The short answer
SurveyMonkey and Google Forms are the two names people know for surveys. SurveyMonkey is built for research, with analysis, benchmarks and panels. Google Forms is free and simple. Here is how their free plans compare, from each product's own pricing page and help centre, checked October 2026.
Pick SurveyMonkey for large research surveys with statistical analysis, benchmarks or a respondent panel, on a paid plan. Pick Google Forms for free surveys with no cap and answers in Sheets. If you want free surveys that carry your brand, with drop-off by question, Formkit does that.
Pick SurveyMonkey when
you run large research surveys and need statistical analysis, benchmarks or a panel of respondents.
A long-standing survey tool with deep analysis, benchmarks and panels for research at scale.
Pick Google Forms when
the form is internal, the look does not matter, and you want the answers in a spreadsheet in the next five minutes.
Fast, familiar and practical. If you have a Google account you already have it, and for straightforward internal collection that is often the whole argument.
Feature by feature
Based on each product’s own pricing page, help centre and developer docs, October 2026, and the free plan unless a row says otherwise. Only what we could check for both is shown, with Formkit alongside. Plans change, so check theirs before you decide.
| Capability | SurveyMonkey1 partly, 3 no |  3 yes, 1 no | 4 yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responses on the free plan | PartlyCollects them all, shows a limited number | YesNo cap | YesNo cap on forms or responses |
| Conditional logic | NoPaid plans | YesSection skipping | YesSkip, show, hide |
| Publish under your own link | NoShared domain | NoShared domain | YesPersonal and company handles |
| Export | NoPaid plans | YesSheets and CSV | YesCSV, JSON and PDF; Excel on Pro |
- Responses on the free planSurveyMonkey: PartlyCollects them all, shows a limited numberFormkit: YesNo cap on forms or responses
- Conditional logicSurveyMonkey: NoPaid plansFormkit: YesSkip, show, hide
- Publish under your own linkSurveyMonkey: NoShared domainFormkit: YesPersonal and company handles
- ExportSurveyMonkey: NoPaid plansFormkit: YesCSV, JSON and PDF; Excel on Pro
Questions people ask
Is Google Forms better than SurveyMonkey's free plan?
For most simple surveys, yes: Google Forms has no question or response cap, while SurveyMonkey's Basic plan allows 10 questions per survey and shows a limited number of responses.
Which has logic for free?
Google Forms has section skipping for free. SurveyMonkey's logic is on paid plans. Formkit has skip, show and hide logic on every plan.
How much does SurveyMonkey cost for a team?
Team plans start at $30 a user a month, billed yearly, with three users minimum. Formkit Pro is $6 a month for the whole company.
Neither quite fits? Formkit is free with no cap on responses, one question at a time or a whole page, and your own link.
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