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
Formstack started as an online form builder in 2006 and has grown into a workflow suite: Formstack Forms (the builder), Formstack Documents (merge submissions into PDFs, Word files and contracts), and Formstack Sign (e-signature). The pitch is that one platform can take a request from intake form to generated document to signed agreement without code, which is why it sells mainly to operations, HR, healthcare and higher-ed teams.
The form builder itself is capable rather than flashy: drag-and-drop fields, conditional logic, multi-page forms, calculations, save-and-resume, payments (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net and others), workflows with approvals, and 300+ integrations. Its Salesforce apps are a genuine differentiator — forms that read and write Salesforce records natively and can live inside Experience Cloud — and it offers HIPAA compliance, PCI and SOC 2 for regulated buyers.
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.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Formstack checked 2026-08-17, Cognito Forms checked 2026-08-17. 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 | FFormstack | CCognito Forms | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialAI features rolling out; not the core building flow | PartialAI assist for calculations, not full-form generation | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | YesHundreds, skewed to HR, healthcare, education | Yes100+ | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | Yes | YesFormula-based show/hide, require, validate | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | Yes | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | Yes | YesSpreadsheet-style expressions, repeating sections | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | Yes2 GB on Forms · 10 GB Suite | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro · 10 GB Team | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | YesStripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Square & more | YesStripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | YesSignature field; full e-sign via Formstack Sign | YesPro and up | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | YesThemes & CSS | YesStyles & CSS on paid plans | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | YesPaid plans; no free tier | YesPro, $19 / mo annual | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | YesPaid plans | PartialEmbed on your domain; no custom hosted domain | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | NoNo free plan; 14-day trial | Partial100 / mo, overflow locked | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | PartialPer-form submission caps; overage handled by upgrade | PartialLocked 30 days, then deleted unless you upgrade | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks | Yes | YesJSON webhooks + Power Automate | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | Yes300+ native + Zapier; deep Salesforce | YesZapier, Make, Power Automate | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | YesSubmission analytics; conversion kit on higher tiers | PartialEntry reporting; no view / drop-off funnel | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | Yes | YesExcel, CSV, PDF | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesExtra builder seats cost more | Yes2 users Pro · 5 Team · 20 Enterprise | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | Yes | PartialVia workflow roles / private links | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesAdd-on on Forms/Suite; included Salesforce & Enterprise | YesEnterprise, $129 / mo | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | YesEnterprise | YesEnterprise | 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 Formstack's (Forms at $83 / month (annual, $99 monthly)). Both offer a free plan (100 entries / mo · 1 user · 100 MB · Cognito branding · 1% payment fee) and a 14-day trial respectively. Note the plans differ in limits — see the tables above. FormBuilder Pro, for reference, is $39 / month for 10,000 responses.
Formstack offers a 14-day trial. Prices shown are per month billed annually; monthly billing is roughly 20% higher. Submission limits are per form. No free plan — 14-day free trial of Forms.
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.
Formstack payments: Yes (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Square & more). Cognito Forms payments: Yes (Stripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro). FormBuilder collects Stripe payments to your own account with no platform fee on every plan, including free.
Formstack HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Add-on on Forms/Suite; included Salesforce & Enterprise). Cognito Forms HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Enterprise, $129 / mo). FormBuilder's HIPAA plan with BAA ($99 / month) is currently rolling out.
Formstack is a no-code workflow platform for mid-size and enterprise teams that bundles forms, document generation and e-signature, with a deep Salesforce integration. Cognito Forms is a power-user form builder built for order forms, registrations and applications that need calculations, repeating sections, payments and approval workflows. Formstack is best for operations, HR and admissions teams that need forms to feed documents, approvals and e-signatures; Cognito Forms is best for order, quote and registration forms with line items and live totals.
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 Formstack and FormBuilder vs Cognito Forms comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Describe your form in a sentence, get a draft in seconds, publish free. No credit card required.
Start building freeFree plan · 100 responses / month · Upgrade to Pro for $39 when you're ready