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.
forms.app is a general-purpose builder for forms, surveys, quizzes and simple order forms. It ships a very large template gallery, 30+ field types, conditional logic, calculators, e-signatures, payment fields and its own AI assistant ("forms.app AI") that drafts a form from a prompt. Forms can be published as a standard page, a conversational one-question-at-a-time flow, or a pop-up, and every plan can connect to Google Sheets, Slack, Zapier and a growing native integration list.
Its pricing model is the interesting bit. Instead of metering responses, forms.app meters the number of forms and file storage: the free plan allows 5 forms with unlimited responses (subject to fair use) and 10 MB storage, Basic ($29 / mo, $19 annual) allows 25 forms and removes branding, Pro ($39 / mo, $29 annual) allows unlimited forms with 100 GB storage and a custom subdomain, and Premium ($79 / mo, $59 annual) adds a true custom domain and 1 TB. There is a 90-day refund guarantee and a 50% discount for non-profits and education.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Google Forms checked 2026-08-17, forms.app 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 | fforms.app | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialGemini "help me create" on paid Workspace tiers | Yesforms.app AI, all plans | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialQuestion list with reordering; no canvas or layout control | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | PartialA few dozen basic templates | YesVery large gallery (thousands) | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | PartialGo-to-section branching only; no field-level show/hide | YesAll plans | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesSections | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | PartialQuiz auto-grading; no calculated fields | YesCalculator & quiz scoring | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | YesRespondents must sign in to Google; 1 GB / form default | Yes10 MB storage free · 10 GB–1 TB paid | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | No | YesStripe & PayPal, all plans | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | No | YesAll plans | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialHeader image, colour & font only | YesThemes free; custom CSS on Pro | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | NoGoogle footer cannot be removed | YesBasic, $29 / mo | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | No | YesPremium, $79 / mo (subdomain on Pro) | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yesiframe | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited | YesUnlimited (fair use), 5 forms | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to hit | YesNo response cap to exceed | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | PartialOwner email per response; autoresponder needs Apps Script or add-on | YesCustomised emails on paid plans | Yes |
| Webhooks | PartialApps Script or third-party add-on | YesWebhooks; public API on roadmap | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make; native Sheets | YesZapier, Make, Sheets, Slack + natives | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialResponse summary charts; no views or drop-off | PartialBasic stats free; drop-off on Pro | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesGoogle Sheets, CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesCollaborators; shared drives on Workspace | YesUnlimited team members | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialRestrict to signed-in / org users only | YesPassword / access controls | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesBAA via paid Workspace plans | NoNo BAA offered | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | YesWorkspace DPA | YesEU company, GDPR tooling | 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 forms.app's (Basic at $29 / month ($19 annual)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls) and a free plan (5 forms · unlimited responses (fair use) · 10 MB storage · AI, logic, payments, signatures · forms.app branding) 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.
forms.app offers a free plan (5 forms · unlimited responses (fair use) · 10 MB storage · AI, logic, payments, signatures · forms.app branding). Monthly prices shown; annual billing is roughly a third less (Basic $19, Pro $29, Premium $59 per month). Responses are unlimited on all plans within fair use — forms.app meters forms and storage instead. Check vendor pricing for current numbers.
Google Forms payments: No. forms.app payments: Yes (Stripe & PayPal, all plans). 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). forms.app 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. forms.app is a broad, template-heavy form and survey builder that prices by number of forms and storage rather than responses, with an AI generator and payments on every plan including free. Google Forms is best for anyone who needs a free survey or sign-up sheet in five minutes; forms.app is best for small businesses and educators who need a lot of responses on a handful of forms without paying.
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 forms.app comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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