Fillout vs Tally: which form builder is right for you?

Last updated October 2026

Fillout and Tally both arrived as modern alternatives to the older guard of form builders, but they solve different problems in different ways. Fillout leans into deep database integrations and workflow automation, treating forms as the front door to structured data. Tally takes the opposite approach, stripping the interface down to a document-style editor where you type your form into existence, and then gives away nearly everything for free.

If you are choosing between them, the decision often comes down to what happens after someone submits the form. Fillout is built for teams that want submissions to flow directly into Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets, or a Postgres database without any middleware. Tally is built for people who want a form up in two minutes and do not want to think about pricing tiers while they do it.

This comparison covers pricing, features, integrations, and the practical differences that matter when you are actually building forms. If you are also weighing other options, you might find our guides to the best form builder and the best free form builder useful.

Pricing comparison

Pricing is where these two products diverge most sharply. Tally gives away unlimited forms and unlimited submissions on its free plan, monetizing only through branding removal, custom domains, and team features. Fillout offers a generous free tier too, but caps responses at 1,000 per month and gates features like custom branding and payment collection behind paid plans.

Both tools bill per workspace rather than per seat, which is a welcome departure from the per-user pricing that plagues most SaaS products. Fillout also offers an Enterprise tier with SSO and custom security configurations at a negotiated price.

For budget-conscious teams, Tally's free tier is hard to beat. You get unlimited submissions with conditional logic, file uploads, and even Stripe payments without paying anything. Fillout's free plan is still quite capable with 1,000 monthly submissions and database integrations included, but the moment you need to remove branding or accept payments, you are looking at $15 to $40 per month.

Fillout: a closer look

Fillout positions itself as the form builder for teams that live inside databases. If your workflow revolves around Airtable, Notion, or Google Sheets, Fillout's native two-way sync is its strongest selling point. Submissions write directly to your database without requiring Zapier or Make as an intermediary, and changes in your database can pre-populate form fields with updated data.

The form editor itself uses a drag-and-drop interface with a visual logic builder. You can create multi-page forms with conditional branching, calculated fields with formula support, and real-time results. This makes Fillout well suited for quote calculators, order forms, and scored surveys where the output depends on what the respondent enters.

Fillout also includes a built-in scheduling feature that connects to Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom, and Teams, with 1,000 bookings per month on the free plan. For teams that need to collect payments, native Stripe integration is available on the Pro plan with no additional commission taken by Fillout.

On the AI front, Fillout offers an AI form builder, an AI quiz maker, and an AI survey maker that generate forms from a text description. These are useful for getting a first draft up quickly, though you will almost certainly want to refine the result.

Other notable features include PDF generation from templates (available on the free plan), login-gated forms with pre-fill from database records, a workflow builder for email sequences and Slack alerts, native Google Ads conversion tracking, and a US/EU data residency selector. Fillout claims over 50 native integrations, though CRM connections like HubSpot and Salesforce still require Zapier or Make.

If you are comparing Fillout against other tools, check out Fillout vs Typeform, Fillout vs Google Forms, and Fillout vs Jotform.

Tally: a closer look

Tally's defining characteristic is its document-style editor. Instead of dragging blocks from a component palette and configuring properties in a sidebar, you simply start typing. Form fields appear inline as you go, similar to how you would write in Notion or Google Docs. This makes Tally one of the fastest form builders to get started with, especially for simple forms, surveys, and feedback collection.

The free plan is remarkably complete. Unlimited forms, unlimited submissions (subject to fair use), conditional logic, branching, signatures, file uploads up to 10 MB, calculator fields, and even Stripe payment collection are all included at no cost. Most competitors gate at least two or three of those features behind a paid tier. Tally monetizes by charging for branding removal, custom domains, custom CSS, partial-submission capture, and analytics with drop-off tracking on the Pro plan at $29 per month.

Tally's integration list includes native connections to Google Sheets, Notion, Coda, Airtable, Slack, Discord, Linear, and Attio, along with webhooks and a public API. For anything beyond those, Tally connects through Zapier, Make, n8n, IFTTT, Pipedream, and several other automation platforms. Analytics integrations include Google Analytics 4 and Meta Pixel. Tally also offers embed support for Framer, Webflow, WordPress, Ghost, and several other platforms.

One relatively new addition is Tally's MCP server and Claude connector, which let you interact with your Tally forms programmatically through AI tools. A ChatGPT plugin is also available.

The Business tier, added in 2026 at $89 per month, introduces GDPR data-retention controls, email verification for lead quality, 90-day version history, and priority support. Previously, Tally offered only Free and Pro.

Where Tally falls short compared to Fillout is in the depth of its database integrations. While Tally connects to Notion and Airtable, it does not offer the same two-way sync or pre-fill capabilities. There is also no built-in scheduling, no PDF generation, and no native CRM integrations. For straightforward form collection these absences do not matter, but for teams building complex workflows around form data, they can be limiting.

Who should pick Fillout

Fillout is the stronger choice if your forms are part of a larger data workflow. Teams that manage projects in Airtable, track content in Notion, or store records in Google Sheets will benefit from the native sync that eliminates middleware. The scheduling feature makes it a practical option for booking and appointment forms without needing a separate tool like Calendly. Calculated fields and formula support are valuable for pricing calculators, scored assessments, and order forms where the output depends on the input.

If you need to accept payments and also want features like custom branding and custom domains, Fillout's Pro plan at $40 per month (annual) bundles all three. Tally requires its Pro plan for branding and domains but includes payments for free, so the value comparison depends on which features you actually need.

Fillout is also a better fit for teams that care about data residency, since it offers a US/EU server region selector and a data processing agreement on the Business plan.

Who should pick Tally

Tally is the obvious pick if you want to spend as little as possible without giving up meaningful features. The free plan's combination of unlimited submissions, conditional logic, file uploads, and Stripe payments is unmatched in the form builder space. For freelancers, small businesses, nonprofits, and side projects, this alone can be the deciding factor.

Tally also wins on speed of creation. The document-style editor means you can have a functional form live in minutes without learning a new interface. If you are building simple contact forms, feedback surveys, registration forms, or application forms, Tally removes almost all friction.

Teams that want unlimited collaborators without paying per seat will appreciate that Tally includes this on every plan, including Free. And if your integration needs are covered by the native connections or a Zapier workflow, the gap between Tally and Fillout narrows considerably.

Where Fabric fits

Neither Fillout nor Tally solves the problem of what happens to the information after it leaves the form. Responses end up in spreadsheets, databases, email inboxes, and Slack channels, scattered across tools that do not talk to each other. Fabric is the layer that brings all of that together.

Fabric is a personal cloud and context layer that connects over 30 apps into a single searchable workspace. Once your form responses land in Google Sheets or Notion, Fabric's AI search can find them alongside your notes, documents, bookmarks, and files from every other tool you use. The AI assistant can answer questions about your collected data without you having to remember which spreadsheet it lives in.

If you write up findings from survey data or create reports from form responses, Fabric's notes and docs give you a place to work with that information, and publishing lets you share the result with your team or publicly.

Fabric offers a free tier, with paid plans at $8 per month (annual) or $10 per month (monthly). Every paid account also contributes to tree planting, so your subscription has an environmental footprint that goes in the right direction.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fillout really free?

Yes. Fillout's free plan includes unlimited forms, native database integrations with Airtable, Notion, and Google Sheets, PDF generation, scheduling with up to 1,000 bookings per month, and 1,000 form submissions per month. Fillout branding appears on your forms, and features like custom domains and payment collection require a paid plan.

Is Tally really free?

Tally's free plan is one of the most generous in the form builder category. You get unlimited forms, unlimited submissions (subject to fair use limits that Tally does not publish), conditional logic, branching, file uploads, calculator fields, and Stripe payment collection. The main things you give up are branding removal, custom domains, and analytics.

Can I accept payments with Fillout or Tally?

Both tools support Stripe for payment collection. Tally includes this on the free plan. Fillout requires the Pro plan ($40/mo annual) for Stripe integration, and neither tool charges an additional commission on top of Stripe's processing fees.

Which has better integrations?

It depends on what you need. Fillout has deeper database integrations with two-way sync for Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets, Smartsheet, and PostgreSQL. Tally has broader automation platform support, connecting natively with Zapier, Make, n8n, IFTTT, Pipedream, and others. Neither has native CRM integrations with HubSpot or Salesforce, so both require middleware for CRM workflows.

Does Tally have conditional logic?

Yes, and it is included on the free plan. Tally offers conditional logic and branching without requiring a paid upgrade, which is unusual in the form builder space.

Can I use a custom domain with either tool?

Custom domains are available on Fillout's Pro plan ($40/mo annual) and Tally's Pro plan ($29/mo or ~$24/mo annual).

Which is easier to use?

Tally is generally faster to get started with thanks to its document-style editor, which feels more like typing in a doc than configuring a traditional form builder. Fillout uses a drag-and-drop editor with a visual logic builder, which is more powerful for complex forms but has a slightly steeper learning curve.

Do either support team collaboration?

Both tools support team collaboration. Tally includes unlimited collaborators on every plan, including Free. Fillout includes team collaboration features, with more advanced options on the Pro and Business plans.

Can I embed forms on my website?

Yes. Both Fillout and Tally support embedding forms on external websites. Tally has specific embed integrations for Framer, Webflow, WordPress, Ghost, and several other platforms. Fillout supports standard embed codes that work on most website builders.

Is Fabric free?

Yes. Fabric has a free tier that lets you get started without paying. Paid plans start at $8 per month on an annual plan or $10 per month billed monthly. Paid accounts unlock the full power of Fabric's AI search, AI assistant, and notes and docs, and every subscription supports tree planting.

Can I migrate from one to the other?

Neither tool offers a direct import from the other. However, since both can export submission data to Google Sheets or CSV, you can move your collected responses relatively easily. Rebuilding the form itself will need to be done manually, though Fillout's AI form builder can speed this up if you have a clear description of what you need.

Which is better for startups?

Tally's unlimited free plan makes it attractive for early-stage startups watching every dollar. As your needs grow to include database sync, scheduling, or calculated fields, Fillout becomes more compelling. For a broader look at this question, see our guide to the best form builder for startups.