That’s why we’ve broken down the details to help you decide between two popular options: Google Forms and Jotform.
Creating online forms is essential for collecting data efficiently, whether it’s for a business, educational purposes, or personal projects. But with so many form builders available, each offering unique features, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Among the most popular tools are Google Forms and JotForm, each with its own particular offerings and benefits. This guide will help you understand their differences so you can choose the right tool for your needs.
Overview of Google Forms
Popular, easy, and free to use, Google Forms has been helping people create quizzes, surveys, and questionnaires since 2008. It is a great way to get feedback or assess learning outcomes in colleges and schools. Plus, it comes with easy integration with Google Sheets, Google Analytics, and other Google tools.
Overview of Jotform
An advanced and versatile form builder, Jotform goes beyond the basic features. It allows users to customize the forms, link payments, integrate with third-party apps, add conditional logic, and so on. It is much more suited for businesses, non-profits, and professionals who need advanced customization, payment options, and workflow integrations.
Quick Comparison Chart
Short on time? Here’s an easy and quick overview of key details to help you decide!
Features
Google Forms
Jotforms
Number of forms available
Unlimited
Depends on the plan. Starts from $34/month
Pricing
100% Free
Free plan plus paid plans with more features
Templates
Yes, but limited
10,000+ templates for different categories
Themes
Yes, but limited options
1000+ customizable themes
Design Customization
No
Yes
Conditional Logic
Yes, but limited
Yes, relatively advanced
Payment Integration
No
Yes
Custom CSS
Yes
Yes
Automatic Email Notifications
Yes
Yes
Third-party Integrations
Yes, but limited to G-suite
Yes with 150+ apps
User-defined CSS and Advanced Designer features
No
Yes
Fields and Widgets
Limited fields only
Yes, 100+ widgets
Live Customer Support
No
Yes
GDPR Compliance
Yes
Yes
API
Yes
Yes
Electronic Signatures
No, but you can add signatures
Yes
Mobile Optimization
No
Yes
Key Features Comparison
When comparing Google Forms and JotForm, it’s important to look at the specific features that set them apart. While Google Forms focuses on simplicity and ease of use, JotForm stands out with its advanced customization and flexibility.
User Interface & Ease of Use
Google Forms
Jotform
Kids use Google Forms for their school projects – that’s how easy and intuitive this form builder is. With Google Forms, you do not need any technical skills. Its clean interface lets you create a form in minutes. You can choose from a variety of question types, add images or videos, and even pick a theme that suits your style. It also makes it easy to share your form with just a link or embed it right into your website.
Jotform takes form building to the next level with its easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface. It allows you to add questions, images, and even payment integrations without any coding required. However, the advanced features of conditional logic, adding widgets, and customizable notifications are a bit harder to find at first. But that’s what makes it best for complex and automated workflows.
The Winner: It’s a tie! Both Google Forms and Jotform offer high levels of user-friendliness as they have intuitive options. Jotform may be a bit difficult at first, it’s easy to master it.
Customization
Google Forms
Jotform
Google Forms keeps things simple when it comes to customization. You can adjust the color scheme, pick from a few fonts, and add a header image to make your form stand out a bit more. One amazing feature is the ability to pre-fill answers, making it easier for respondents to complete. Overall, if you want something quick and simple, Google Forms does the job without overcomplicating things.
Jotform takes customization to a new level. You can play around with colors, fonts, and button styles through their Form Designer - without needing to know any code. If you're feeling more adventurous, you can even add custom CSS to make the form your own. It also has a large collection of pre-designed themes, and you can tweak them to suit your brand. Plus, Jotform lets you add logos and images easily, giving your forms a more polished look. It’s great for those who want to get creative and have full control over how their forms look.
The Winner: Jotform takes the trophy here with its advanced features and the custom CSS that make it the better choice for users who want standout, branded forms. However, be careful not to get lost in the myriad of customization options.
Form Types and Templates
Google Forms
Jotform
Google Forms offers around 17 pre-made templates for assessments, party invites, customer feedback forms, quizzes, job applications, and so on. That being said, these are quite simple and minimal.
Jotform brings over 10,000 templates and themes for almost every use case possible. From order forms and event forms to sponsorship forms and verification forms, there is no shortage of templates. You can also sort these templates by form category, profession, industry, and even language to get quick access.
The Winner: Jotform again proved to be better as it has a huge library of form types and templates ready to be used.
Conditional Logic & Advanced Features
Google Forms
Jotform
Google Forms offers basic conditional logic, allowing you to direct respondents to specific questions based on their previous answers. However, it lacks the advanced automation or calculation features found in more robust form builders.
It is these features that make paid form builders like Jotform popular. JotForm excels with advanced conditional logic, enabling complex workflows, and dynamic form behavior. You can create calculation fields, automate responses, and set up multi-step processes. These advanced features make it more suited for professional use, such as order forms, registrations, or surveys that require in-depth customization and automation.
The Winner: The obvious winner is Jotform, albeit at a higher price point for professional use.
Integrations and Compatibility
Google Forms
Jotform
If you work with Google Workspace, Google Forms offers strong integration with tools like Sheets, Docs, and Drive. You can also integrate with third-party apps like Zapier and HubSpot, but it is often limited.
Form integration in Jotform is as diverse as its templates. You can integrate with third-party apps, including CRM systems, payment gateways, and project management tools. This includes popular apps like Salesforce, Slack, PayPal, Zoho, Asana, and Zapier. Again, you can sort these apps using categories like CMS, CRM, Automation, Social Media, etc.,
The Winner: Jotform’s paid plan offers integration with numerous platforms and makes it a better option than Google Forms. These are limited with the free plan.
Data Collection and Management
Google Forms
Jotform
Google Forms can collect around 2 million responses in a form and this data gets stored in Google Drive. All responses are automatically organized in the "Responses" tab, where you can view them as summaries or individual entries. The data can also be exported to Google Sheets for deeper analysis. Real-time response tracking makes it easy to monitor submissions as they come in.
Jotform also handles data very well with its advanced reporting tools. Responses are stored in a dedicated JotForm inbox, where you can view, organize, and filter submissions. You can integrate forms with platforms like Google Sheets, CRMs, and cloud storage for smooth data handling. Advanced features like PDF exports and analytics make managing responses hassle-free.
The Winner: Jotform is the winner here. It offers more advanced data management features like integrations, PDF exports, and in-depth analytics. Google Forms is also great but just doesn't pack the same punch for advanced data handling.
Security and Privacy
Google Forms
Jotform
Google is quite serious about the privacy and security of data, so such features are consistently updated in Google Forms. It is known for using SSL encryption, protecting information during transmission. For business or education accounts, you get a higher level of security with controls such as 2-step verification and advanced phishing protection. That being said, Google Forms are as secure as your Google account. If your credentials get compromised, attackers can access your Google Forms data.
Jotform’s security and privacy are no less than its competitor. Like Google Forms, it is also PCI-DSS certified and GDPR-compliant. They also comply with HIPAA, SOC 2, and FERPA. Jotform also has extra layers of security with features such as advanced encryption, two-factor authentication, and spam protection.
Note: PCI-DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and FERPA are all standards and regulations that protect sensitive data.
The Winner: This was a tough competition but with some extra layers of protection, Jotform has a slight edge.
Customer Support
Google Forms
Jotform
Google Forms' live customer support is limited but it does offer detailed help guides and FAQs. You can also become a part of its community support forum to get queries answered. But this may not get you prompt and desired help.
Jotform offers 24/7 customer support, live chats, blogs, videos, academy, help center, FAQs, user guides, and ebooks. However, some users have shared that customer support is not up to the mark.
The Winner: No one really wins here! Google Forms offers limited support but has a decent community, while Jotform provides extensive resources yet struggles with actual support quality. If customer support is a priority, you might want to explore alternatives that provide more reliable assistance.
Pricing
Google Forms
Jotform
Google Forms does not charge anything. So you can create unlimited forms, collect responses, and store data at no cost, as long as you have a Google account.
Jotform also has a free plan, but with several limits such as the creation of only 5 forms, 100 MB space, and so on. The paid plans start from $34/month and can go to $99/month where they offer premium features like white-labeling, branding removal, high usage limits, and extra security. You can get discounts if you’re a nonprofit organization, an educator, a student, or a G2 user. For enterprise companies, Jotform also offers custom enterprise plans with unlimited forms. Contact their team for more details.
The Winner: Google Forms takes the crown here for being completely free with no hidden charges. That being said, there are always alternatives like Tinyforms that offer free form building with features similar to Jotform.
“After a learning period, I use Google Forms for almost all of my consent-gathering and inofficial survey needs.”
“We use Google Forms for all of our client intake, and for kickoff meeting preparation. It makes it easy for us to get to know our clients and capture all necessary information!”
“Google Forms are much too basic for businesses that require software integration. To actually use for specific use cases can prove difficult or impossible. Also, there are no visual aides that I could find they offer. It is more difficult to share than it needs to be, too.”
“One feature I like most about using google forms is its seamless integration with Google Workspace and apps such as the google drive, calendar and sheets. This helps me stay organized!”
“JotForm is very easy to configure and the pricing scale allows you to get the service that you need at a price that is affordable.”
“This has to be the most easy-2-implement piece of forms for your business! I was looking for a solid solution to sell subscription-based packages, JotForm does what it needs to do, designing the forms is easy and solid, works like a charm!”
“The form creator is awesome. It made it SUPER easy to design a form with the fields I required my customers to fill out and let's them upload images when contacting me.”
“The only downfall is it isn’t 100% free like Google forms but with all of the extras it’s most likely worth it depending on what you intend to use it for.”
The Winner: It’s a tie! Both tools have a solid fanbase as they cater to different needs.
The Verdict: Making the Right Choice
A good decision depends on the needs and the same goes when you are selecting a form builder. We saw how both – Google Forms and Jotforms have their own perks for different use cases. If your needs fit any of these, it is easy to pick one.
For instance, if affordability and ease of use are the most important factors for you, go for Google Forms. If integrations, customization, and more advanced features mean the most, Jotform is your go-to form builder.
Ideal use case for Google forms - Educational quizzes and surveys, quick event RSVPs, internal team feedback forms.
Ideal use case for Jotform - Client onboarding forms, e-commerce order forms, healthcare or financial data collection.
And if you’re still not sure, try a powerful alternative
Try TinyForms – the better alternative to Jotform and Google Form. This free form builder tool can craft simple, powerful forms with zero hassle.
✓ Unlimited Free Form Creations
✓ User-friendly Design, Powerful features
✓ Advanced Conditional Logic
✓ Payment Integrations
✓ Third-party & CRM Integrations
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key differences between Jotform and Google Form?
Here are some of the key differences between Jotform and Google Forms:
Pricing: Google Forms is free while Jotform charges a fee for form creation.
Features: Google Forms has basic features but Jotform comes with advanced integration, data validation, and customization.
Templates and Themes: Google Forms has very few templates and themes. On the other hand, Jotform is known for a multitude of templates and themes for different categories.
Does Jotform integrate with Google Forms? Yes, you can use Jotform's Google Forms import tool to convert existing Google Forms into more dynamic forms with Jotform's advanced builder.
What are the limitations of Jotform? Compared to Google Forms, Jotform has a limit on how many forms you can create in a day. For instance, a free account lets you create 5 forms max, with a total of 500 submission storage, and a total of 100 MB upload space. For extra forms and services, you will need to purchase a paid plan. Also, since there are plenty of advanced features in Jotform, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for beginners or users who only need basic forms. Some users have also said that forms with many fields or conditional logic may load slower, potentially impacting user experience.
What are the limitations of Google Forms? Google Forms has several limitations such as basic design and customization options. There is also a lack of advanced features like conditional logic for complex forms and limited integrations compared to Jotform. Also, since it has basic functions, the analytics also don’t dive deeper into the results. There are also no payment collection options, restricting it to simple use cases and not professional purposes. In simple words, it's better suited for simple surveys and forms rather than advanced use cases.
Which apps can I integrate with Jotforms? You can integrate Jotforms with 100s of third-party apps. Below are some of the popular ones based on different categories:
Analytics & Reporting: Google Analytics 4, Databox, Zoho Analytics, SemRush
CRM: Zapier, Reply, Omnisend
E-commerce: Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, WooCommerce
Marketing: Hubspot, MailChimp, Buffer, Ignition
Social Media: Instagram, Loomly, Facebook, LinkedIn
Does TinyForm also offer app integrations? Yes, it offers integrations with 200+ third-party apps like Hubspot, Stripe, Zapier, Mailerlite, Salesforce, and so on.
How do you choose the best form builder? There are a lot of factors that determine which could be the best form builder for you. We have jotted down a few below to simplify the process:
Purpose: Start by thinking about why you need a form builder. Is it for basic surveys, data collection, or complex workflows?
Budget: You need to set a budget. For this, read comparison blogs and compare the pricing of different form builders.
Ease of use: Pick a form builder that’s easy to use and has a clean interface to speed up the process.
Features: Based on the purpose, look for advanced options like conditional logic, analytics, and payment collection.
Integrations: It's good to invest in a form builder offering compatibility with tools you use (e.g., CRM, email).
User reviews: Check what real customers are saying about the form builder and then decide.
Customer support: This is crucial - opt for a form builder with reliable support channels so that you can solve issues when you get stuck.
.webp)
.webp)
.png)
