Comparison · Checked
Google Forms vs. Microsoft Forms: which one should you use?
Most people pick the one that matches the suite they already use. Google Forms is free with a Google account, takes up to 500,000 responses per form, and sends answers to Google Sheets. Microsoft Forms comes with Microsoft accounts and Microsoft 365, takes up to 5,000,000 responses per form on work and school accounts but 200 on a free personal account, and opens results in Excel.
We make trulyform, a third option, so we’re not neutral. Every Google Forms and Microsoft Forms figure below comes from their own pricing and help pages, checked on the date shown and linked, and each section says when one of them is the better pick.
- Use Google Workspace or Gmail, or need lots of responses on a free account? Google Forms.
- Use Microsoft 365 at work or school, with Excel, Teams, and Power Automate? Microsoft Forms.
- Making a form for customers that should look like your business? trulyform.
Google Forms vs. Microsoft Forms at a glance
Both are free to start. Microsoft Forms limits depend on the kind of Microsoft account you use.
| Plans and features | Google Forms | Microsoft Forms | trulyform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free with a Google account | Free with a Microsoft account; included in Microsoft 365 business plans | Free plan, then Pro from $12/mo |
| Responses per form | Up to 500,000 | Up to 5,000,000 (work or school), 1,000 (paid personal), 200 (free personal) | 100 a month on Free, 2,000 on Pro |
| Branching | Go to a section based on a multiple choice or dropdown answer | Branch to a later question or section, never an earlier one | Rules based on any earlier answer: show, hide, require, or jump |
| File uploads | Respondents sign in to Google; files go to the owner’s Drive | Only when just people in your organization can respond; files go to OneDrive for Business | No sign-in for respondents |
| Quizzes | Answer keys and automatic grading | Quizzes, surveys, and polls | Scores with calculations |
| Design | Theme color, background color, header image, and fonts | Theme gallery and your own background image | Themes, colors, typefaces, and corner radius |
| Results | Google Sheets | Open in Excel | Google Sheets, HubSpot, Slack, and more |
| Automation | Add-ons and Apps Script | Power Automate | Webhooks and native integrations on every plan |
Microsoft lists separate response limits for work or school accounts, free personal Microsoft accounts, and paid personal accounts (Microsoft 365 Personal or Family). trulyform counts a response once its first answer is saved.
Google Forms figures checked October 20, 2026 on its overview, responses guide, question types guide, branching guide, theme guide, quiz guide, add-ons guide, and Apps Script reference. Microsoft Forms figures checked November 1, 2026 on its overview, limits article, question types guide, branching guide, file uploads guide, theme guide, results guide, Power Automate guide, Copilot guide, and business plans page. Add-ons are excluded. Offers change. trulyform is independent of Google Forms and Microsoft Forms.
Google Forms and Microsoft Forms facts you can quote
Checked
- Google Forms is free to use with a Google account. (Google Forms overview)
- A Google Form can take up to 500,000 responses. (Google Forms responses guide)
- Google Forms branches by sending people to a section based on a multiple choice or dropdown answer. (Google Forms branching guide)
- Microsoft Forms takes up to 5,000,000 responses per form on work or school accounts, 1,000 on paid personal accounts, and 200 on free ones, with up to 400 forms per account and 200 questions per form. (Microsoft Forms limits article)
- Microsoft Forms can only branch forward, to a later question, not back to an earlier one. (Microsoft Forms branching guide)
- File upload questions work only when only people in your organization can respond, and files go to OneDrive for Business, up to 10 per question. (Microsoft Forms file uploads guide)
- Microsoft Forms opens results in Excel and connects to Power Automate flows. (Microsoft Forms results guide, and Microsoft Forms Power Automate guide)
- Copilot in Forms needs a Microsoft 365 account and a Copilot license for business use. (Microsoft Forms Copilot guide)
- Microsoft Forms is included in the Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, and Premium plans. (Microsoft Forms business plans page)
Should you choose Google Forms or Microsoft Forms?
When Google Forms is the better choice
Google Forms is the better choice in Google’s world, or when you need volume on a free account. Choose it if you need:
- Up to 500,000 responses per form on a free account
- Google Sheets and Drive, with Apps Script for automation
- Quizzes with answer keys and automatic grading
The tradeoffs: design is limited to a theme color, background, header image, and fonts, and respondents must sign in to Google to upload files.
When Microsoft Forms is the better choice
Microsoft Forms is the better choice inside Microsoft 365. Choose it if you need:
- Excel, Teams, and OneDrive, with results you can open in Excel
- Power Automate flows that run when a response arrives
- Very large internal surveys: up to 5,000,000 responses per form on work and school accounts
- Copilot to draft forms, if your organization has a Copilot license
The tradeoffs: free personal accounts stop at 200 responses per form, branching only goes forward, and file uploads are for respondents inside your organization.
When trulyform is worth a look
Both are built for internal forms and classrooms. trulyform is built for forms your customers see. Look at it if you want:
- One question at a time, with your theme, colors, and typeface
- Logic on any answer that can go anywhere in the form, plus calculations
- File uploads with no sign-in for anyone, inside or outside your organization
- Google Sheets, HubSpot, Slack, Notion, and more on every plan
What trulyform doesn’t do: graded quizzes, Excel or Power Automate connections, or free volume on Google’s or Microsoft’s scale.
Switching between Google Forms and Microsoft Forms
From Google Forms to trulyform
There’s no automatic Google Forms import yet. Open the closest template and paste in your questions. See trulyform vs. Google Forms
From Microsoft Forms to trulyform
There’s no automatic Microsoft Forms import yet either. Start from a template and connect the tools your team uses.
Between Google Forms and Microsoft Forms
Unless the tool you’re moving to can import your form, plan to rebuild it. Past responses stay where they were collected, so export them first if you need them in one place.
Good questions
Google Forms vs. Microsoft Forms: common questions
Still curious? Send us a note or email support@trulyform.com.
Is Google Forms or Microsoft Forms better?
Pick the one that matches your suite. Google Forms fits Gmail and Google Workspace and takes up to 500,000 responses per form. Microsoft Forms fits Microsoft 365, with Excel and Power Automate, and takes up to 5,000,000 responses per form on work and school accounts.
Is Microsoft Forms free?
Yes, with a Microsoft account, but a free personal account can collect up to 200 responses per form. Paid personal accounts get 1,000, and work or school accounts up to 5,000,000.
Which one has better branching?
Both are basic. Google Forms sends people to a section based on a multiple choice or dropdown answer. Microsoft Forms branches only forward, to a later question. trulyform’s rules can check any earlier answer and show, hide, require, or jump.
Can people outside my organization upload files?
In Google Forms, yes, if they sign in to a Google account. In Microsoft Forms, file upload questions work only when just people in your organization can respond. In trulyform, anyone can upload without signing in.
Which one is better for quizzes?
Both make quizzes. Google Forms quizzes have answer keys and automatic grading, and Microsoft Forms is built for quizzes, surveys, and polls. trulyform adds up scores with calculations but has no answer keys.
Want to try the one-question format?
Open a template, change the questions, and preview it on your phone. You only need an account when you publish.