Surveys · head to head
Cognito Forms vs Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms
Surveys
Survey tool bundled into Microsoft 365 with no standalone price, where the real constraints are tenant policy, residency and admin visibility
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cognito Forms individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user; Microsoft Forms the Advanced Data Residency add-on explicitly does not cover Microsoft Forms, so a tenant that has paid for regional residency still has its survey responses provisioned according to best-effort guidance rather than a contractual commitment.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cognito Forms and Microsoft Forms actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cognito Forms | Microsoft Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | Included with Microsoft 365, not sold separately |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Surveys).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Cognito Forms
Nothing recorded that Microsoft Forms does not also cover.
Only in Microsoft Forms
- Bundled licensing
- Very high response ceiling
- File upload questions
- Co-authoring
- eDiscovery coverage
- Surveys Agent in Copilot
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cognito Forms
- Building HIPAA-compliant data collection forms without codingnot Microsoft Forms
- Creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signingnot Microsoft Forms
- Collecting payments inline within customer intake formsnot Microsoft Forms
- Routing applications automatically based on responsesnot Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms
- Internal surveys and quizzes inside an organisation that already pays for Microsoft 365 and does not want a second vendor contractnot Cognito Forms
- Education settings where quizzes need automatic grading and results in Excel without procurement approvalnot Cognito Forms
- Quick polls inside Microsoft Teams where the response data should stay in the same tenant as everything elsenot Cognito Forms
- Any case where the deciding factor is that no purchase order is requirednot Cognito Forms
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cognito Forms
- Individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user
- Pro plan ($24/mo monthly, $19/mo billed annually) still limits to 2 users and 2,000 entries per month
- HIPAA compliance and single sign-on are restricted to the Enterprise tier ($174/mo monthly, $129/mo annual)
Microsoft Forms
- The Advanced Data Residency add-on explicitly does not cover Microsoft Forms, so a tenant that has paid for regional residency still has its survey responses provisioned according to best-effort guidance rather than a contractual commitment.
- Above 50,000 responses a form degrades sharply: only CSV export continues to work, while summary charts, viewing individual responses, printing, shared summary links and manual quiz grading all stop.
- Forms belonging to an account that is hard deleted, or deleted more than thirty days earlier, are not recoverable at all, so an unmanaged leaver process destroys survey data silently.
- The administrator settings that govern external sharing, template sharing and result summary sharing are only available to education and Microsoft 365 Apps for business customers, leaving many commercial tenants without the controls the documentation describes.
- A summary sharing link that has already been created continues to work for anyone inside or outside the organisation even after the form is restricted, so tightening permissions does not close an existing leak unless the link is deleted explicitly.
Pricing, plan by plan
Cognito Forms
Free- IndividualFree
- 100 entries per month
- 1 user
- Cognito Forms branding included
- Pro$24/month
- 2000 entries per month
- 2 users
- Electronic signatures
- Team$49/month
- 10000 entries per month
- 5 users
- 5 guest access
- Enterprise$174/month
- Unlimited entries
- 20 users
- 20 guest access
Microsoft Forms
Free- Free consumer Microsoft accountFree
- 200 responses per form
- 400 forms per account, including the recycle bin
- 200 questions per form
- Paid consumer Microsoft account$undefined/year
- Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
- 1,000 responses per form
- 400 forms per account
- Microsoft 365 work or school licence$undefined/year
- Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
- 5,000,000 responses per form
- Included in Business Basic, Standard, Premium, Office 365 E1, E3, E5 and Microsoft 365 F3
- Government GCC High and DoD$undefined/year
- Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
- 50,000 responses per form
- No email notification, video insert, Bing image search or phishing protection
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Forms if
- You need bundled licensing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want very high response ceiling.
Questions people ask
- Is Cognito Forms or Microsoft Forms better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cognito Forms starts at Free and Microsoft Forms at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cognito Forms or Microsoft Forms?
- Cognito Forms starts at Free and Microsoft Forms at Free.
- Does Cognito Forms or Microsoft Forms run on more platforms?
- Cognito Forms runs on Web. Microsoft Forms runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Cognito Forms for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Cognito Forms best used for?
- Cognito Forms is most often used for building hipaa-compliant data collection forms without coding, creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signing, collecting payments inline within customer intake forms, routing applications automatically based on responses. Of those, building hipaa-compliant data collection forms without coding and creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signing are not what Microsoft Forms is typically brought in for.
- What can Cognito Forms do that Microsoft Forms cannot?
- Microsoft Forms covers Bundled licensing, Very high response ceiling, File upload questions, Co-authoring.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Cognito Forms: How much does Cognito Forms cost?
Cognito Forms offers a free Individual plan with 100 entries per month. Paid plans start at $24/month for the Pro plan, $49/month for the Team plan, and $174/month for the Enterprise plan. Annual prepayment provides up to 20% discount off monthly rates.
SourceMicrosoft Forms: Can I buy Microsoft Forms on its own?
No. It exists only as a service plan inside Microsoft 365, Office 365 and education or government SKUs, or free with a consumer Microsoft account. There is no standalone product to purchase.
Cognito Forms: What is the difference between Cognito Forms plans?
The Individual plan (free) includes 100 entries/month and 1 user. Pro adds electronic signatures and accommodates 2000 entries/month with 2 users. Team plan (Best Value) supports 10000 entries/month with 5 users and includes client portal and approvals. Enterprise provides unlimited entries, 20 users, and HIPAA compliance.
SourceMicrosoft Forms: Where are responses stored?
In the United States for most tenants, in the EU and EFTA region for EU tenants, and in Australia only for Forms provisioned after October 2022. Microsoft states this is guidance, not a residency commitment.
Cognito Forms: Does Cognito Forms have a free version?
Yes, Cognito Forms offers a free Individual plan that includes 100 entries per month, 1 user, unlimited forms, and payment processing capabilities. Higher-tier plans are available for increased capacity and features.
SourceMicrosoft Forms: Can an administrator read someone else responses?
Not while that user account is active; ownership transfer is refused. Yes once the account is disabled or deleted, and yes through premium eDiscovery, which is still labelled preview.
Microsoft Forms: How do I turn Forms off for the organisation?
Disable both the Microsoft Forms and the Office Hive enterprise applications in Entra ID, or clear the Forms checkbox per user. Both applications must be disabled for it to take effect.
Related pages
More on Cognito Forms
More on Microsoft Forms
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