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.
Paperform takes a different approach from most builders: you write a form the way you would write a document. Headings, images, paragraphs and questions live in one free-flowing editor, so a Paperform can double as a landing page, a product page or a booking page. That editing model is the product's identity — it produces attractive, content-rich forms without a separate page builder.
Its commercial features are unusually deep for a form tool. Native payments through Stripe, Square, PayPal, Braintree and Mollie, a product catalogue with quantities and coupons, appointment scheduling, calculations, and an AI calculations assistant make it a genuine fit for taking orders, deposits and registrations. It also ships a sibling e-signature product, Papersign, plus a native integrations catalogue alongside Zapier and Make.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Google Forms checked 2026-08-17, Paperform 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 | PPaperform | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialGemini "help me create" on paid Workspace tiers | YesAI form builder + AI calculations assistant | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialQuestion list with reordering; no canvas or layout control | PartialDocument-style editor; blocks, not a canvas | Yes |
| Template library | PartialA few dozen basic templates | Yes700+ | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | PartialGo-to-section branching only; no field-level show/hide | YesQuestions, content, emails & summaries | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesSections | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | PartialQuiz auto-grading; no calculated fields | YesCalculations field & scoring | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | YesRespondents must sign in to Google; 1 GB / form default | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Essentials · 10 GB Pro | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | No | YesStripe, Square, PayPal, Braintree, Mollie; products & coupons | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | No | YesSignature field; Papersign for documents | 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 | YesPro, $49 / mo | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | No | Partial+$20 / mo per domain on Pro; 1 included on Business | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yesiframe | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited | Partial30 / mo | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to hit | NoUpgrade or buy top-ups to avoid disruption | 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 | YesPro and above | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make; native Sheets | Yes2,000+ via native, Zapier & Make | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialResponse summary charts; no views or drop-off | YesPaperform Analytics on Pro+ | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesGoogle Sheets, CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesCollaborators; shared drives on Workspace | Yes3 users on Pro; 5 + $9 / user on Business | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialRestrict to signed-in / org users only | YesPaid plans | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesBAA via paid Workspace plans | NoNo BAA offered | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | YesWorkspace DPA | Yes | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | YesWorkspace | YesBusiness only | 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 Paperform's (Essentials at $24 / month (annual)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls) and a free plan (30 submissions / mo · unlimited forms · 1 user · 100 MB · Paperform branding · 5 payment submissions / mo) 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.
Paperform offers a free plan (30 submissions / mo · unlimited forms · 1 user · 100 MB · Paperform branding · 5 payment submissions / mo). Prices shown are per month billed annually; month-to-month billing is higher. Submission limits are pooled per year, with paid top-ups available. 7-day free trial on paid plans.
Google Forms payments: No. Paperform payments: Yes (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Braintree, Mollie; products & coupons). 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). Paperform 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. Paperform is a document-style form builder where you type a form like a page — great for order forms, bookings and payments, priced by yearly submissions. Google Forms is best for anyone who needs a free survey or sign-up sheet in five minutes; Paperform is best for small businesses selling products, taking bookings or collecting deposits through a form.
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 Paperform comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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