Surveys · head to head
Google Forms vs Paperform
Google Forms
Surveys
Survey tool bundled with Google Workspace that cannot be disabled separately from Drive and Docs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Paperform free plan limited to 30 submissions per month
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Forms and Paperform actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Forms | Paperform |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Included with Google Workspace, not sold separately | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
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 Google Forms
- Bundled with every Workspace edition
- Linked Sheets responses
- Per-unit external sharing controls
- Auto-close
- Gemini assistance
- Locked mode quizzes
Only in Paperform
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 Paperform
- Internal data collection that must land in a Google Sheet for onward analysis without any export stepnot Paperform
- Organisations that want a form tool with zero incremental cost and no procurement conversationnot Paperform
- Simple public surveys where no respondent sign-in is required and no file uploads are involvednot Paperform
Paperform
- Creating multi-step application forms with conditional field displaynot Google Forms
- Building payment collection forms for online invoicingnot Google Forms
- Setting up appointment scheduling with calendar integrationnot Google Forms
- Collecting customer signatures on contracts and agreementsnot 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.
Paperform
- Free plan limited to 30 submissions per month
- Additional submissions beyond plan limits incur overage fees
- Custom domains require additional $20 per month fee on Pro plan
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Forms
Free- Personal Google accountFree
- Free with any personal Google account
- 300 pieces of content per form, counting questions, descriptions, images and videos
- 75 sections per form
- Google Workspace Business Starter$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
Paperform
Free- FreeFree
- 1 user
- 30 submissions per month
- 5 payment submissions per month
- Essentials$24/month
- 1 user
- 1,200 submissions per year
- 240 payment submissions per year
- Pro$49/month
- 3 users
- 12,000 submissions per year
- 3,000 payment submissions per year
- Business$99/month
- 5 users plus $9 per additional user (up to 25)
- 120,000 submissions per year
- 30,000 payment submissions per year
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Forms or Paperform better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Forms starts at Free and Paperform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Forms or Paperform?
- Google Forms starts at Free and Paperform at Free.
- Does Google Forms or Paperform run on more platforms?
- Google Forms runs on Web, iOS, Android. Paperform runs on Web.
- Can I use Google Forms for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Paperform is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Forms do that Paperform 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.
Paperform: Is there a free version of Paperform?
Yes, Paperform offers a free plan with 1 user, 30 submissions per month, and 100 MB storage at no cost.
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.
Paperform: Does Paperform offer a free trial for paid plans?
Paperform offers a 7-day unrestricted trial for all paid plans without requiring a credit card.
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.
Paperform: What payment processing options does Paperform support?
All Paperform plans include payment processing via Stripe, Square, Braintree, or PayPal.
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.
Paperform: When does Paperform charge for custom domains?
Custom domains are available on the Pro and Business plans, with an additional $20 per month fee for this feature.
SourceRelated pages
More on Google Forms
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