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October 11, 2010

Formstack – Make Forms, Surveys, and More

Formstack is an application that bills itself as the smart way to collect and manage data online. With an army of customizable form building features that let users store, edit, and manage the information they collect from their clients, associates, and business contacts, Formstack is an excellent tool for anyone who has ever needed to use contact forms, order forms, event registration forms, or surveys for work, school, or personal use.

When you need a quick way to integrate forms into your preexisting website, Formstack is the first place you should head. With its simple drag and drop interface, the application’s web form creator lets you build any type of website form without having to know any programming language or HTML coding whatsoever. Use the tools in the left-hand column to add field types and unique sections to your forms, or use the tools at the bottom of the page to add captcha, change the layout, or create unique-looking “submit” buttons that can give your forms a customized flare. Once you’re satisfied with the form’s design, you can head to the “Settings” section to select the security levels and email notifications you’d like to receive. When you’re ready to put your form to use, just copy the JavaScript code, paste it into your website, and you’re ready to go.

As customers and clients begin submitting their information, Formstack will crunch the numbers instantly to create detailed pie charts and graphs. One of key functions that separates Formstack from its competitors is how easy the data collection process is, and how many ways the application lets you sort, select, and dig into the information at hand. Once you’re satisfied with what you’ve collected, you can then download the data to Excel or Word, or share it with others via a unique URL. For small businesses, non-profit groups, schools, and local government organizations, Formstack is an innovative tool that makes it easy to implement online forms into any website.

Practical Uses:

  • Create an event registration form for your upcoming charity gala
  • Allow job applicants to apply for available positions online
  • Gather contact information for all of your clients
  • Ask your customers to take a survey about your store

Insider Tips:

  • Share the data you’ve collected by emailing associates a unique URL
  • Add a form to your website with JavaScript code
  • Integrate with PayPal to accept payments online
  • Export data to Excel or Word

What we liked:

  • Users don’t have to know HTML to create a custom online form
  • Organizations can gather information about their members online
  • Forms are customizable, so users don’t have to use generic templates
  • Drag and drop functionality makes it easy to change the order of questions in a survey

What we didn’t like:

  • The free plan doesn’t include access to any style templates

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: March 2006
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Founded by: Ade Olonoh
  • Web site: http://formstack.com

Costs:

  • Free plan
  • Starter plan is $14/month
  • Professional plan is $29/month
  • Business plan is $59/month
  • Max plan is $159/month

Comments

  1. Krissy

    Thanks for this review of the formstack product. I’m in the market for an online form builder that is fool proof and I appreciate reviews like this. Thanks for providing alternatives and pricing info on the product! Very well written. You covered all the bases.

    • formstacks is garbage. no repeating sections and calculating repeating fields do no exist. tables are non-existant as well. all of which should be basic functions of a form. the interface is made for 10 year olds. you’re better off building a free pdf or infopath form. why these idiots decided to reinvent the wheel… I HAVE NO IDEA!!

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