Last verified: September 4, 2026
A free survey form should not be selected on a zero price alone. Some plans accept submissions that you cannot view or export after a limit. Estimate production responses first, then verify questions, logic, collaboration, export, branding, and data-handling needs.
Quick answer: normalize the limit before comparing
| Need | Candidate |
|---|---|
| Google collaboration and Sheets | Google Forms |
| Microsoft 365 internal work | Microsoft Forms |
| A polished one-question experience for a tiny sample | Typeform |
| Research features with up to 10 questions | SurveyMonkey |
| Broad form features for up to 100 monthly submissions | Jotform |
| High response volume and logic under fair use | Tally |
| Free response search, status, and CSV/Excel exports | FORMLOVA |
For a broad feature and plan comparison, read the major form services comparison, then use the form service comparison hub for navigation. For Google-specific alternatives, see the Google Forms alternatives guide.
Seven free survey form tools compared
The facts below were checked on official vendor pages on September 4, 2026. Free tiers change, so verify again before launch.
| Service | Free response/question limit | Logic and collaboration | Export and branding | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMLOVA | Unlimited form creation, publishing, and response collection | Design controls are free; team management is Premium | Search, status, CSV/Excel are free; branding removal is Standard | Organizing responses after collection |
| Google Forms | The official help pages checked do not state one simple free response cap; large datasets have UI, summary, and Sheets-sync thresholds | Collaboration and section branching | CSV and Sheets; do not assume free white-labeling | Simple Google-based collection |
| Microsoft Forms | A free personal account: 200 responses per form; up to 200 questions | Separately, collaboration requires an eligible work/school plan; branching available | Excel export | Small personal collection, or internal collaboration under an existing eligible plan |
| Typeform | 10 responses per month across the account; unlimited forms | Logic included; team collaboration paid | Spreadsheet download; branding removal paid | Testing a polished experience with a tiny sample |
| SurveyMonkey | Basic allows 10 questions per survey; check the account screen for the viewable-response limit | Skip logic not listed in Basic; one user | Over-limit responses are not viewable; data exports are paid | Small research trials |
| Jotform | 5 active forms, 100 monthly submissions across the account, 100 fields per form | Most features available; verify collaboration before use | Excel/CSV/PDF; Jotform branding remains | Testing templates and broad features |
| Tally | Unlimited forms, submissions, and questions under fair use | Conditional logic free; team collaboration Pro | CSV; branding removal Pro | High volume and free logic |
The unit matters: per form, per survey, or across the whole account. SurveyMonkey's public pricing page does not provide one fixed Basic response amount; sign up or log in to check the viewable-response limit, and over-limit responses are not viewable. Typeform and Jotform count monthly use across an account.
Five checks before choosing
1. Budget for tests and duplicate submissions
Do not plan exactly at the cap. Include internal tests, repeat submissions, and retries. Verify what stops after the limit: collection, viewing, or export.
2. Prototype every required question and branch
Add scales, free text, uploads, and conditional paths. A feature may be editable in a trial but require payment before publishing.
3. Audit collaborators and raw-response access
Check who can edit the form and who can view responses. Google warns that a form collaborator may also access the linked spreadsheet, and access may need removal from both.
4. Export the complete test dataset
Download CSV or Excel and inspect multilingual text, line breaks, multiple selections, and timestamps. Confirm whether over-limit historical responses remain accessible.
5. Review data protection and respondent disclosures
Document purpose, retention, deletion, access roles, and any transfer requirements. A free tier is not a promise that collecting personal data is appropriate, nor a guarantee of anonymity.
When FORMLOVA fits, and when it does not
FORMLOVA's Free plan includes form creation and publishing, response collection, response search and status, CSV/Excel export, and basic analytics. This is useful when the work continues after a respondent clicks Submit. These claims were checked against lib/plans/definition.ts and the response implementation.
Choose Tally when advanced free logic is the priority, Google Forms for a Sheets-centered workflow, Microsoft Forms for Microsoft 365 collaboration, or SurveyMonkey for research-specific analysis. FORMLOVA team management, file upload, branding removal, and advanced analytics are not Free-plan features.
Official sources
- Google Forms: View and manage responses
- Google Forms: Show questions based on answers
- Microsoft Forms: Response limits
- Microsoft Forms: Collaborate on a form
- Microsoft Forms: Branch a form or quiz
- Typeform: Free plan
- SurveyMonkey: Plans and Pricing
- Jotform: Free plan limits
- Jotform: Excel, CSV, and PDF exports
- Tally: Plans and pricing
- Tally: Conditional logic
- Tally: CSV export FAQ
- Tally: Fair Use Policy
Data location, DPAs, contract terms, and commercial-use conditions cannot be reduced to one reliable cross-vendor row. Teams handling personal or sensitive data should check each vendor's current official documents against their requirements.
Pre-launch checklist
- Normalize the response limit and include test volume
- Publish-test every required field and branch
- Review mobile respondent screens and vendor branding
- Separate editors from raw-response viewers
- Export all test responses to CSV or Excel
- Disclose purpose, retention, and deletion contact
- Set a date to recheck the free tier
This article will be reviewed again on October 16, 2026. After publication, we will observe “free survey form,” “free survey maker,” and related locale-specific queries without treating rankings as guaranteed.
Verification scope
Values reflect official pages checked on September 4, 2026. Regional pricing, experiments, and account type can change what you see, so verify inside the intended account immediately before launch. This article does not guarantee rankings or outcomes.
Disclosure and Verification
This comparison includes FORMLOVA and is written by its developer. Competing products were checked against the official sources above; FORMLOVA claims were checked against lib/plans/definition.ts and the response retrieval/export implementation on September 4, 2026. Features or contract terms that could not be verified were not inferred.
To test collection plus response search, status, and CSV/Excel export, start with FORMLOVA Free using your real questions and test submissions.
