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.
FormGrid is an independent form and survey builder whose pitch is looks and logic for free. The free plan includes unlimited forms and unlimited responses, an AI assistant that drafts a form (questions, logic and design) from a text description, custom themes, a flexible grid layout system, and a fairly deep logic set — conditional questions, repeatable sections, answer piping, calculations, hidden fields and page navigation. Responses land in a built-in analytics dashboard with CSV / XLSX export.
The paid tiers are about working with other people and looking like yourself. Plus ($29 / month as listed by third-party directories; annual billing saves up to 34%) adds team collaboration, custom emails, a custom domain, hiding the FormGrid badge, 30-day version history and 100 MB uploads. Business ($79 / month) adds workspaces, roles and permissions, 90-day history and 1 GB uploads. Integrations cover Zapier, Make, Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets and webhooks. Data is hosted in Europe and the product is GDPR-oriented.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Google Forms checked 2026-08-17, FormGrid 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 | GGoogle Forms | FFormGrid | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialGemini "help me create" on paid Workspace tiers | YesDraft & edit with AI, free | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialQuestion list with reordering; no canvas or layout control | YesGrid layout system | Yes |
| Template library | PartialA few dozen basic templates | YesThemes & templates | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | PartialGo-to-section branching only; no field-level show/hide | YesFree, incl. piping & hidden fields | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesSections | YesPage navigation, free | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | PartialQuiz auto-grading; no calculated fields | YesCalculations, free | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | YesRespondents must sign in to Google; 1 GB / form default | Yes10 MB free · 100 MB Plus · 1 GB Business | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | No | NoNot an advertised feature | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | No | YesSignature field listed | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialHeader image, colour & font only | YesCustom themes free | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | NoGoogle footer cannot be removed | YesPlus | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | No | YesPlus | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yesiframe | YesEmbeds & pop-ups | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited | YesUnlimited | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to hit | YesNo cap to exceed | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | PartialOwner email per response; autoresponder needs Apps Script or add-on | YesNotifications free; custom emails on Plus | Yes |
| Webhooks | PartialApps Script or third-party add-on | Yes | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make; native Sheets | YesZapier, Make, Airtable, Notion, Sheets | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialResponse summary charts; no views or drop-off | YesBuilt-in dashboard | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesGoogle Sheets, CSV | YesCSV / XLSX | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesCollaborators; shared drives on Workspace | YesCollaboration on Plus; workspaces & roles on Business | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialRestrict to signed-in / org users only | PartialNot listed; check vendor | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesBAA via paid Workspace plans | NoNo BAA offered | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | YesWorkspace DPA | YesEU hosting, GDPR-oriented | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | YesWorkspace | No | 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 FormGrid's (Plus at $29 / month (per directories)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls) and a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · AI drafting · custom themes · logic · 10 MB uploads · unlimited team members · FormGrid badge) 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.
FormGrid offers a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · AI drafting · custom themes · logic · 10 MB uploads · unlimited team members · FormGrid badge). The vendor pricing page shows plan contents but the dollar amounts we could confirm come from third-party listings (Plus $29, Business $79 per month); annual billing is advertised as saving up to 34%. Check vendor pricing before deciding.
Google Forms payments: No. FormGrid payments: No (Not an advertised feature). 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). FormGrid HIPAA / BAA: No (No BAA offered). 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. FormGrid is a small, design-led form builder that gives away unlimited forms and responses with AI drafting, and charges only for team features, custom domains and badge removal. Google Forms is best for anyone who needs a free survey or sign-up sheet in five minutes; FormGrid is best for designers, makers and small teams who want unusually pretty forms for free.
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 FormGrid 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