Disclosure: Affiliate link for ConvertKit below (for what to do with form leads). Typeform, Tally, and Google Forms links are non-affiliate.
Quick verdict
Tally for most users — generous free plan, beautiful forms, unlimited responses, custom domains at no cost. Google Forms for internal surveys and data collection where design doesn't matter. Typeform for high-stakes lead generation and client intake where the form experience directly affects conversion rates and you can justify $25-83/month.
Pricing Comparison (Full Breakdown)
| Feature | Tally | Typeform | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited responses | 10 responses/month | Unlimited |
| Free — custom domain | Yes | No | No |
| Free — logic branching | Yes | Limited | Basic |
| Free — file uploads | Yes | No | Yes |
| Paid entry price | $29/mo (Pro) | $25/mo (Basic — 100 responses) | N/A |
| Mid tier | $29/mo (Pro — unlimited) | $50/mo (Plus — 1,000 responses) | N/A |
| Business tier | $29/mo (same) | $83/mo (Business — 10,000 responses) | N/A |
| Removal of branding | $29/mo | $25/mo | N/A |
| Google Sheets sync | Free | Free | Native |
| Team workspace | $29/mo | $83/mo | Free |
The big Typeform pricing gotcha: the $25/month Basic plan is capped at 100 responses/month. A single small lead generation campaign can exceed that in a week. You'll likely need the $50/month Plus plan (1,000 responses) for any real use. Meanwhile, Tally's $29/month Pro gives you unlimited responses for less.
Tally: The Best Free Form Builder on the Market
Tally's free plan is genuinely extraordinary. Most "free" form tools are crippled with response limits, branding watermarks, or feature locks. Tally's free tier includes:
- Unlimited forms and unlimited responses
- Custom domain (use your own domain at no cost)
- Conditional logic and branching
- File uploads (up to 500MB)
- Payment collection (Stripe integration)
- Notion, Google Sheets, Airtable integrations
- Multi-page forms
The form UX is clean, modern, and mobile-first. For 90% of freelancers and small businesses — lead capture, contact forms, client intake questionnaires, event registrations, subscriber opt-ins — Tally handles everything at zero cost.
Tally Pro ($29/month) adds: remove Tally branding, file uploads up to 1GB, team workspace with unlimited collaborators, custom CSS, priority support. Most solo operators don't need it.
Skip Tally if: You need enterprise SSO, advanced CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot native), or you specifically need the Typeform "one question at a time" experience that's proven to lift completion rates on long forms.
Typeform: Worth It When Completion Rate Is Money
Typeform's "one question at a time" format is not just a design choice — it's backed by meaningful completion rate data. Traditional multi-field forms average 35-45% completion. Typeform-style single-question forms consistently hit 70-80% completion, especially for forms with 8+ questions.
The math: if 1,000 people see your client intake form and you charge $1,500/project, the difference between 40% and 75% completion is 350 additional qualified leads. At $25-50/month, Typeform pays for itself with a single converted lead.
When Typeform is worth it:
- Sales qualification forms (you filter out bad-fit leads by question, reducing sales time)
- Client intake questionnaires for $500+ projects (the form experience signals quality)
- Research surveys where every response has monetary value
- High-ticket service businesses where 1 extra client/month exceeds the annual Typeform cost
Typeform features worth knowing: Typeform Logic (conditional branching that hides irrelevant questions), Recall info (reference previous answers in later questions — "Hi [Name], based on your [answer]..."), Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Slack, and 500+ others via Zapier.
Skip Typeform if: You're collecting simple contact info (name + email). A one-screen Tally form converts just as well for basic lead capture, and the $25-83/month isn't justified for simple forms.
Google Forms: Free and Good Enough for Internal Use
Google Forms is free, unlimited, and natively syncs with Google Sheets. For internal team surveys, quick polls, event RSVPs for internal teams, and any data collection where the recipient is already in your Google Workspace, it's perfect. It's also the right choice for education (students are already in Google Classroom).
Don't use Google Forms for: External-facing lead generation, client intake forms, or any situation where the form's design affects the professionalism perception of your business. The plain white form style is functional but does not signal quality.
Use Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simple contact form on website | Tally (free) | Looks great, unlimited, custom domain |
| Newsletter opt-in form | Tally (free) | Connects to ConvertKit/Mailchimp, no limits |
| Client intake (simple, under 8 questions) | Tally (free) | Free, conditional logic, file uploads |
| High-ticket client intake (8+ questions) | Typeform | Completion rate lift worth $25-50/mo |
| Internal team survey | Google Forms | Free, Google Sheets sync, everyone has Google |
| Sales qualification funnel | Typeform | Recall feature + conditional logic + CRM sync |
| Event registration (external) | Tally (free) | Looks professional, payment collection built in |
| Market research survey (100+ responses) | Typeform Plus ($50/mo) | Completion rate + analysis tools justify cost |
Integrations: What Actually Matters
All three platforms connect to the tools you care about, but the integration depth varies:
- Tally: Notion, Google Sheets, Airtable, Slack, Webhooks (all free). Zapier/Make for 500+ apps. No native HubSpot/Salesforce on free plan.
- Typeform: Native HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Slack, Google Sheets, Zapier. The CRM integrations are the main reason enterprise teams pay for Typeform.
- Google Forms: Google Sheets (best-in-class native sync), Zapier. Not much else natively.
What To Do With Your Form Leads
The form collects the lead. The email platform nurtures it. Most freelancers and small businesses building lead gen forms need an email platform that handles the subscriber, sends the welcome sequence, and segments by form answer. ConvertKit handles all three — and it's free up to 1,000 subscribers. The tag-based system means Tally or Typeform form answers map directly to ConvertKit tags without Zapier.
Start ConvertKit free — handles your form leads ↗Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tally actually free forever?
Yes. Tally's free plan has no response limits and no time limits. The only things behind the Pro paywall are white-labeling (remove Tally branding), larger file uploads, and team workspaces. The core product — unlimited forms, unlimited responses, custom domains, conditional logic — is permanently free.
Why does Typeform's Basic plan seem so cheap at $25/month?
Because it's capped at 100 responses/month. Any active lead gen campaign will exceed this within a week. The plan you actually need for real use is Plus ($50/month for 1,000 responses) or Business ($83/month for 10,000 responses). Price Typeform from Plus, not Basic.
Can I embed Tally forms on my website?
Yes. Tally forms embed via a simple iframe or JavaScript snippet. The embed works on any website including WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, and custom HTML sites. No paid plan required for embedding.
Does Typeform's completion rate advantage really matter?
For short forms (under 5 questions), no. For longer intake forms (8+ questions), yes — the difference between 40% and 75% completion is real and measurable. The ROI depends entirely on what each completed form is worth to your business. If each client lead is worth $100+, Typeform pays for itself.
Which form builder has better GDPR compliance?
All three are GDPR-compliant when configured correctly. Tally and Typeform both offer data processing agreements (DPAs) and EU data residency options. Google Forms stores data in Google's infrastructure — fine for most uses, but some EU enterprises prefer non-Google storage for compliance.
Can Google Forms collect payments?
No. Google Forms has no payment collection. Tally has Stripe integration built into the free plan. Typeform supports payments via Stripe on paid plans.
Affiliate disclosure: ConvertKit link earns a 30% recurring commission for 24 months. Tally, Typeform, and Google Forms links are non-affiliate.