Quick answer
Tally - Tally wins for most builders because its free tier is meaningfully unlimited and includes payments, signatures, file uploads, and core integrations, while Jotform’s free plan is capped and mainly makes sense when you need broader enterprise-oriented form features later.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve the same job, but they optimize for different kinds of builder. Tally is the more generous starting point: unlimited forms and submissions within fair usage, plus payments, signatures, file uploads, logic, integrations, and webhooks on the free plan. That makes it strong for anyone who wants to launch quickly and stay free for a long time. Jotform’s free plan is more of a capped trial of a broader form platform. You can access standard features, templates, payment integrations, and widgets, but you must upgrade as soon as limits on forms, submissions, storage, or views become a problem, and HIPAA is excluded from free. Jotform starts to matter more if you expect to pay for higher tiers and need more compliance or organization features.
Jotform vs Tally free tier, side by side
| JotformFTV 50 | TallyFTV 58 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free formsTally is explicitly unlimited; Jotform says you need to upgrade to raise limits. | Unlimited within fair usage guidelines | Capped on Starter |
| Free submissions | Unlimited within fair usage guidelines | Capped on Starter |
| BrandingTally’s free-plan branding removal is not listed; Pro explicitly removes branding. | Tally branding on free forms is implied; removal is on Pro | Jotform branding on forms and signed documents |
| Payments on free planBoth products support collecting payments on free forms/plans. | Yes | Yes |
| Signatures on free planJotform mentions signed documents with branding, but not a free-tier signature feature. | Yes | Not stated |
| File uploads on free planTally explicitly includes file uploads on free forms. | Yes | Not stated |
| Integrations / automationJotform’s text is general; no specific integrations were listed. | Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Zapier, Make, webhooks | Broad integration ecosystem |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use tiered pricing after free, but only Tally gives a concrete first paid price. Tally’s Pro plan is a flat $24 per month, then Business is $74 per month. Jotform’s paid tiers are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Enterprise, with enterprise pricing handled by contact sales. For small teams, Tally is clearly cheaper; for Jotform, you can only say that costs rise by tier and may become custom at the top end.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Jotform | Tally |
|---|---|---|
| Small team needing 1-5 forms, ongoing submissions, payments, and integrations | Likely Bronze or higher | $24/mo |
| Team needing branding removal and custom domainsTally includes branding removal and custom domains on Pro. | Likely Bronze or higher | $24/mo |
| Need 90-day version historyTally Business includes 90 days of version history. | Likely higher tier | $74/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Jotform when…
- You need a free form tool for a high volume of submissions without immediately hitting a quota.
- You want payments, signatures, file uploads, and integrations like Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Zapier, Make, and webhooks on the free tier.
- You are launching a solo project or small workflow and want to avoid a credit card at signup.
- You care about a document-style builder and quick setup over a heavier template-first system.
Pick Tally when…
- You need to try a broader form platform before paying for higher limits and organization features.
- You expect eventual compliance needs, especially HIPAA-friendly forms or handling medical information and electronic signatures.
- You want a large template library and a more traditional form-builder workflow.
- You are already planning for a team or business setup where higher-tier upgrades are likely anyway.
Bottom line
For most builders choosing a free form tool, Tally is the better pick because the free tier stays useful longer and includes the features that usually matter first: unlimited forms and submissions, payments, signatures, uploads, and integrations. Jotform is the better choice if you already know you are moving toward a more regulated or enterprise-shaped setup and can live with a capped free tier as a stepping stone. If your main goal is to ship and stay free, Tally wins.
Read the full listings: Jotform and Tally. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.