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
Google Forms is the default form tool for a large share of the internet because it costs nothing and is already there. Anyone with a Gmail account can build a form, quiz or survey in minutes, share a link, and watch responses land in a linked Google Sheet. There is no meaningful response cap on personal accounts, which is rare among free tools.
The builder is deliberately simple: a dozen or so question types, sections with "go to section based on answer" branching, quizzes with automatic grading and answer feedback, file uploads (respondents must be signed in to Google), collaborator sharing, and light theming with a header image, colour and font. Since 2025 Google has been adding Gemini features — a "help me create" prompt that drafts a form from a description — on paid Workspace tiers with Gemini included.
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; Google Forms 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 | GGoogle Forms | CCognito Forms | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialGemini "help me create" on paid Workspace tiers | PartialAI assist for calculations, not full-form generation | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialQuestion list with reordering; no canvas or layout control | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | PartialA few dozen basic templates | Yes100+ | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | PartialGo-to-section branching only; no field-level show/hide | YesFormula-based show/hide, require, validate | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesSections | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | PartialQuiz auto-grading; no calculated fields | YesSpreadsheet-style expressions, repeating sections | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | YesRespondents must sign in to Google; 1 GB / form default | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro · 10 GB Team | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | No | YesStripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | No | YesPro and up | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialHeader image, colour & font only | YesStyles & CSS on paid plans | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | NoGoogle footer cannot be removed | YesPro, $19 / mo annual | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | No | PartialEmbed on your domain; no custom hosted domain | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yesiframe | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited | Partial100 / mo, overflow locked | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to hit | PartialLocked 30 days, then deleted unless you upgrade | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | PartialOwner email per response; autoresponder needs Apps Script or add-on | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks | PartialApps Script or third-party add-on | YesJSON webhooks + Power Automate | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make; native Sheets | YesZapier, Make, Power Automate | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialResponse summary charts; no views or drop-off | PartialEntry reporting; no view / drop-off funnel | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesGoogle Sheets, CSV | YesExcel, CSV, PDF | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesCollaborators; shared drives on Workspace | Yes2 users Pro · 5 Team · 20 Enterprise | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialRestrict to signed-in / org users only | PartialVia workflow roles / private links | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesBAA via paid Workspace plans | YesEnterprise, $129 / mo | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | YesWorkspace DPA | Yes | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | YesWorkspace | 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
Google Forms's entry paid plan (Business Starter at $7 / user / month (annual)) is cheaper than Cognito Forms's (Pro at $19 / month (annual, $24 monthly)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls) and a free plan (100 entries / mo · 1 user · 100 MB · Cognito branding · 1% payment fee) respectively. Note the plans differ in limits — see the tables above. FormBuilder Pro, for reference, is $39 / month for 10,000 responses.
Google Forms offers a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls). Forms itself is free with any Google account. Business features come with a Google Workspace subscription, priced per user per month (annual commitment; monthly "Flexible" billing costs about 20% more). Google was running a 50%-off first-year promo for the first 20 seats through Nov 30, 2026.
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.
Google Forms payments: No. 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.
Google Forms HIPAA / BAA: Yes (BAA via paid Workspace plans). Cognito Forms HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Enterprise, $129 / mo). FormBuilder's HIPAA plan with BAA ($99 / month) is currently rolling out.
Google Forms is google's free, no-frills form and survey tool — unlimited forms and responses for anyone with a Google account, wired straight into Sheets and Drive. Cognito Forms is a power-user form builder built for order forms, registrations and applications that need calculations, repeating sections, payments and approval workflows. Google Forms is best for anyone who needs a free survey or sign-up sheet in five minutes; 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 Google Forms and FormBuilder vs Cognito Forms comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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