Form Building Software to Effortlessly Create Custom Forms
Introduction
Collecting information through online forms has become an indispensable part of doing business and engaging with customers in the digital age. From simple contact forms to complex multi-page surveys, the right form builder makes it easy for anyone to create customized forms for their website or to distribute online without coding. But with so many options to choose from, how do you determine the best form generation software for your needs?
This comprehensive guide explores some of the top form makers available today. We’ll cover their key capabilities, ideal use cases, templates, integrations, pricing, pros and cons, and more. Whether you need to create basic contact forms, in-depth questionnaires, online registrations, payment forms or complex multi-step funnels, there’s a form creator out there for you. Read on to find the perfect match!
Throughout this comparison, we’ll evaluate form builders across several key criteria:
- Usability - How intuitive and easy is the form builder for beginners?
- Customization - What options are there to customize form design, fields, logic and more?
- Templates - Does it offer pre-made form templates to start from?
- Integrations - What apps and services can you connect it with?
- Analytics - Does it have built-in analytics to view form performance?
- Pricing - What are the costs? Is there a free tier?
- Security - How does it protect form data privacy and security?
We’ll focus on comparing form builders for surveys, questionnaires, registrations and other data collection. With the right platform, you can save huge amounts of time and effort in building forms exactly how you need them. Let’s dive in!
Overview of Top Form Building Software
The form building market has exploded with options for every need and budget. Here's a quick rundown of some of the top players:
CodeCanyon Form Plugins
Popular WordPress form plugins like Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms and WPForms allow you to build complex forms right within your WordPress site. As plugins, they offer deep integration and customization compared to standalone form builders. However, they also require some coding knowledge to customize and lack the simplicity of drag and drop editors.
JotForm
JotForm is an intuitive, drag-and-drop form builder with mobile responsive form templates, themes, apps and integration with services like MailChimp, PayPal and Zapier. It offers a forever free basic plan alongside paid upgrades.
TypeForm
TypeForm specializes in conversational, interactive forms with slick transitions and animations between questions. It focuses on user experience with in-depth analytics to understand form performance. There’s a free trial then paid subscriptions.
Wufoo
Wufoo offers a straightforward form builder for surveys, registrations and more. It has themes and templates alongside integrations with MailChimp, PayPal, Webhooks and more. There’s a basic free plan with paid upgrades for more features.
Google Forms
Google Forms is a simple free form builder included with Google Workspace. It makes it easy to create basic forms and share them via link. However, it has limited customization and integrations compared to other dedicated platforms.
Cognito Forms
Cognito Forms integrates directly with popular platforms like MailChimp, HubSpot and Zapier to build forms of any complexity. It offers a free tier alongside paid plans starting at $4.83 per month.
Formstack
Formstack is designed for enterprise-scale form building with advanced features like partial submissions, A/B testing and advanced logic. Pricing starts at $19.95 per month.
DevHunt Forms
The DevHunt form builder integrates with developer-focused platforms to create forms for gathering user feedback, issue tracking, beta testing signups, and more. The easy drag-and-drop editor makes form creation accessible even for non-developers.
Key Evaluation Criteria for Form Builders
When selecting a form builder, here are some of the most important criteria to evaluate:
- Usability - How intuitive and easy is it for beginners to build forms without coding?
- Customization - What options are there to customize form design, fields, logic and calculations?
- Templates - Does it offer pre-made form templates to start from?
- Integrations - What third-party apps and services can you connect it with?
- Analytics - Does it have built-in analytics to view form responses and performance?
- Pricing - Is there a free version? What are the paid subscription costs?
- Security - What measures does it take to protect form data privacy and security?
The right form builder for you depends on your specific needs and priorities across these criteria. For example, if you want maximum design flexibility, look for advanced customization capabilities. If you'll be collecting sensitive information, security is critical. Keep these factors in mind as we compare top options.
In-Depth Reviews of Top 3 Form Builders
Now let’s dive deep into detailed reviews of three top-rated form builders: JotForm, Wufoo, and TypeForm. We’ll scrutinize their features, integrations, templates, pricing, pros and cons to help you determine the best choice.
JotForm Review
JotForm is an elegant online form builder praised for its ease of use and mobile responsiveness. Its drag-and-drop form editor makes it simple for novices to build customized forms and share via links or embed on websites.
Key features include:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop form builder
- Mobile responsive form templates
- Custom themes and design options
- Integrations with PayPal, MailChimp, Dropbox, Slack, Zapier and more
- Form analytics dashboard
For example, JotForm makes it easy to create multi-page registration forms with built-in payment processing.
JotForm offers a free basic plan with unlimited forms and 200 submissions per month. Paid plans start at $12/month for more features like unlimited submissions, PDF export, payment integrations, priority support and more.
Pros
- Extremely easy drag and drop editor
- Mobile friendly forms
- Great selection of form templates
- Zapier integration
Cons
- Free plan limits submissions
- Less flexibility for complex logic
Overall, JotForm excels in usability and is ideal for basic contact forms, surveys and event registrations. The free plan makes it accessible for small scale needs.
Wufoo Review
Wufoo markets itself as an easy-to-use form builder for surveys, orders, registrations and more. It offers pre-made templates alongside integrations with services like MailChimp, PayPal and Webhooks.
Here are the key details:
- Library of form templates
- Custom themes and basic styling options
- Integrates with MailChimp, PayPal, and Webhooks
- Free plan allows 100 entries per month
- Paid plans start at $15/month
For example, Wufoo's templates make it easy to quickly create customer satisfaction surveys after purchases.
Pros
- Very simple and intuitive interface
- Good selection of themes and templates
- Affordable paid plans
- Webhook integration
Cons
- Limited customization options
- No advanced logic or calculations
Wufoo is a great budget-friendly option for basic data collection forms like surveys and registrations. However, it lacks more advanced and complex features.
TypeForm Review
TypeForm specializes in conversational, interactive forms with slick transitions and animations. It focuses heavily on user experience and collects in-depth analytics.
Key features:
- Conversational, interactive form flow
- Logical transitions between questions
- Themes and templates optimized for engagement
- Integrations with Slack, HubSpot, Google Sheets
- 14-day free trial, then paid plans from $30+/month
For example, TypeForm's conversational UX is ideal for in-depth customer interviews and feedback.
Pros
- Engaging, conversational UX
- Powerful built-in analytics
- Logical branching questions
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Costly paid plans
- Limited free version
TypeForm excels at collecting qualitative feedback and data through interactive forms with a polished user experience. The analytics dashboards provide deep insights into user behavior.
Use Case Recommendations
Based on our comparisons, here are some recommendations for the best form builder based on specific use cases:
- For collecting payments, JotForm is ideal with integrated PayPal, Stripe and other payment processors.
- To create highly interactive, conversational forms, TypeForm is best designed for this purpose.
- If you just need simple contact forms and surveys on a budget, Wufoo has great templates for basic needs.
- For easy forms without coding, Google Forms is the most accessible free option.
- For advanced custom forms integrated with WordPress, CodeCanyon has the most flexibility.
- For complex data collection, JotForm has robust features while remaining easy to use.
- For developer-focused forms like beta signups and user feedback, DevHunt integrates well with platforms like GitHub and Slack.
Think carefully about your specific goals and needs when choosing a form platform. The right software can save huge amounts of development and maintenance time when building the forms you need.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Collecting data through customized online forms is critical in the digital era. The best form builders make it easy for anyone to create forms exactly how they need them without coding.
We compared top options like JotForm, Wufoo, TypeForm, Google Forms and more across key criteria - usability, customization, templates, integrations, analytics, pricing and security.
JotForm stood out as the best all-rounder, combining ease of use with powerful features and integrations. TypeForm excels at conversational forms optimized for engagement. Google Forms is a simple free option for basic forms. And Wufoo is an affordable option for surveys and registrations.
Carefully evaluate your specific use case and needs when choosing a form builder. With the right platform that fits your goals, you can quickly build forms to collect information and feedback exactly how you want. The time and cost savings from the best form building software add up across gathering registrations, orders, surveys and more.
To explore a form builder designed specifically for developer tools and feedback, check out DevHunt Forms. With its focus on integrating with developer platforms, it's optimized for many common needs around launches, beta testing, and user feedback.
Choose the best form building software for your needs and let the data flow in!