Free tier guide

Best free survey software in 2026

You do not need a credit card to run a professional survey — but "free" means very different things depending on the vendor. Here is an honest look at what each free plan actually gives you, and when it is time to upgrade.

Our free-tier picks

Google Forms for unlimited basic surveys. Tally for unlimited responses with a modern editor. forms.app when you need unlimited responses with conditional logic, analytics, and AI generation free. Avoid SurveyMonkey's free plan for anything beyond quick tests — 10 questions and no exports is too restrictive for real work.

Free survey software compared
Platform	Response limit	Form limit	Logic	Branding	Best for
Google Forms	Unlimited	Unlimited	Basic branching	Google branding	Internal & classroom use
Tally	Unlimited	Unlimited	✓ Conditional	"Made with Tally"	Startups & side projects
forms.app	Unlimited	Up to 5	✓ Full logic	forms.app branding	Customer-facing surveys
Microsoft Forms	Unlimited	Unlimited	Basic branching	Microsoft branding	M365 teams
SurveyMonkey	Unlimited	Unlimited	✗	SurveyMonkey branding	Quick 10-question tests
QuestionPro	1,000/mo	Unlimited	✓ Basic	QuestionPro branding	Students & academics
Typeform	10/mo	Unlimited	✓	Typeform branding	Not practical free

Free survey software, reviewed

Google Forms — unlimited and free

The benchmark every free survey tool is measured against. Unlimited responses, automatic Google Sheets sync, and a familiar interface that requires zero onboarding. You will not win design awards, and analytics are limited to basic summaries — but for team retrospectives, event RSVPs, and classroom polls, nothing beats free and unlimited.

Upgrade when: You need branded customer-facing surveys, conditional logic beyond simple branching, or integrations outside Google Workspace.

Use Google Forms →

Tally — unlimited with a modern editor

Tally's free plan is genuinely generous: unlimited forms, unlimited responses, conditional logic, and file uploads. The Notion-style slash-command editor feels fresh compared to Google's utilitarian forms. The trade-off is "Made with Tally" branding on every survey and basic reporting that pushes you toward spreadsheets for real analysis.

Upgrade when: You need to remove branding, connect custom domains, or access advanced integrations.

Use Tally →

forms.app — best free plan for serious surveys

If your free survey faces customers rather than colleagues, forms.app is the strongest option. Conditional logic, AI survey generation, e-signatures, and built-in analytics — all on the free tier with unlimited responses. For early-stage products validating with beta users, the free plan is often enough for months.

Upgrade when: You need white-label branding, custom domains, or advanced team features.

Try forms.app free →

We ran our entire beta feedback program on forms.app's free plan for four months. Unlimited responses let us survey every beta cohort — and the conditional logic meant we only asked relevant follow-ups.

Priya Sharma — Product manager, early-stage fintech

When free survey software is not enough

Free plans work until they do not. Three signals it is time to pay:

Response caps. Hitting limits mid-campaign loses data and frustrates respondents. Calculate your expected monthly volume before choosing.
Branding. Customer-facing surveys with vendor logos undermine trust. Paid plans on forms.app, Typeform, and SurveyMonkey remove branding.
Analytics depth. If you are making business decisions from survey data, you need cross-tabs, filtering, and exports — features locked behind paid tiers on most platforms.

See our full survey software rankings for paid options, or the comparison matrix for side-by-side pricing.