Softwr

Surveys · head to head

Cognito Forms vs Plausible

Cognito Forms logo

Cognito Forms

Surveys

Powerful forms made easy

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Plausible logo

Plausible

Marketing

Simple, privacy-friendly analytics

From
$9/month
Free plan
No

The short version

  • Only Cognito Forms has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cognito Forms individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user; Plausible there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cognito Forms and Plausible actually diverge.

Attributes where Cognito Forms and Plausible differ
AttributeCognito FormsPlausible
Starting priceFree$9/month
Free tierYesNo
CategorySurveysMarketing
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Plausible does not also cover.

Only in Plausible

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Outbound link click tracking
  • Privacy-focused
  • No cookies
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

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 Plausible
  • Creating multi-step approval workflows for contract signingnot Plausible
  • Collecting payments inline within customer intake formsnot Plausible
  • Routing applications automatically based on responsesnot Plausible

Plausible

  • Privacy-focused web analytics without cookies or personal datanot Cognito Forms
  • A Google Analytics replacement that needs no consent bannernot Cognito Forms
  • Self-hosted analytics on your own infrastructurenot Cognito Forms
  • EU-hosted measurement for data residency requirementsnot 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)

Plausible

  • There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
  • Paid plans are metered on monthly pageviews, so a traffic spike moves you up a plan
  • Self-hosting is possible but means running and updating the service yourself
  • Deliberately simple, so there are no user-level profiles or funnel-by-individual reports the way a cookie-based analytics tool provides

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

Plausible

$9/month
  • Starter$9/month
    • Up to 10k monthly pageviews
    • 1 site
    • 3 years data retention
  • Growth$14/month
    • Up to 3 sites
    • Up to 3 team members
  • Business$19/month
    • Up to 10 sites
    • Up to 10 team members
    • 5 years data retention
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • 10+ sites
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose Cognito Forms if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose Plausible if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You also want goal tracking.

Questions people ask

Is Cognito Forms or Plausible better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognito Forms starts at Free and Plausible at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognito Forms or Plausible?
Cognito Forms has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cognito Forms and $9/month for Plausible.
Does Cognito Forms or Plausible run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Cognito Forms for free?
Yes. Cognito Forms has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plausible starts at $9/month.
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 Plausible is typically brought in for.
What can Cognito Forms do that Plausible cannot?
Plausible covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Outbound link click tracking.

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.

Source
Plausible: How much does Plausible Analytics cost?

Plausible offers plans starting at $9/month for the Starter tier, $14/month for Growth, and $19/month for Business. Enterprise pricing is custom. All plans include a 30-day free trial without requiring a credit card.

Source
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.

Source
Plausible: Is there a free version of Plausible?

Plausible does not offer a free plan; however, all paid plans include a 30-day free trial with full access to features.

Source
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.

Source
Plausible: What is the difference between Plausible's pricing tiers?

The Starter plan covers up to 10k monthly pageviews for 1 site. Growth adds up to 3 sites and 3 team members. Business expands to 10 sites, 10 team members, and includes advanced features like API access and 5 years data retention.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads