forms is a sensible starting point for an RSVP, short survey or quiz when you already use Google tools. You can send responses to a spreadsheet (opens in a new tab) and use section branching (opens in a new tab) from multiple-choice or dropdown answers.
It is generous, but calling it unlimited is now inaccurate. Google’s current limits (opens in a new tab), introduced from September 2026, are 500,000 responses and 1 GB of form and response data per form. The latter excludes uploaded files; response summaries and Sheets syncing have lower thresholds.
File upload questions (opens in a new tab) store files in Drive and require respondents to sign in to Google. If you need public uploads without that account step, shortlist Tally or Fillout. For spoken answers, see whether Google Forms can record audio: it has no built-in recorder.
Fillout: the best fit for database-connected forms
Shortlist Fillout when a response needs to create or update a record in Airtable or Notion. Its integration documentation (opens in a new tab) describes both workflows, along with connections to spreadsheets and other services. That makes it worth considering for applications or intake attached to an existing database.
The free plan (opens in a new tab) includes unlimited forms and seats, 1,000 responses a month, conditional logic, calculations, payment collection and uploads up to 20 MB per file. Branding remains; Pro removes it.
Check the complete workflow, including your database’s own permissions, limits and subscription. If you expect several thousand monthly submissions and do not need database updates, Tally’s unlimited submission allowance may be a better fit.
Microsoft Forms: a practical pick for existing Microsoft users
For a small poll or quiz, Microsoft Forms makes sense if you want to review results and export them to Excel (opens in a new tab).
Its limits depend on account type (opens in a new tab). A free personal Microsoft account allows 200 responses per form, rather than 200 each month. Paid personal accounts allow 1,000; eligible work and school accounts have substantially different allowances. Do not choose it based on an enterprise limit your account does not have.
Microsoft’s file upload guidance (opens in a new tab) requires forms restricted to people in an organisation. It is a poor fit for a public application asking strangers to attach files. For that job, compare Tally or Fillout.
Jotform: useful when a specialist widget solves the job
Jotform is worth checking when you need a particular template, widget or payment integration. Its pricing FAQ (opens in a new tab) says Starter includes standard features, with Jotform branding.
The Starter allowance (opens in a new tab) is five forms, 100 monthly submissions across the account, 100 MB of upload storage and 500 stored submissions. Starter guidance (opens in a new tab) confirms that submissions are shared by all forms. Payment submissions are separately limited to ten a month. Processor charges are separate from a free form-builder subscription.
That can suit a modest booking enquiry or a specialised internal form. Several active campaigns can outgrow it quickly. Watch stored submissions as well as this month’s count: Jotform’s pricing FAQ (opens in a new tab) says exceeding total submission storage causes the oldest response to be deleted to make room. Export records you need to retain.
Zoho Forms: a small-workflow option for Zoho users
Consider Zoho Forms when you need a few forms connected to an existing Zoho workflow. Its plan comparison (opens in a new tab) lists three forms, one user, 500 submissions a month and 200 MB storage on Free, alongside basic field, form and page rules.
Read the specific integration row before choosing. The comparison lists the Zoho CRM integration on Free, but the separate “CRM Forms” feature is paid. Advanced rules and additional users also need a paid tier; a Zoho connection is not a promise that every workflow is free.
It is a reasonable shortlist entry for a small operation already using Zoho. If you need many independent forms or several people managing them, check those limits before building.
Typeform: good for a tiny pilot, restrictive for ongoing free collection
Typeform is worth trying if its conversational presentation suits your project and you expect very few replies. Its Free documentation (opens in a new tab) includes unlimited forms, logic, embedding and result export, but only ten responses a month across all forms.
That allowance can cover a small pilot; it is unlikely to cover a public survey or event registration. File uploads and payment questions can be tested in the builder but cannot be published on Free. Testing a paid feature does not make it part of the free plan.
Typeform also warns that it experiments with plans. Check the offer shown in your account. If staying free at meaningful volume is the priority, start with Tally or Google Forms instead.
Paperform: a page built around a form and its workflow
Consider Paperform when you want a designed form page tied to payments or follow-up work. Its current pricing page (opens in a new tab) describes forms, Papersign documents and Stepper workflows as parts of the platform.
There is now an ongoing Free tier: unlimited forms and users, with 30 submissions a month and Paperform branding. Pro is listed at US$49 a month billed annually and adds branding removal and unlimited submissions, subject to fair use. A custom domain on Pro adds US$20 a month. Business adds team roles; unlimited seats on Free does not mean configurable access permissions.
Read the separate allowances for signed documents, workflow steps and automation credits. The form’s Signature field and a signed Papersign document are different things. Shortlist it when these parts solve a real workflow; a basic survey may need much less.
Formstack: forms that feed documents and signatures
Formstack is a useful candidate when collecting an answer starts a larger administrative workflow. Its product and plan comparison (opens in a new tab) distinguishes Forms from Suite, which adds document generation and eSignatures.
The displayed annual Forms subscription starts at $83 a month paid annually: one builder user, 25 forms, 1,000 submissions per form and 2 GB storage. Suite starts at $250 a month paid annually, with different allowances. These are annual commitments, not month-to-month prices.
The 14-day Forms trial lets you evaluate the product; ongoing use requires a paid plan. Check builder seats, submission storage, document deliveries and the actual integration your process needs. For a single contact form, its cost and additional workflow may be unnecessary. For repeated document handoffs, evaluating the complete process is more useful than comparing response caps alone.
whatayarn: the best fit here for voice answers and feedback review
Choose whatayarn when you want someone to explain an experience aloud alongside ratings, choices and written answers. A voice question records in the browser, with upload and typed alternatives available. Respondents do not need a whatayarn account. Our voice settings guide explains the options.
Free includes unlimited forms and responses, subject to fair use, with 100 MB total storage, one-minute voice answers and uploads up to 5 MB per file. Standard AI columns cover Spam, Sentiment, Urgency and Needs reply. They read written answers; they do not transcribe recordings or analyse uploaded files.
The limitations matter: conditional logic, integrations, payment questions and signatures are coming soon, so choose another tool if you need them now. Free shows whatayarn branding. Creator adds branding removal, custom AI columns, longer recordings and more storage; see current pricing.
For an example, open the customer feedback template or voice message template. You can build and preview before signing up; an account is needed to publish and collect responses.
Check the allowance against your actual job
First decide whether you are collecting an answer, taking a payment or handing work to another system. A file upload, signature field and formal document-signing workflow are not interchangeable requirements. If you mainly need to decide how to ask and analyse a questionnaire, our survey tool guide covers that job in more detail.
Suppose you run three events that each collect 200 registrations in one month. That is 600 responses across the account. It fits Fillout’s documented free response allowance, exceeds Zoho and Jotform’s, and is far beyond Typeform’s. Microsoft’s personal limit is per form, so each event reaches its 200-response limit. Upload storage, other forms and payment limits still need checking.
Storage can be the constraint even with unlimited responses. On whatayarn, 20 uploaded files at 5 MB each would consume the whole Free allowance before any recordings or form images. Keep the expected files and their sizes in your shortlist, not just the response count.
Before sharing widely, build one representative form in your two finalists:
- Use the real questions and rules. Include an upload, branch or payment only if your actual project needs one. Confirm the form can be published on Free.
- Submit on a phone as an outside respondent. Check sign-in requirements and whether the required files or recordings can be sent.
- Complete the review task. Find the response, export it and check any database connection. Make sure the answer reaches the place where you will use it.
When is a paid form builder worth it?
Pay for the missing capability or capacity your project actually needs. Compare the complete cost, including processor charges, connected-tool subscriptions and any extra seats or usage.
| Requirement | What to verify before upgrading |
|---|---|
| Remove branding or use your own domain | The exact tier, domain add-ons and whether monthly or annual billing is shown |
| More people managing the forms | Builder seats, collaboration and permission controls, not just unlimited respondents |
| More submissions or files | Account-wide versus per-form allowances, storage, overages and what happens at the limit |
| Payments or signed documents | Supported provider, processor fees and separate payment/document allowances |
| Automated follow-up | A working integration in the tier you are buying and any external subscription it needs |
For a basic survey, Google Forms may be enough. Start with Tally for a generous free feature set, Fillout for database connections, or Jotform when a specific widget solves the job. Evaluate Paperform or Formstack when the form belongs to a larger paid workflow. For spoken feedback and a place to review it, try whatayarn. The customer feedback guide compares collection with the tools used to understand requests and act on them.