Top 5 Alternatives to Google Forms in 2025

Let’s be real: Google Forms is like that old pair of sweatpants you keep around—comfortable, reliable, but not exactly impressive. Sure, it’s free and easy, but if you’ve ever tried making a form that doesn’t look like it was designed in 2005, you know the struggle. Limited design options, clunky branching logic, and analytics that leave you squinting at spreadsheets? No thanks.

If you’re ready to upgrade from “basic” to “brilliant,” here are five alternatives that’ll make your forms actually work for you in 2025—without putting your audience to sleep.

5. Peperform: For the Quiz Lovers

The vibe: The class clown who makes surveys fun.

Peperform turns forms into quizzes, calculators, or personality tests. Instead of “What’s your email?” it’s “What kind of pizza are you?” (and then sneakily gets their email). Perfect for marketers who want to entertain while they collect data.

The good stuff

• Works offline: Could be useful conferences or places with spotty Wi-Fi.

The “meh” stuff

• Not for serious stuff: Skip it if you need complex logic or data validation.

• New kid on the block: Fewer integrations and reviews.

Pick Peperform if:

You’re into viral marketing, quizzes, or lead gen that doesn’t feel like a chore.

4. Formstack: For the Rule-Followers (Hi, HR Teams!)

The vibe: The overachiever who loves paperwork.

Formstack isn’t here to play. It’s built for industries where compliance is king—healthcare, finance, anyone who needs HIPAA or GDPR in their life. Think document signing, multi-step approvals, and audits that won’t give your lawyer a panic attack.

The good stuff

• Automates the boring stuff: Send forms to DocuSign, zap data to Salesforce, or trigger emails automatically.

• Bulletproof security: Sleep easy knowing patient data or client info isn’t leaking into the void.

The “meh” stuff

• Feels like Excel: The interface hasn’t changed since 2018, and setting up workflows can make your eyes glaze over.

• Costs a kidney (for what its offering): Starts at $83/month. Ouch.

Pick Formstack if

You’re in healthcare, finance, or any field where “compliance” is your middle name. Not for casual users or anyone who hates spreadsheets.

3. JotForm: The “Jack of All Trades” (Master of None)

The vibe: That friend who’s decent at everything but master of none.

JotForm’s got 10,000+ templates and a drag-and-drop builder even your tech-averse coworker could figure out. Need to collect payments? It hooks up with Stripe. Need a waiver? Add e-signatures. It’s the Swiss Army knife of form builders.

The good stuff

• Free plan that’s actually usable: 5 forms, 100 submissions/month. Great for testing the waters.

• Templates for days: Wedding RSVPs, event registrations, you name it.

The “meh” stuff

• Feels crowded: Too many buttons, too many options. Simplicity isn’t their strong suit.

• Upsells galore: “Oh, you want HIPAA compliance? That’ll be $99/month extra.”

Pick JotForm if

You’re a small biz or nonprofit that needs a bit of everything. Not ideal if you hate decision fatigue.

2. Typeform: For When You Want Forms to Look Great

The vibe: Imagine your form is having a coffee date with your respondent.

Typeform ditches the boring checklist format and presents users with one question at a time. This is an big improvement. It’s sleek, modern, and way less intimidating than a wall of text. Need a survey that doesn’t feel like homework? This could be your solution..

The good stuff

• Pretty without trying: Templates that don’t scream “I Googled ‘free form builder.’” Add GIFs, videos, or your brand colors.

• Mobile-friendly: Looks just as good on a phone as it does on your laptop (unlike Google’s janky mobile view).

• Conditional Logic that (mostly) works: If you pay extra for this feature you can program the form conditional logic based on responders answers to skip irrelevant questions automatically. This is neat because it boosts engagement and conversions. But If you only want to ask relevant questions, choose an AI-powered form that adapts in real time. Check out Activeform.

The “meh” stuff

• Pricey for what it is: Starts at $25/month, and the good features (like conditional logic or adding more then 3 team members from your company) cost extra.

• Not for deep dives: If you need complex conditional logic, you’ll hit walls fast.

• Time consuming: You need to spend a lot of time manual setting up each of your questions

Pick Typeform if

You want to build an modern looking form that people will somehow enjoy filling out—think customer feedback, fun quizzes, or lead magnets. Skip it if you’re on a budget or need an highly engaging form experience (AI powered form are better at this)

1. Activeform: For When You Need Your Form To Read Minds

The vibe: Like using your best employee to ask only relevant questions realtime.

Google Forms and all other alternatives asks the same stale questions you manually define to everyone. ActiveForm? It’s the Sherlock Holmes of forms. If someone mentions they’re a freelancer, it ditches the “office size” question and asks about gig platforms instead. Forget about spending hours meticulously crafting forms - ActiveForm's AI does the heavy lifting for you. No coding, no manual rules—just AI that adapts on the fly based on the goal you have set and other parameters you have specified. It’s real-time, it’s dynamic, and it leads to more engaging forms with higher completion rates.

The good stuff

• Engagement on steroids: People actually finish these forms.

• Asks only relevant questions: Skips irrelevant stuff and digs deeper into what matters (e.g., “You said onboarding was frustrating—which part: software setup or training?”).

• Visually Stunning: ActiveForm offers a wide array of customization options, allowing you to create forms that align with your brand and capture attention.

• Mobile-Friendly: Forms are fully responsive and look great on any device, ensuring a smooth experience for all users.

• No time needed for Form Creation: Define your goal, adjust settings, and let the AI generate perfectly relevant questions in real-time.

• Manual and Required Questions: Maintain control by adding your own questions and specifying which ones are required.

• No sneaky limits: Unlimited forms, responses, and users for $49/month.

The “meh” stuff

• Not for penny-pinchers: ActiveForm's AI-powered features come at a higher price point than Google Forms and other alternatives

• No magic demographics: Can’t auto-fill job titles like Typeform.

Pick ActiveForm if

• When you want to create highly personalized and engaging forms that feel like a conversation.

• When you need to collect in depth data and require dynamic questioning to ensure relevance and avoid overwhelming users.

• When you need visually appealing forms that are customizable to match your brand identity and provide a seamless mobile experience.

• When you want to save time and effort in form creation by leveraging AI to generate relevant questions automatically.

So… Which One Should You Actually Use?

• “I just need something free and easy”: Stick with Google Forms, but don’t expect miracles.

• “Make it pretty!”: Typeform.

• “Compliance is life”: Formstack.

• “I want my form to think for me”: ActiveForm (seriously, try it—it’s like having a intern who never sleeps).

The bottom line: AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore. Tools like ActiveForm are proof that forms don’t have to be a necessary evil. They can actually help you understand your audience better—without putting them to sleep. Google Forms had its moment, but 2025? It’s time to upgrade.

P.S. If you’re still using Google Forms for anything beyond a simple 3 question long registration form… we need to talk.