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.
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.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Google Forms checked 2026-08-17, Formstack 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 | FFormstack | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialGemini "help me create" on paid Workspace tiers | PartialAI features rolling out; not the core building flow | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialQuestion list with reordering; no canvas or layout control | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | PartialA few dozen basic templates | YesHundreds, skewed to HR, healthcare, education | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | PartialGo-to-section branching only; no field-level show/hide | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesSections | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | PartialQuiz auto-grading; no calculated fields | Yes | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | YesRespondents must sign in to Google; 1 GB / form default | Yes2 GB on Forms · 10 GB Suite | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | No | YesStripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Square & more | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | No | YesSignature field; full e-sign via Formstack Sign | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialHeader image, colour & font only | YesThemes & CSS | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | NoGoogle footer cannot be removed | YesPaid plans; no free tier | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | No | YesPaid plans | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yesiframe | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited | NoNo free plan; 14-day trial | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to hit | PartialPer-form submission caps; overage handled by 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 | Yes | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make; native Sheets | Yes300+ native + Zapier; deep Salesforce | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialResponse summary charts; no views or drop-off | YesSubmission analytics; conversion kit on higher tiers | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesGoogle Sheets, CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesCollaborators; shared drives on Workspace | YesExtra builder seats cost more | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialRestrict to signed-in / org users only | Yes | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesBAA via paid Workspace plans | YesAdd-on on Forms/Suite; included Salesforce & Enterprise | 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 Formstack's (Forms at $83 / month (annual, $99 monthly)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls) 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.
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.
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.
Google Forms payments: No. Formstack payments: Yes (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Square & more). 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). Formstack HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Add-on on Forms/Suite; included Salesforce & Enterprise). 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. 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. Google Forms is best for anyone who needs a free survey or sign-up sheet in five minutes; Formstack is best for operations, HR and admissions teams that need forms to feed documents, approvals and e-signatures.
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 Formstack comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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