Compare · Jotform
Formward vs Jotform for teams that own their HTML
Jotform is a full form builder: a visual editor, payment collection inside the form, file uploads on every plan, a REST API and HIPAA features on its Gold and Enterprise plans. It also offers EU Safe Forms, which keeps data on Jotform's servers in Germany.
Formward is much narrower. It is a backend for forms you build yourself, plus a simple hosted page when you have no site. If you need Jotform's breadth, use Jotform. If you want your form in your own markup, with submissions stored in Sweden by an EU operator, Formward is the closer fit.
Last checked 7 October 2026. Every statement about Jotform on this page comes from Jotform'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.
Jotform
- Jotform Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, USA.
- EU Safe Forms keeps data on Jotform's servers in Germany.
- Publishes a sub-processor list.
- Forms are built in Jotform's editor and hosted by Jotform.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Formward | Jotform |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Form backend plus simple hosted forms | Hosted form builder |
| Use your own HTML form | Yes, any HTML form or fetch() call | Not checked |
| Operator | EGF Fastighetsservice AB, Stockholm, Sweden | Jotform Inc., San Francisco, USA |
| EU storage | Default, on every plan | EU Safe Forms, servers in Germany |
| Free plan | 50 submissions a month, kept 30 days | 100 submissions a month, 5 forms, 100 MB uploads |
| File uploads | Professional and up (5 files, 10 MiB each) | Every plan, storage grows with the plan |
| Webhooks and API | Professional and up | REST API |
| 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 |
Jotform
- Starter: free, 100 submissions a month, 5 forms, 100 MB upload space.
- Bronze: $39 a month or $408 a year, 1,000 submissions, 25 forms, 1 GB.
- Silver: $49 a month or $468 a year, 2,500 submissions, 50 forms, 10 GB.
- Gold: $129 a month or $1,188 a year, 10,000 submissions, 100 forms, 100 GB.
- Enterprise: custom.
Current figures: Jotform pricing · all Formward plans
EU, GDPR and data location
Jotform's EU Safe Forms keeps data on its servers in Germany, so storage location can be handled. The operator is a different question: Jotform's headquarters are in San Francisco, and some teams weigh a US parent company in their transfer assessment even when the servers are in the EU. That is a judgement for your DPO, not a verdict from us.
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 Jotform
Effort: Medium. What changes:
- Forms are rebuilt as HTML on your site or as a Formward hosted page.
- Payment collection has no Formward equivalent.
- Check which Jotform features each form relies on; keep forms that take payments in Jotform.
- Rebuild the rest as HTML from a library template, or as a hosted page.
- Point them at your Formward endpoint, enable file uploads on Professional if you need them, and test.
- Export past submissions as CSV from Jotform and import them if you need the history.
Which one fits
Choose Formward for
- Developers and agencies who want forms in their own markup.
- Contact, lead and application forms on an EU-operated service.
- Teams who find a full builder more than they need.
Choose Jotform for
- Forms that take payments.
- Teams without developers who want a visual builder.
- Organisations that need HIPAA features.
Questions
- Jotform has EU servers. Why would an EU team switch?
- Often it should not. If you rely on Jotform's builder features, EU Safe Forms answers the storage question. Teams switch to Formward when they want the form in their own HTML, a simpler tool, or an operator based in the EU.
- Does Formward support file uploads like Jotform?
- Yes, from the Professional plan: up to 5 files per submission, 10 MiB each, stored in Sweden and deleted with the submission under your retention setting.
- 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
- Form library: HTML templates for the forms most teams build in Jotform.
- File uploads: Limits per plan and the multipart setup.
- Formward vs Typeform: The other big hosted builder.
- GDPR form backend: What Formward covers as your processor.
- Plans: Formward's prices and limits.
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.