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Surveys · head to head

Google Forms vs Zonka Feedback

Google Forms logo

Google Forms

Surveys

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zonka Feedback logo

Zonka Feedback

Surveys

Multi-channel CX feedback platform with quoted pricing based on response volume and AI data credits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Zonka Feedback no pricing tier is published for either the core product or the AI add-on, so total cost is unknown until a sales quote is obtained.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Forms covers Bundled with every Workspace edition, Zonka Feedback covers Multi-channel surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Forms and Zonka Feedback actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Forms and Zonka Feedback differ
AttributeGoogle FormsZonka Feedback
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelIncluded with Google Workspace, not sold separatelyquote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Zonka Feedback

  • Multi-channel surveys
  • Kiosk and offline mode
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Case management
  • AI Feedback Intelligence
  • Reputation management

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 Zonka Feedback
  • Internal data collection that must land in a Google Sheet for onward analysis without any export stepnot Zonka Feedback
  • Organisations that want a form tool with zero incremental cost and no procurement conversationnot Zonka Feedback
  • Simple public surveys where no respondent sign-in is required and no file uploads are involvednot Zonka Feedback

Zonka Feedback

  • A multi-location retailer or clinic wanting kiosk-based feedback capture alongside digital surveysnot Google Forms
  • A CX team that needs closed-loop case management to assign and track resolution of negative feedbacknot Google Forms
  • A hospitality operator wanting reputation management alongside direct feedback collectionnot Google Forms
  • A company with high volumes of open-ended feedback wanting AI theme extraction rather than manual taggingnot 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.

Zonka Feedback

  • No pricing tier is published for either the core product or the AI add-on, so total cost is unknown until a sales quote is obtained.
  • The AI Feedback Intelligence product is priced separately on data credits, meaning a buyer who wants both feedback collection and AI analysis is negotiating two line items, not one.
  • Third-party pricing estimates in the low hundreds to near a thousand dollars a month vary enough that budgeting from public sources alone is unreliable.
  • Kiosk hardware and offline capture are a strength for physical locations but add limited value to a purely digital-only business, which pays for a capability it does not use.
  • It is a smaller vendor than Medallia or Qualtrics, so enterprise buyers evaluating analyst-recognised platforms may not shortlist it despite comparable core features.

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

Zonka Feedback

On request
  • Feedback Management$undefined/month
    • Priced by response volume
    • Multi-channel surveys and case management
    • 14-day free trial
  • AI Feedback Intelligence$undefined/month
    • Priced by AI data credits, separate from Feedback Management
    • Theme extraction, sentiment and impact analysis

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.
Google Forms review

Choose Zonka Feedback if

  • You need multi-channel surveys.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want kiosk and offline mode.
Zonka Feedback review

Questions people ask

Is Google Forms or Zonka Feedback better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Forms starts at Free and Zonka Feedback at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Forms or Zonka Feedback?
Google Forms has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Forms and On request for Zonka Feedback.
Does Google Forms or Zonka Feedback run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Forms for free?
Yes. Google Forms has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zonka Feedback starts at On request.
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 Zonka Feedback is typically brought in for.
What can Google Forms do that Zonka Feedback cannot?
Google Forms covers Bundled with every Workspace edition, Linked Sheets responses, Per-unit external sharing controls, Auto-close. Zonka Feedback covers Multi-channel surveys, Kiosk and offline mode, Real-time dashboards, Case management.

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.

Zonka Feedback: Is pricing published anywhere?

No. Zonka quotes pricing based on feedback volume for the core product and data credits for AI Feedback Intelligence; nothing is listed as a fixed price.

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.

Zonka Feedback: Is AI Feedback Intelligence included in the base plan?

No, it is sold and priced separately from core feedback management.

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.

Zonka Feedback: Does it support offline feedback collection?

Yes, kiosk and tablet devices can capture feedback without a live network connection, which is a differentiator against purely web-based survey tools.

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.

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