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Marketing · head to head

Fathom Analytics vs Microsoft Forms

Fathom Analytics logo

Fathom Analytics

Marketing

Website analytics made simple

From
$14/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Forms logo

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
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Forms has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fathom Analytics there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial; 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.
  • They diverge on capability: Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Microsoft Forms covers Bundled licensing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fathom Analytics and Microsoft Forms differ
AttributeFathom AnalyticsMicrosoft Forms
Starting price$14/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionIncluded with Microsoft 365, not sold separately
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMarketingSurveys
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Fathom Analytics

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

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.

Fathom Analytics

  • Privacy-focused web analytics without cookie bannersnot Microsoft Forms
  • A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Microsoft Forms
  • Tracking many sites from one accountnot Microsoft Forms
  • Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot 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 Fathom Analytics
  • Education settings where quizzes need automatic grading and results in Excel without procurement approvalnot Fathom Analytics
  • Quick polls inside Microsoft Teams where the response data should stay in the same tenant as everything elsenot Fathom Analytics
  • Any case where the deciding factor is that no purchase order is requirednot 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

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

Fathom Analytics

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

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 Fathom Analytics if

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

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.
Microsoft Forms review

Questions people ask

Is Fathom Analytics or Microsoft Forms better?
Neither clearly leads. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and Microsoft Forms at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fathom Analytics or Microsoft Forms?
Microsoft Forms has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Fathom Analytics and Free for Microsoft Forms.
Does Fathom Analytics or Microsoft Forms run on more platforms?
Fathom Analytics runs on Web. Microsoft Forms runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Microsoft Forms for free?
Yes. Microsoft 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 Microsoft Forms is typically brought in for.
What can Fathom Analytics do that Microsoft Forms cannot?
Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking. Microsoft Forms covers Bundled licensing, Very high response ceiling, File upload questions, Co-authoring.

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
Microsoft 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.

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
Microsoft 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.

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
Microsoft 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.

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
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.

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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