Jotform is one of the most popular form builders out there, and for good reason — thousands of templates, drag-and-drop builder, payment integrations, and it works. But there are a few pain points that push people to look elsewhere.
The free tier caps at 5 forms and 100 submissions per month. Paid plans start at $34/month, which adds up fast for small teams. And the interface, while powerful, can feel cluttered when all you need is a simple form.
If you’re looking for something cheaper, simpler, or just different, here are 7 solid Jotform alternatives in 2026.
1. Tally (Best Free Alternative)
Tally is what a form builder looks like when you strip away the pricing walls. Unlimited forms, unlimited responses, no branding — all on the free plan.
Why switch from Jotform:
- Unlimited forms and responses for free (Jotform caps at 5/100)
- Clean, Notion-like editor — less cluttered than Jotform
- No Tally branding on free tier
- Conditional logic, hidden fields, calculations — all free
- File uploads and payment collection included
What you give up: Fewer templates than Jotform. No HIPAA compliance. The builder is simpler — which is a feature for most people, but a limitation if you need Jotform’s advanced widgets.
Pricing: Free (unlimited). Pro from $29/mo for custom domains and teams.
Best for: Anyone who wants a clean, capable form builder without paying anything.
2. Google Forms (Best for Simple Data Collection)
If your needs are basic — surveys, feedback, signups, quizzes — Google Forms does the job for free with zero setup.
Why switch from Jotform:
- Completely free, no limits on forms or responses
- Zero learning curve — if you’ve used Google Docs, you can use Google Forms
- Responses flow into Google Sheets automatically
- Quiz mode with auto-grading
- Real-time collaboration
What you give up: Basically everything that makes Jotform powerful — templates, payment collection, conditional logic (limited in Google Forms), custom branding, file uploads on free tier. Google Forms looks generic and you can’t change that.
Pricing: Free.
Best for: Internal surveys, quick feedback collection, classroom quizzes — anything where function matters more than form.
3. Typeform (Best for Conversational Forms)
Typeform’s one-question-at-a-time format creates a conversational experience that feels more like a chat than a form. If design and user experience are top priorities, Typeform is hard to beat.
Why switch from Jotform:
- Beautiful, conversational UI that boosts completion rates
- Polished animations and micro-interactions
- Logic jumps for personalized form flows
- Video questions and rich media embeds
- Better brand impression on customer-facing forms
What you give up: Typeform’s free tier is more restrictive (10 responses/month). Fewer templates than Jotform. No HIPAA. Payment collection requires a paid plan.
Pricing: Free (10 responses/mo). Paid from $25/mo.
Best for: Lead generation forms, customer surveys, and any form where the user experience directly impacts conversion.
4. Extended Forms (Best for Google Forms Power Users)
If you use Google Forms but wish it had more features, Extended Forms adds the functionality Google left out — timers, proctoring, custom branding, and more.
Why switch from Jotform:
- Works with Google Forms — no migration needed if you’re already in the Google ecosystem
- Timer and countdown for quizzes and exams
- Proctor mode for online assessments
- Custom branding and themes for Google Forms
- Cheaper than Jotform for education use cases
What you give up: It’s an add-on to Google Forms, not a standalone builder. You’re still limited by Google Forms’ core functionality. Not ideal if you need payment forms or complex workflows.
Pricing: Free tier available. Pro from $4.99/mo.
Best for: Teachers, educators, and organizations running timed quizzes or exams through Google Forms.
5. Fillout (Best for Database-Connected Forms)
Fillout connects forms directly to Airtable, Notion, Supabase, and Google Sheets. Your responses skip the export step and land in your existing data stack automatically.
Why switch from Jotform:
- 1,000 free responses/month (10x Jotform’s free limit)
- Native Airtable, Notion, and Supabase integrations
- Built-in scheduling (Calendly-style) within forms
- Multi-page forms with branching logic
- Cleaner interface than Jotform
What you give up: Smaller template library. No HIPAA compliance. The design is functional but not as visually striking as Typeform.
Pricing: Free (1,000 responses/mo). Paid from $19/mo.
Best for: Teams using Airtable or Notion who want form data to flow directly into their database.
6. Paperform (Best for Landing Page + Form Combos)
Paperform lets you embed rich content — text, images, videos — between your form fields. The result looks more like a branded landing page than a traditional form.
Why switch from Jotform:
- Rich content blocks between form fields
- Built-in payments and scheduling
- Full white-labeling with custom domains
- E-signatures
- Forms that look like landing pages, not data entry screens
What you give up: No free tier (starts at $24/mo). Steeper learning curve than Jotform’s drag-and-drop. Smaller community and fewer integrations.
Pricing: From $24/mo (14-day free trial).
Best for: Agencies, freelancers, and marketers who want forms that double as conversion pages.
7. Build Your Own (For Developers)
If you’ve outgrown form builders — you need custom validation, direct database writes, complex multi-step workflows, or you’re tired of per-response pricing — building a custom form backend gives you full control.
What you get:
- Complete control over the user experience and data pipeline
- Direct database integration (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)
- Custom validation logic beyond any form builder’s capabilities
- No per-response pricing — flat hosting cost no matter the volume
- API endpoints you own, for mobile apps or integrations
The hardest part used to be deploying it. Configuring servers, SSL certificates, process managers. Platforms like InstaPods simplify this to a single command:
instapods deploy my-form-backendLive URL with HTTPS in seconds. Add a database with instapods services add postgresql. Flat $3/mo — no per-response charges.
Best for: Developers who need custom logic, own their data, or are building forms as part of a larger application.
Quick Comparison
| Alternative | Free Tier | Starting Price | Best Feature | Free Response Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tally | Yes (unlimited) | $29/mo | Generous free tier | Unlimited |
| Google Forms | Yes | Free | Simplicity | Unlimited |
| Typeform | Yes | $25/mo | Conversational UI | 10/mo |
| Extended Forms | Yes | $4.99/mo | Google Forms timer & proctor | Yes |
| Fillout | Yes | $19/mo | Airtable/Notion sync | 1,000/mo |
| Paperform | No | $24/mo | Landing page forms | N/A |
| Custom-built | N/A | $3/mo hosting | Full control | Unlimited |
Which Alternative Should You Pick?
- Want free and unlimited? → Tally
- Already using Google Forms? → Extended Forms (adds timers, branding, proctoring)
- Design matters most? → Typeform
- Need database integrations? → Fillout
- Want forms that look like landing pages? → Paperform
- Just need basics? → Google Forms
- Need full control? → Build your own
Jotform is a solid product — the template library alone is worth it for certain use cases. But if you’re paying $34/month and only using 10% of what it offers, one of these alternatives likely does what you need for less.
