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Surveys · head to head

Microsoft Forms vs ThriveSparrow

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
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ThriveSparrow logo

ThriveSparrow

Employee Engagement

Science-backed employee engagement surveys

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; ThriveSparrow limited details about specific integration partners beyond the announcement of 50+ platform integrations
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Forms covers Bundled licensing, ThriveSparrow covers Engagement surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Forms and ThriveSparrow actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Forms and ThriveSparrow differ
AttributeMicrosoft FormsThriveSparrow
Pricing modelIncluded with Microsoft 365, not sold separatelyUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategorySurveysEmployee Engagement
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Microsoft Forms

  • Bundled licensing
  • Very high response ceiling
  • File upload questions
  • Co-authoring
  • eDiscovery coverage
  • Surveys Agent in Copilot

Only in ThriveSparrow

  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • 360 feedback
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Benchmarking
  • Action planning
  • Mobile access
  • Custom surveys

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Forms

  • Internal surveys and quizzes inside an organisation that already pays for Microsoft 365 and does not want a second vendor contractnot ThriveSparrow
  • Education settings where quizzes need automatic grading and results in Excel without procurement approvalnot ThriveSparrow
  • Quick polls inside Microsoft Teams where the response data should stay in the same tenant as everything elsenot ThriveSparrow
  • Any case where the deciding factor is that no purchase order is requirednot ThriveSparrow

ThriveSparrow

  • Engagement measurementnot Microsoft Forms
  • Pulse surveysnot Microsoft Forms
  • Action planningnot Microsoft Forms
  • Benchmarkingnot Microsoft Forms

Where each one falls short

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

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.

ThriveSparrow

  • Limited details about specific integration partners beyond the announcement of 50+ platform integrations
  • AI features depend on survey response quality; poor or sparse responses limit effectiveness of AI insights

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ThriveSparrow

Free
  • Kudos$2/user/month
    • Recognition and rewards
    • 800+ global gift cards
  • Engage$3/user/month
    • Pulse surveys
    • Employee engagement surveys
    • Basic analytics
  • Performance$5/user/month
    • 360-degree feedback
    • Performance reviews
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

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

Choose ThriveSparrow if

  • You need engagement surveys.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want pulse surveys.
ThriveSparrow review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Forms or ThriveSparrow better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Forms starts at Free and ThriveSparrow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Forms or ThriveSparrow?
Microsoft Forms starts at Free and ThriveSparrow at Free.
Does Microsoft Forms or ThriveSparrow run on more platforms?
Microsoft Forms runs on Web, iOS, Android. ThriveSparrow runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Forms for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Forms best used for?
Microsoft Forms is most often used for internal surveys and quizzes inside an organisation that already pays for microsoft 365 and does not want a second vendor contract, education settings where quizzes need automatic grading and results in excel without procurement approval, quick polls inside microsoft teams where the response data should stay in the same tenant as everything else, any case where the deciding factor is that no purchase order is required. Of those, internal surveys and quizzes inside an organisation that already pays for microsoft 365 and does not want a second vendor contract and education settings where quizzes need automatic grading and results in excel without procurement approval are not what ThriveSparrow is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Forms do that ThriveSparrow cannot?
Microsoft Forms covers Bundled licensing, Very high response ceiling, File upload questions, Co-authoring. ThriveSparrow covers Engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, 360 feedback, Analytics dashboard.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

ThriveSparrow: What are pulse surveys?

Pulse surveys are brief, frequently-conducted assessments designed to quickly measure employee perceptions and engagement. Unlike annual surveys, ThriveSparrow's pulse surveys offer continuous insights, enabling organizations to identify and address workplace issues in real-time.

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.

ThriveSparrow: How many languages does ThriveSparrow support?

ThriveSparrow supports surveys and performance management in 100+ languages, enabling global organizations to gather feedback from employees worldwide.

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.

ThriveSparrow: Does ThriveSparrow integrate with other HR platforms?

Yes. ThriveSparrow recently announced integration with 50+ platforms to revolutionize employee engagement. The platform connects with major HR systems for streamlined data flow.

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.

ThriveSparrow: What AI features does ThriveSparrow offer?

ThriveSparrow includes AI-powered sentiment analysis that converts open-text responses into actionable insights, Infer AI to detect burnout signals, and AI-generated personal development plans from feedback. The platform claims to offer AI-native HR capabilities.

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