Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Google Forms VS Cognito Forms

Compare Google Forms VS Cognito Forms and see what are their differences

Google Forms logo Google Forms

Simple web forms from Google.

Cognito Forms logo Cognito Forms

Cognito Forms is an advanced, yet easy-to-use online form builder that allows you to create powerful forms.
  • Google Forms Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-31
  • Cognito Forms Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-21

Google Forms features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Google Forms offers a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy for users of all skill levels to create forms quickly.
  • Integration with Google Sheets
    Responses collected through Google Forms can be automatically sent to Google Sheets, facilitating data analysis and record-keeping.
  • Templates
    Google Forms provides a variety of pre-built templates that can be used as a starting point, saving time on form creation.
  • Collaboration Features
    Multiple users can collaborate in real-time on the creation and editing of forms, enhancing teamwork and productivity.
  • Free to Use
    Google Forms is free to use, making it an accessible tool for individuals and organizations without budget constraints.
  • Conditional Logic
    Supports conditional logic (skipping logic), allowing the form to change based on user responses.
  • Customization Options
    Users can customize the appearance of forms with themes, colors, and images to match their brand or personal style.
  • Accessibility and Mobile-Friendly
    Forms are responsive and can be accessed on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Possible disadvantages of Google Forms

  • Limited Customization
    While Google Forms offers basic customization, there are limitations in comparison to paid survey tools that allow for more advanced design capabilities.
  • Functionality for Advanced Data Collection
    Google Forms may lack some advanced data collection features such as advanced branching logic and question piping that are available in premium survey tools.
  • Limited Response Types
    Although it supports a variety of question types, it may not cover all niche functionality needs, such as certain interactive question formats.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any Google product, there may be concerns regarding data privacy and security, especially for sensitive information.
  • No Offline Access
    Google Forms requires an internet connection to create and respond to forms, limiting its use in offline environments.
  • Email Login Required
    Respondents may need to sign in with a Google account to complete certain forms, which can be a barrier for some users.
  • Limited Reporting Tools
    The built-in reporting features are basic, and users may need to export data to other tools for more in-depth analysis.

Cognito Forms features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Cognito Forms provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface, which allows users to create forms quickly without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • Customization
    Offers extensive customization options, including condition-based logic, custom branding, and various field types, which enable users to tailor forms to specific needs.
  • Integrations
    Supports a variety of third-party integrations, including payment processors like PayPal and Stripe, enabling streamlined workflows and automation.
  • Responsive Design
    Forms created with Cognito Forms are responsive, ensuring they work well on different devices including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
  • Data Management
    Built-in features for managing and analyzing collected data, such as exporting data to Excel, which makes it easier to process and utilize form responses.
  • Security
    Offers robust security features including encryption, CAPTCHA, and password protection to ensure the safety of collected data.

Possible disadvantages of Cognito Forms

  • Pricing
    While there is a free tier, more advanced features and higher usage limits require a paid subscription, which may be expensive for small businesses or individuals.
  • Learning Curve For Advanced Features
    Although basic form creation is straightforward, utilizing advanced features like complex condition-based logic and integrations may require some learning and technical understanding.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    Cognito Forms primarily relies on internet connectivity for creating, filling out, and submitting forms, limiting its use in offline scenarios.
  • Form Submission Limits
    The free plan and lower-tier subscriptions have limits on the number of forms and submissions per month, which could be restrictive for high-volume users.
  • Customization Limitations
    While it offers a high degree of customization, some users might find certain advanced customization options missing, particularly when compared to more complex form builders.
  • Integration Complexity
    Integrating with some third-party services may require API knowledge or the use of additional tools like Zapier, adding to the complexity for non-technical users.

Google Forms videos

Review Google Forms responses

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Google Forms Full Tutorial From Start To Finish - How To Use Google Forms
  • Review - A tour of Google Forms

Cognito Forms videos

Getting Started with Cognito Forms

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction to Calculations - Cognito Forms

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Google Forms and Cognito Forms)
Surveys
78 78%
22% 22
Form Builder
76 76%
24% 24
Forms And Surveys
78 78%
22% 22
User Feedback
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Google Forms and Cognito Forms

Google Forms Reviews

  1. Ural_Taras
    Very convenient software!

    Helps my company solve many issues. We collect information from clients and employees. We conduct surveys and collect data. Very useful software. Helps form a common opinion, conduct analysis and analytics.

    🏁 Competitors: Survio
    👍 Pros:    Speed|Visual|Functionality
  2. ✓ Adrian | Mobile Forms - Digital Inspections - Enterprise Checklists - Data collection
    · Marketing at Mobile Forms ·
    A good beginners tool to start your digital transformation.

    One of our customers said: Our small mining operation needed to go from paper based process to digital forms. At first, Google forms allowed us to use this Web-based platform that lets individuals and businesses of all sizes build customizable forms to conduct surveys and generate real-time response charts.

    We saw that a small sample of our field workers quickly adopted the new way of working.

    Step 1: accomplished.

    Now unto step 2.

    How do we deploy this unto our whole team? We needed email notifications, offline response collection when without wifi on the field. Our CIO and his director of operations needed deep data and trends analysis as well. Our inspectors, when doing their audits, needed to capture approx. 25 high definition pictures, some audio notes and a video which wasn't really possible with google forms.

    So, we can 100% credit the use of google forms to our transition towards a paperless process, but as we navigated saashub.com a little more, we were able to discover a world of alternatives. We strongly suggest to start using google forms before undergoing a big implementation plan towards such enterprise level inspection tools like nspek or even cheaper solutions like prontoforms.

    I am not sure if we would start with google's solution first if we would to do this digital transformation all over, but it did allow us to discover it's limits pretty quickly.

    At some point, we needed custom fields and functions, and none of us was able to code, so the nSpek training that comes with the application definitely sets it's self apart, giving us full autonomy.

    🏁 Competitors: nSpek, ProntoForms
    👍 Pros:    No sign up cost
    👎 Cons:    Customization|Customer support|Data protection and security|No video|No pictures

10 SurveyMonkey Alternatives and Competitors in 2024
Google Forms is a user-friendly platform that allows you to create forms effortlessly. With its intuitive interface, you can select from various question types, customize the design, and add logic for a seamless customer experience throughout.
Source: clickup.com
9 Survey Monkey Alternatives for Your 2024 Market Research
Google Forms will be your choice if you’re looking for a straightforward tool to create surveys without all the fuss. It’s particularly good for anyone who needs to whip up quick polls or surveys with a clean, user-friendly interface.
12 Easy Test Maker Alternatives
Google Forms is a Google Suite tool that comes with Google Drive. Users may quickly develop quizzes and get the results instantly, thanks to its simple and easy design
Alternatives to Deferendum
SurveyMonkey and Google Forms: These survey tools are designed for collecting feedback and data, whereas Deferendum is focused on group decision-making. Deferendum allows members to not only voice their opinions but also participate in the decision-making process and vote on proposed solutions.
Source: deferendum.com
Typeform Alternatives: Tools for Surveys, Forms, and Quizzes
Overall, online reviews suggest Typeform is like a paid version of Google Forms that doesn’t provide any benefits over the free tool. Moreover, Google Forms does not have a response limit, while that is Typeforms most prominent criticism.
Source: survicate.com

Cognito Forms Reviews

27 Best Typeform Alternatives In 2022 (Free & Paid)
Cognito Forms is quite affordable too, with paid plans starting at $15 per month. The most expensive plan (Enterprise) costs $99 per month, allows for unlimited form submissions, and provides 100GB of storage.
The 11 Best Online Form Builder Apps in 2019
On Cognito Forms' free plan, you can create unlimited forms with all of the features above and accept up to 500 entries per month. You'll only pay a one percent fee for accepted payments (through Stripe), and you only need to upgrade if you need more than one user, want to remove the Cognito Forms branding, start getting thousands of responses, or need more advanced features...
Source: zapier.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Cognito Forms seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Google Forms mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Google Forms yet. Tracking of Google Forms recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Cognito Forms mentions (2)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google Forms and Cognito Forms, you can also consider the following products

Survey Monkey - Create and publish online surveys in minutes, and view results graphically and in real time. SurveyMonkey provides free online questionnaire and survey software.

Typeform - Create beautiful, next-generation online forms with Typeform, the form & survey builder that makes asking questions easy & human on any device. Try it FREE!

Jotform - Free Online Form Builder & Form Creator

Qualtrics - Qualtrics is the most trusted research platform, helping brands make crucial business decisions. From surveys to insights to action.

Formstack - Use our drag and drop online form builder for surveys, registrations, payment collections, lead generation and more. Our online forms offer robust features and 50+ integrations that allow you to automate workflows, capture leads & more.

Paperform - A digital Swiss Army Knife for Small Businesses