Surveys and forms are essential for gathering feedback, running research, and understanding customers or employees. From students doing a class project to enterprises conducting global research, the right survey tool can make data collection seamless and insightful.
But with so many options available, choosing the right one depends on your goals, team size, and audience. Do you need unlimited responses? Advanced logic branching? Enterprise-level analytics? Or simply a quick and free solution?
In this guide, we’ve curated the 9 best survey tools and form builders — a mix of free, affordable, and enterprise-grade platforms. Each offers unique strengths, and we’ll highlight who it’s best for, its standout features, and pricing.
Google Forms
Best for: Students and educators needing quick, unlimited surveys.
Google Forms is simple, free, and great for basic surveys. It integrates smoothly with Google Sheets, making analysis easy. While design options are limited, it’s reliable and mobile-friendly.
Key Features:
- Unlimited surveys, questions, and responses
- Real-time collaboration with Google Sheets
- Supports skip logic and file uploads
- Anonymous surveys available
Pricing: Free with a Google account.
Microsoft Forms
Best for: Teams in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Microsoft Forms offers similar simplicity to Google Forms but integrates with Excel and Office 365 apps. It supports quizzes with auto-grading and even AI suggestions through Copilot.
Key Features:
- Unlimited surveys and responses
- Real-time Excel integration
- Auto-grading for quizzes
- AI-powered form generation
Pricing: Free with Microsoft account; included in Office 365 subscriptions.
SurveyMonkey
Best for: Small businesses needing templates and trusted branding.
SurveyMonkey is a widely recognized platform with excellent survey templates. The free plan is restrictive, but paid tiers add advanced logic, analytics, and higher response caps.
Key Features:
- Library of 200+ professional templates
- Advanced branching and piping (paid)
- Trusted, familiar brand for respondents
- Real-time results dashboard
Pricing: Free plan limited to 10 questions/25 responses; paid plans from ~$25/month.
Typeform
Best for: Marketers and creators who prioritize design and engagement.
Typeform makes surveys conversational and visually appealing. Its one-question-at-a-time interface increases completion rates, making it ideal for lead generation and customer engagement.
Key Features:
- Conversational, interactive design
- Conditional logic and calculations
- Rich media support (images, GIFs, video)
- Integrations with 70+ apps (HubSpot, Slack, Notion)
Pricing: Free plan limited to 10 responses/month; paid plans from ~$25/month.
Jotform
Best for: SMBs needing versatility and payments in forms.
Jotform is one of the most versatile builders, supporting payments, e-signatures, and conditional logic even on its free plan. It’s perfect for order forms, event registrations, or detailed surveys.
Key Features:
- 10,000+ form templates
- Supports conditional logic and calculations
- Payment integration (PayPal, Stripe)
- File uploads and e-signatures
Pricing: Free plan (100 submissions/month); paid plans from ~$34/month.
Qualtrics
Best for: Enterprises needing advanced analytics and research tools.
Qualtrics is the gold standard for enterprise surveys, used by Fortune 500 companies and universities. It offers unmatched logic, analytics, and distribution channels but comes at a premium.
Key Features:
- Advanced logic branching and survey flows
- Powerful analytics with dashboards
- Multi-channel distribution (email, SMS, apps)
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing.
Zoho Survey
Best for: Businesses already using Zoho apps.
Zoho Survey integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM, making it a strong choice for businesses. The free plan includes features like multi-language support and password-protected surveys.
Key Features:
- Multi-language surveys
- Integrates with Zoho apps, Salesforce, Google Sheets
- Basic branching and piping
- Templates for business use cases
Pricing: Free with 100 responses/survey; paid plans from ~$20/month.
SurveySparrow
Best for: Teams wanting conversational surveys and mobile-first design.
SurveySparrow delivers chat-style surveys for better engagement. It’s great for customer experience, with strong mobile support and multi-channel distribution options.
Key Features:
- Conversational chat-style surveys
- Mobile-friendly and offline surveys
- Templates for NPS, employee feedback, etc.
- Integrations with Slack, HubSpot, Sheets
Pricing: Free plan (100 responses/month); paid plans from ~$19/month.
Tally
Best for: Startups and indie creators wanting unlimited everything.
Tally combines a Notion-like builder with powerful features like logic, payments, and unlimited responses — all free. It’s the most generous tool for solopreneurs and small teams.
Key Features:
- Unlimited forms, questions, and responses
- Conditional logic and calculations
- Payment collection via Stripe
- Embeds, pop-ups, and Zapier integrations
Pricing: Free forever; Pro plan $29/month.
In the end, choosing the right survey tool or form builder is about empowering yourself to gather feedback at scale and make truly informed decisions. Whether you’re a small business owner, a startup team member, an educator, or a creator, the platform you pick should fit your unique needs and grow with you. The nine tools we explored each have their strengths, so take a moment to reflect on what matters most for your goals – be it ease of use, customization, integrations, or analytics – and confidently select the one that feels right. Remember, the best survey tool is the one you’ll actually use to engage your audience and turn their input into action. Armed with the insights from this guide, you can proceed with clarity and start transforming feedback into progress, knowing that you’ve set yourself up for data-driven success now and beyond.