Making a Form: Formstack or Google Forms?

Our organization provides two primary form-building options for staff: Google Forms (free for all staff via your Google Workspace account) and Formstack (requires paid licenses). This guide will help you determine which platform best suits your needs.

Important Note: Some legacy forms use other form-builders such as SurveyMonkey or Wufoo. All new forms should be created in either Formstack or Google Forms.

Product Comparison

Feature:	Google Forms	Formstack
Cost	Free (included with Google Workspace)	Paid licenses required; can be requested through IT
Learning Curve	Simple, intuitive interface	More complex, feature-rich interface
Form Ownership	Forms are tied to the creator's Google account. If a staff member leaves, their forms may become inaccessible unless created in a Shared Drive	Remains with organization, even after form creator leaves
Field Types	Text Field Multiple Choice Checkboxes Dropdowns File Upload Linear Scale Matrix Field Date Time	Text Field Multiple Choice Checkboxes Dropdowns File Upload Linear Scale Matrix Field Date Time Signature Calculations Ratings reCAPTCHA Credit Card / Payments Advanced field validation options
Conditional Logic	Basic branching logic that allows you to show different questions based on previous answers.	Advanced conditional logic, allowing you to show or hide fields, sections, or pages, based on single or multiple user responses.
Payment Processing	Can be enhanced with payment add-ons, but requires third-party add-ons (see security considerations below)	Built-in payment processing through Authorize.Net or Stripe (Authorize.Net is preferred by theCollector's Office; see Authorize.Net payment integration guide)
Approvals Processes	No built-in approval workflows	Offers multi-step approval processes and conditional routing.
Notifications	Can only send notifications to one email address by default.  * Note that additional notification options are available if exporting submissions to Google Sheets or via add-on.	Multiple email notifications with the ability to notify different people or teams based on form responses.
Design & Styling	Simple design options.	Customized COE design templates available.
Customization & Branding	Basic confirmation message customization after form submission Limited email customization (requires add-ons for advanced features) Can send responders a copy of their response (basic confirmation email) No custom landing pages or advanced branding options Theme customization limited to colors, fonts, and header images	Full customization of confirmation pages and messages Custom landing pages for form embedding Comprehensive email template customization for both confirmation and notification emails Advanced branding options including custom CSS White-label capabilities for professional presentation Conditional confirmation messages based on form responses
Storage	Unlimited storage via Google Sheets and Google Drive.	Has storage limits for forms and submissions; can use official Google Drive, Box, and Google Sheets integrations for storing submission materials for free.
File Uploads	Allows file uploads but user must be logged into their Google account to submit file uploads.	Allows file uploads for all submitters, regardless of login status.
Third-Party Integrations	Can integrate with Google Sheets. Add-ons available through Google Workspace Marketplace (see security considerations below)	Can integrate with Google Sheets, Google Drive, Box, Authorize.Net, Asana, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Zendesk, and others.
Viewing Submission Data	Can manage viewing access for anyone in the organization logged into their COE Google account (free).	Can export to Google Sheets and manage free viewing access for anyone in organization logged into their COE Google account. Can create shareable link with submission result charts (free, accessible to anyone with the link.) Can share all submissions with other Formstack users (licenses required).

Important Security Considerations

Google Forms Add-ons

While Google Forms can be extended with add-ons for additional functionality, be aware that third-party add-ons retain access permissions until manually revoked and present potential security risks. Consider these factors:

• Add-ons requiring extensive permissions can access and potentially transmit your sensitive data
• Always review permissions carefully before installing add-ons
• Regularly audit installed add-ons and remove unused ones
• For sensitive data collection, consider using Formstack's built-in features instead of Google Forms add-ons

Decision Framework

Choose Google Forms when:

• You need a simple form quickly
• There are lots of staff without Formstack licenses who will need to manage the form
• You're collecting non-sensitive information
• You want easy integration with Google Workspace tools
• The form creator will remain with the organization long-term OR you create the form in a Shared Drive

Choose Formstack when:

• You need advanced conditional logic
• You require built-in payment processing
• You need approval workflows
• You're collecting sensitive information and/or uploads
• You want COE-branded templates maintained by the organization
• You need forms to persist regardless of staff turnover
• You require advanced reporting and analytics
• You need extensive third-party integrations

Use Case Examples

Google Forms:

• Event registration
• Public feedback surveys
• Newsletter signups
• Meeting attendance confirmation
• Volunteer interest forms
• Public comment submissions
• Contact information updates
• Basic applications and requests

Formstack:

• License applications (with conditional logic, approvals, and payments)
• Grant applications (multi-page with file uploads)
• Fee-based permit applications
• Complex incident reporting forms
• Budget request forms with approval workflows
• Employee request forms with conditional notifications going to many different supervisors
• Multi-department service requests with routing 

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Getting Started

For Google Forms: Access through your Google Workspace account at forms.google.com 

For Formstack: Request licenses from the IT Helpdesk

Questions? Contact the IT Helpdesk for guidance on platform selection or technical assistance.