Google Forms is simple and free — and that’s exactly the problem. The moment you need conditional logic, custom branding, payment collection, or anything beyond a basic form, you hit a wall.
Whether you’re building quizzes for education, collecting leads, running surveys, or embedding forms on a client site, there are better options. Here are the best Google Forms alternatives in 2026.
1. Quiz and Survey Master (Best for WordPress Quizzes & Surveys)
If your site runs on WordPress, Quiz and Survey Master is a powerful alternative that lives right inside your dashboard.
What makes it different:
- Advanced quiz features — scoring, leaderboards, certificates, timed quizzes
- Conditional logic and branching
- Email notifications with merge tags
- Export results to CSV/PDF
- Integrations: Mailchimp, Zapier, Stripe, PayPal
Pricing: Free core plugin. Pro addons from $129/year.
Best for: Educators, course creators, and WordPress site owners who need quiz functionality that Google Forms simply can’t do.
2. Typeform
Typeform popularized the one-question-at-a-time format. It looks beautiful and feels more like a conversation than a form.
What makes it different:
- Conversational UI — one question per screen
- Great design out of the box
- Logic jumps and conditional branching
- Video and image embeds in questions
Pricing: Free tier (10 responses/mo). Paid from $25/mo.
Best for: Marketing teams, lead gen forms, and anything customer-facing where design matters.
3. Tally
Tally is like Notion for forms. Clean interface, generous free tier, and it just works.
What makes it different:
- Unlimited forms and responses on free tier
- Notion-like block editor
- Conditional logic, calculations, hidden fields
- No branding on free tier
Pricing: Free (unlimited). Pro at $29/mo for teams.
Best for: Startups and indie makers who want something polished without paying.
4. Jotform
Jotform is the Swiss Army knife of form builders. Over 10,000 templates, drag-and-drop builder, and integrations with everything.
What makes it different:
- Massive template library
- Payment collection (Stripe, PayPal, Square)
- PDF reports and approvals
- HIPAA compliance option
Pricing: Free (5 forms, 100 submissions/mo). Paid from $34/mo.
Best for: Businesses that need payment forms, registration forms, or compliance features.
5. SurveyMonkey
The veteran of online surveys. SurveyMonkey has been around since 1999 and it shows — in both polish and complexity.
What makes it different:
- AI-powered survey suggestions
- Advanced analytics and cross-tabulation
- Industry benchmarks
- Enterprise-grade security
Pricing: Free (10 questions, 25 responses). Paid from $25/mo.
Best for: Teams running serious research surveys where analytics matter more than form design.
6. Fillout
A newer player that combines form building with database features. Think of it as Airtable meets Typeform.
What makes it different:
- Native Airtable, Notion, and Supabase integrations
- Multi-page forms with conditional logic
- Scheduling forms (like Calendly built into your form)
- Calculations and dynamic fields
Pricing: Free (1,000 responses/mo). Paid from $19/mo.
Best for: Teams already using Airtable or Notion who want forms that feed directly into their data.
7. Paperform
Paperform blends documents and forms into one. Your form can include text, images, and videos between questions — more like a landing page than a form.
What makes it different:
- Rich content between questions (text, images, video)
- Built-in payments and bookings
- Custom domains and white-labeling
- E-signatures
Pricing: From $24/mo (no free tier).
Best for: Freelancers and agencies who want forms that double as landing pages.
8. Microsoft Forms
If your organization uses Microsoft 365, Forms is already included. It’s the closest direct replacement for Google Forms.
What makes it different:
- Included with Microsoft 365 (no extra cost)
- Real-time collaboration
- Automatic Excel integration
- Quiz mode with auto-grading
Pricing: Free with Microsoft 365.
Best for: Organizations already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
9. Zoho Forms
Part of the Zoho suite. If you use Zoho CRM, this is the obvious pick for lead capture forms.
What makes it different:
- Deep Zoho CRM integration
- Offline forms (mobile app)
- Approval workflows
- Subforms (forms within forms)
Pricing: Free (3 forms). Paid from $10/mo.
Best for: Zoho CRM users who want forms connected to their pipeline.
10. Build Your Own (For Developers)
If none of the above fit, or you need complete control over the experience, you can build a custom form backend with Node.js, Python, or PHP.
This makes sense when you need:
- Custom validation logic beyond what form builders offer
- Direct database integration (PostgreSQL, MySQL)
- Full control over the UX and data flow
- No per-response pricing — flat hosting cost regardless of volume
The challenge has always been deployment — setting up a server, configuring SSL, managing a database. But platforms like InstaPods simplify this to one command:
instapods deploy my-form-backendYou get a live URL with HTTPS, and you can add a database with instapods services add postgresql. Flat $3/mo, no per-response fees. For developers who’ve outgrown form builders, it’s the fastest path from code to production.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz and Survey Master | Yes (WordPress) | $129/yr (pro) | Advanced quizzes, scoring, certificates |
| Typeform | 10 responses/mo | $25/mo | Conversational design |
| Tally | Unlimited | $29/mo | Generous free tier |
| Jotform | 100 submissions/mo | $34/mo | Templates & payments |
| SurveyMonkey | 25 responses | $25/mo | Analytics & benchmarks |
| Fillout | 1,000 responses/mo | $19/mo | Airtable/Notion sync |
| Paperform | No | $24/mo | Landing page forms |
| Microsoft Forms | With M365 | Free | Microsoft integration |
| Zoho Forms | 3 forms | $10/mo | Zoho CRM integration |
| Custom-built | N/A | $3/mo hosting | Full control |
Which One Should You Pick?
- WordPress site? → Quiz and Survey Master
- Design-first? → Typeform or Paperform
- Budget-conscious? → Tally (free) or Zoho ($10/mo)
- Enterprise/research? → SurveyMonkey
- Developer building custom? → Build your own + InstaPods
- Already using Microsoft/Zoho? → Stick with your ecosystem
Google Forms works for quick-and-dirty data collection. But the moment you need branding, logic, payments, or real quiz features, these alternatives are worth the switch.
