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Marketing · head to head

Fathom Analytics vs Google Forms

Fathom Analytics logo

Fathom Analytics

Marketing

Website analytics made simple

From
$14/month
Free plan
No
Visit Fathom AnalyticsFull review
Google Forms logo

Google Forms

Surveys

Survey tool bundled with Google Workspace that cannot be disabled separately from Drive and Docs

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Google FormsFull review

The short version

  • Fathom Analytics is a simple, privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics.
  • Google Forms is free; Fathom Analytics starts at $14/mo.
  • Only Fathom Analytics lists page view tracking; only Google Forms lists bundled with every Workspace edition.
  • Where Fathom Analytics falls short: there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fathom Analytics and Google Forms actually diverge.

Attributes where Fathom Analytics and Google Forms differ
AttributeFathom AnalyticsGoogle Forms
Starting price$14/monthFree
Pricing modelSubscriptionIncluded with Google Workspace, not sold separately
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMarketingSurveys

Not yet recorded: founded for Google Forms.

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 Fathom Analytics

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Referrer tracking
  • Privacy-focused
  • GDPR compliant
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

Only in Google Forms

  • Bundled with every Workspace edition
  • Linked Sheets responses
  • Per-unit external sharing controls
  • Auto-close
  • Gemini assistance
  • Locked mode quizzes

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fathom Analytics

  • Privacy-focused web analytics without cookie bannersnot Google Forms
  • A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Google Forms
  • Tracking many sites from one accountnot Google Forms
  • Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot Google Forms

Google Forms

  • Schools and universities running quizzes and collecting coursework where Workspace is already the standardnot Fathom Analytics
  • Internal data collection that must land in a Google Sheet for onward analysis without any export stepnot Fathom Analytics
  • Organisations that want a form tool with zero incremental cost and no procurement conversationnot Fathom Analytics
  • Simple public surveys where no respondent sign-in is required and no file uploads are involvednot Fathom Analytics

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fathom Analytics

  • There is no free tier, only a 7 day trial
  • Priced on pageviews, from $45 a month at the 500,000 pageview level
  • Custom events count against the pageview allowance rather than being tracked separately
  • Site allowances come in packs, with additional 50-site packs at $10 a month
  • Data is retained forever only while the subscription is active

Google Forms

  • Forms has no service toggle of its own and is governed by the Drive and Docs service, so an administrator cannot disable it for an organisational unit without also disabling Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive for those same users
  • Data Regions covers Forms only for data at rest and not during processing, Business Starter gets no data regions at all, and Forms is excluded from client-side encryption and unmentioned in Assured Controls, so the residency guarantees are weaker than for Gmail or Drive
  • Google Vault has no Forms-specific retention rule, hold or export, reaching forms only as Drive files, which means survey responses are reliably retainable only when they are routed to a linked Google Sheet
  • Adding a file upload question requires every respondent to sign in to a Google account, which destroys anonymity and excludes anyone without one, and uploaded files consume the form owner personal Drive quota rather than an organisational pool
  • File uploads are disabled when a form lives in a shared drive, so the ownership pattern that survives a staff departure and the upload feature are mutually exclusive, and a deleted owner Drive files are recoverable for only twenty days

Pricing, plan by plan

Fathom Analytics

$14/month
  • Starter$14/mo
    • Unlimited page views
    • 1 site
    • Real-time analytics

Google Forms

Free
  • Personal Google accountFree
    • Free with any personal Google account
    • 300 pieces of content per form, counting questions, descriptions, images and videos
    • 75 sections per form
  • Google Workspace Business StarterOn request
    • Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
    • No data regions coverage at all at this tier
    • Forms governed by the Drive and Docs service toggle
  • Business Standard, Business Plus, Frontline Standard, Education Standard, Enterprise EssentialsOn request
    • Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
    • Fundamental data regions, one organisation-wide at-rest policy
    • Forms covered at rest only, not during processing
  • Frontline Plus, Enterprise Plus, or the Data Regions add-onOn request
    • Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
    • Enterprise data regions with per-unit and per-group policies
    • Forms still excluded from client-side encryption and unnamed in Assured Controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Fathom Analytics if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Fathom Analytics review

Choose Google Forms if

  • You need bundled with every workspace edition.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want linked sheets responses.
Google Forms review

Questions people ask

Is Fathom Analytics or Google Forms better?
Neither clearly leads. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and Google Forms at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fathom Analytics or Google Forms?
Google Forms has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Fathom Analytics and Free for Google Forms.
Does Fathom Analytics or Google Forms run on more platforms?
Fathom Analytics runs on Web. Google Forms runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Google Forms for free?
Yes. Google Forms has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month.
What is Fathom Analytics best used for?
Fathom Analytics is most often used for privacy-focused web analytics without cookie banners, a lightweight google analytics replacement, tracking many sites from one account, long-term historical reporting while subscribed. Of those, privacy-focused web analytics without cookie banners and a lightweight google analytics replacement are not what Google Forms is typically brought in for.
What can Fathom Analytics do that Google Forms cannot?
Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking. Google Forms covers Bundled with every Workspace edition, Linked Sheets responses, Per-unit external sharing controls, Auto-close.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fathom Analytics: How much does Fathom Analytics cost?

Fathom's entry-level plan costs $45/month for up to 500,000 pageviews. Higher volume tiers exist (1M, 2M, 10M, 25M+ pageviews) with custom pricing. Yearly billing provides 2 months free.

Source
Google Forms: Can I buy Google Forms separately?

No. It is bundled with Drive and the Docs editors in every Workspace edition and is free with a personal Google account. There is no standalone SKU.

Fathom Analytics: Is there a free trial for Fathom Analytics?

Yes, Fathom offers a 7-day free trial. There is no free tier after the trial ends.

Source
Google Forms: How many responses can one form take?

Google publishes no limit. The practical ceiling is the linked Google Sheet at ten million cells. The documented 300 figure is pieces of content per form, not questions and not responses.

Fathom Analytics: What happens if my pageviews exceed my plan limit?

Fathom handles usage overage graciously, only upgrading your plan after two consecutive months over your limit. There are no immediate overage charges.

Source
Google Forms: Can I turn Forms off but keep Drive?

No. Forms is controlled by the Drive and Docs service toggle. You can restrict external sharing of forms per organisational unit, but you cannot disable Forms alone.

Fathom Analytics: Can I add extra sites to my Fathom plan?

Yes, extra sites cost $10/month per 50-site pack, or $100/year (which includes two months free). All plans include a minimum of 50 included sites.

Source
Google Forms: Are responses covered by Vault?

Only as Drive files. There is no Forms-specific hold or export, so route responses to a linked Sheet if they need to be retained or produced in discovery.

Fathom Analytics: Can I cancel Fathom without a long contract?

Yes, there are no contracts and cancellation is flexible. Fathom does not lock customers into agreements.

Source
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