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Surveys · head to head

Formstack vs Submittable

Formstack logo

Formstack

Surveys

Form builder with document generation and e-signature

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Submittable logo

Submittable

Nonprofits

Application, review and grant management for funders running open calls at volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Formstack more expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use; Submittable pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • They diverge on capability: Formstack covers Form builder, Submittable covers Configurable application forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Formstack and Submittable actually diverge.

Attributes where Formstack and Submittable differ
AttributeFormstackSubmittable
Pricing modelTiered monthly subscription published on the vendor site; HIPAA-capable plans priced separatelyquote
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb
CategorySurveysNonprofits

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Formstack

  • Form builder
  • Document generation
  • E-signature
  • Workflow routing
  • Salesforce integration
  • Compliance features

Only in Submittable

  • Configurable application forms
  • Blind and multi-stage review
  • Reviewer management
  • Grant payments
  • Impact reporting
  • Applicant messaging
  • API and integrations

What people use each for

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

Formstack

  • Processes where a submitted form must become a signed documentnot Submittable
  • Regulated intake needing HIPAA-capable handlingnot Submittable
  • Salesforce shops wanting forms and documents inside the CRMnot Submittable

Submittable

  • A foundation running an open grant round where a volunteer panel must score hundreds of applications without seeing applicant identitiesnot Formstack
  • A corporate giving team collecting employee-nominated grant requests and needing an audit trail for financenot Formstack
  • An arts council managing fellowship and residency applications with multi-stage juriesnot Formstack
  • A city agency distributing relief funds and required to show equitable review and decision recordsnot Formstack

Where each one falls short

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

Formstack

  • More expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use
  • Document generation and signature sit in higher tiers, so the headline price is not the working price
  • The interface has accumulated features over a long life and shows it
  • Overkill where a form only needs to collect an answer

Submittable

  • Pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • It is built around the application funnel rather than the funder's relationship with grantees, so long-term relationship management, pledge tracking and multi-year commitments are weaker than in a purpose-built grants CRM.
  • Applicant-facing forms are constrained by the platform's templates, and organisations wanting a fully branded application experience on their own domain will find the customisation shallow.
  • Reporting is serviceable for programme counts but limited for board-level financial reporting, so many finance teams still export to spreadsheets to reconcile awards against the general ledger.
  • Payment disbursement capability varies by tier and region, and organisations funding recipients outside the United States often still pay grants through their bank rather than through the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

Formstack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Formstack review.

Submittable

On request
  • Submittable$undefined/year
    • Application forms and applicant portal
    • Reviewer workflow and scoring rubrics
    • Grant award and reporting modules on higher tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Formstack if

  • You need form builder.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want document generation.
Formstack review

Choose Submittable if

  • You need configurable application forms.
  • You also want blind and multi-stage review.
Submittable review

Questions people ask

Is Formstack or Submittable better?
Neither clearly leads. Formstack starts at On request and Submittable at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Formstack or Submittable?
Formstack starts at On request and Submittable at On request.
Does Formstack or Submittable run on more platforms?
Formstack runs on Web, Cloud. Submittable runs on Web.
What is Formstack best used for?
Formstack is most often used for processes where a submitted form must become a signed document, regulated intake needing hipaa-capable handling, salesforce shops wanting forms and documents inside the crm. Of those, processes where a submitted form must become a signed document and regulated intake needing hipaa-capable handling are not what Submittable is typically brought in for.
What can Formstack do that Submittable cannot?
Formstack covers Form builder, Document generation, E-signature, Workflow routing. Submittable covers Configurable application forms, Blind and multi-stage review, Reviewer management, Grant payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Formstack: What does Formstack cost?

It publishes tiered monthly pricing; document generation and e-signature sit in higher tiers, and HIPAA-capable plans are priced separately.

Submittable: What does Submittable actually cost?

It is not published. Reported entry points are in the low thousands of dollars a year, with price driven by submission volume, number of forms and seats. Get the tier limits written into the contract before signing.

Formstack: What makes it different from a plain form builder?

It generates documents from submissions and collects signatures on them, which is the step that otherwise involves retyping form data into a template.

Submittable: Is it a grants management system or a submission manager?

Both, depending on tier. The review side is its strength. Award tracking, payments and grantee reporting sit on higher tiers and are less deep than a dedicated grants CRM.

Formstack: Is it HIPAA compliant?

It offers HIPAA-capable plans for regulated data. That is a plan-level feature, not the default.

Submittable: Can reviewers work anonymously?

Yes. Blind review, staged rounds and conflict of interest flagging are core features rather than paid extras.

Submittable: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Nonprofit pricing exists but is applied inside the quote rather than published as a percentage, so compare quotes rather than assuming a standard rate.

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