18 rules in 5 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 11.
Version 1, published 8 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cheapest paid plan", then to the name.
Web-based form builders sold on their own to individuals and teams, used in a browser on Windows. Survey-first tools, forms bundled into an office account (Google Forms, Microsoft Forms), WordPress plugins and developer-only back ends are left out. "On at least one plan" counts any plan sold to the public, not a quote-only plan.
Free plan 12 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free plan
A free plan (not a trial) that lets you publish a form and collect submissions, as the vendor's pricing page states.
6
Submissions on the free plan
Submissions a month the free plan allows, across all forms, as the pricing or help page states them (a yearly figure is divided by 12). Unlimited, including unlimited within a fair-use policy, is recorded as 1,000,000. 1,000 or more earns 6 points, 500 or more 4, 100 or more 2. No free plan records 0.
6
Building forms 29 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Conditional logic
Questions or pages can be shown, hidden or skipped depending on earlier answers, on at least one plan.
8
Calculated fields
A field can compute a value, such as a total or a price, from other answers on the same form, on at least one plan.
4
File upload field
A form field lets the respondent attach files, on at least one plan.
5
Multi-page forms
A form can be split into several pages or steps with next and back buttons, on at least one plan.
3
Save and resume later
A respondent can save a partly filled form and come back to finish it later ("save and resume" or "save and continue later"), on at least one plan. Only the form owner seeing unfinished entries does not count.
4
Signature field
A form field lets the respondent draw or type a signature, on at least one plan.
5
Payments and data 21 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Online payments
A form can take card or wallet payments through a payment processor, on at least one plan.
5
Payment processors
The vendor lists a built-in connection to each processor. Each one earns 2 points.
6
Answers as PDF
Submissions can be turned into a PDF document automatically by the vendor's own tool, on at least one plan. A PDF upload field or a third-party add-on does not count.
4
Built-in connections
The vendor documents a built-in way to send submissions to Google Sheets, a Zapier integration, and outgoing webhooks. Each one earns 2 points.
6
Privacy and compliance 20 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
HIPAA support
The vendor's own page says it signs a business associate agreement (BAA) or names a plan that supports HIPAA-regulated data, on at least one plan. A statement that it "helps you comply" with no BAA or named plan does not count.
8
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001
The vendor names a SOC 2 Type II report or an ISO/IEC 27001 certification for this product or the company running it. "Aligned with" SOC 2, or a certified environment sold only on a quote-only plan, does not count; the cloud host's certificate does not count.
5
GDPR data processing agreement
The vendor publishes a data processing agreement (DPA) for customers under the GDPR, on its own site.
4
EU data storage
The vendor says data can be stored in the EU or EEA, either by default or as a choice, on at least one plan.
3
Price 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Submissions on cheapest paid plan
Submissions a month the cheapest paid plan allows, across all forms, as the plan page states them (a yearly figure is divided by 12). Unlimited, including fair use, is recorded as 1,000,000. 10,000 or more earns 6 points, 2,000 or more 4, 1,000 or more 2. A product with no paid plan records the same limit as its free plan.
6
Cheapest paid plan
The cheapest paid plan for one builder, in US dollars a month, billed yearly at its regular price; if the vendor shows no yearly price, the monthly price. Prices in euros are marked EUR and converted. Entirely free products count as $0. $10 or less earns 12 points, $20 or less 9, $35 or less 6, $60 or less 3.