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.
Tally builds forms the way Notion builds pages: you open a blank document, start typing, and hit "/" to insert questions, layout blocks and logic. There is no separate field palette or property panel to learn, and the result renders as a clean, text-first form. That editing model is the reason people fall for it — it is genuinely the fastest way to knock out a simple form if you already think in documents.
The commercial model is unusually generous. Unlimited forms and unlimited submissions are free, and so are most of the things other builders gate: conditional logic, calculations, answer piping, payments via Stripe, signatures, file uploads (10 MB per file), password protection, webhooks and native integrations with Notion, Google Sheets, Airtable, Zapier and Make. Tally Pro ($29 / mo, or $24 on annual) exists mainly to remove branding, add custom domains, capture partial submissions and unlock team workspaces. Tally Business ($89 / mo, or $74 on annual) adds data-retention controls and email verification.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Google Forms checked 2026-08-17, Tally 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 | TTally | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | PartialGemini "help me create" on paid Workspace tiers | No | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialQuestion list with reordering; no canvas or layout control | PartialNotion-style block editor; type "/" to insert | Yes |
| Template library | PartialA few dozen basic templates | Yes~200 community & official templates | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | PartialGo-to-section branching only; no field-level show/hide | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesSections | YesPage-break block, free | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | PartialQuiz auto-grading; no calculated fields | YesCalculated fields, free | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | YesRespondents must sign in to Google; 1 GB / form default | Yes10 MB / file free; larger on Pro | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | No | YesStripe, free | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | No | Yes | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialHeader image, colour & font only | PartialBasic themes free; custom CSS on Pro | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | NoGoogle footer cannot be removed | YesPro, $29 / mo | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | No | YesPro | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yesiframe | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited | YesUnlimited (fair use) | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to hit | YesNo cap to exceed on free | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | PartialOwner email per response; autoresponder needs Apps Script or add-on | PartialSelf-notifications free; respondent emails via integrations | Yes |
| Webhooks | PartialApps Script or third-party add-on | YesFree | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make; native Sheets | YesZapier, Make, Notion, Sheets, Airtable, Slack | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialResponse summary charts; no views or drop-off | PartialSubmission counts free; visits & drop-off on Pro | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | YesGoogle Sheets, CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesCollaborators; shared drives on Workspace | YesPro | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | PartialRestrict to signed-in / org users only | YesFree | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | YesBAA via paid Workspace plans | NoNo BAA offered | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | YesWorkspace DPA | YesEU-hosted, DPA available | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | YesWorkspace | PartialGoogle / Microsoft login; no SAML | 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 Tally's (Pro at $29 / month ($24 annual)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & responses · 15 GB shared Drive storage · Google footer · no admin controls) and a free plan (Unlimited forms & submissions (fair use) · logic, payments, signatures, uploads (10 MB / file), webhooks, integrations · Tally 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.
Tally offers a free plan (Unlimited forms & submissions (fair use) · logic, payments, signatures, uploads (10 MB / file), webhooks, integrations · Tally branding). Prices shown are monthly billing; annual billing gives "2 months off" (Pro $24 / mo, Business $74 / mo). Free plan is unlimited within Tally's fair-use policy.
Google Forms payments: No. Tally payments: Yes (Stripe, free). 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). Tally 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. Tally is the document-style form builder that gives away unlimited forms and submissions for free and charges only for branding, domains and team features. Google Forms is best for anyone who needs a free survey or sign-up sheet in five minutes; Tally is best for indie makers, founders and Notion-first teams who want a free form that just works.
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 Tally comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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