Published Nov 11, 2023 ⦁ 8 min read

"Free Form Builder Tools" Unleash Your Creativity

Free form builder tools have exploded in popularity due to the flexibility and customization they provide. Unlike traditional rigid form builders that limit options, free form builders allow you to create completely customizable forms, surveys, calculators, editors and more without constraints. In this article, we'll explore what sets free form building tools apart, highlight the top options available today like JotForm and Typeform, compare key features to consider, and provide tips for maximizing conversions with your forms. Whether you need simple contact forms or complex data collection tools, these free form creation platforms empower you to build fully branded online forms exactly the way you want.

Introduction

Free form builder tools provide the design freedom to create any type of online form, survey, quiz, calculator or other interactive content without restrictions. These flexible no-code platforms remove the limitations of old-fashioned rigid form builders that force you into predefined templates and layouts.

For example, a company like JotForm offers an advanced free form builder that empowers users to create fully customized forms, calculators, quizzes and more.

With free form builders, you have complete control over the form fields, design, styling, logic and behavior. You can quickly build custom forms optimized for your brand and needs. Their drag-and-drop editors allow anyone to build responsive, mobile-friendly forms as simple or complex as required.

As no-code solutions gain mainstream adoption, free form building platforms are leading the charge in empowering anyone to create fully customized online forms. Their flexibility and expansive features make them valuable for individual users, small businesses, and large organizations alike. Let's explore some of the top platforms pushing the boundaries of what's possible with free form creators.

What Are Free Form Builders?

Free form builders provide versatile tools to create a limitless variety of online forms without restrictions on layout, styling or functionality. Unlike constrained form wizard-style builders, free form platforms give you fine-grained control over every aspect of your forms.

You can add any fields you want, arrange them however you like visually, customize the branding, tailor the user experience, and add advanced logic with ease. Free form builders have emerged as a flexible alternative to legacy rigid form tools.

Whether you need a simple contact form, complex order form with calculations, survey, questionnaire, interactive calculator, landing page, or CRM data collection form, free form builders enable creating exactly what you need. Let's look at some of the core benefits and popular use cases.

Core Benefits

  • Customizable interfaces and branding - Match forms to your brand with colors, fonts, logos, themes. JotForm provides themes and custom CSS for full styling control.
  • Flexibility in content types and layouts - Add any fields anywhere and arrange as needed. Drag-and-drop flexibility.
  • Freedom to add logic and calculations - Embed complex logic and math formulas without coding. Build mortgage calculators.
  • Accessibility and mobile-friendliness - Responsive cross-device forms. Mobile ready.
  • Integration with other apps and services - Connect to your CRM, emails, workflows. Integrate with Salesforce, Mailchimp.

Use Cases

  • Simple contact forms
  • Complex order forms with calculations
  • Online surveys and questionnaires
  • Interactive calculators and tools like mortgage payment estimators
  • Multi-page online document editors
  • CRM data collection forms

Top 5 Free Form Builder Tools

There are many great free form builder options available today, but these 5 stand out from the pack in features, flexibility and ease of use.

JotForm

JotForm is a fully featured free form builder trusted by 5+ million users. It provides a drag-and-drop form editor with over 100 field types to create any custom form. Forms are mobile-ready out of the box and can accept payments, signatures, file uploads and more. The free plan allows unlimited forms, though some advanced features require upgraded paid plans.

JotForm shines with its huge library of form widgets, conditional logic builder, and seamless mobile responsiveness.

Wufoo

Wufoo focuses on an incredibly simple form building experience that anyone can use. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and includes a gallery of professional form templates. Wufoo's free plan allows up to 3 forms, with paid upgrades available to remove limits.

Wufoo's simplicity and templates make it easy for beginners to build forms fast.

Typeform

Typeform specializes in conversational, interactive forms optimized for engagement. Their beautiful forms feature animations, videos, stylish themes and a polished mobile experience. The free plan allows 10 questions and 100 responses per form.

Typeform is perfect for crafting engaging, conversational lead gen quizzes and surveys.

Google Forms

Included free with Google Workspace, Google Forms provides a simple way to create forms, quizzes and surveys. Features are somewhat limited compared to advanced form builders, but the free price and seamless integration with Google products are advantages.

Google Forms offers basic free form building for Google Workspace users.

FormBuilder

FormBuilder is an affordable premium form builder with a drag-and-drop editor. It includes form management, analytics, conditional logic, and integrations with CRMs like Salesforce. FormBuilder offers a 30 day free trial followed by paid subscription plans.

FormBuilder integrates tightly with Salesforce and HubSpot for businesses.

Key Form Builder Features

When evaluating free form builders, here are some of the most important features and capabilities to look for:

Field Types

The field types available control the types of data you can collect and how your form functions. Top form builders provide options like:

  • Text boxes, text areas
  • Checkboxes, radio buttons
  • Dropdowns, toggle switches
  • Ratings, sliders, datepickers
  • File uploads, signatures
  • Clickable images, grid/table fields

For example, JotForm includes over 100 built-in field types for maximum flexibility.

Themes and Branding

Customizing the look and feel of your forms is crucial for matching forms to your brand identity:

  • Custom fonts, colors, and CSS styling
  • Upload logos, images, videos
  • Tailored themes and template galleries
  • Animations and page transitions

Typeform is known for its beautiful, branded themes and transitions.

Logic and Calculations

Advanced form builders allow implementing complex logic without coding:

  • Skip logic, branching, conditional fields
  • Math calculations
  • Dynamic field updating
  • Custom code integration

These features empower creating specialized tools like mortgage calculators.

Integrations

Connecting forms to other apps expands what you can do:

  • CRM, email, analytics integrations
  • Accept payments with Stripe, PayPal
  • Webhooks, Zapier, API connections
  • Embed forms on websites

For example, Wufoo integrates with MailChimp and Constant Contact.

Choosing the Right Form Builder

With the wide range of form builders available today, here are some key considerations when selecting the right platform for your needs:

Simple vs Advanced Needs

Free form builders with basic features work for simple contact forms. But more complex forms require advanced builders with robust options. Assess the types of fields, logic, branding and customizations you need.

Audience and Platforms

Pick a form builder that fits well with your target audience and where forms will be used - website, mobile, emailed, embedded, etc. Consider accessibility, languages and mobile-friendliness.

Pricing Considerations

Many free plans have limited features. Compare pricing models and free limits before committing long term. Volume-based and flat-rate plans are common.

Maximizing Form Conversions

Well-designed forms convert better. Here are some quick tips for optimizing form completion rates:

  • Keep forms short, simple and focused
  • Explain value proposition and use clear headers
  • Minimize required fields
  • Use page animations and progress indicators
  • Send confirmation emails

Page Design Tips

  • Prominent, attention-grabbing headers
  • Relevant images, minimal clutter
  • Strong calls-to-action
  • Mobile and retina optimized
  • Fast page load speed

Field Order and Flow

  • Name and email first
  • Funnel questions
  • Group related fields
  • Essential fields first
  • End with call-to-action

Incentives

  • Discounts for submitting
  • Free trial or sample
  • Contest or prize drawing
  • Lead magnet content offer
  • Reciprocity and social proof

Conclusion

Free form builder tools like JotForm and Typeform provide unmatched flexibility to create fully customized online forms. Leading options make it easy for anyone to build forms exactly how they want without constraints.

With their expansive features for styling, fields, logic and integrations, free form builders empower you to create tailored online forms that convert. Consider your specific use case, feature needs and target audience when selecting the best free form platform for your needs.

Platforms like JotForm and Wufoo offer free plans to get started building forms today. For more developer tools, explore DevHunt's collection of the latest form builders and no-code platforms.