Create Stunning Online Forms with These 10 Best Free Tools
Introduction to Online Form Building
Online forms provide an easy way to collect information and automate workflows for businesses and developers. Using the right form builder can save significant time and money by reducing manual data entry and paperwork. This article will compare the top 10 free and open source form building tools to help you choose the best platform based on features, strengths, and limitations. Understanding the key capabilities of each form software option allows you to select the ideal solution to meet your specific use cases and needs.
For example, an ecommerce site can use online forms to capture customer information during checkout to reduce cashier data entry time. Or a marketing team might use forms to create lead generation surveys that integrate with their CRM for automated followups.
What are Online Forms and Why Use Them?
Forms allow collecting information through various field types like text boxes, dropdowns, ratings, multiple choice, etc. Online forms can automate data capture, saving time compared to manual entry in spreadsheets. Forms streamline critical business processes like lead generation, customer surveys, event registrations, orders and payments, job applications, and more.
Online forms provide responsive design and mobile-friendly experiences for any device. Forms can also integrate and sync data with other platforms like email services, databases, analytics, CRMs, and other apps.
Key Features to Look for in Form Builders
- Drag and drop form creation - Quickly build forms without coding
- Mobile responsiveness - Forms work on any device
- Customizable design - Match brand themes and styles
- Data integration - Sync form data with other apps
- Workflows - Automate multi-step processes
- Collaboration - Team editing with permissions
- Analytics - Form responses reporting
- Spam protection - Block bots and abuse
- Security compliance - GDPR, HIPAA readiness
Top 10 Free Online Form Building Tools
Here are the top 10 free and open source online form builders along with their key strengths and ideal use cases:
JotForm
- Drag and drop form builder with 100+ field types
- Mobile ready responsive forms
- Zapier integration and workflows
- Accept payments through forms
- Ideal for transactional forms like orders
Typeform
- Highly engaging, conversational form UX
- Funnel-style question branching logic
- Powerful analytics dashboard
- Better for market research and surveys
Wufoo
- Simple and user-friendly form builder
- Library of templates for common uses
- Embed forms on any website
- Better for basic contact forms
Google Forms
- Easy creation and collaboration through G Suite
- Real-time form editing and sharing
- Analyze results right in Google Sheets
- Great for internal teams and processes
Formstack
- Zapier integration for workflows
- Accept payments through forms
- Library of templates and themes
- Ideal for lead capture and sales forms
Formidable Forms
- Drag and drop WordPress form builder
- Responsive form designs fit any theme
- Views and in-depth reporting
- Perfect for WordPress site forms
Cognito Forms
- Great for small businesses
- Conditional logic and calculations
- Accept payments with Stripe
- Well suited for order forms
FormGet
- Basic but full-featured form builder
- Unlimited forms for free accounts
- Embed forms anywhere easily
- Better for simple contact forms
Formsite
- Intake forms to capture client data
- Custom branding options
- Secure form data collection
- Ideal for consultants and agencies
123 Form Builder
- Intuitive drag and drop form creator
- Library of templates for common uses
- Real-time collaboration on forms
- Great for teams and organizations
Key Considerations When Choosing Form Software
Selecting the right online form builder involves evaluating several factors:
- Integration requirements - Do you need to connect to CRMs, databases, analytics?
- Business needs - Will you use forms primarily for lead capture, orders, surveys?
- Design flexibility - Can you match forms to existing brand style?
- Features - Do you need payments, logic, file uploads?
- Audience - Are forms for customers or internal teams?
- Security compliance - Does your industry require HIPAA, GDPR readiness?
- Spam protection - Does the form builder have good spam filtering?
- Scalability - Can the platform easily scale up as your needs grow?
Start with Your Goals and Use Case
Clearly identify your goals before choosing form software:
- What specific data do you need to collect from forms?
- Which systems need to integrate with your form data?
- Prioritize must-have features and functionality.
- Factor in needs of the form audience - external customers or internal teams?
Assess Ease of Use and Customization
The form builder should be intuitive and flexible:
- Try the software to evaluate the form editing user experience.
- Check how easy it is to customize design and branding.
- Look for templates, themes and drag-and-drop simplicity.
- Favor options with more code-free setup.
Validate Scalability and Security
Make sure the platform can grow with you and keep data safe:
- Review free plan limits on forms, fields, responses, storage.
- Confirm the form builder can scale up as your needs grow.
- Verify compliance with regulations like GDPR if needed.
- Check spam filtering and data encryption methods.
Compare Integrations and Add-Ons
See what connectivity and extensions are offered:
- Review what native integrations are available to other apps.
- Check workflow automation features or API extensibility.
- Look for embedded payment options like Stripe, PayPal.
- Add-ons can provide niche functionality if needed.
Conclusion - Finding the Right Fit for You
The ideal form builder for you depends on your specific goals, use cases, and needs. Assess your must-have features and try the shortlisted options. Ensure the form software can smoothly handle integrations, security, and scalability demands. Compare customization flexibility, templates and overall ease of use. Selecting the right platform takes research but pays dividends through automated data capture and workflows.
To explore a top-rated form building platform, visit DevHunt to discover highly rated developer tools for any use case.