Compare · Google Forms
Formward vs Google Forms for EU organisations
Google Forms is free, quick and familiar to nearly everyone, and for an internal poll or a sign-up sheet it is hard to beat. It is a hosted builder: the form lives on Google's domain and the answers land in Google Forms or a linked Sheet.
Formward is for the forms that sit on your own website, or need to look like they do, with submissions stored in Sweden and the GDPR paperwork published. It costs money above the free tier, so the honest question is whether you need what it adds.
Last checked 7 October 2026. Every statement about Google Forms on this page comes from Google Forms's own website, listed under Sources. Where we could not confirm something, the table says "Not checked" rather than guessing. Prices and plans change, so confirm them on their site before you decide. Formward's numbers come straight from our live plan table.
At a glance
Formward
- Operated by EGF Fastighetsservice AB in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Submissions stored at Hostup AB in Sweden; notification email sent through Mailjet in the EU.
- Cloudflare Turnstile (US) is only involved on forms where you switch it on.
- Billing runs through Stripe, which never receives form content.
Google Forms
- For users in the EEA the provider is Google Ireland Limited, Dublin.
- Google Workspace data regions can keep Forms content and responses in Europe at rest, on qualifying Workspace editions.
- File-upload questions require respondents to sign in with a Google account.
- Responses can be linked to Google Sheets or downloaded as CSV.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Formward | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Form backend plus simple hosted forms | Hosted form builder |
| Use your own HTML form | Yes, any HTML form or fetch() call | No, forms are hosted by Google |
| Price | Free plan, paid from EUR 15/month | Free with a Google account |
| EU storage | Default, on every plan | Data regions on qualifying Workspace editions |
| File uploads | Professional and up (5 files, 10 MiB each) | Yes, respondents must sign in to Google |
| Spreadsheet sync | Google Sheets or Baserow (Germany), Professional | Google Sheets |
| Export | CSV export from Personal | CSV download |
| GDPR consent proof | Consent capture with stored proof, every plan | Not checked |
Pricing
| Formward plan | Monthly | Per month, yearly | Submissions / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | €0 | 50 |
| Personal | €15 | €10 | 200 |
| Professional | €30 | €20 | 2,000 |
| Business | €90 | €60 | 20,000 |
Google Forms
- Google Forms is free with a Google account and included in Google Workspace.
- Google Workspace is priced per user; the data-regions setting that covers Forms needs a qualifying edition (Business Standard and up, among others).
Current figures: Google Forms pricing · all Formward plans
EU, GDPR and data location
For people in the EEA, Google's services are provided by Google Ireland Limited. Storage location is controlled separately: Google Workspace data regions can pin Forms content and responses to Europe at rest, but only on certain Workspace editions, and a free personal account does not offer the setting. Google's own documentation lists which editions qualify.
Formward stores and processes form submissions in the EU: the application and database run at Hostup AB in Sweden, notification email goes out through Mailjet in the EU, and AI features on Professional and Business use Mistral AI in France. One optional sub-processor is outside the EU: Cloudflare Turnstile (US), which only sees the anti-bot challenge and only on forms where you enable it. Data leaves the EU when you send it there yourself, for example to a notification mailbox hosted by a US provider, a Google Sheets sync or a webhook URL.
The details are in Formward's sub-processor register, the DPA (accepted in the dashboard) and the transfer-impact statement.
Moving from Google Forms
Effort: Medium. What changes:
- The form is rebuilt, as HTML on your site or as a Formward hosted page.
- Responses move as a CSV file; the importer does not use Google's Timestamp column, so imported rows are dated at import time.
- Rebuild the questions as an HTML form (the library has templates) or as a hosted page.
- Point it at your Formward endpoint and send a test entry.
- Download responses from the Responses tab as CSV and import them if you need the history.
- Replace the forms.gle link wherever you shared it.
Which one fits
Choose Formward for
- Forms embedded in your own website, styled to match it.
- EU organisations that want EU storage without moving to a Workspace edition.
- Public forms where asking people to sign in to Google for an upload is not acceptable.
Choose Google Forms for
- Internal surveys, quizzes and sign-up sheets.
- Teams already on a Workspace edition with data regions set to Europe.
- Anyone who needs a free tool and is happy with responses in Sheets.
Questions
- Is Google Forms GDPR compliant?
- That depends on how you use it, not on the tool alone. Google offers a data processing addendum for Workspace and Cloud customers, and data regions on some Workspace editions. You remain the controller and need to document what you collect and where it goes. Formward's role is narrower: it stores and processes submissions in the EU on every plan.
- Can I still use Google Sheets with Formward?
- Yes, on Professional and Business. If you want the spreadsheet to stay in the EU too, Formward also syncs to Baserow, which is hosted in Germany.
- How much does Formward cost?
- Formward has a free plan with 50 submissions a month. Paid plans are EUR 15 a month (Personal, 200 submissions), EUR 30 (Professional, 2,000) and EUR 90 (Business, 20,000). Paying yearly brings those down to EUR 10, 20 and 60 a month.
Read next
- Hosted forms: A shareable form page with no website needed.
- GDPR form backend: What Formward handles for you, and what stays with you.
- What actually leaves the EU: Notification mailboxes and syncs explained.
- Event registration template: A common Google Forms job, as HTML you own.
- Integrations: Sheets, Baserow and webhooks, with where each one stores data.
Sources
Last checked 7 October 2026
Try Formward on one form
The free plan takes 50 submissions a month with no card. Point a test form at it and see the whole path before you move anything that matters.