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
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.
Cognito Forms started as a side product of a software consultancy and still feels like it was built by developers for people who need forms to do real work. Its calculated fields use a spreadsheet-style expression language, repeating sections let respondents add unlimited line items, and data lookups can pull values from other forms. Order forms, event registrations, quotes and applications are its natural habitat.
On top of the builder it layers a workflow engine: entries move through statuses, roles decide who can view or edit which fields, approvals can be routed by email, and Save & Resume plus a Client Portal let people come back to unfinished submissions. Payments (Stripe, Square, PayPal) are first-class, including subscriptions and payment-on-approval, and document generation can merge entries into PDFs.
Pricing
In each vendor's own terms; Tally checked 2026-08-17, Cognito Forms 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 | TTally | CCognito Forms | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | No | PartialAI assist for calculations, not full-form generation | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialNotion-style block editor; type "/" to insert | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | Yes~200 community & official templates | Yes100+ | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | Yes | YesFormula-based show/hide, require, validate | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesPage-break block, free | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | YesCalculated fields, free | YesSpreadsheet-style expressions, repeating sections | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | Yes10 MB / file free; larger on Pro | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro · 10 GB Team | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | YesStripe, free | YesStripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | Yes | YesPro and up | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialBasic themes free; custom CSS on Pro | YesStyles & CSS on paid plans | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | YesPro, $29 / mo | YesPro, $19 / mo annual | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | YesPro | PartialEmbed on your domain; no custom hosted domain | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited (fair use) | Partial100 / mo, overflow locked | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to exceed on free | PartialLocked 30 days, then deleted unless you upgrade | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | PartialSelf-notifications free; respondent emails via integrations | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks | YesFree | YesJSON webhooks + Power Automate | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make, Notion, Sheets, Airtable, Slack | YesZapier, Make, Power Automate | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialSubmission counts free; visits & drop-off on Pro | PartialEntry reporting; no view / drop-off funnel | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | Yes | YesExcel, CSV, PDF | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesPro | Yes2 users Pro · 5 Team · 20 Enterprise | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | YesFree | PartialVia workflow roles / private links | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | NoNo BAA offered | YesEnterprise, $129 / mo | PartialHIPAA plan coming soon |
| GDPR tooling & DPA | YesEU-hosted, DPA available | Yes | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | PartialGoogle / Microsoft login; no SAML | 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
Cognito Forms's entry paid plan (Pro at $19 / month (annual, $24 monthly)) is cheaper than Tally's (Pro at $29 / month ($24 annual)). Both offer a free plan (100 entries / mo · 1 user · 100 MB · Cognito branding · 1% payment fee) 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.
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.
Cognito Forms offers a free plan (100 entries / mo · 1 user · 100 MB · Cognito branding · 1% payment fee). Prices shown at annual billing; monthly billing is roughly 20-25% higher. Entry limits are per organisation per month; all plans include unlimited forms.
Tally payments: Yes (Stripe, free). Cognito Forms payments: Yes (Stripe, Square, PayPal; 1% fee on Individual & Pro). FormBuilder collects Stripe payments to your own account with no platform fee on every plan, including free.
Tally HIPAA / BAA: No (No BAA offered). Cognito Forms HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Enterprise, $129 / mo). FormBuilder's HIPAA plan with BAA ($99 / month) is currently rolling out.
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. Cognito Forms is a power-user form builder built for order forms, registrations and applications that need calculations, repeating sections, payments and approval workflows. Tally is best for indie makers, founders and Notion-first teams who want a free form that just works; Cognito Forms is best for order, quote and registration forms with line items and live totals.
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 Tally and FormBuilder vs Cognito Forms comparisons.
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Describe your form in a sentence, get a draft in seconds, publish free. No credit card required.
Start building freeFree plan · 100 responses / month · Upgrade to Pro for $39 when you're ready