The best European alternative to Google Forms is Tally (Belgium): unlimited forms and submissions for free, a document-style editor that is as quick as Google Forms, logic, file uploads and a Google Sheets integration. If you want your forms end-to-end encrypted and open source, pick CryptPad (France) – free, no account needed, hosted at OVH in France.
I wrote this ranking for people who use Google Forms for sign-ups, quizzes, feedback and simple surveys and want a European service instead. Google Forms is run by Google LLC, a US company, and it lives inside your Google account. Google lets administrators keep covered Workspace data in the EU, but only on editions from Business Standard upwards – not on free accounts and not on Business Starter. I compared ten European form and survey tools that have a free plan and kept eight. For each one you get who is behind it, where your responses are stored, what the free plan really includes and what you lose compared with Google Forms.
What are the best European alternatives to Google Forms?
If you only have a minute: these are the European form builders I would switch to from Google Forms, in order.
- Tally (Belgium) – unlimited forms and responses for free. Best for most people leaving Google Forms.
- CryptPad (France) – encrypted, open-source forms with no account needed. Best for privacy.
- Survio (Czech Republic) – templates and automatic reports, 100 free responses a month. Best for simple surveys with charts.
- Nextcloud Forms (Germany) – self-hosted forms with Google Forms-style CSV export. Best for organisations on Nextcloud.
- AidaForm (Germany) – 100 free responses a month and a Germany-only storage option. Best for cheap paid forms.
- UmfrageOnline (Switzerland) – unlimited free responses for 30 days per survey. Best for one-off surveys.
- Formbricks (Germany) – open-source link and in-app surveys. Best for product teams.
- LimeSurvey (Germany) – open source, free to self-host, far more logic than Google Forms. Best for research questionnaires.
Google Forms alternatives compared
| Tool | HQ | Data hosted in | From | Free plan | Open source | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tally | Belgium · EU | Belgium · Google Cloud ⚠ US cloud | Free · Pro €20 / month | Yes | No | Free online forms |
| 2. CryptPad | France · EU | France · OVH (cryptpad.fr) | Free · paid from €5 / month | Yes | Yes (AGPL-3) | Encrypted docs and notes in the browser |
| 3. Survio | Czech Republic · EU | EU · Hetzner | Free · paid prices in local currency | Yes | No | Quick business surveys |
| 4. Nextcloud Forms | Germany · EU | Your choice · self-hosted or provider | Free (self-hosted) | Yes | Yes (AGPL-3.0) | Self-hosted forms |
| 5. AidaForm | Germany · EU | Germany and USA · AWS ⚠ US cloud | Free · Starter $12 / month (yearly) | Yes | No | Cheap online forms |
| 6. UmfrageOnline | Switzerland · EFTA | EU | Free · Professional USD 25 / month (yearly) | Yes | No | Free one-off surveys |
| 7. Formbricks | Germany · EU | Germany · AWS ⚠ US cloud | Free · Pro $74 / month | Yes | Yes (AGPLv3 core) | In-app and product surveys |
| 8. LimeSurvey | Germany · EU | Germany · Hetzner | Free · paid from $39 / month | Yes | Yes (GPL) | Complex and research surveys |
| Google Forms (for reference) | USA (Google LLC) | – | Free · Workspace Business Starter PLN 31.50 / user / month (yearly) | Yes | – | – |
Prices from public pricing pages. Affiliate links and sponsored placements are labelled.
“Data hosted in” shows where each tool says it stores form responses, checked against a DNS and ASN lookup of its main domain (25 Oct 2026). Google showed Workspace prices in Polish złoty for my location.
How I compared the Google Forms alternatives
I looked at ten form and survey tools from European companies, all with a free plan or free self-hosting, and kept eight. The order is driven by how much of Google Forms you keep after switching – a free plan without tight limits, a quick editor, quizzes and logic, easy sharing and an export to a spreadsheet – then by privacy and data sovereignty, then by price. I weighed five things:
- Free plan – how many forms, questions and responses you get without paying, since Google Forms costs nothing.
- Feature match with Google Forms – question types, logic, file uploads, collaboration and results in a spreadsheet.
- Jurisdiction and ownership – where the company is registered and who is behind it.
- Hosting – where responses are stored, and whether the tool runs on a US cloud such as AWS or Google Cloud.
- What users say – Trustpilot ratings, read together with the number of reviews.
I left out Typeform and easyfeedback. Typeform is a Spanish company, but its main servers are in Virginia, USA, unless you buy Enterprise – the same problem you have with Google. easyfeedback is German with German servers, but its free plan stops at 10 questions per survey, which is a step back from Google Forms. Both are in my full ranking of European survey tools, and for full survey software see my European alternatives to SurveyMonkey. All data comes from the companies’ pricing, legal, privacy and help pages and from Trustpilot, checked on 25 October 2026.
The best European alternatives to Google Forms, reviewed
Every tool gets the same treatment: who is behind it, what users say, what it replaces from Google Forms and what it does not, and my opinion on who should switch.
1. Tally
The closest European match for Google Forms – free, fast and without response limits
Tally BV is based in Ghent, Belgium. It launched in 2020, is run by co-founders Marie Martens and Filip, and says it is bootstrapped and funded by its customers, with a team of 10 and 2.5 million users. Tally says all form data is encrypted in transit and at rest and stored in Europe; its subprocessor list names Google Cloud in Belgium for hosting and storage, so your responses sit in the EU but on a US provider’s cloud. The website runs behind Cloudflare (AS13335).
What users say. Tally has 3.5/5 from 19 reviews on Trustpilot, on an unclaimed profile. Reviewers love that almost everything is free and that support answers quickly; the complaints are about branding on free forms and refunds. In August 2026 Tally disclosed that email addresses and hashed passwords of accounts were taken through a compromised internal analytics tool; it says no form data was accessed.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. You keep what makes Google Forms popular: free, unlimited forms and submissions (within a fair-use limit of 50,000 submissions a month), a quick editor where you type questions like in a document, conditional logic and calculations, file uploads up to 10 MB per file, and a Google Sheets integration if you still want results in a spreadsheet. You gain payments, signatures, answer piping, password-protected forms and integrations with Notion, Airtable, Zapier, Make and webhooks. What you lose: real-time co-editing inside the form – team workspaces need the Pro plan at €20 a month – and Google Forms’ built-in charts are more familiar than Tally’s basic results view.
Facts: HQ Belgium (Ghent) · launched 2020 · free plan: yes (unlimited forms and submissions, fair use) · Pro €20/month, Business €65/month, 2 months off when paying yearly · data stored in Europe on Google Cloud (Belgium) · bootstrapped, customer-funded.
Switching from Google Forms: easy – you rebuild each form in minutes, and the Google Sheets integration keeps your spreadsheets working.
Pros of Tally
- Generous free plan – unlimited forms and submissions
- Easy document-style editor, as quick as Google Forms
- Flexible extras for free – logic, payments, signatures and file uploads
- Useful integrations with Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable and Zapier
Cons of Tally
- Weak sovereignty – hosted on Google Cloud in Belgium
- No team workspaces on the free plan
- Limited results analysis compared with full survey tools
My take: Tally is first because it is the only European tool that matches Google Forms on the thing people care about most: it is free without counting your responses. The editor is faster than Google’s, and the free plan includes logic and uploads. The catch is the hosting – EU data, but on Google Cloud – so if that matters to you, look at CryptPad or Nextcloud Forms. Best for: anyone who used Google Forms for sign-ups, feedback and simple surveys. Not for: organisations that want no US cloud provider at all.
2. CryptPad
Encrypted forms in your browser – open source, free and anonymous
CryptPad is developed by XWiki SAS in Paris, France. The software is open source under the AGPL-3, and anyone can run their own server. The flagship instance, cryptpad.fr, is run by XWiki SAS and hosted at OVH in France (AS16276). Forms are one app inside CryptPad, next to documents, sheets, Kanban boards and a whiteboard.
What users say. CryptPad has only 1 review on Trustpilot (3.6/5, unclaimed profile) – far too few to mean anything.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. CryptPad Form has the question types most Google Forms users need – short and long text, single and multiple choice, choice grids, dates, ordered lists and polls – plus page breaks, conditional sections, closing dates and anonymous answers. You can share a form with three roles: authors who edit, auditors who see responses and participants who answer. Responses export as CSV or JSON or into an encrypted CryptPad sheet. Everything is encrypted in the browser, so the server cannot read your questions or answers. What you lose: quizzes with grading, file upload questions, polished design and integrations – there is no Zapier or webhook to push responses elsewhere.
Facts: HQ France (Paris) · free on cryptpad.fr and other public instances · paid plans on cryptpad.fr €5 to €100/month · own instance from €1,500/year (education and non-profits) or €3,000/year (enterprise) · open source (AGPL-3) · end-to-end encrypted · cryptpad.fr hosted at OVH, France.
Switching from Google Forms: moderate – building forms is simple, but you lose quizzes and integrations.
Pros of CryptPad
- Strong end-to-end encryption – the server cannot read responses
- Easy anonymous use – participants need no account
- Trustworthy open-source code you can host yourself
- Safe hosting at OVH in France, a European provider
Cons of CryptPad
- No graded quizzes or file upload questions
- No integrations such as Zapier or webhooks
- Weak design options compared with Google Forms
My take: CryptPad is the most private form tool in this list: European code, European hosting and encryption that keeps even CryptPad out of your data. It sits second because it does fewer things than Tally – no quizzes, no uploads, no integrations – but for a simple, sensitive questionnaire it is hard to beat. Best for: associations, schools and activists collecting sensitive answers. Not for: marketers who need integrations and branded forms.
3. Survio
Templates, automatic charts and a free plan – a survey tool as simple as Google Forms
Survio s.r.o. is based in Brno, Czech Republic, belongs to the ABUGO Group and has been online since 2012. It says it is ISO 27001 certified and stores data on servers in the EU; its website and app run on Hetzner in Germany (AS24940).
What users say. Survio has 4.3/5 from 1,085 reviews on Trustpilot, the best score with real volume in this list. Users praise the templates, the automatic charts and support; complaints are about charges after downgrading and refunds.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. You keep unlimited surveys and questions, 19+ question types, sharing by link, email or embed, and real-time results – with nicer automatic reports than Google Forms and 100+ templates. Survio also has an AI form builder. What you lose: the free plan stops at 100 responses a month, which a busy sign-up form can pass quickly, and prices on the pricing page are shown in your local currency only.
Facts: HQ Czech Republic (Brno) · since 2012 · free plan: yes (unlimited surveys and questions, 100 responses/month) · paid plans from 1,000 responses/month (Mini) · prices shown in local currency – I saw złoty · ISO 27001 · servers at Hetzner.
Switching from Google Forms: easy – the editor and templates feel familiar.
Pros of Survio
- Excellent user rating – 4.3/5 from 1,085 reviews
- Easy editor with 100+ templates and automatic reports
- Safe setup – ISO 27001 and Hetzner servers in Germany
Cons of Survio
- Limited free plan – 100 responses a month
- Confusing pricing – local currency only
- Not generous on refunds, according to reviewers
My take: Survio is the friendliest European survey tool and the one users rate best. It sits third because Google Forms and Tally do not count your responses, while Survio’s free plan stops at 100 a month. Best for: small businesses and teachers who want surveys with ready-made charts. Not for: anyone collecting hundreds of responses a month for free.
4. Nextcloud Forms
Self-hosted forms with a Google Forms-style export – your data stays on your server
Nextcloud Forms is a free app for Nextcloud, the open-source collaboration platform from Nextcloud GmbH in Stuttgart, Germany (with a visitor office in Berlin). The app is open source under the AGPL-3.0 and runs on whatever server hosts your Nextcloud – your own, your university’s or a hosting provider’s – so you choose where responses are stored. Nextcloud’s own website runs on Hetzner (AS24940).
What users say. There is no separate rating for Forms. Nextcloud as a company has 2.6/5 from 52 reviews on Trustpilot; reviewers mostly discuss the whole platform, with complaints about speed and bugs.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. Nextcloud Forms follows Google Forms closely on purpose: a simple design without a mass of options, results shown as charts, and a CSV export in the same format Google Forms uses, so existing spreadsheets keep working. It works on mobile and has a REST API. It also sits next to Nextcloud Files, Calendar and Office, much as Google Forms sits inside Google Workspace. What you lose: you need a Nextcloud instance first, and the feature set is smaller than Tally’s – fewer question types and no payments or third-party integrations out of the box.
Facts: Developer Nextcloud GmbH, Germany (Stuttgart) · free app (open source, AGPL-3.0) · needs a Nextcloud server · CSV export in Google Forms format · REST API · hosting: wherever your Nextcloud runs.
Switching from Google Forms: easy if you already run Nextcloud, hard if you do not.
Pros of Nextcloud Forms
- Strong sovereignty – responses stay on your own server
- Cheap – free and open source under the AGPL
- Easy move of spreadsheets – CSV export in Google Forms format
- Useful fit with Nextcloud Files, Calendar and Office
Cons of Nextcloud Forms
- No use without a Nextcloud server
- Limited question types and features compared with Tally
- Weak Trustpilot rating for Nextcloud overall – 2.6/5
My take: If your organisation has moved from Google Workspace to Nextcloud, this is the natural Google Forms replacement: same simple idea, same CSV format, and the data never leaves your server. It sits fourth only because most people do not have a Nextcloud server. Best for: schools, public bodies and companies that already run Nextcloud. Not for: individuals who just want a quick form online.
5. AidaForm
Cheap online forms from Bonn with a Germany-only storage setting
AidaForm is run by Komorebi GmbH in Bonn, Germany, and says it has had 1M+ users since 2019. Its privacy policy says form data is stored on AWS in Germany and the US, and you can switch a form to Germany-only storage. The website runs on AWS CloudFront (AS16509).
What users say. AidaForm has 4.8/5 from 40 reviews on Trustpilot – a very good score from a small number of reviews.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. The free plan gives you unlimited forms and fields, 100 responses a month, 500 MB of storage, email notifications, video and audio answers, and Google Sheets and Zapier integrations. What you lose: file uploads, logic jumps and quiz scoring – all free in Google Forms – are only on the Expert plan at $24 a month, and the default storage includes the US.
Facts: HQ Germany (Bonn) · since 2019 · free plan: yes (100 responses/month, 500 MB) · Starter $12/month ($144/year, 1,000 responses/month) · Expert $24/month ($288/year, 5,000 responses/month) · AWS, Germany and US, Germany-only option.
Switching from Google Forms: easy – but switch on Germany-only storage for each form.
Pros of AidaForm
- Excellent user rating – 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
- Cheap paid plans from $12 a month
- Useful Google Sheets integration on the free plan
Cons of AidaForm
- No logic, uploads or quizzes below the $24 plan
- Weak sovereignty – AWS, with US storage by default
- Small free plan – 100 responses a month
My take: AidaForm is a friendly German form builder with happy users, but its free plan holds back features Google Forms gives away. It sits fifth because of that and its AWS hosting. Best for: small businesses that need a cheap paid form tool with Sheets export. Not for: teachers who rely on Google Forms quizzes.
6. UmfrageOnline
Unlimited free responses – as long as your survey closes within 30 days
UmfrageOnline is run by enuvo GmbH in Pfäffikon SZ, Switzerland, and has been online since 2007. Switzerland is in EFTA, not the EU. The company says all data is stored in data centres in the EU; its website runs on AWS CloudFront (AS16509).
What users say. UmfrageOnline has only 2 reviews on Trustpilot (3.2/5) – too few to judge.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. Like Google Forms, the free Basic plan has unlimited surveys, questions and responses. What you lose: each free survey closes 30 days after the first response, so it does not work for a sign-up form that runs all year. The interface is aimed at German-speaking users.
Facts: HQ Switzerland (Pfäffikon SZ, EFTA) · since 2007 · free plan: yes (unlimited responses, survey open 30 days after first response) · Professional USD 25/month billed yearly or USD 35 monthly · data in EU data centres.
Switching from Google Forms: easy for one-off surveys.
Pros of UmfrageOnline
- Generous free plan – unlimited responses
- Cheap Professional plan from USD 25 a month
- Simple survey editor
Cons of UmfrageOnline
- Short free surveys – closed 30 days after the first answer
- Not EU-based – Switzerland, EFTA
- Not clear which provider stores the data
My take: UmfrageOnline is the only tool here besides Tally and CryptPad that does not cap free responses. The 30-day limit per survey is why it sits sixth. Best for: one-off surveys with many respondents. Not for: forms that need to stay open for months.
7. Formbricks
Open-source surveys for links, websites and apps
Formbricks GmbH is based in Kiel, Germany, and licenses its core under AGPLv3. Its privacy policy says form and user data is stored in Germany on AWS; the website and app run behind Cloudflare (AS13335).
What users say. Formbricks has 3.1/5 from 6 reviews on Trustpilot – praise for the open source, one complaint about paid features in the self-hosted edition.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. You keep link surveys with logic, and gain website pop-ups and in-app surveys with targeting, plus the option to self-host the Community Edition for free. What you lose: the simplicity of Google Forms – Formbricks is built for product feedback – and the cloud free plan stops at 250 responses a month.
Facts: HQ Germany (Kiel) · free plan: yes (250 responses/month) · Pro $74/month · open source (AGPLv3 core) · cloud on AWS in Germany.
Switching from Google Forms: moderate – easy for link surveys, more set-up for in-app surveys.
Pros of Formbricks
- Trustworthy open-source core under AGPLv3
- Flexible – link, website and in-app surveys
- Safe data location in Germany
Cons of Formbricks
- Weak sovereignty – runs on AWS
- High price – Pro from $74 a month
- Not as simple as Google Forms for everyday forms
My take: Formbricks is a strong open-source choice when Google Forms was your makeshift product-feedback tool. For everyday forms it is more than you need, which is why it sits seventh. Best for: product teams that want feedback forms inside their app. Not for: people who need a quick sign-up form.
8. LimeSurvey
Open-source survey software that does far more than Google Forms
LimeSurvey GmbH is based in Hamburg, Germany. The software began in 2003 and is open source under the GPL. Its privacy notice names Hetzner Online as the hosting provider with data stored in Germany, and its website runs on Hetzner (AS24940).
What users say. LimeSurvey has only 5 reviews on Trustpilot (2.5/5, unclaimed profile), mostly about renewals and the free plan’s limits.
What it replaces from Google Forms – and what it doesn’t. You get everything Google Forms does for surveys and much more: quotas, complex conditions, equations, anonymous surveys and multilingual surveys in 80+ languages – and you can install it on your own server for free. What you lose: Google Forms’ speed and simplicity, and on LimeSurvey’s cloud the free plan has only 25 responses a month.
Facts: HQ Germany (Hamburg) · company since 2015 · free cloud plan: yes (25 responses/month) · Basic $39/month · open source (GPL), free to self-host · cloud at Hetzner, Germany.
Switching from Google Forms: hard – the editor takes time to learn. Read my full LimeSurvey review.
Pros of LimeSurvey
- Excellent depth – quotas, logic and 80+ languages
- Trustworthy open source – self-hosting is free
- Strong sovereignty – cloud at Hetzner in Germany
Cons of LimeSurvey
- Small free cloud plan – 25 responses a month
- Steep learning curve compared with Google Forms
- Slow to build a simple form
My take: LimeSurvey is the most powerful tool in this list, but it is the opposite of Google Forms in ease of use. It sits last here because this ranking is about free, simple forms – for research surveys it would be first. Best for: researchers and universities that outgrew Google Forms. Not for: anyone who wants a form online in two minutes.
What European form builders cost compared with Google Forms
Google Forms is free with a Google account; businesses pay for it as part of Google Workspace. Two European tools – Tally and CryptPad – are free without a response cap, and two more are free if you host them yourself.
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | Where data is stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Forms | Free with a Google account | Workspace Business Starter PLN 31.50/user/month (yearly) | Google; EU region from Business Standard |
| Tally | Unlimited forms and submissions (fair use) | Pro €20/month | Europe, Google Cloud (Belgium) |
| CryptPad | Free on cryptpad.fr | From €5/month (cryptpad.fr) | France, OVH (cryptpad.fr) |
| Survio | 100 responses/month | Mini (local currency) | EU, Hetzner |
| Nextcloud Forms | Free app (self-hosted) | Cost of your Nextcloud hosting | Your server |
| AidaForm | 100 responses/month | Starter $12/month ($144/year) | AWS, Germany and US |
| UmfrageOnline | Unlimited responses, 30 days per survey | USD 25/month (yearly) | EU data centres |
| Formbricks | 250 responses/month | Pro $74/month | AWS, Germany |
| LimeSurvey | 25 responses/month (cloud), free self-hosted | Basic $39/month | Hetzner, Germany |
Prices as shown on each pricing page on 25 October 2026, in the currency shown there. Google and Survio showed prices in Polish złoty for my location.
How to switch from Google Forms to a European form builder
- Save your responses. Link each important form to a Google Sheet or download the responses as CSV before you close it.
- Pick a tool by use. Everyday forms for free: Tally. Sensitive answers: CryptPad. Organisation on Nextcloud: Nextcloud Forms. Surveys with charts: Survio.
- Rebuild your active forms. Start with forms that are still collecting answers, then update the links on your website, emails and QR codes.
- Check the data processing agreement. You need one under the GDPR if your forms collect personal data; Tally, for example, includes its DPA in its terms.
- Close the old forms. Stop accepting responses in Google Forms so nobody keeps answering the old version.
Google Forms alternatives: FAQ
Is there a European alternative to Google Forms?
Yes. Tally (Belgium) is the closest match, with unlimited forms and submissions for free. CryptPad (France) offers encrypted, open-source forms, and Nextcloud Forms (Germany) runs on your own Nextcloud server.
Is there a German alternative to Google Forms?
Yes. Nextcloud Forms comes from Nextcloud GmbH in Stuttgart and runs on your own server. AidaForm (Bonn), Formbricks (Kiel) and LimeSurvey (Hamburg) are German too; LimeSurvey’s cloud runs at Hetzner in Germany, while AidaForm and Formbricks use AWS.
What is the best free alternative to Google Forms?
Tally. Its free plan has unlimited forms and submissions within a fair-use limit of 50,000 submissions a month, plus logic, file uploads and a Google Sheets integration. CryptPad is free too and adds end-to-end encryption.
Is Google Forms GDPR compliant?
Google offers data processing terms for Workspace, but Google LLC is a US company, and the option to keep covered data in the EU is only available on Business Standard and higher editions – not on free accounts or Business Starter. Whether your use is compliant depends on what data you collect and how.
Is Tally better than Google Forms?
For most forms, Tally does more for free: payments, signatures, answer piping, password protection and more integrations. Google Forms is better for graded quizzes and for co-editing a form with colleagues for free.
My verdict: which European form builder to switch to
Most people leaving Google Forms should start with Tally: it is free without counting your responses, quicker to use than Google Forms and keeps your data in Europe – though on Google Cloud in Belgium. If you want no US provider anywhere in the chain, choose CryptPad for encrypted forms at OVH in France, or Nextcloud Forms if your organisation runs Nextcloud.
If you need surveys with ready-made charts, Survio is the friendliest option, and for research questionnaires LimeSurvey does far more than Google Forms ever did. Whatever you pick, save your Google Forms responses first and close the old forms once the new ones are live.
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Changelog · Oct 2026: first version, 8 form builders