---
title: Best Microsoft Forms Alternatives for 2026 — Compared & Ranked | Paperform
description: Need more than Microsoft Forms offers? We compared the best alternatives by features, pricing, payments, and design flexibility. Find the right replacement for 2026.
url: "https://paperform.co/form-builders/microsoft-forms-alternatives"
type: static
generatedAt: "2026-04-10T01:07:36.396Z"
---

![](/images/og/form-builders/microsoft-forms-alternatives.png)

# Best Microsoft Forms Alternatives for 2026

Microsoft Forms makes sense in exactly one context: your organisation runs Microsoft 365, you need a quick internal survey or quiz, and it needs to flow into Teams, Excel, or SharePoint. Within that bubble, it's free, it's fast, and it works. The moment you step outside that bubble — customer-facing forms, payment collection, custom branding, advanced logic, or any integration beyond Microsoft's ecosystem — you discover that Microsoft Forms was never designed to be a form builder. It was designed to be a survey widget inside a productivity suite.

The limitations are fundamental, not cosmetic. No payment processing. No API. No custom fonts or CSS. No way to remove Microsoft branding. Limited field types. A 200-response-per-form cap on personal accounts. No conditional calculations. Forms look like Microsoft products, not like your business. For internal HR surveys and quick team polls, those constraints don't matter. For anything a customer or client will see, they're disqualifying.

The alternatives below work everywhere — not just inside Microsoft 365. For how Microsoft Forms compares to its closest equivalent, see [Google Forms vs Microsoft Forms](/form-builders/google-forms-vs-microsoft-forms/). For the most capable upgrade, see [Paperform vs Microsoft Forms](/form-builders/paperform-vs-microsoft-forms/).

 ![Microsoft Forms homepage](/images/form-builders/microsoft-forms/screenshot-homepage.png)

*Microsoft Forms — built for internal Microsoft 365 use, limited everywhere else.*

| Feature | Microsoft Forms | Paperform | Google Forms | Jotform | Typeform | Cognito Forms | SurveyMonkey | HubSpot Forms |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Form Building |
| Document-style editor | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| AI form creation | Yes  copilot | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Field types | No | 26+ | 11 | 30+ (starter) | 20+ | 20+ | 15+ | No |
| Guided mode (one question at a time) | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Calculations field | No | Yes  essentials | No | Yes  starter | Yes  plus | Yes | No | No |
| Payments |
| Stripe payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Advantage | Yes  starter |
| PayPal payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes  team | Yes  Individual Advantage | No |
| Square payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes  team | No | No |
| Braintree payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Google Pay | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Design & Customization |
| Template gallery | Yes | 30,000+ | 20+ | 20,000+ (starter) | 1,500+ | Yes | 500+ | Yes |
| Rich media (images, GIFs, videos) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unsplash and Giphy integration | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Image editor | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adobe Creative Cloud | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Analytics |
| AI report insights | Yes | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  business | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Paperform analytics | No | Yes  pro | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Google Analytics & Facebook Pixel | No | Yes  essentials | No | No | Yes  basic | Yes  pro | No | Yes |
| Custom analytics scripts | No | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  basic | No | No | No |
| Partial submissions | No | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  plus | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Collaboration |
| Form sharing (templates) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes  Team Advantage | Yes |
| Spaces and tag management | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Form sharing | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Assign forms | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No | No | No | No |
| Workspace organization | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Security |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  enterprise | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Enforce 2FA for all users | Yes  enterprise | Yes  business | Yes  Business Starter | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No |
| reCAPTCHA | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  business | Yes | Yes | No |
| Local data residency | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  Business Plus | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No |
| Custom S3 storage (BYO) | No | Yes  business | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Integrations & API |
| Zapier | No | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter |
| Make (Integromat) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter |
| Webhooks | No | Yes  pro | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | Yes  starter |
| Standard API | No | Yes  pro | Yes | No | No | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Business API | No | Yes  business | No | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No |
| Additional Products |
| Jotform Tables | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Sign | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Apps | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Workflows | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Report Builder | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |

## ![](/images/form-builders/paperform/logo.svg)
 Paperform — Best Overall Microsoft Forms Alternative

 ![Paperform homepage](/images/form-builders/paperform/screenshot-homepage.png)

*Paperform — works everywhere, not just inside Microsoft 365.*

Paperform addresses every limitation that makes Microsoft Forms unsuitable for customer-facing work. The document-style editor produces professional, branded forms that look like they belong on your website — custom fonts, colours, backgrounds, and layouts that represent your business rather than Microsoft's design language. Five payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, Google Pay) handle transactions Microsoft Forms can't process at all. The Excel-style calculation engine powers dynamic pricing, scoring, and conditional logic far beyond Microsoft Forms' basic branching.

Consider the practical difference: in Microsoft Forms, you can create a registration form with text fields and a submit button. In Paperform, you can create a registration form with custom branding, tiered pricing calculated in real time, early-bird discounts applied automatically, Stripe or PayPal payment processing, a signed waiver via Papersign, and a confirmation email with personalised details — all from one form. The gap isn't incremental; it's generational.

Critically, Paperform isn't ecosystem-locked. It works on any website, connects to 2,000+ apps through Zapier and Make, and includes built-in e-signatures (Papersign) and workflow automation (Stepper). You don't need a Microsoft 365 subscription, a Google account, or any specific tech stack to use it. For organisations that chose Microsoft Forms because it was "already there" but now need forms that represent their brand and process transactions, Paperform is the upgrade that removes the ecosystem constraint. Bootstrapped and profitable since 2016, Paperform's pricing reflects sustainable economics — not enterprise software licence models. For a full side-by-side, see our [Paperform vs Microsoft Forms comparison](/form-builders/paperform-vs-microsoft-forms/).

### Strengths over Microsoft Forms

 - **Five payment gateways** on all plans including free (Microsoft Forms: zero payment capability)
 - **Professional design control** — custom fonts, CSS, branded layouts (Microsoft Forms: basic themes only)
 - **Excel-style calculations** — dynamic pricing, scoring, tax logic, conditional totals
 - **No ecosystem lock-in** — works with any tech stack, not just Microsoft 365
 - **Full REST API** for developer integrations (Microsoft Forms: no API)
 - **Built-in e-signatures** and workflow automation at no extra cost

### Key limitations

 - No native Teams, SharePoint, or Power Automate integration (connects through Zapier)
 - Free plan caps at 30 submissions/month (Microsoft Forms: 200 responses per form)
 - No HIPAA compliance (Microsoft Forms is HIPAA-eligible within M365 with BAA)

**Best for:** Organisations that need customer-facing forms with branding, payments, and calculations — without being locked into Microsoft 365.

## ![](/images/form-builders/google-forms/logo.png)
 Google Forms — Best Free Ecosystem Alternative

 ![Google Forms homepage](/images/form-builders/google-forms/screenshot-homepage.png)

*Google Forms — Microsoft Forms' closest equivalent, but for the Google ecosystem.*

Google Forms is the Microsoft Forms of the Google world — same simplicity, same limitations, different ecosystem. Free with any Google account, unlimited forms, unlimited responses, automatic Google Sheets integration. If you're moving away from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace (or already use both), Google Forms provides the same basic form-building capability with Sheets instead of Excel, Drive instead of SharePoint, and Google Chat instead of Teams.

The limitations are nearly identical: no payments, no branding, no advanced logic. But if your question is "which free ecosystem form tool is better?" — Google Forms offers unlimited responses versus Microsoft Forms' 200-per-form cap on personal accounts, and the Google Sheets integration is slightly more flexible than the Excel Online connection. This isn't a meaningful upgrade in capability — it's a lateral move to a different ecosystem. For a genuine capability upgrade, look at the other alternatives on this list.

### Strengths over Microsoft Forms

 - **Unlimited responses** versus Microsoft Forms' 200-per-form cap (personal accounts)
 - **Simpler access** — any Google account, no M365 subscription needed for full functionality
 - **Google Sheets integration** — for organisations already in the Google ecosystem

### Key limitations

 - Same fundamental limitations as Microsoft Forms — no payments, no branding, no advanced logic
 - Ecosystem-locked to Google rather than Microsoft
 - No native Teams or Power Automate integration

**Best for:** Google Workspace organisations that need the same basic form capability Microsoft Forms provides, but in the Google ecosystem.

## ![](/images/form-builders/jotform/logo.png)
 Jotform — Best for Maximum Features and Templates

 ![Jotform homepage](/images/form-builders/jotform/screenshot-homepage.png)

*Jotform — the broadest feature set of any Microsoft Forms alternative.*

If Microsoft Forms' limitation is that it can barely do anything, Jotform's approach is to do everything. Its 20,000+ templates, 40+ payment gateways, e-signatures, PDF generation, approval workflows, and native Power Automate connector make it the most feature-rich replacement for organisations that need to graduate from Microsoft Forms' basic capabilities to enterprise-grade form building. Jotform also has a native Power Automate connector, which eases the transition for M365-heavy organisations. The free tier (5 forms, 100 submissions) is more restrictive than Microsoft Forms but includes capabilities Microsoft Forms doesn't offer at all.

### Strengths over Microsoft Forms

 - **40+ payment gateways** — covers virtually any payment provider
 - **Native Power Automate connector** — maintains Microsoft workflow integration
 - **HIPAA compliance** on paid plans with purpose-built healthcare features
 - **20,000+ templates** for every industry and use case

### Key limitations

 - Free tier limited to 5 forms (Microsoft Forms: up to 400 with M365)
 - Significantly more complex than Microsoft Forms' simple interface
 - Paid plans start at $39/month — a real cost versus "free with M365"

**Best for:** Microsoft 365 organisations that need payments, templates, and HIPAA compliance while maintaining Power Automate workflows.

## ![](/images/form-builders/cognito-forms/logo.png)
 Cognito Forms — Best Free Tier With Advanced Capabilities

 ![Cognito Forms homepage](/images/form-builders/cognito-forms/screenshot-homepage.png)

*Cognito Forms — advanced logic and payments on a free tier that outperforms Microsoft Forms.*

Cognito Forms is the best option for teams that want to stay on a free plan but need capabilities Microsoft Forms lacks. Its free tier includes unlimited forms, 100 submissions/month, conditional logic, calculations, e-signatures, and Stripe payments — features Microsoft Forms doesn't offer at any level. The builder maintains a straightforward approach that won't overwhelm teams accustomed to Microsoft Forms' simplicity, while adding the advanced logic and payment capabilities that business forms require. HIPAA compliance is available at just $15/month, making it the most affordable path to HIPAA-compliant forms outside of Microsoft 365.

### Strengths over Microsoft Forms

 - **Stripe payments on the free plan** — Microsoft Forms has zero payment capability
 - **Calculations and conditional logic** far beyond Microsoft Forms' basic branching
 - **E-signatures** included on the free tier
 - **HIPAA compliance** at $15/month — cheaper than any M365 business plan

### Key limitations

 - No native Microsoft ecosystem integration (Teams, SharePoint, Power Automate)
 - Limited design customisation — functional but not visually distinctive
 - Smaller integration ecosystem than Microsoft's native connections

**Best for:** Teams that need payments, calculations, and e-signatures at zero cost — a genuine capability upgrade from Microsoft Forms.

## Full Feature Comparison

Every feature across all alternatives, grouped by category. Microsoft Forms included for reference, Paperform highlighted.

| Feature | Microsoft Forms | Paperform | Google Forms | Jotform | Typeform | Cognito Forms | SurveyMonkey | HubSpot Forms |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Form Building |
| Document-style editor | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| AI form creation | Yes  copilot | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Field types | No | 26+ | 11 | 30+ (starter) | 20+ | 20+ | 15+ | No |
| Multi-page forms | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter |
| Guided mode (one question at a time) | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Conditional logic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | Yes  professional |
| Calculations field | No | Yes  essentials | No | Yes  starter | Yes  plus | Yes | No | No |
| AI calculations assistant | No | Yes  essentials | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Scoring | Yes | Yes  essentials | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  plus | Yes | Yes | No |
| Answer piping | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Pre-filling and hidden fields | No | Yes  essentials | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | Yes |
| Save and resume | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes  pro | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Auto-close by number | Yes | Yes  essentials | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Auto-close by date | Yes | Yes  pro | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Appointment/booking field | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | No | No | No |
| Signature field | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes  team | No | No |
| Color picker field | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| API-powered dropdowns | No | Yes  business | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Google address search | No | Yes  business | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| File uploads | No | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drag-and-drop builder | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Form widgets | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Template gallery | No | No | No | 20,000+ (starter) | No | No | No | No |
| AI follow-up questions | No | No | No | No | Yes  business | No | No | No |
| Video questions | No | No | No | No | Yes  basic | No | No | No |
| Question types | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Payments |
| Stripe payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Advantage | Yes  starter |
| PayPal payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes  team | Yes  Individual Advantage | No |
| Square payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes  team | No | No |
| Braintree payments | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Google Pay | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Product sales (eCommerce) | No | Yes  essentials | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes | No | No |
| Subscriptions | No | Yes  essentials | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | No | No | No |
| Coupons and discounts | No | Yes  essentials | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes | No | No |
| Custom pricing rules | No | Yes  essentials | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes | No | No |
| Tax calculations | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | No | Yes | No | No |
| Quotes/invoices | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes  team | No | No |
| Refunds | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 3D Secure | No | Yes | No | No | Yes  basic | No | No | No |
| 40+ payment gateways | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| No transaction fees | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Design & Customization |
| Template gallery | Yes | 30,000+ | 20+ | 20,000+ (starter) | 1,500+ | Yes | 500+ | Yes |
| Rich media (images, GIFs, videos) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unsplash and Giphy integration | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Image editor | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adobe Creative Cloud | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Language translation | Yes | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes  pro | Yes  Individual Premier | No |
| Advanced theming | No | Yes  pro | No | Yes  starter | Yes  plus | Yes  pro | Yes  Individual Standard | Yes  starter |
| Custom form URL | No | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  plus | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Custom domains | No | Yes  pro | No | Yes  enterprise | No | No | No | No |
| Custom HTML & CSS | No | Yes  pro | No | Yes  starter | Yes  business | Yes  pro | No | Yes  starter |
| Remove branding | No | Yes  pro | No | Yes  bronze | Yes  plus | Yes  pro | Yes  Individual Standard | Yes  starter |
| Custom email domains | No | Yes  business | Yes  Business Starter | No | No | No | No | No |
| Form themes | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Analytics |
| Submission results and reports | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI report insights | Yes | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  business | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Paperform analytics | No | Yes  pro | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Google Analytics & Facebook Pixel | No | Yes  essentials | No | No | Yes  basic | Yes  pro | No | Yes |
| Custom analytics scripts | No | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  basic | No | No | No |
| Partial submissions | No | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  plus | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Drop-off analysis | No | Yes  pro | No | No | Yes  business | No | No | No |
| Form analytics | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Google Analytics integration | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Conversion analytics | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes  professional |
| Collaboration |
| Multi-user accounts | Yes | Yes  pro | Yes | Yes  bronze | Yes  plus | Yes  pro | Yes  Team Advantage | Yes |
| User permissions and management | Yes | Yes  pro | Yes | Yes  enterprise | Yes  plus | Yes  team | Yes  Team Advantage | Yes  starter |
| Advanced permissions & admin | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  Business Starter | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise |
| Form sharing (templates) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes  Team Advantage | Yes |
| Spaces and tag management | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Form sharing | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Assign forms | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No | No | No | No |
| Workspace organization | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Security |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  enterprise | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSL encryption | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Two-factor authentication | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enforce 2FA for all users | Yes  enterprise | Yes  business | Yes  Business Starter | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No |
| SSO (SAML) | Yes | Yes  business | Yes  Business Plus | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise |
| reCAPTCHA | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes  business | Yes | Yes | No |
| Local data residency | Yes  enterprise | Yes  enterprise | Yes  Business Plus | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No |
| Custom S3 storage (BYO) | No | Yes  business | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| HIPAA compliant | No | No | No | Yes  gold | Yes  enterprise | No | No | No |
| 256-bit SSL | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Data residency | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise |
| Form encryption | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| PCI DSS | No | No | No | Yes  starter | Yes | No | No | No |
| ISO 27001 | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Custom S3 storage | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Integrations & API |
| 2000+ integrations | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Zapier | No | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter |
| Make (Integromat) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes | Yes  starter |
| Webhooks | No | Yes  pro | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | Yes | Yes  Individual Standard | Yes  starter |
| Standard API | No | Yes  pro | Yes | No | No | No | Yes  Individual Standard | No |
| Business API | No | Yes  business | No | No | No | No | Yes  enterprise | No |
| WordPress plugin | No | Yes | No | Yes  starter | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| oEmbed support | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Native integrations | No | 2,000+ | No | 150+ (starter) | 120+ (basic) | No | 200+ | Yes |
| API | No | No | No | Yes  starter | Yes  basic | No | No | Yes |
| Salesforce AppExchange | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Embed options | No | No | No | Yes  starter | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Mobile apps | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Additional Products |
| Jotform Tables | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Sign | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Apps | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Workflows | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Report Builder | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform AI Agents | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |
| Jotform Store Builder | No | No | No | Yes  starter | No | No | No | No |

## Pricing Comparison

 ![Microsoft Forms pricing](/images/form-builders/microsoft-forms/screenshot-pricing.png)

*Microsoft Forms is "free" with Microsoft 365 — but M365 itself costs $6-22/user/month.*

Microsoft Forms is free within Microsoft 365 — but the real cost is what you can't do with it. Here's what alternatives charge for the capabilities Microsoft Forms lacks.
  ComparevsWith
#### Paperform
Free plan14 days trialFreeFreeforms: Unlimitedsubmissions: 30/monthstorage: 100 submissionsusers: 1file uploads: 100 MBEssentials$29/mo$24/mo billed annuallyforms: Unlimitedsubmissions: 100/monthstorage: 1,000 submissionsusers: 1file uploads: 1 GBPro$59/mo$49/mo billed annuallyforms: Unlimitedsubmissions: 1,000/monthstorage: 10,000 submissionsusers: 3file uploads: 10 GBBusiness$129/mo$99/mo billed annuallyforms: Unlimitedsubmissions: 10,000/monthstorage: 100,000 submissionsusers: 5file uploads: 100 GBVerified 2026-03-21
#### Microsoft Forms
Free plan1 month trialFree (Personal Microsoft Account)Freeforms: 400submissions: 200/formstorage: N/Ausers: 1Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/moforms: 400submissions: 5,000,000/formstorage: 1 TB OneDriveusers: Per userMicrosoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/moforms: 400submissions: 5,000,000/formstorage: 1 TB OneDriveusers: Per userMicrosoft 365 Business Premium$22/moforms: 400submissions: 5,000,000/formstorage: 1 TB OneDriveusers: Per userVerified 2026-03-21
| Product | Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (per month) | Free Plan | Free Trial | Limits |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft Forms | Free (Personal Microsoft Account) | Free | Free | Yes | 1 month | forms: 400, submissions: 200/form, storage: N/A, users: 1 |
| Microsoft Forms | Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $6/mo | $6/mo billed annually | forms: 400, submissions: 5,000,000/form, storage: 1 TB OneDrive, users: Per user |
| Microsoft Forms | Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $12.5/mo | $12.5/mo billed annually | forms: 400, submissions: 5,000,000/form, storage: 1 TB OneDrive, users: Per user |
| Microsoft Forms | Microsoft 365 Business Premium | $22/mo | $22/mo billed annually | forms: 400, submissions: 5,000,000/form, storage: 1 TB OneDrive, users: Per user |
| Paperform | Free | Free | Free | Yes | 14 days | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 30/month, storage: 100 submissions, users: 1, file uploads: 100 MB |
| Paperform | Essentials | $29/mo | $24/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 100/month, storage: 1,000 submissions, users: 1, file uploads: 1 GB |
| Paperform | Pro | $59/mo | $49/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 1,000/month, storage: 10,000 submissions, users: 3, file uploads: 10 GB |
| Paperform | Business | $129/mo | $99/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 10,000/month, storage: 100,000 submissions, users: 5, file uploads: 100 GB |
| Google Forms | Free (Personal) | Free | Free | Yes | 14 days | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, storage: 15 GB (shared across Google Drive), users: 1, file uploads: Included in 15 GB storage |
| Google Forms | Business Starter | $7/mo | $7/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, storage: 30 GB per user, users: Up to 300, file uploads: Included in storage |
| Google Forms | Business Standard | $14/mo | $14/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, storage: 2 TB per user, users: Up to 300, file uploads: Included in storage |
| Google Forms | Business Plus | $22/mo | $22/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, storage: 5 TB per user, users: Up to 300, file uploads: Included in storage |
| Jotform | Starter | Free | Free | Yes | No | forms: 5, submissions: 100/month, storage: 100 MB, users: 1 |
| Jotform | Bronze | $39/mo | $34/mo billed annually | forms: 25, submissions: 1,000/month, storage: 1 GB, users: 1 |
| Jotform | Silver | $49/mo | $39/mo billed annually | forms: 50, submissions: 2,500/month, storage: 10 GB, users: 1 |
| Jotform | Gold | $129/mo | $99/mo billed annually | forms: 100, submissions: 10,000/month, storage: 100 GB, users: 1 |
| Typeform | Free | Free | Free | Yes | No | forms: 10, submissions: 10/month, users: 1 |
| Typeform | Basic | $39/mo | $28/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 100/month, users: 1 |
| Typeform | Plus | $79/mo | $56/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 1,000/month, users: 3 |
| Typeform | Business | $129/mo | $91/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 10,000/month, users: 5 |
| Typeform | Growth Pro | $379/mo | $266/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Expanded, users: Expanded |
| Cognito Forms | Individual (Free) | Free | Free | Yes | 14 days | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 100/month, storage: 100 MB, users: 1 |
| Cognito Forms | Pro | $19/mo | $16/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 2,000/month, storage: 1 GB, users: 2 |
| Cognito Forms | Team | $39/mo | $33/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 10,000/month, storage: 10 GB, users: 5 |
| Cognito Forms | Enterprise | $129/mo | $109/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, storage: 100 GB, users: 20 |
| SurveyMonkey | Basic (Free) | Free | Free | Yes | No | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 25 per survey, storage: N/A, users: 1 |
| SurveyMonkey | Individual Standard | $99/mo | $39/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 1,000 per month, storage: N/A, users: 1 |
| SurveyMonkey | Individual Advantage | Free | $32/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 15,000 per year, storage: N/A, users: 1 |
| SurveyMonkey | Individual Premier | Free | $99/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 40,000 per year, storage: N/A, users: 1 |
| SurveyMonkey | Team Advantage | Free | $30/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 50,000 per year (shared), storage: N/A, users: 3 minimum |
| SurveyMonkey | Team Premier | Free | $92/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: 100,000 per year (shared), storage: N/A, users: 3 minimum |
| HubSpot Forms | Free | Free | Free | Yes | 14 days | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, users: 2 |
| HubSpot Forms | Marketing Hub Starter | $20/mo | $20/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, users: Per seat |
| HubSpot Forms | Marketing Hub Professional | $890/mo | $890/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, users: 3 included (additional seats extra) |
| HubSpot Forms | Marketing Hub Enterprise | $3600/mo | $3600/mo billed annually | forms: Unlimited, submissions: Unlimited, users: 5 included (additional seats extra) |

## Review Ratings Across Platforms

Weighted average ratings from G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and other major review sites.
    Paperform  4.82 / 5 (498 reviews)        G2  4.8 (78)   Capterra  4.8 (104)   GetApp  4.9 (104)   Trustpilot  4.8 (212)      Jotform  4.7 / 5 (10,352 reviews)        G2  4.7 (4,849)   Capterra  4.7 (2,755)   GetApp  4.7 (2,748)      Google Forms  4.63 / 5 (64,830 reviews)        Capterra  4.7 (11,182)   GetApp  4.7 (10,700)   G2  4.6 (42,000)   TrustRadius  4.3 (948)      Typeform  4.63 / 5 (2,835 reviews)        G2  4.5 (969)   Capterra  4.7 (930)   GetApp  4.7 (936)      Microsoft Forms  4.49 / 5 (746 reviews)        G2  4.4 (427)   Capterra  4.6 (319)      SurveyMonkey  4.46 / 5 (44,762 reviews)        G2  4.4 (23,000)   Capterra  4.6 (10,410)   GetApp  4.6 (9,600)   TrustRadius  4.2 (721)   Trustpilot  3.2 (1,031)      HubSpot Forms  4.43 / 5 (16,400 reviews)        G2  4.4 (12,000)   Capterra  4.5 (4,400)      Cognito Forms  4.19 / 5 (693 reviews)        G2  4.6 (84)   Capterra  4.6 (135)   Trustpilot  4 (474)
## Who Should Stay With Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms works well within its intended scope. Not everyone needs an alternative — the platform is the right choice when ecosystem integration outweighs form-building capability.

 - **Internal M365 surveys and polls:** Team feedback, meeting polls, employee satisfaction surveys — anything internal where the form needs to flow into Teams channels, trigger Power Automate workflows, and populate Excel dashboards. The native M365 integration is genuinely seamless for these use cases.
 - **Education within M365:** Schools and universities running Microsoft 365 for Education get Forms with quiz auto-grading, Teams integration, and student analytics. The ecosystem integration with Microsoft Classroom makes it the path of least resistance for educators already in M365.
 - **Quick internal data collection:** If you need to collect structured data from colleagues in 5 minutes and route it to Excel — without any design, branding, or payment requirements — Microsoft Forms' simplicity is its strength. No alternative is faster for this specific use case within M365.
 - **Organisations with strict Microsoft-only policies:** Some enterprise IT departments mandate Microsoft-only tools for data governance, compliance, or security reasons. In these environments, Microsoft Forms is the only option regardless of alternatives' capabilities.

## How We Evaluated Microsoft Forms Alternatives

We assessed each alternative against the specific limitations that drive people away from Microsoft Forms, focusing on five criteria:

 1. **Ecosystem independence (25%):** Microsoft Forms only makes sense within M365. Alternatives that work across any tech stack — not locked to Microsoft, Google, or WordPress — scored highest.
 2. **Customer-facing quality (25%):** Microsoft Forms is unsuitable for public-facing forms due to design limitations and mandatory branding. Alternatives that produce professional, branded experiences scored significantly higher.
 3. **Payment processing (20%):** Microsoft Forms has zero payment capability. Alternatives with multiple gateways on free or low-cost plans scored highest.
 4. **Feature depth (15%):** Microsoft Forms offers basic fields and branching. Alternatives with calculations, e-signatures, workflows, and advanced logic scored higher.
 5. **Migration ease (15%):** Teams leaving Microsoft Forms may lose workflow integrations (Power Automate, Teams). Alternatives with broad integration ecosystems or native Microsoft connectors scored higher.

## The Verdict: Which Microsoft Forms Alternative Should You Choose?

**For most teams outgrowing Microsoft Forms, Paperform is the best upgrade.** It removes the ecosystem lock-in, adds professional design control and five payment gateways, and includes an Excel-style calculation engine that powers dynamic pricing and conditional logic. At $24/month (with a free tier to start), it's the most capable replacement for organisations that need customer-facing forms, payment processing, and brand-quality design Microsoft Forms can't provide. The document-style editor is approachable enough that teams accustomed to Microsoft Forms' simplicity won't feel overwhelmed.

**Choose Google Forms** if you're switching to Google Workspace and want the same basic free form capability in a different ecosystem. **Choose Jotform** if you need maximum features and a native Power Automate connector to maintain Microsoft workflow integration. **Choose Cognito Forms** if you want to stay free while adding payments, calculations, and e-signatures.

Microsoft Forms remains the right choice for internal-only surveys and quizzes within M365 organisations where ecosystem integration matters more than form capabilities — quick team polls in Teams, student quizzes in a school running M365, employee feedback routed through Power Automate. For anything customer-facing, payment-related, or brand-sensitive, the alternatives above are substantially more capable. See our full [best form builders ranking](/form-builders/best-form-builders/) for additional options.

## Frequently Asked Questions

Why are people looking for Microsoft Forms alternatives in 2026?

Microsoft Forms works well for one scenario: internal surveys and quizzes within organisations already running Microsoft 365. The problems surface when you need **customer-facing forms with custom branding, payment processing, advanced conditional logic, or integrations outside Microsoft's ecosystem**. There's no payment processing, minimal design control (you can't even remove Microsoft branding), limited field types, no API for developers, and forms look unmistakably like Microsoft products. For anything public-facing or transaction-oriented, Microsoft Forms hits a wall.

Is Microsoft Forms really free?

Microsoft Forms is free with any Microsoft account (personal or work). However, full functionality — including advanced collaboration, organization-wide sharing, and Power Automate integration — requires a paid **Microsoft 365** subscription ($6-22/user/month for business plans). So while Forms itself doesn't cost extra, many users are already paying for it through their M365 subscription. For comparison, **Google Forms** is genuinely free with a free Google account. **Paperform** and **Cognito Forms** also offer free tiers with substantially more features than Microsoft Forms.

Can I use Microsoft Forms outside the Microsoft ecosystem?

Technically yes — forms can be shared via link or embedded on websites. But the value proposition collapses outside Microsoft's ecosystem. The native integrations (Teams, Excel, SharePoint, Power Automate) that make Microsoft Forms useful all require Microsoft 365. Without those, you have a basic form builder with limited field types, no payments, no advanced logic, and no API. If you're not in the Microsoft ecosystem, **Paperform**, **Jotform**, or **Google Forms** are all better standalone options.

Which Microsoft Forms alternative is best for customer-facing forms?

**Paperform** is the strongest option for customer-facing forms. Its document-style editor produces professional, branded forms that look like they belong on your website — not like a Microsoft product embedded on your page. Custom fonts, colours, backgrounds, layouts, and the ability to mix content with form fields means every form is also a landing page. **Typeform** also excels at polished customer-facing experiences through its conversational format. Microsoft Forms' design limitations make it unsuitable for anything customer-facing where brand presentation matters.

Can I accept payments with a Microsoft Forms alternative?

Microsoft Forms has no payment processing capability. Alternatives fill this gap: **Paperform** connects five payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Braintree, Google Pay) on all plans including free. **Jotform** supports 40+ gateways. **Cognito Forms** handles Stripe payments on its free tier. For any business that needs to collect money through forms — orders, registrations, donations, bookings — any of these alternatives addresses a gap Microsoft Forms can never fill.

How does Microsoft Forms compare to Google Forms?

They're nearly identical in capability and limitations. Both are free, ecosystem-locked tools for basic data collection. **Google Forms** integrates with Google Sheets, Drive, and Workspace. **Microsoft Forms** integrates with Excel, Teams, SharePoint, and Power Automate. Neither offers payments, advanced logic, custom branding, or meaningful design control. The right choice is purely ecosystem-dependent — pick whichever matches your organisation's productivity suite. For a full breakdown, see our [Google Forms vs Microsoft Forms](/form-builders/google-forms-vs-microsoft-forms/) comparison.

Does Microsoft Forms have an API?

No. Microsoft Forms does not offer a public API for developers. This means no custom integrations, no programmatic form creation, and no automated data extraction beyond what Power Automate and Microsoft Graph provide within the M365 ecosystem. For teams that need API access, **Paperform**, **Jotform**, **Cognito Forms**, and most other alternatives offer full REST APIs for custom development and integration.

Which Microsoft Forms alternative integrates with Power Automate?

Several alternatives connect to Power Automate through its built-in connectors or through Zapier/Make. **Jotform** has a native Power Automate connector. **Paperform** and **Cognito Forms** connect through Zapier, which integrates with Power Automate. However, if Power Automate integration is your primary requirement, Microsoft Forms' native connection will always be deeper than any third-party alternative. The question is whether that native connection justifies Microsoft Forms' feature limitations.

Is Microsoft Forms HIPAA compliant?

Yes — Microsoft Forms is HIPAA-eligible within Microsoft 365 with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This makes it one of the few free (within M365) HIPAA-compliant form tools. However, the form-building capabilities remain basic: no file upload encryption, limited field types, and no audit trails. For dedicated HIPAA-compliant form building with advanced features, **Jotform** and **Cognito Forms** offer HIPAA on paid plans with purpose-built healthcare form features.

What's the best Microsoft Forms alternative for enterprise organisations?

For enterprise teams already in Microsoft 365, **Formstack** offers enterprise-grade forms with document generation, e-signatures, and HIPAA compliance — capabilities Microsoft Forms lacks. **Jotform** provides enterprise plans with SSO, HIPAA, and dedicated support. **Paperform** offers SSO, SLA, API access, and data residency on its Business plan. For enterprise teams specifically needing Salesforce integration, **FormAssembly** is the strongest option. The right choice depends on which enterprise features matter most and which ecosystem you're invested in.

## Sources & References

 1. [Best Online Form Builder to Use in 2026 — Top 20 Tools](https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/blog/best-online-form-builder/) — EmailToolTester, 2026
2. [The 13 Best Online Form Builder Apps](https://zapier.com/blog/best-online-form-builder-software/) — Zapier, 2025
3. [Best 120 Free Online Form Builder Software Picks](https://www.g2.com/categories/online-form-builder/free) — G2, 2026

Last updated March 21, 2026

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