8 Best Free Form Builders in 2026 (Tested & Compared)
Finding the right form builder when you're on a tight budget is tricky. Most tools lure you in with a "free plan" that's so limited you end up paying anyway. We tested many free form builders to find the ones that actually deliver without forcing you to upgrade.
Quick list: Top 3 free form builders
After testing the most popular free form builders, we've identified three that genuinely work without requiring a paid plan for basic to intermediate use. Here's why these three made it to the top:
- Microsoft Forms: Microsoft Forms is a genuinely free way to create clean-looking surveys, quizzes, and simple forms. It’s fast to set up, supports unlimited responses, and plays nicely with Excel and Teams.
- Tally: Tally is a simple, Notion-like form builder with one of the most generous free plans available: Unlimited forms and unlimited submissions.
- forms.app: forms.app is a polished, beginner-friendly form builder with a genuinely useful free plan. It’s a great pick if you want modern-looking forms, templates, and AI help without paying upfront.
Best free form builders at first glance
Before we dive into detailed reviews, here's a quick comparison of how these free form builders stack up. We looked at the actual limits and features you get without paying, because that's what matters when you're looking for a free solution.
| Tool | Rating | Starting Paid Plan | Free Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 3.8/5 | Free | Yes |
 | 3.9/5 | $29/mo | Yes |
 | 4.5/5 | $25/mo | Yes |
 | 3.8/5 | Free | Yes |
 | 4.5/5 | $19/month | Yes |
 | 4.3/5 | $19/mo | Yes |
 | 4/5 | $39/mo | Yes |
 | 3.6/5 | $12 per app creator + $2.40 per app user/month | Yes |
Detailed Reviews
We didn't just sign up and poke around. We actually built forms, collected responses, and tested the free plans in real-world scenarios. Here's what we found with each tool.
1. Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms is Microsoft’s built-in, web-based form builder for surveys, questionnaires, and quizzes. It keeps things simple and approachable, while still offering essentials like branching logic, file uploads, and auto-graded quizzes. For a free form builder tool, its modern look and Excel integration make it a practical choice for everyday data collection.
A solid free form builder if you want something straightforward with unlimited responses and strong Microsoft 365 integrations. It looks better than Google Forms, but advanced customization and pro form features are limited.
Pros
- • Free to use for personal users (and included with Microsoft 365 at no extra cost)
- • Unlimited form responses
- • Modern, clean form design that looks better than many free alternatives
Cons
- • Very limited customization/branding
- • Advanced form features (payments, webhooks/API, custom domains, signatures) aren’t available
- • Analytics are basic; you’ll often need Excel for deeper reporting
Our Experience with Microsoft Forms
In our testing, creating a form from scratch was quick, and the overall UI felt clean and modern. Branching logic is more capable than Google Forms. However, the editor can feel a bit clunky at first. Exporting and working with results in Excel is just easy. Responses sync smoothly and make analysis easier outside the tool.
Key Details about Microsoft Forms
- Unlimited responses
- Surveys, forms, and quizzes with auto-grading
- Branching logic (logic jumps)
- File upload questions
- Export/sync responses to Excel
- Embed forms and share via link/QR code
- Microsoft 365 integrations (Teams/SharePoint/Power Automate)
- Template library (22 templates)
Microsoft Forms Pricing
Microsoft Forms can be used for $0 with a personal Microsoft account, and it’s included with Microsoft 365 plans at no additional charge. It is the perfect fit for “free form builder” lists. The core product doesn’t require a paid add-on, but AI features via Copilot need a separate Microsoft 365 Copilot license (often around $30/user/month), which is optional and significantly increases cost. Overall, it’s the best value for people who need simple, reliable forms without paying for a dedicated form-builder subscription.
Free Plan
- Unlimited responses
- Basic statistics
- 22 Free templates
- 8 Form fields
2. Tally
Tally takes a minimalist approach to form building with a document-style editor. What earns it a spot among the best free form builders is its genuinely usable free plan: unlimited forms and unlimited submissions. It’s a solid choice if you need simple forms/surveys for high-volume data.
Tally is one of the best free options for basic to intermediate forms, thanks to unlimited forms and submissions on the free plan. Choose it for simplicity and value; just don’t expect deep analytics, advanced settings, or enterprise-level customization.
Pros
- • Unlimited forms and unlimited submissions on the free plan
- • Free tier includes useful essentials like conditional logic and file uploads
- • Mobile-responsive forms by default
Cons
- • Fewer advanced features and settings than other form builders
- • Design customization is limited unless you use custom CSS (mostly a standard look)
- • Native integrations are helpful but not extensive compared to larger platforms
Our Experience with Tally
In our testing, building standard lead capture, registration, and feedback forms was fast once we adjusted to the doc-style “/ command” workflow. Conditional logic works well, but it feels more manual than visual builders, which can slow you down for complex flows. Overall, forms looked clean and worked smoothly on mobile, with enough customization for a professional result.
Key Details about Tally
- Unlimited forms and submissions (free plan)
- Notion-like document editor with slash commands
- Conditional logic / logic jumps
- File uploads on free tier
- Stripe payments (with platform fees to consider)
- Embeds + share links + QR codes
- Native integrations (Notion, Google Sheets, Airtable, Slack) + webhooks
- GDPR compliance and data export
Tally Pricing
Tally’s Free plan is genuinely generous, offering unlimited forms and unlimited submissions. It's enough for many users to run indefinitely without upgrading. Paid plans start at $29/month (Pro) for features like removing branding, custom domains, collaboration, partial submissions, and custom CSS, with Business at $89/month for more control, like data retention options. Note that “unlimited” operates under fair use guidelines, and payment collection may include additional commission per payment, so high-volume payment use cases should compare total costs.
Free
- Unlimited forms
- Unlimited submissions
Pro
- Remove branding
- Partial submissions
- Team collaboration
- Custom domains
Business
- Automatically delete data after some time
- Verify emails
- Restore to the previous version
3. forms.app
forms.app is an all-around form builder that makes it easy to create forms, surveys, polls, and quizzes with a premium feel. Its interface is clean, the form-filling experience is smooth (especially in Step view), and the library of free templates is massive. For a “free form builder” list, it stands out by offering strong core functionality on the free plan, without making forms feel barebones.
A flexible all-rounder with modern form design, AI assistance, and a generous template library on the free plan. Response limits may be the main reason to upgrade, but it’s a strong free starting point.
Pros
- • Useful free plan for real projects: all field types available
- • Unlimited views and unlimited response storage
- • 5,000+ free form templates
Cons
- • Free plan response limit (100/month) can feel tight for faster-growing use cases
- • No HIPAA compliance, which limits suitability for healthcare-related data collection
- • Some advanced customization/features (e.g., custom CSS, domain options, team features) require paid plans
Our Experience with forms.app
Signing up took seconds with Google sign-in, and we liked that we could start from AI, templates, import, or a blank form right away. The AI form generator produced accurate questions quickly, and templates looked polished out of the box; importing a PDF worked well, though we had to adjust a few field types. In the editor, drag-and-drop building felt intuitive, and key settings were easy to locate, plus Step view and recall answers made the final form feel more dynamic than a typical free tool.
Key Details about forms.app
- Free forever plan available ($0)
- 100 responses/month on free plan
- 5,000+ free form templates
- AI form generator + AI insights
- Drag-and-drop editor
- List view and Step view layouts
- Payments with no commission
- PDF generation from form responses
- Webhooks + integrations (Zapier supported)
forms.app Pricing
forms.app offers a free-forever plan at $0, with paid tiers starting at $25/month (Basic), $35/month (Pro), and $99/month (Premium). The free plan is strong for getting started, especially with all fields available, unlimited views, and unlimited response storage. Upgrades mainly unlock higher limits and business-grade customization features. It also offers a 90-day refund guarantee and discounted pricing for nonprofits and educational organizations.
Free forever
- 5 forms
- 100 responses/mo
Basic
- 25 forms
- 1,000 responses/mo
Pro
- Unlimited forms
- 10,000 responses/mo
Premium
- Unlimited forms
- 100,000 responses/mo
4. Google Forms
Google Forms is Google’s simple form and survey builder that comes bundled with the wider Google ecosystem (Drive, Sheets, Docs, and more). It stands out in the “Free Form Builders” category because it’s truly free (no trials, no paywalls for core features, and no response caps for most use cases). The trade-off is that it’s built for simplicity first, so customization and advanced form automation are limited.
One of the best truly free form builders for simple surveys and internal data collection, especially if you live in Google Sheets. If you need branding, payments, signatures, or advanced logic, you’ll likely need another dedicated and flexible form builder quickly.
Pros
- • 100% free for simple form building
- • Unlimited forms and unlimited responses
- • Automatic Google Sheets sync
Cons
- • Forms created on this platform always have a “Google Forms” look
- • Very limited branding/customization options
- • The feature set is basic (only 12 question types, limited analytics, and simple conditional logic)
Our Experience with Google Forms
In testing, we were able to build and share working forms in minutes thanks to the clean editor and familiar Google-style UI. Responses synced to Google Sheets instantly, making it easy to review and organize submissions in real time. Gemini’s AI form generation was surprisingly useful for getting a solid first draft fast, but the overall experience still feels intentionally basic once you start asking for more complex logic or customization.
Key Details about Google Forms
- Completely free with a Google account
- Unlimited forms and responses
- 12 question types (including file upload, scales, grids, date/time)
- Built-in summaries + easy export to Google Sheets
- Section-based logic jumps (basic branching)
- Mobile-responsive forms
- Real-time team collaboration
- Google Workspace Marketplace add-ons to extend functionality
Google Forms Pricing
Google Forms is free for anyone with a Google account, with no paid tier required to access the core builder or collect responses. The main “limit” is your Google Drive storage (15GB on a free account, shared across Google services), which can matter if you collect file uploads. Businesses that want broader admin controls and Workspace features can upgrade via Google Workspace plans (e.g., Business Starter at $6/user/month).
Personal
- Unlimited forms
- Unlimited responses
- 15 GB storage (shared across Google services)
Google Workspace Business Starter
- Part of Workspace
- 30 GB pooled storage per user
- Custom email (@yourcompany.com)
- Admin controls
5. Fillout
Fillout combines a feature-rich builder (think logic, integrations, payments, and file uploads) with an interface that feels modern and well-organized. For a free form builder, it goes beyond the basics by including collaboration and even built-in scheduling.
Fillout delivers a generous free plan plus advanced capabilities. It’s a standout form builder for teams to start free and upgrade if necessary.
Pros
- • Generous free plan
- • Built-in scheduling
- • Unlimited team seats on all plans
Cons
- • Still newer and less widely known, so fewer community templates/tutorials than legacy tools
- • Analytics are fairly basic if you need deep survey-grade reporting
- • Granular user permissions are limited to Enterprise
Our Experience with Fillout
In hands-on testing, getting a form live was fast, and the drag-and-drop editor felt intuitive despite the large number of options. Conditional logic is robust and visual, making it easier to build multi-path forms and quizzes without trial-and-error. The built-in scheduling worked smoothly with Google Calendar/Outlook and added real value for service-style forms.
Key Details about Fillout
- Free plan available with practical functionality
- Drag-and-drop builder with a clean right-side settings panel
- Visual conditional logic / logic jumps
- Built-in scheduling with Google Calendar & Outlook support
- Airtable and Notion integrations (including updating existing records)
- Payments, file uploads, signatures, and PDF generation
- Multiple embed modes (inline, popup, slider, full-page) + mobile responsive
- Unlimited team seats across all tiers
Fillout Pricing
Fillout offers a free plan that’s genuinely usable for real projects, making it a strong fit for the “Free Form Builders” category. Paid plans start at $19/month (Starter), then scale to $49/month (Pro) and $89/month (Business) for higher usage and advanced capabilities. Notably, unlimited team seats are available on every tier, so it’s cost-effective for collaboration (But beaware you need enterprise for granular user permissions). Some limits are worth double-checking by plan if you plan to upgrade.
Free
- 1,000 submissions/mo
- Unlimited forms
- Unlimited team members
Starter
- 2,000 submissions/mo
- Access to all question types
- Basic Fillout branding
- Custom endings
Pro
- 5,000 submissions/mo
- Remove Fillout branding
- Custom meta details
- Custom emails
- Custom CSS
Business
- Unlimited submissions
- Form analytics
- Partial submissions
- Custom domain
- Custom code
6. Cognito Forms
Cognito Forms is built for people who need powerful logic, calculations, and workflows, not just simple lead capture. It offers a surprisingly generous free plan and a feature set that competes with bigger-name tools, often at a lower price. If you prioritize functionality and automation over trendy design, it’s one of the strongest “free-first” options available.
A feature-rich free form builder with serious workflow and calculation power. The free plan is strong, but the UI and form styling feel dated unless you customize.
Pros
- • Generous free plan with unlimited forms and up to 100 submissions/month
- • Advanced calculations logic are available without enterprise pricing
- • Built-in workflow automation for approvals and multi-step processes (rare at this price point)
Cons
- • Forms look dated out of the box
- • Dashboard navigation can feel slow and confusing when managing multiple forms
- • The AI form generator is noticeably slower than competing builders
Our Experience with Cognito Forms
In testing, we were able to get started quickly with templates and a straightforward drag-and-drop builder, especially for creating compact two-column layouts. Building advanced behavior (conditional logic, calculations, repeating sections, and multi-step workflows) was where Cognito really stood out. The main friction points were a sluggish dashboard and an AI form generator that worked, but felt slow and occasionally unresponsive.
Key Details about Cognito Forms
- Free plan: unlimited forms + 100 submissions/month
- Powerful conditional logic and logic jumps
- Advanced calculations with an expression builder
- Repeating sections and dynamic tables
- Workflow automation (routing, approvals, stage-based actions)
- Payments: Stripe, PayPal, Square (including on free tier)
- 100+ templates by industry (including more complex use cases)
- Integrations via Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, and JSON webhooks
Cognito Forms Pricing
Cognito Forms offers a genuinely useful free plan (Individual) with unlimited forms and 100 submissions per month, plus surprisingly generous capabilities like payments. Paid plans start at $19/month (Pro), with Team at $39/month and Enterprise at $129/month, scaling for higher volumes and collaboration needs. Overall, it’s one of the best value options if you want a free starting point without quickly hitting a feature wall.
Individual
- 1 user
- 100 entries/month
- 100 MB storage
Pro
- 2 users (+$5 per additional user)
- 2,000 entries/month
- 1 GB storage
Team
- 5 users (+$5 per additional user)
- 10,000 entries/month
- 10 GB storage
- Workflow features
Enterprise
- 20 users (+$5 per additional user)
- 20 included guests (with pricing tiers for more)
- Unlimited forms
- Unlimited entries
- 100 GB storage
- HIPAA compliance
7. Jotform
Jotform flips the usual “website builder with a form feature” approach by putting forms at the center, and surrounding them with extras like Tables, Boards, Apps, and AI Agents. It’s a mature, feature-heavy builder that can handle everything from simple lead capture to complex, payment-enabled workflows. For free-plan users, it’s especially compelling because many power features aren’t locked away behind paid tiers.
Jotform earns its place among the best free form builders by offering an unusually deep toolset at $0. It’s not the cleanest or fastest UI, but if you need a specific capability, Jotform probably has it.
Pros
- • Free plan includes access to a surprisingly broad set of features
- • Huge template library
- • Rich field options plus extra “widgets” expand what you can collect on a free form
Cons
- • Interface can feel cluttered and overwhelming, especially for first-time users
- • Free/entry usage is constrained by both submission limits and form view limits (your form can stop working even if you haven’t hit response caps)
- • Some commonly expected capabilities (like team members, API access, custom domains) require an enterprise plan
Our Experience with Jotform
In hands-on testing, we were able to spin up working forms quickly, especially using the AI form generator, which produced a usable first draft in seconds. The editor is functional and packed with settings (sometimes more than you want), and advanced options like widgets, logic, and payments are easy to access once you know where to look. The tradeoff is that the dashboard can feel cluttered and occasionally slow as you move between products and settings.
Key Details about Jotform
- Free plan available (Starter $0)
- AI form generator + in-editor AI help
- Large template gallery
- Widgets (additional form elements beyond standard fields)
- Logic jumps, validation, hidden fields, calculators
- File uploads, e-signatures, and PDF generation
- Payments + product listing fields; 20+ payment gateways
- Add-on subproducts: Tables, Boards, Apps; AI Agents are linked to a form automatically
Jotform Pricing
Jotform offers a free Starter plan and paid plans starting at $39/month (Bronze), $49/month (Silver), and $129/month (Gold). The free plan is genuinely useful for building and running real forms, but you’ll want to watch the quotas, especially the form view limit, which can trigger upgrades sooner than expected. Higher-end needs like HIPAA (Gold) and features such as team members, API access, and custom domains (enterprise) can make the long-term cost jump if you outgrow the free tier.
Starter
- 5 forms
- 100 monthly submissions
- 1,000 form views
- 100 MB file space
Bronze
- 25 forms
- 1,000 monthly submissions
- 10,000 form views
- 1 GB file space
Silver
- 50 forms
- 2,500 monthly submissions
- 100,000 form views
- 10 GB file space
Gold
- 100 forms
- 1,000 monthly submissions
- 1,000,000 form views
- 100 GB file space
8. Budibase
Budibase isn’t a classic form builder; it’s a full internal app platform that includes forms as one building block. That’s exactly why it earns a spot in a “Free Form Builders” list: the self-hosted version is genuinely free, and you can store submissions in your own database instead of a vendor’s system. If you need forms tied to approvals, admin panels, and automations, Budibase can do far more than most free form tools.
Budibase is a strong pick for free, self-hosted forms that need real database integration and workflows, just expect an app-builder learning curve. If you only need a simple standalone form, it’s likely overkill.
Pros
- • Truly free self-hosted option (open-source) for organizations that want a generous “free” plan without vendor lock-in
- • Connects forms directly to databases and APIs (great for internal tools and data-driven forms)
- • Automations and workflow triggers let you turn submissions into approvals, tasks, and multi-step processes
Cons
- • Steep learning curve and an interface that can feel overwhelming if you just want a simple form
- • Self-hosting is free but requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance
- • Forms look functional but basic out of the box, with limited theme/preset styling
Our Experience with Budibase
In testing, Budibase felt more like stepping into an app studio than opening a form editor: you’re immediately dealing with data sources, screens, and automations alongside the form itself. Once we connected a table and started wiring up rules and workflows, it became clear how well it supports internal processes (approvals, data editing, multi-step flows). For quick public-facing form publishing and polish, it felt heavier and less streamlined than dedicated free form builders.
Key Details about Budibase
- Free self-hosted (open-source) deployment option
- Connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, REST APIs, Google Sheets, and more
- Multi-step forms and workflow-driven submissions
- Custom validation (including regex)
- File uploads
- Webhooks, API access, and integrations
- User permissions and collaboration features
- Custom domain and custom CSS
Budibase Pricing
Budibase is free if you self-host, which makes it one of the most generous options in the category—especially if you want submissions stored in your own infrastructure. If you prefer Budibase Cloud, pricing starts at $12 per app creator plus $2.40 per app user/month (Pro), with a higher-tier Premium plan at $60 per creator plus $6 per app user/month. The paid model can offer good value for teams building multiple internal tools, but it may feel pricey if your only goal is simple form collection.
Self-Hosted
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited apps
- Unlimited automations
- Own your data
Pro
- 1 workspace
- Unlimited apps
- Budibase AI
Premium
- Multiple workspaces
- SSO: OIDC, Google, Microsoft
- Custom branding
- Creator access control
- PDF generation
How to choose the best free form builder tool for your business
Choosing the right free form builder depends on your specific situation. Here's how to think through it:
-
If you need completely free form builder tools: Microsoft Forms & Google Forms are the best options.
-
If you need powerful features and won't collect large amounts of data: forms.app, Cognito Forms, and Fillout are solid choices.
Methodology
Our testing process is thorough and hands-on. We don't just look at marketing materials. We actually use these tools.
Here's the methodology we follow when creating a best form builder list.
- First, we check each tool to see if it really fits the category.
- Then, we read our review and take a look at the tool again, wearing a different pair of glasses. For example, we went over each tool to see whether it can actually be used for free to include them on this list.
- We analyzed the free plan specifically, documenting exact limits on forms, responses, features, and integrations. Many tools advertise "free" but hide critical features behind paywalls. We call that out.
- We checked the customer reviews from TrustPilot, G2, Capterra, and other verified platforms again to identify patterns regarding pricing.
- Finally, we ranked each tool based on how well it fits the category definition.
This methodology ensures our recommendations are based on actual usage, not just specs on a website. We update our reviews as tools evolve, so you're getting current information, not outdated analysis.
Summary
Free form builders have gotten surprisingly capable. You don't need to pay if your needs are straightforward, and even advanced features like conditional logic and payment collection are available without cost.
The best free form builder is the one that fits your workflow without making you compromise on the features you actually need.