Surveys · head to head
Google Forms vs Gravity Forms
Google Forms
Surveys
Survey tool bundled with Google Workspace that cannot be disabled separately from Drive and Docs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Google Forms has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; Gravity Forms basic license covers only 1 site and renews at $59/year after a discounted $44 first year
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Forms and Gravity Forms actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Forms | Gravity Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $59/year |
| Pricing model | Included with Google Workspace, not sold separately | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
Identical on both: 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 Google Forms
- Bundled with every Workspace edition
- Linked Sheets responses
- Per-unit external sharing controls
- Auto-close
- Gemini assistance
- Locked mode quizzes
Only in Gravity Forms
Nothing recorded that Google Forms does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Forms
- Schools and universities running quizzes and collecting coursework where Workspace is already the standardnot Gravity Forms
- Internal data collection that must land in a Google Sheet for onward analysis without any export stepnot Gravity Forms
- Organisations that want a form tool with zero incremental cost and no procurement conversationnot Gravity Forms
- Simple public surveys where no respondent sign-in is required and no file uploads are involvednot Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms
- WordPress form building and lead capturenot Google Forms
- E-commerce payment form processingnot Google Forms
- Multi-site form managementnot Google Forms
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Gravity Forms
- Basic license covers only 1 site and renews at $59/year after a discounted $44 first year
- Pro license is capped at 3 sites; using it on more requires the Elite tier at $259/year renewal
- Marketing integrations like HubSpot and Mailchimp are Basic-tier only, while payment and workflow add-ons (Stripe, Zapier, Trello) require Pro or above
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Forms
Free- Personal Google accountFree
- Free with any personal Google account
- 300 pieces of content per form, counting questions, descriptions, images and videos
- 75 sections per form
- Google Workspace Business Starter$undefined/year
- 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 Essentials$undefined/year
- Included in the subscription price, not sold separately
- Fundamental data regions, one organisation-wide at-rest policy
- Forms covered at rest only, not during processing
- Frontline Plus, Enterprise Plus, or the Data Regions add-on$undefined/year
- 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
Gravity Forms
$59/year- Basic$59/year
- 1 site license
- 20+ integrations including HubSpot, Mailchimp, Active Campaign
- Pro$159/year
- 3 site licenses
- Payment processing with Stripe, Square, PayPal
- 15+ Pro-level add-ons
- Elite$259/year
- Unlimited site licenses
- All add-ons included
- Advanced features: User Registration, Conversational Forms, Signature, Survey
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Gravity Forms if
Nothing in the data separates Gravity Forms from Google Forms on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Forms or Gravity Forms better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Forms starts at Free and Gravity Forms at $59/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Forms or Gravity Forms?
- Google Forms has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Forms and $59/year for Gravity Forms.
- Does Google Forms or Gravity Forms run on more platforms?
- Google Forms runs on Web, iOS, Android. Gravity Forms runs on Web.
- Can I use Google Forms for free?
- Yes. Google Forms has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gravity Forms starts at $59/year.
- What is Google Forms best used for?
- Google Forms is most often used for schools and universities running quizzes and collecting coursework where workspace is already the standard, internal data collection that must land in a google sheet for onward analysis without any export step, organisations that want a form tool with zero incremental cost and no procurement conversation, simple public surveys where no respondent sign-in is required and no file uploads are involved. Of those, schools and universities running quizzes and collecting coursework where workspace is already the standard and internal data collection that must land in a google sheet for onward analysis without any export step are not what Gravity Forms is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Forms do that Gravity Forms cannot?
- Google Forms covers Bundled with every Workspace edition, Linked Sheets responses, Per-unit external sharing controls, Auto-close.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
Gravity Forms: What is the cheapest Gravity Forms plan?
The Basic plan is $59/year and includes 1 site license with 20+ integrations. The Elite plan at $259/year offers unlimited sites and all add-ons.
SourceGoogle 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.
Gravity Forms: Can I process payments with Gravity Forms?
Yes. Payment processing with Stripe, Square, and PayPal is included in the Pro ($159/year) and Elite ($259/year) plans, but not in the Basic plan.
SourceGoogle 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.
Gravity Forms: How many sites can I use Gravity Forms on?
The Basic plan covers 1 site, Pro covers 3 sites, and Elite covers unlimited sites. All pricing is annual subscription.
SourceGoogle 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.
Related pages
More on Google Forms
More on Gravity Forms
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