Create Forms Faster with These 5 Tools

Introduction

Forms are essential for many websites and apps today. From simple contact forms to complex multi-page surveys and transactions, forms allow businesses to easily collect information from users and customers. Well-designed forms can help qualify leads, facilitate ecommerce, and streamline critical workflows.

However, building forms from scratch can be time-consuming and require advanced programming skills. There are also significant UX considerations around optimizing forms for completion rates and quality data capture. Thankfully, there are now powerful form builder tools that allow anyone to quickly create mobile-friendly, dynamic forms with minimal coding.

In this article, we'll review the top 5 tools developers can leverage to rapidly build all types of web forms. We'll compare key features, advantages, limitations, and ideal use cases of each option. Read on to find the right form building tool for your needs.

Top 5 Tools for Building Web Forms

Here are 5 of the most popular and capable form builders on the market today:

• FormBuilder - Drag and drop form design with DevHunt integration
• Formspree - Simple embeddable forms with free tier
• Wufoo - Fully-featured form builder with templates
• JotForm - Advanced form builder with payments and HIPAA compliance
• Typeform - Specializes in interactive, conversational forms

Tool 1: FormBuilder by DevHunt

As a featured DevHunt tool, FormBuilder enables drag and drop form design along with deep integration options. Key capabilities include:

• Intuitive visual form builder with over 50 field types
• Mobile-friendly, responsive form embedding
• Data integration with databases, email services, and more
• Form management dashboard and analytics
• Custom branding, themes, and CSS customization

FormBuilder is great for everything from basic contact forms to complex multi-page surveys. It's been used by organizations like Acme Inc. to create customer satisfaction surveys. Pricing starts at $9/month for core features. Limitations to note include a smaller template library compared to competitors.

Tool 2: Formspree

Formspree offers a dead-simple way to embed functional forms with minimal setup. Main advantages:

• Lightweight integration by emailing form submissions
• Generous free tier with 50 submissions/month
• Good option for very basic contact forms

For example, Formspree was used by a local bakery to add a simple contact form to their website. However, Formspree lacks more advanced form features. Pricing starts at $7/month after exceeding the free tier limit. Overall, Formspree is best for prototyping and very simple forms.

Tool 3: Wufoo

As a long-time leader in the form builder space, Wufoo provides a powerful suite of features including:

• Numerous form templates for common use cases
• Real-time form response analytics and reports
• Integrations with CRM, email, and payment platforms

Wufoo makes it easy to quickly spin up surveys, job applications, order forms, and more. It's been used by companies like Widgets Inc. to create multi-page sales order forms. Pricing scales from $15-199/month based on features and form volume. Limitations include a steeper learning curve and clunkier UX compared to newer tools.

Tool 4: JotForm

JotForm focuses on advanced form use cases with capabilities like:

• Conditional form logic and branching
• Built-in payments and signatures
• HIPAA compliance for medical forms
• Powerful data integration options

For example, a healthcare SaaS company used JotForm to build HIPAA-compliant patient intake forms. JotForm excels at complex forms like multi-page applications, surveys with logic, and transactions. Pricing ranges from free to $259/month. Downsides include complexity for simple forms and limited free tier.

Tool 5: Typeform

As a specialized tool, Typeform emphasizes conversational, interactive forms with features like:

• Polished templates focused on engagement
• Logical branching conversation flows
• Seamless mobile experience
• Built-in analytics

Typeform stands out for quizzes, contests, surveys requiring high completion rates. For instance, an ecommerce retailer used Typeform to create an interactive product quiz. Pricing starts at $35/month. Limitations include lack of advanced form logic and payments.

Key Factors to Consider

When evaluating form builders, some key factors include:

• Features - Templates, logic, payments, analytics, etc.
• Ease of use - Intuitiveness of the interface and setup
• Pricing - Free, monthly fee, per submission model
• Integrations - Connecting to data sources like CRMs
• Specialization - Surveys vs transactions vs simple contact forms
• Customization - Tailoring form design, branding, CSS
• Security - Encryption, data privacy protections
• Support - Quality of customer service and docs

Prioritize Features vs Ease of Use

More powerful form builders like Wufoo and JotForm offer abundant features yet steeper learning curves. Meanwhile, tools like Formspree trade features for dead-simple embedding. Prioritize features for complex forms like multi-page surveys and ease of use for simpler contact forms.

Evaluate Pricing Model

Pricing varies widely - free tiers, monthly subscriptions, per-form charges, and more. Estimate costs based on expected form volume and complexity. Start with a free plan to validate need before upgrading.

Assess Integrations Needed

Consider what systems form data must sync with - CRM, email marketing, databases, etc. Evaluate which tools integrate with your existing tech stack.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Creating forms from scratch is challenging. This review covers 5 capable form building tools - FormBuilder, Formspree, Wufoo, JotForm, and Typeform.

For most use cases, I recommend starting with FormBuilder or Wufoo. FormBuilder makes it easy to build everything from simple embedded forms to complex multi-page surveys. Wufoo offers a robust set of templates and integrations.

For very basic contact forms, Formspree provides the quickest free option. And for highly engaging quizzes or transactions, JotForm and Typeform are great specialized choices respectively.

Try out the recommended form builders above to see which best suits your needs. With the right tool, you can create high-quality forms faster and more easily than ever before. Check out DevHunt's featured FormBuilder to start optimizing your data collection today.