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Head-to-head comparison · Updated August 2026

Microsoft Forms vs forms.app

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.

Short answerMicrosoft Forms is microsoft's built-in survey, quiz and poll tool — free with a Microsoft account and bundled into every Microsoft 365 business and education plan. 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. Choose Microsoft Forms for organisations already licensed for Microsoft 365 that want zero-cost internal surveys and quizzes, and forms.app for small businesses and educators who need a lot of responses on a handful of forms without paying. If neither fits, FormBuilder is a third option with 100 free responses a month and a flat $39 / month Pro plan.
At a glance
MMicrosoft Forms
fforms.app
FFormBuilder
Category
Forms & surveys inside Microsoft 365
All-purpose online form & survey builder
AI-first form builder
Free plan
200 responses / form · 400 forms · basic themes
5 forms · unlimited responses (fair use) · 10 MB storage · AI, logic, payments, signatures · forms.app branding
5 forms · 100 responses / mo · overflow held
Entry paid plan
Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 / month
Basic at $29 / month ($19 annual)
Pro — $39 / month ($390 / year)
Remove branding
No (Microsoft footer always shown)
Yes (Basic, $29 / mo)
Pro, $39
Payments
No
Yes (Stripe & PayPal, all plans)
Stripe, own account, no fee
HIPAA / BAA
Yes (Covered by Microsoft 365 BAA on eligible plans)
No (No BAA offered)
HIPAA plan coming soon
AI generator drafts forms from a sentence
100 responses / month free
Held responses — never lost
6,000+ apps via Zapier

Overview

What are Microsoft Forms and forms.app?

Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms is the survey and quiz builder that ships with Microsoft 365. It started in Office 365 Education as a quiz tool for teachers and has since become the default way Microsoft shops collect feedback, run polls in Teams meetings, and grade simple quizzes. Anyone with a personal Microsoft account can use it free; work and school accounts get it as part of their Microsoft 365 licence.

The builder is deliberately simple: a handful of question types (choice, text, rating, date, ranking, Likert, Net Promoter Score, file upload), basic branching, themes, and automatic response charts. Its real advantage is the plumbing around it — responses land in Excel with one click, forms can be dropped into Teams, SharePoint, OneNote and PowerPoint, and Power Automate can trigger a flow on every submission. Copilot can now draft a form from a prompt inside Microsoft 365.

forms.app

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.

At a glance: pros and cons

Microsoft Forms pros

  • Free for anyone already on Microsoft 365
  • Native Microsoft 365 plumbing
  • Excellent quiz mode
  • Enterprise security inherited from the tenant

Microsoft Forms cons

  • Limited customisation and always Microsoft-branded
  • Thin feature set for business forms
  • Personal accounts are capped at 200 responses per form
  • Integrations run through Power Automate

forms.app pros

  • Unlimited responses on every plan, including free
  • AI, payments and signatures without paying
  • Enormous template library and field catalogue
  • Low-risk commercial terms

forms.app cons

  • Custom domain sits on the $79 tier
  • Five-form ceiling on free, 25 on Basic
  • Thin compliance and API story
  • Breadth over depth

Pricing

Microsoft Forms vs forms.app pricing

In each vendor's own terms; Microsoft 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.

MMicrosoft Forms pricingChecked 2026-08-17
Free (personal Microsoft account)
$0
200 responses / form · 400 forms · basic themes
Microsoft 365 Personal
$9.99
/ month
1,000 responses / form · plus Office apps & 1 TB OneDrive
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
$7
/ user / month (annual)
Up to 5,000,000 responses / form · Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, Power Automate
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
$14
/ user / month (annual)
Same Forms limits · desktop Office apps · $23.50 with Copilot
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
$22
/ user / month (annual)
Same Forms limits · Intune, Defender, advanced security
Forms is never sold on its own — it comes with a Microsoft account or a Microsoft 365 seat. Prices below are per user per month on annual billing; response caps are per form, not per month.
fforms.app pricingChecked 2026-08-18
Free
$0
/ month
5 forms · unlimited responses (fair use) · 10 MB storage · AI, logic, payments, signatures · forms.app branding
Basic
$29
/ month ($19 annual)
25 forms · 10 GB storage · remove branding · unlimited team members
Pro
$39
/ month ($29 annual)
Unlimited forms · 100 GB storage · custom subdomain · custom CSS · drop-off analytics
Premium
$79
/ month ($59 annual)
Unlimited forms · 1 TB storage · custom domain · priority support
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.

Feature comparison

Feature-by-feature: Microsoft Forms vs forms.app (and FormBuilder)

25 capabilities across building, design, data workflow and security.

FeatureMMicrosoft Formsfforms.appFFormBuilder
Building
AI form generation from a prompt
YesCopilot draft; requires M365 / Copilot licence for full use
Yesforms.app AI, all plans
Yes
Drag-and-drop visual builder
PartialQuestion-list builder; reorder only
Yes
Yes
Template library
PartialSmall gallery of survey & quiz templates
YesVery large gallery (thousands)
Yes300+
Conditional logic / branching
PartialBasic branching; no complex rules
YesAll plans
Yes
Multi-page / multi-step forms
PartialSections act as pages
Yes
YesPro
Calculations & scoring
PartialQuiz points & auto-grading only
YesCalculator & quiz scoring
YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes
File uploads
YesWork / school accounts only; files go to OneDrive
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
PartialThemes, header image, logo; layout fixed
YesThemes free; custom CSS on Pro
YesPro
Remove vendor badge
NoMicrosoft footer always shown
YesBasic, $29 / mo
YesPro, $39
Custom domain
No
YesPremium, $79 / mo (subdomain on Pro)
Yes
Embed on any site
Yesiframe; native in Teams, SharePoint, Sway
Yes
Yes
Data & workflow
Free-plan monthly responses
Partial200 per form (personal); unlimited in practice on M365 work accounts
YesUnlimited (fair use), 5 forms
Partial100 / mo, overflow held
Over-limit responses kept (not rejected)
NoForm closes at limit
YesNo response cap to exceed
Yes
Email notifications & autoresponders
PartialOwner email; richer via Power Automate
YesCustomised emails on paid plans
Yes
Webhooks
PartialThrough Power Automate, not native
YesWebhooks; public API on roadmap
YesAll plans
Zapier / native integrations
PartialPower Automate native; Zapier trigger available
YesZapier, Make, Sheets, Slack + natives
Yes6,000+ apps
Built-in analytics (views, drop-off)
PartialResponse summary charts; no drop-off
PartialBasic stats free; drop-off on Pro
Yes
CSV / spreadsheet export
YesExcel, live-linked
Yes
Yes
Team workspaces & collaboration
YesGroup forms via Microsoft 365 Groups / Teams
YesUnlimited team members
Yes
Security
Password-protected forms
PartialRestrict to org sign-in; no public password
YesPassword / access controls
YesPro
HIPAA / BAA
YesCovered by Microsoft 365 BAA on eligible plans
NoNo BAA offered
PartialHIPAA plan coming soon
GDPR tooling & DPA
Yes
YesEU company, GDPR tooling
Yes
SSO / SAML
YesEntra ID on all M365 plans
No
PartialEnterprise
IncludedPartial / higher tier / workaroundNot availableDetails reflect public plans as of August 2026.

Another option to consider

FFormBuilder

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.

Try FormBuilder free

Questions

Microsoft Forms vs forms.app: frequently asked

Is Microsoft Forms cheaper than forms.app?

Microsoft Forms's entry paid plan (Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 / month) is cheaper than forms.app's (Basic at $29 / month ($19 annual)). Both offer a free plan (200 responses / form · 400 forms · basic themes) 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.

Does Microsoft Forms have a free plan?

Microsoft Forms offers a free plan (200 responses / form · 400 forms · basic themes). Forms is never sold on its own — it comes with a Microsoft account or a Microsoft 365 seat. Prices below are per user per month on annual billing; response caps are per form, not per month.

Does forms.app have a free plan?

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.

Which is better for payments, Microsoft Forms or forms.app?

Microsoft 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.

Which is better for HIPAA, Microsoft Forms or forms.app?

Microsoft Forms HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Covered by Microsoft 365 BAA on eligible plans). forms.app HIPAA / BAA: No (No BAA offered). FormBuilder's HIPAA plan with BAA ($99 / month) is currently rolling out.

What is the difference between Microsoft Forms and forms.app?

Microsoft Forms is microsoft's built-in survey, quiz and poll tool — free with a Microsoft account and bundled into every Microsoft 365 business and education plan. 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. Microsoft Forms is best for organisations already licensed for Microsoft 365 that want zero-cost internal surveys and quizzes; forms.app is best for small businesses and educators who need a lot of responses on a handful of forms without paying.

What is a good alternative to both Microsoft Forms and forms.app?

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 Microsoft 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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