Software to Create Forms: 7 Form Builders, Prices and Picks

Most forms fail in one of two ways. The free tool hits a limit, or the paid tool does far more than you need.

The best software to create forms depends on the job. Google Forms and Tally cover simple forms for free. Jotform suits template-heavy work from $34 a month. Typeform builds polished, one-question-at-a-time forms from $28 a month.

So which one fits your team? That comes down to limits, seats and where the answers go.

We compared the pricing pages of 7 form builders and the 6 guides that rank for this search.

You’ll get a price table, a pick for each type of team, and the yearly math before you sign up for anything.

Key Points

• For simple forms, start free: Tally allows unlimited forms and submissions under fair use, and Google Forms is free with a Google account.
• For payments, templates and HIPAA work, Jotform starts at $34 a month billed yearly, and its HIPAA features need the $99 Gold plan.
• Check the limits before the price. Jotform’s free plan stops at 100 submissions a month, Zoho Forms’ free plan at 500, and Typeform Basic includes 100 responses.
• For a 5-person team, Tally Pro at $288 a year and Zoho Forms Standard at $300 a year cost the least, while Typeform Business runs $1,092.

Which Software to Create Forms Fits Your Team?

The right software to create forms is the cheapest one whose limits you won’t hit. This table shows each tool’s free plan, its first paid plan billed yearly, and our short fit label.

The “Best for” labels are ours. Prices come from each vendor’s pricing page, so check them again before you buy.

Sources: Jotform pricing, Typeform pricing, Tally pricing, Cognito Forms pricing, Zoho Forms pricing, Google Workspace pricing, Microsoft 365 business plans, Microsoft Forms limits.

Use this quick decision table if you only have a minute:

How Did We Compare the Form Builders?

We compared the form builders on what decides the bill and the daily work, not on feature counts. We read each vendor’s pricing page and noted the free plan limit, the first paid price, users and response caps.

We also read the 6 guides that rank for this search. Most of them list tools without showing what a team pays in a year, so we added that math.

Four checks shaped the order:

• Limits: how many forms, submissions and users each plan allows.
• Price: the first paid plan, billed yearly, plus the yearly total.
• Logic: whether conditional logic, payments and file uploads come on the plan you’d buy.
• Hand-off: where submissions go next, such as Google Sheets, email or Zapier.

We left out developer form backends and pure survey suites. They either need code or answer a different question. Every tool here works in a browser with no setup.

One caveat worth being honest about: we didn’t run usage tests. Every figure comes from a vendor page, and vendors change plans often.

Here’s the thing about form tools. Two products can look identical on a feature list and still cost nearly 4 times as much for the same team. The worked example further down shows how.

Why Pick Google Forms for Free, Simple Forms?

Google Forms is the default for quick internal forms. It’s free with a Google account, and most people have already filled one in.

It works well for event sign-ups, team polls and simple quizzes. Responses can feed a Google Sheet, so the person who needs the data can sort it without exporting files.

The paid route is Google Workspace. Business Starter costs $7 a user a month on a yearly plan and adds business email and admin controls. Our Google Workspace pricing guide breaks down every plan.

Say your office needs a lunch order form by Friday. Google Forms gets it live in minutes, and nobody needs a new login.

One quick check: decide who owns the Google account before launch. A form built on a personal account leaves with that person when they change jobs.

Pricing: Free with a Google account. Google Workspace Business Starter costs $7 a user a month, billed yearly.

Best For

• Teams already on Google that need simple, free internal forms.

Pros

• Free with a Google account, with no paid plan needed for basic forms.
• Familiar to most people who will fill in your form.
• Responses can flow into Google Sheets for sorting.

Cons

• Few design options, so branded client forms look plain.
• Payments and e-signatures aren’t built in.
• Business admin controls need a paid Google Workspace seat.

Why Do Microsoft 365 Teams Choose Microsoft Forms?

Many companies already pay for Microsoft Forms, because it comes with Microsoft 365 business plans. Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7 a user a month, billed yearly, and lists Forms among its included apps.

The limits matter here. A free personal account can collect up to 200 responses per form. A Microsoft 365 business or education account raises that to 5,000,000 responses per form.

Both account types allow up to 400 forms and 200 questions per form. That’s plenty for HR surveys, training quizzes and internal requests.

Picture an IT team that wants a hardware request form inside Teams. Microsoft Forms fits, because staff already sign in with the same account.

A quick note on free accounts: the 200-response cap applies per form. A public sign-up form can reach it fast, so use a business account for anything outside the team.

Pricing: Free with a personal Microsoft account (200 responses per form). Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7 a user a month, billed yearly.

Best For

• Companies that already pay for Microsoft 365 business plans.

Pros

• Included in Microsoft 365 business plans at no extra cost.
• Up to 5,000,000 responses per form on business accounts.
• Staff sign in with the account they already use.

Cons

• Free personal accounts stop at 200 responses per form.
• Styling options stay basic compared with Typeform or Jotform.
• Payments aren’t part of the tool.

Why Is Jotform the Pick for Templates and Payments?

Jotform is the all-rounder of form builders. It suits teams that want a template for almost every job, plus payments and signed documents in the same tool.

The free Starter plan allows 5 forms and 100 submissions a month. Bronze costs $34 a month, billed yearly, and raises that to 25 forms and 1,000 monthly submissions.

Each plan up adds space. Silver costs $39 a month with 2,500 submissions, and Gold costs $99 a month with 10,000 submissions and HIPAA-enabled features.

Say a clinic needs patient intake forms. Jotform Gold is the plan with the HIPAA features, so budget for it from day one.

Payments carry their own cap, such as 100 payment submissions a month on Bronze. Jotform also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you a month to test a real form.

Pricing: Free Starter plan. Bronze $34, Silver $39 and Gold $99 a month, billed yearly. Enterprise is a custom quote.

Best For

• Teams that collect payments or want ready-made templates.

Pros

• Payments and signed documents on every plan, within monthly caps.
• HIPAA-enabled features on Gold and Enterprise.
• 50% off Bronze, Silver and Gold for nonprofits and schools.

Cons

• Each paid plan below Enterprise covers 1 user.
• The free plan stops at 100 submissions a month.
• Free forms carry Jotform branding.

Why Do Brand-Focused Teams Pick Typeform?

Typeform shows one question at a time, which makes forms feel like a short chat. Marketing teams use it for lead forms, quizzes and feedback where looks matter.

Basic costs $28 a month, billed yearly, and includes 100 responses a month for 1 user. It already includes conditional logic, webhooks and integrations.

Plus costs $56 a month with 1,000 responses, 3 users and no Typeform branding. Business costs $91 a month with 10,000 responses, 5 users and drop-off rates.

Picture a lead form on your pricing page. Typeform’s drop-off view on Business shows which question loses people.

Watch the response count, though. A form with 150 replies a month already needs Plus, because Basic stops at 100. Yearly billing on Basic saves $132 compared with paying monthly.

Pricing: Basic $28, Plus $56 and Business $91 a month, billed yearly. Monthly billing costs more, such as $39 for Basic.

Best For

• Marketing teams that care about brand look and completion.

Pros

• One-question layout that feels friendly on mobile.
• Conditional logic and webhooks from the Basic plan up.
• Drop-off rates and conversion tracking on Business.

Cons

• Basic includes only 100 responses a month.
• Removing Typeform branding needs the Plus plan.
• HIPAA compliance sits on Enterprise, which is a custom quote.

Why Is Tally the Best Free Form Builder for Volume?

Tally gives you unlimited forms and submissions for free, within its fair use rules. That makes it the cheapest form builder on this list for teams with a lot of responses.

The free plan already includes payments, signatures, file uploads, conditional logic and calculations. It also connects to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable and Zapier.

Pro costs $24 a month on a yearly plan, or $29 billed monthly. It removes Tally branding and adds custom domains, partial submissions and unlimited team members.

Say your agency runs a client feedback form after every project. Tally handles that for free, and Pro only matters once branding does.

Here’s the catch with free: the unlimited plan follows fair use rules. Read them before a large public campaign. Collaboration is the other reason to upgrade, since Pro invites the whole team into shared workspaces.

Pricing: Free plan with unlimited forms and submissions (fair use). Pro costs $24 a month billed yearly, or $29 monthly.

Best For

• Small teams that want generous free limits and a clean editor.

Pros

• Unlimited forms and submissions on the free plan.
• Payments, signatures and file uploads included for free.
• Unlimited team members on Pro.

Cons

• Free file uploads cap at 10 MB per file.
• Branding removal and custom domains need Pro.
• Fair use rules apply to unlimited plans.

Why Choose Cognito Forms for Calculations and E-Signatures?

Cognito Forms suits forms that do math, such as quotes, order forms and applications. Every plan includes unlimited forms and payments.

The free plan includes 100 entries a month. Pro costs $19 a month, billed yearly, with 2,000 entries, electronic signatures and Save and Resume for long forms.

Team costs $49 a month with 10,000 entries, 5 users, and workflow and approvals. HIPAA compliance and single sign-on sit on Enterprise at $149 a month.

Say a contractor needs a quote form that adds up materials. Cognito Forms handles the totals and collects a signature on the same form.

Save and Resume matters for long applications. People can stop halfway and come back later, which helps on any form that takes more than a few minutes.

Pricing: Free plan (100 entries a month). Pro $19, Team $49, Business $99 and Enterprise $149 a month, billed yearly.

Best For

• Teams whose forms need calculations, signatures or approvals.

Pros

• Unlimited forms and payments on every plan.
• Electronic signatures and Save and Resume from Pro.
• Workflow and approvals on the Team plan.

Cons

• Pro covers 1 user, so teams need the $49 plan.
• The free plan stops at 100 entries a month.
• HIPAA needs the $149 Enterprise plan.

Why Do Zoho Users Pick Zoho Forms?

Zoho Forms costs the least per paid plan on this list. Basic costs $10 a month, billed yearly, for 1 user and 10,000 submissions a month.

The free plan allows 3 forms and 500 submissions a month. That’s more free submissions than Jotform, but fewer forms.

Standard costs $25 a month with 10 users, 25,000 submissions and approvals. Premium costs $90 a month for 100 users and adds HIPAA compliance and form encryption.

Picture a sales team on Zoho CRM that wants web leads in the same system. Zoho Forms keeps the data inside the tools they already use.

Add-ons fill the gaps between plans. Zoho lists 10,000 extra submissions at $120 a year and an extra user at $10.56. That helps when one month spikes and the rest stay quiet.

Pricing: Free plan (3 forms, 500 submissions a month). Basic $10, Standard $25, Professional $50 and Premium $90 a month, billed yearly. Local taxes are extra.

Best For

• Teams already on Zoho apps that need approvals and many users.

Pros

• The lowest first paid price on this list at $10 a month.
• 10 users on Standard for $25 a month.
• HIPAA compliance on Premium.

Cons

• The free plan allows only 3 forms.
• Basic covers 1 user.
• Extra users and submissions cost more as add-ons.

What Features Should Software to Create Forms Include?

Good software to create forms covers five jobs: build, check, collect, pay and hand off. Most people only test the first one.

Use these checks on any form builder before you pay:

• Conditional logic: questions that show or hide based on earlier answers, so people skip what doesn’t apply.
• Response limits: the monthly cap on submissions, which is where free plans usually end.
• Payments and signatures: built in, or a paid add-on you’ll need later.
• Integrations: a direct link to Google Sheets, your CRM or Zapier, so answers don’t sit in an inbox.
• Compliance: HIPAA or data residency, if you handle health or regulated data.

Completion matters too. About 52% of people who start a form finish it, according to Zuko’s form benchmarking data. Shorter forms and conditional logic help you beat that.

File uploads deserve a check too. Tally’s free plan caps each file at 10 MB, while Jotform’s free plan includes 100 MB of space in total. Photo-heavy forms fill that space faster than you’d expect, so test one with real uploads.

Top Tip: Before you pick a plan, count last month’s form responses. If the number sits near a plan’s cap, price the next plan up, because caps reset monthly.

How Much Does Form Builder Software Cost a Year?

Form builder software costs $0 to about $1,100 a year for a small team. The gap comes almost entirely from how each vendor counts users and responses.

Seat rules change the order more than list prices do. Jotform’s plans below Enterprise cover 1 user, while Tally Pro allows unlimited team members.

Example: A 5-person team that shares forms pays $24 × 12 = $288 a year on Tally Pro. Zoho Forms Standard costs $25 × 12 = $300 and covers 10 users. Cognito Forms Team costs $49 × 12 = $588. Typeform needs Business for 5 users, so $91 × 12 = $1,092.

Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 charge per seat. Five Business Starter or Business Basic seats cost $7 × 5 × 12 = $420 a year, and you also get email and office apps. That bundle makes sense if you’d pay for those seats anyway.

Response caps add a second cost line. A team that outgrows Typeform Basic’s 100 responses moves to Plus at $56 a month, double the Basic price. Jotform sits outside the example, because each plan below Enterprise covers 1 user.

So the cheapest list price isn’t always the cheapest bill for your team. Run your own headcount and monthly response count through the comparison table above.

Where Do Form Submissions Go After Someone Hits Submit?

Form submissions should land with an owner, not in a shared inbox. A form only saves time when each response becomes a real task that someone finishes.

Most form builders stop at the thank-you page. Few guides cover the next step, and that’s exactly where client requests get lost.

Here’s the problem with a shared inbox. Everyone sees the request, so nobody owns it. A named owner and a due date fix that in one step. It’s the cheapest fix in this whole guide, and it costs nothing.

A simple hand-off works like this:

• Capture: the form saves the answers and sends a notification.
• Route: an integration such as Zapier sends each response to the right place. Our Zapier pricing breakdown shows what those automations cost.
• Assign: the request becomes a task with an owner and a due date.
• Close: someone marks it done, and the requester hears back.

Teams that run client work in Onethread can log each request as a task in the right project. For a wider look at hand-offs, see our guide to workflow management software.

Top Tip: Add one required field for the deadline on every request form. It saves a follow-up email for each submission.

What Should You Do Next With Your Form Builder?

Picking software to create forms is mostly a question of limits and seats. Free tools like Tally and Google Forms cover simple work. Jotform, Typeform, Cognito Forms and Zoho Forms earn their price once you need payments, signatures, approvals or a brand look.

Start this week with two counts. Write down your monthly responses and the number of people who edit forms. Match both numbers to the table. Then check how each submission reaches an owner, and compare project management software for small business to see where those requests should live.

FAQs

What Is the Easiest Form Builder to Use?

Tally and Google Forms are the easiest form builders for most people. Tally works like a text document, where you type questions and add blocks. Google Forms uses a simple question list that most people already know. Both are free, so you can test each one with a real form before you commit to software to create forms.

Can I Create a Fillable Form Without Coding?

Yes, every tool in this guide builds fillable forms without code. You add questions, set conditional logic and share a link or embed code. Coding only comes in when you want custom styling, such as Tally Pro’s custom CSS, or when developers handle submissions themselves. For most teams, no-code form builder software covers the whole job.

Is Form Builder Software Secure for Health Data?

Only some plans support HIPAA work, and they cost more. Jotform offers HIPAA-enabled features on Gold and Enterprise, Cognito Forms on Enterprise, Zoho Forms on Premium, and Typeform on Enterprise. Free plans on these tools don’t include HIPAA features. Ask the vendor for a business associate agreement before you collect any patient data.

Do Nonprofits Get Discounts on Form Builders?

Some vendors publish nonprofit discounts and others don’t. Jotform offers nonprofits and schools 50% off Bronze, Silver and Gold, and 30% off Enterprise. The other pricing pages we checked don’t list a nonprofit discount. If you run a nonprofit, ask each vendor’s sales team before you pay full price for software to create forms.

What Is the Difference Between a Form Builder and a Survey Tool?

A form builder collects information to act on, while a survey tool collects opinions to analyze. Order forms, intake forms and requests belong in a form builder. Feedback and research questions fit a survey tool. Many products do both, such as Typeform and Microsoft Forms, so pick by the job the answers serve.