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See all integrationsJotform and Google Forms are two of the most popular form and survey apps on the web today. While both platforms fit under the "form building" banner, they're entirely different tools with unique strengths and weaknesses.
Google Forms is a free software with basic question types and a barebones editor. Jotform, on the other hand, is a more well-rounded platform with advanced data collection and customisation features. One isn't necessarily better than the other—each app has its place depending on your needs.
In this post, we’ll go over the key features of Jotform and Google Forms so you can find the tool that’s best for your business. Let’s get right into it.
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When you’re deciding which option is worth adding to your tool belt, you’ll want to get into the nitty-gritty of exactly what each form builder can do. That’s why we’ve broken down the key features of both tools in the table below.
Feature | Jotform | Google Forms |
---|---|---|
Payment Processing | Yes | No, but you can use the Payable Forms add-on. |
Electronic Signatures | Yes | No, but you can use the Signature add-on |
Custom URL | Yes | No |
Advanced customisation | Yes | No, but you can use the Formfacade add-on |
Branding removal | Yes | No |
Conditional Logic | Yes | Yes, but less robust than Jotform |
Live Customer Support | Yes | No |
Drag and drop form builder | Yes | No |
Integrations outside the G-suite | Yes | No |
Mobile Optimisation | Yes | No |
Custom CSS | Yes | Yes |
Webhooks | Yes | No, but you can use an add-on as a workaround |
Number of supported field types | 13 | 12 |
Automatic email notifications | Yes | Yes |
Store responses in Google Sheets | Yes | Yes |
Price is a consideration when it comes to picking a new tool for your business. For small business owners especially, those subscription services can really add up. It’s important to pick a tool that’s worth the cost.
Jotform and Google Forms' pricing tiers
We'll start with Google Forms. It is completely free for personal use. All you need to get started is a Google account. At this point, who doesn't have one of those? If you need Google Drive storage and additional security you can upgrade to Google Workspace, though this doesn't bring any extra features to Google Forms.
Next up: Jotform. How do they stack up?
While JotForm does offer a free starter option, if you're primarily looking for a free form builder, Google Forms is likely the better choice. Google Forms is completely free, with no limits on the number of forms or responses you can receive, making it ideal for small businesses or individuals with limited budgets.
Google Forms and Jotform are excellent starter form builders, but like any tool, they both have their weaknesses.
For starters, let's cover the main limitation of both: design. While you can forgive Google Forms for having limited design and branding features, it's disappointing that the same can be said of Jotform. You can only choose from a few layout styles, and for more advanced stylization, you'll need to use custom CSS. Let's take a look at some of the other complaints users have:
Of course, there are areas for improvement with every software. But overall, we find Jotform's problems with customer support and reliability some of the most glaring—and important considerations for adding a form builder to your stack.
Google Forms has a very limited template library, with only 17 options to choose from. The templates do cover a good range of use cases, though, including customer feedback, RSVPs, contact forms, and registration forms.
Jotform has a much more robust template library, with over 10,000 form templates to choose from. There’s a wide range of use cases covered, from online t-shirt order forms to geography quizzes.
Templates are organised neatly by category to make browsing even easier. Of course, you could also pick a template because you like the style and change up the fields to fit your needs. All the templates are customisable within the editor.
G2 Ratings:
Capterra Ratings:
Jotform | Google Forms | |
---|---|---|
G2 Ratings | 4.7 out of 5 stars | 4.6 out of 5 stars |
Capterra Ratings | 4.6 out of 5 stars | 4.7 out of 5 stars |
When it comes to integration support for Jotform and Google Forms, Jotform definitely takes the cake.
Google Forms integrates with G-suite, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of other direct integrations. For anything other than sending responses to a Google Sheet, you’ll need to use a third-party integration platform like Zapier or Make.
Jotform, on the other hand, supports over 100 direct integrations and thousands more via Zapier or Make. You can connect your form with Asana to automatically create tasks based on form submissions, or use a payment integration to process cash through your Jotforms.
Some other popular supported options include Dropbox, Stripe, Zendesk, Slack, Monday.com, Asana, and of course, Google Sheets.
Here’s the (perhaps unsatisfying) truth: both Jotform and Google Forms are great form builders. Whichever one you choose, you can rest easy knowing you’ll be able to create simple forms and surveys for your website.
If affordability and ease of use are the most important factors, go for Google Forms. If integrations and more advanced features mean the most, give Jotform a try.
And if you’re looking for a form builder that can do both, consider Paperform. Our unique doc-style editor is easy to use, our customization options are seriously robust, and we offer all the advanced features of Jotform—and more.
And if you need a hand along the way, our customer support team is ready to chat with you at a moment's notice. Give it a go yourself with our 14-day free trial, and see what our versatile, no-code form builder can do for you.
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