Two popular form builders compared on the same 25-row feature matrix and pricing, with FormBuilder shown as a third column so you can see another option to consider.
Overview
Cognito Forms started as a side product of a software consultancy and still feels like it was built by developers for people who need forms to do real work. Its calculated fields use a spreadsheet-style expression language, repeating sections let respondents add unlimited line items, and data lookups can pull values from other forms. Order forms, event registrations, quotes and applications are its natural habitat.
On top of the builder it layers a workflow engine: entries move through statuses, roles decide who can view or edit which fields, approvals can be routed by email, and Save & Resume plus a Client Portal let people come back to unfinished submissions. Payments (Stripe, Square, PayPal) are first-class, including subscriptions and payment-on-approval, and document generation can merge entries into PDFs.
OrbitForms is less a form builder than a lead-capture stack with a form on the front. The core is a drag-and-drop form and conversational "Flow" builder with conditional logic, multi-page forms and file uploads, but the reason it exists is what happens after submit: a calendar-synced scheduler (Google Calendar / Outlook, Zoom / Meet links, round-robin and group booking), an "AI SDR" that scores and routes leads against your ideal-customer rules, a visual workflow builder, multi-channel email and SMS sequences, and a contact database with tagging and ownership.
Pricing is aimed at sales and marketing teams rather than individuals. There is a 7-day free trial but no free tier. Pro is $29 a month ($23.20 annual) for up to 10 forms and 1,000 responses a month with branding removed, custom CSS, Slack and webhooks, and 3 workflows. Business is $149 a month ($119.20 annual) for unlimited forms, 10,000 responses, scheduling, AI-agent workflows, lead classification, A/B testing and partial submissions. Advanced is $249 a month ($199.20 annual) for 100,000 responses, sequences, SMS and custom domains. Integrations include Clay, HubSpot, Slack, Zapier, Google Sheets, Notion and Salesmsg.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Cognito Forms checked 2026-08-17, OrbitForms checked 2026-08-18. FormBuilder: free plan (5 forms, 100 responses / mo) and Pro at $39 / month or $390 / year.
Feature comparison
25 capabilities across building, design, data workflow and security.
| Feature | CCognito Forms | OOrbitForms | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialAI assist for calculations, not full-form generation | YesAI-native; AI credits metered on Business+ | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | Yes | YesStandard & conversational "Flow" forms | Yes |
| Template library | Yes100+ | PartialTemplates for lead-gen use cases | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | YesFormula-based show/hide, require, validate | YesConditional routing | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | Yes | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | YesSpreadsheet-style expressions, repeating sections | PartialLead scoring; no calculator / quiz grading advertised | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro · 10 GB Team | YesLimits not published | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | YesStripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro | NoNot an advertised feature | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | YesPro and up | NoNot an advertised feature | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | YesStyles & CSS on paid plans | YesCustom CSS on Pro | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | YesPro, $19 / mo annual | YesPro, $29 / mo | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | PartialEmbed on your domain; no custom hosted domain | YesAdvanced, $249 / mo | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | Partial100 / mo, overflow locked | NoNo free plan; 7-day trial | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | PartialLocked 30 days, then deleted unless you upgrade | NoResponse caps per plan | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | Yes | YesWorkflows, sequences & SMS on higher tiers | Yes |
| Webhooks | YesJSON webhooks + Power Automate | YesPro | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make, Power Automate | YesZapier, HubSpot, Clay, Slack, Sheets, Notion | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialEntry reporting; no view / drop-off funnel | YesUTM, geo, device; A/B testing on Business | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesExcel, CSV, PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | Yes2 users Pro · 5 Team · 20 Enterprise | YesUnlimited team members on all plans | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialVia workflow roles / private links | PartialNot listed; check vendor | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesEnterprise, $129 / mo | NoNot offered | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | Yes | YesGDPR compliance stated | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | YesEnterprise | PartialMFA listed; SSO not published | PartialEnterprise |
Another option to consider
AI-first form builder with a generous free plan, held (never lost) responses, and 6,000+ integrations. Describe the form you need, the AI drafts it, and you refine it with logic, multi-page layouts, uploads, signatures and Stripe payments. Free plan: 5 forms and 100 responses a month with overflow held, never lost. Pro: $39 / month for 100 forms and 10,000 responses with the badge removed.
Questions
Cognito Forms's entry paid plan (Pro at $19 / month (annual, $24 monthly)) is cheaper than OrbitForms's (Business at $149 / month ($119.20 annual)). Both offer a free plan (100 entries / mo · 1 user · 100 MB · Cognito branding · 1% payment fee) and a free plan (10 forms · 1,000 responses / mo · unlimited team members · remove branding · custom CSS · Slack & webhooks · 3 workflows) respectively. Note the plans differ in limits — see the tables above. FormBuilder Pro, for reference, is $39 / month for 10,000 responses.
Cognito Forms offers a free plan (100 entries / mo · 1 user · 100 MB · Cognito branding · 1% payment fee). Prices shown at annual billing; monthly billing is roughly 20-25% higher. Entry limits are per organisation per month; all plans include unlimited forms.
OrbitForms offers a free plan (10 forms · 1,000 responses / mo · unlimited team members · remove branding · custom CSS · Slack & webhooks · 3 workflows). Monthly billing shown; annual billing saves 20% ($23.20 / $119.20 / $199.20 per month). No free plan — 7-day free trial, no card required. Check vendor pricing for current numbers.
Cognito Forms payments: Yes (Stripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro). OrbitForms payments: No (Not an advertised feature). FormBuilder collects Stripe payments to your own account with no platform fee on every plan, including free.
Cognito Forms HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Enterprise, $129 / mo). OrbitForms HIPAA / BAA: No (Not offered). FormBuilder's HIPAA plan with BAA ($99 / month) is currently rolling out.
Cognito Forms is a power-user form builder built for order forms, registrations and applications that need calculations, repeating sections, payments and approval workflows. OrbitForms is an AI-native lead-capture platform that bundles forms, meeting scheduling, an AI lead qualifier, workflows and email/SMS sequences for revenue teams — with no free plan. Cognito Forms is best for order, quote and registration forms with line items and live totals; OrbitForms is best for b2B sales and marketing teams that want form → qualify → book-a-meeting in one tool.
FormBuilder is worth a look if you want an AI generator that drafts forms from a sentence, 100 free responses a month with overflow held rather than lost, Stripe payments with no platform fee, and a flat $39 / month Pro plan for 10,000 responses. See our full FormBuilder vs Cognito Forms and FormBuilder vs OrbitForms comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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