There are plenty of Google Forms alternatives available, but which one should you choose?
In this article, I discuss why you should consider switching from Google forms to an alternative. I also look at the key features good alternatives should have. Finally, I will show you some of the best options currently available.
Why Consider An Alternative to Google Forms?
Part of the Google Workspace suite of tools, Google Forms is a popular free online form builder. It is simple to use and allows users to create surveys or questionnaires and analyze the collected data using the app itself or Google Sheets.
However, the main downside of Google Forms is it is rather basic and isn’t of tremendous use in business applications. Even if you have a business subscription to Google Workspace, Google Forms lacks certain key features like advanced security options, conditional logic, styling, payment gateways, etc.
Luckily, plenty of alternatives to Google forms are available that are better suited to commercial applications. Best of all, there are free and premium options, so you should be able to find the right one for your business.
Key Features To Look For When Searching for a Google Forms Alternative
There are several key features that any self-respecting alternative to Google Forms should possess, particularly when used in a business context.
Therefore, look for the following when choosing one for your business:
Advanced Security Features
Features such as two-factor authentication and password protection for forms are highly desirable security features that Google Forms lacks.
Conditional Logic
Using conditional logic, you can hide or show form fields based on previous user inputs. That means users will only see form fields relevant to them and you won’t be collecting redundant data.
Form Abandonment Recovery
Often, people start filling in online forms but then get distracted and forget to finish them. Form abandonment recovery allows you to send automated reminders asking those people to complete the form.
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Payment Gateways
You may want to monetize your form, for example, to collect sign-up, enrollment, or subscription fees. As such, look for Google Form alternatives that have built-in payment collection facilities or can integrate with external payment gateways.
Styling Customizations
Forms customized to match your corporate style look more professional and instill a feeling of trust in users.
Mobile Responsive
Most people nowadays use mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets for so many things. As such, a good form app should be able to detect the type of device being used and optimize the content accordingly for the best user experience.
The Best Google Forms Alternatives
I will now give an insight into some of the best Google Forms alternatives currently available.
Remember, options vary between each, so have a clear idea of what your business requirements are and choose an alternative that fulfills those.
WPForms
WPForms is a freemium plugin for WordPress. The free version – WPForms Lite – offers an ideal entry into the world of Google Forms alternatives.
The Lite version of WPForms is quite basic. Nonetheless, it does include a drag-and-drop builder, pre-made templates, email subscription forms, and spam protection via hCaptcha and reCAPTCHA. In addition, the forms are mobile responsive and display optimally on any device.
Upgrading to a paid plan adds tons more options over Lite. For example, even the cheapest plan (Basic) adds smart conditional logic, advanced form fields, entry management, multipage forms, and WPForms branding removal. The pricier plans bring more to the table, like tools for form automation, conversions, payments, and integrations with Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Drip, etc.
WPForms is simple to use, and its free version is a good alternative to Google Forms. Furthermore, there are several paid plans to choose from. Those add many additional features, and the prices are reasonable, too.
To read WPLift’s full review of WPForms, please click here.
Pricing
As already mentioned, WPForms Lite is free, but there are also four paid plans available. Those start at $39.50 per year for Basic, rising to $299.50 per year for Elite, the most expensive plan.
All paid plans have a 14-day moneyback guarantee.
Get WPForms
Formidable Forms
Next up is the popular Formidable Forms, an excellent alternative to Google Forms as it places many more tools at your fingertips.
For example, unlike Google Forms, Formidable Forms has a handy calculator feature, ideal for finance calculators and giving instant quotations. Furthermore, payment collection is possible via WooCommerce, PayPal, Stripe, etc., while a visual styler ensures the forms match your corporate branding.
Creating forms, quizzes, polls, and surveys is super easy, thanks to a visual drag and drop builder and a library of templates. Additionally, dynamic form fields that automatically populate can be added, while smart conditional logic means users will only need to complete fields relevant to them.
Integrations-wise, Formidable Forms gives you many options, including LearnDash, BuddyPress, AffiliateWP, Uncanny Codes, HubSpot, etc.
Head over to the Formidable Forms features page to see everything this solution offers.
All in all, Formidable Forms is worthy of consideration when looking for a better alternative to Google Forms.
Pricing
A slimmed-down free version of Formidable Forms is available in the WordPress plugins directory.
However, given the impressive feature included in the paid versions, they offer great value, currently costing $39.50 – $299.50 per year. In addition, a 14-day moneyback guarantee supports all paid plans.
Get Formidable Forms
Microsoft Forms
Like Google Forms is part of the Google Workspace suite, Microsoft Forms is part of Microsoft 365.
As a Microsoft product, you can count on Microsoft Forms to have all features you’re ever likely to need when building forms, surveys, and quizzes. And thanks to Microsoft’s familiar styling and a drag and drop builder, it is easy to use.
Data gathered from surveys can be exported to Excel for further study, while Dynamics 365 Customer Voice integration takes this one step further with artificial intelligence (AI) analysis. Furthermore, Outlook integration allows you to easily send forms via email.
Overall, Microsoft Forms is a good alternative to its Google counterpart, whether for personal, business, or educational use.
Pricing
Unlike Google Forms, Microsoft Forms is not free, as you will need a Microsoft 365 subscription. However, that gives you access to the entire suite of Microsoft tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, etc.
Microsoft 365 is available as a free one-month trial. After that expires, you will need to subscribe to a paid plan. These cost $6 – $22 per user per month for business users and $69 – $99 per year for home use.
Get Microsoft Forms
HubSpot Form Builder
HubSpot is renown for its comprehensive CRM (customer relationships management) platform that offers incredible functionality even in its free version. However, that functionality can be extended to include forms via the HubSpot Form Builder.
This free add-on includes five different form types, namely standalone, embedded, dropdown banners, slide-in boxes, and popups. Information gathered from forms can be stored and managed in the CRM, the free version of which permits you to store up to a million contacts. Furthermore, collected data can be advantageous to your marketing efforts, as you will have data on your audience and contact details for campaigns.
While the free version of HubSpot CRM is useful in its own right, upgrading to a paid plan considerably increases the feature set and versatility of this popular option.
Pricing
While the HubSpot Form Builder is free, you do need the HubSpot CRM to use it. Fortunately, an excellent free version of that is also available and will be sufficient for many businesses. However, many paid options are available to add more tools and functionality. Furthermore, HubSpot enables you to combine all your marketing, sales, customer service, content management, and business operations systems together in one place.
For complete pricing details, please refer to HubSpot’s pricing page.
Get HubSpot Form Builder
Jotform
Jotform is next on my list of alternatives to Google Forms. This freemium online form builder offers quite good functionality in its free form and lots more in the paid versions.
The free version of Jotform gives you most of the features of the paid versions. However, it does have restrictions on the number of forms, fields, monthly submissions, and views, plus storage space is limited. However, these limits increase significantly in the paid plans, plus those have no Jotform branding.
The free and paid Jotform plans include all tools necessary to create great mobile-responsive forms. Those tools include file upload capabilities, payment collection, numerous integrations, conditional logic, smart PDF forms, etc. And, of course, a slick drag-and-drop form builder and template library make form creation a breeze.
Pricing
Jotform core is free, while paid plans cost $29 – $99 per month. However, if you are willing to commit to a yearly subscription, those prices reduce to $24 – $79 per month. Additionally, non-profits and educational establishments get a generous 50% discount, while all paid plans have a 30-day moneyback guarantee.
If you need to create unlimited forms and remove all other restrictions, Jotform also has an Enterprise plan, the price for which is available from their sales team.
Get Jotform
Typeform
Another alternative to Google Forms is Typeform. This freemium solution allows you to create virtually any form, including surveys, polls, quizzes, etc. In addition, extensive styling and customization options help ensure everything looks and behaves as you want it to.
As with most freemium apps, the free version of Typeform has several restrictions and limited features. However, the paid versions have lots more tools to play with. Therefore, expect to find features like conditional logic, plentiful integrations, scheduling, email notifications, file upload capability, etc. And for the ultimate in personalized campaigns, conversational marketing tools let you create forms that ask questions one at a time.
Of course, Typeform includes a categorized template library. When you have chosen the template you want to use, you are automatically guided step-by-step through the form-building process.
Overall, Typeform is a good option if you are looking to get away from the limitations of Google Forms. However, given the paid plans are pretty expensive compared to many alternatives, they are more suited to businesses with some available budget.
Pricing
As already mentioned, Typeform has a free version with a reduced feature set and certain restrictions. This version is useful for some limited applications, but no more.
Typeform paid options cost $29 – $99 per month. Those prices reduce to $25 – $83 per month if you commit to an annual subscription. Features and limitations depend on the plan purchased, so please refer to the Typeform pricing page to see which best suits your needs.
Get Typeform
Zoho Forms
Last on my list of Google Forms alternatives is Zoho Forms, produced by the developers of Zoho Office Suite.
Zoho Forms is a full-featured online form builder for creating any type of form, poll, quiz, survey, etc. It has a template library categorized for different industries and business types, such as construction, medical establishments, eCommerce, education, etc. The templates are customizable, plus new forms can be created using the drag-and-drop builder. Conditional logic allows the allocation of separate rules to individual fields, plus it is possible to create multipage forms.
Other features of Zoho Forms include multiple sharing options to get your forms to the intended audience, while respondents can receive email or SMS notifications. Advanced security measures ensure everything remains fully protected. Oh, and let’s not forget payment capture and order management tools, automations, workflows, and detailed analytics.
A free version of Zoho Forms is available. While that is limited to three forms, 500 monthly submissions, ten payments, and 200MB of file storage, it may be a good option for small businesses and individuals.
Pricing
Along with the free version of Zoho Forms I already mentioned, four paid plans are available. Those cost $12 – $110 per month (or $10 – $90 per month if you pay annually). The main differences between each paid plan are the number of users and monthly submissions they include.
Get Zoho Forms
What’s Your Favorite Alternative to Google Forms?
While Google Forms is a helpful tool, its limitations mean it is not particularly useful to many businesses compared to most of its competitors. Hopefully, this article has given you sufficient insight into the available alternatives to help you make an informed decision when migrating away from Google Forms.
Are you already using a form builder other than Google Forms? If so, why did you choose it, and what features do you like and dislike about it?
Keep reading the article at Learn WordPress with WPLift. The article was originally written by Simon Wright on 2022-05-23 02:00:00.
The article was hand-picked and curated for you by the Editorial Team of WP Archives.