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.
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; Tally 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 | TTally | FFormstack | FFormBuilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| AI form generation from a prompt | No | PartialAI features rolling out; not the core building flow | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop visual builder | PartialNotion-style block editor; type "/" to insert | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | Yes~200 community & official templates | YesHundreds, skewed to HR, healthcare, education | Yes300+ |
| Conditional logic / branching | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-page / multi-step forms | YesPage-break block, free | Yes | YesPro |
| Calculations & scoring | YesCalculated fields, free | Yes | YesCalculation field + auto-graded quizzes |
| File uploads | Yes10 MB / file free; larger on Pro | Yes2 GB on Forms · 10 GB Suite | Yes100 MB free · 1 GB Pro |
| Payment collection | YesStripe, free | YesStripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Square & more | YesStripe — paid to your own account, no platform fee |
| E-signature field | Yes | YesSignature field; full e-sign via Formstack Sign | Yes |
| Design | |||
| Custom themes & branding | PartialBasic themes free; custom CSS on Pro | YesThemes & CSS | YesPro |
| Remove vendor badge | YesPro, $29 / mo | YesPaid plans; no free tier | YesPro, $39 |
| Custom domain | YesPro | YesPaid plans | Yes |
| Embed on any site | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data & workflow | |||
| Free-plan monthly responses | YesUnlimited (fair use) | NoNo free plan; 14-day trial | Partial100 / mo, overflow held |
| Over-limit responses kept (not rejected) | YesNo cap to exceed on free | PartialPer-form submission caps; overage handled by upgrade | Yes |
| Email notifications & autoresponders | PartialSelf-notifications free; respondent emails via integrations | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks | YesFree | Yes | YesAll plans |
| Zapier / native integrations | YesZapier, Make, Notion, Sheets, Airtable, Slack | Yes300+ native + Zapier; deep Salesforce | Yes6,000+ apps |
| Built-in analytics (views, drop-off) | PartialSubmission counts free; visits & drop-off on Pro | YesSubmission analytics; conversion kit on higher tiers | Yes |
| CSV / spreadsheet export | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspaces & collaboration | YesPro | YesExtra builder seats cost more | Yes |
| Security | |||
| Password-protected forms | YesFree | Yes | YesPro |
| HIPAA / BAA | NoNo BAA offered | YesAdd-on on Forms/Suite; included Salesforce & Enterprise | 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
Tally's entry paid plan (Pro at $29 / month ($24 annual)) is cheaper than Formstack's (Forms at $83 / month (annual, $99 monthly)). Both offer a free plan (Unlimited forms & submissions (fair use) · logic, payments, signatures, uploads (10 MB / file), webhooks, integrations · Tally branding) 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.
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.
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.
Tally payments: Yes (Stripe, free). 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.
Tally HIPAA / BAA: No (No BAA offered). Formstack HIPAA / BAA: Yes (Add-on on Forms/Suite; included Salesforce & Enterprise). 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. 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. Tally is best for indie makers, founders and Notion-first teams who want a free form that just works; 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 Tally 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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