Free tier guide
You do not need a credit card to run a professional survey — but "free" means very different things depending on the vendor. Here is an honest look at what each free plan actually gives you, and when it is time to upgrade.
Google Forms for unlimited basic surveys. Tally for unlimited responses with a modern editor. forms.app when you need unlimited responses with conditional logic, analytics, and AI generation free. Avoid SurveyMonkey's free plan for anything beyond quick tests — 10 questions and no exports is too restrictive for real work.
| Tool | Response limit | Form limit | Logic | Branding | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Forms | Unlimited | Unlimited | Basic branching | Google branding | Internal & classroom use |
| Tally | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✓ Conditional | "Made with Tally" | Startups & side projects |
| forms.app | Unlimited | Up to 5 | ✓ Full logic | forms.app branding | Customer-facing surveys |
| Microsoft Forms | Unlimited | Unlimited | Basic branching | Microsoft branding | M365 teams |
| SurveyMonkey | Unlimited | Unlimited | ✗ | SurveyMonkey branding | Quick 10-question tests |
| QuestionPro | 1,000/mo | Unlimited | ✓ Basic | QuestionPro branding | Students & academics |
| Typeform | 10/mo | Unlimited | ✓ | Typeform branding | Not practical free |
Google Forms is completely free with unlimited responses and automatic Google Sheets sync. The trade-off is minimal branding control, basic analytics, and a visual identity that screams "Google." Perfect for internal team polls, classroom surveys, and quick data collection where design does not matter.
Visit Google Forms →Tally's free plan has no response cap, no form cap, and includes conditional logic — rare in this category. You will see "Made with Tally" branding and reporting is basic, but for bootstrapped projects and internal use, it is the most generous free tier available.
Visit Tally →forms.app is the only free tier we recommend for surveys sent to paying customers. You get conditional logic, analytics dashboards, AI survey generation, and professional templates — with unlimited responses on the free plan. That is enough for early-stage businesses validating product-market fit.
Try forms.app free →Signal
If you are truncating data or delaying surveys because of monthly caps, the $19–29/month upgrade pays for itself. forms.app Basic removes branding and adds advanced features; Tally Pro removes branding.
Signal
Google Forms and Tally branding undermines trust with paying customers. Upgrade to forms.app or Typeform when surveys represent your brand to the outside world.
Signal
Free plans are typically single-user. When multiple team members need to build, share, and analyze surveys together, paid team plans become necessary.
Google Forms for unlimited basic surveys with Sheets integration. Tally for unlimited responses with a modern editor and conditional logic. Both are genuinely free with no credit card required.
Only for quick tests. The 10-question limit, no export capability, and SurveyMonkey branding make it impractical for real projects. Use forms.app or Tally instead.
Yes. forms.app includes NPS templates on the free plan. Google Forms works if you build the question manually. See our NPS survey tools guide for dedicated options.