Google Forms vs Microsoft Forms

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Google Forms

Google's free form and quiz builder that sends responses straight into Google Sheets.

Free

Visit Google Forms Google Forms profile

Microsoft Forms

Microsoft 365's simple survey, quiz and poll tool, with results that open in Excel.

Free

Visit Microsoft Forms Microsoft Forms profile

The short answer

Pick Google Forms if you use Google accounts and Sheets, or want forms several people can edit together in real time. Pick Microsoft Forms if your school or company runs on Microsoft 365 and you want polls in Teams, results in Excel and Power Automate flows. Both are free, simple builders for surveys and quizzes; the deciding factor is which ecosystem you already use.

Google Forms or Microsoft Forms: our take

Google Forms and Microsoft Forms are deliberately simple tools for surveys, quizzes and sign-ups, both with branching and automatic quiz grading, both free with a personal account, and both included in their company's business plans. Google Forms shows responses as live summary charts and exports them to Google Sheets, saves respondents' progress for 30 days, and supports real-time co-editing like Docs; it is part of Google Workspace for business users. Microsoft Forms covers surveys, quizzes and polls, shows results as charts or opens them in Excel, and plugs into the Microsoft world: polls in Teams meetings, forms embedded in SharePoint or OneNote, and Power Automate flows triggered by responses. It works with work, school or personal Microsoft accounts.

The limits are almost the same. Both have basic design and limited branding, simple logic and no payment fields. Google Forms needs add-ons or Apps Script for advanced automation; Microsoft Forms has few integrations outside Microsoft's ecosystem and points people who need more to Dynamics 365 Customer Voice. Both run in the browser, including on phones.

In practice, the choice follows the accounts people already have. In schools and organisations on Google Workspace, Google Forms fits naturally, and Sheets makes analysis easy. In organisations standardised on Microsoft 365, Forms connects to Teams, Excel and SharePoint without extra setup. Personal users can use either at no cost.

If you need richer design, payments or complex logic, neither is the right tool, and a dedicated form builder will serve you better. For quick surveys, quizzes and internal forms, pick the one that matches your existing suite: Google Forms for Google users, Microsoft Forms for Microsoft 365 users.

Choose Google Forms if…

Schools, teams and individuals who need quick, free forms tied to Google Sheets
Free with any Google account
Live charts and one-click export to Sheets

Choose Microsoft Forms if…

Schools and organisations already using Microsoft 365, Teams and Excel
Included with Microsoft 365 and free with a personal account
Works with Teams, Excel, SharePoint and Power Automate

What is Google Forms?

Google Forms is the default free form builder for millions of people because anyone with a Google account can use it. You build surveys, quizzes, sign-up sheets and feedback forms with a simple editor, add sections and branching, and share a link or embed the form. Responses show up as live summary charts and can be exported to Google Sheets for analysis, and quizzes can be graded automatically, which makes it a staple in schools. Real-time collaboration works just like in Docs. For business users it is part of Google Workspace, which adds organisation-wide sharing controls and data protections. The limits are design and power: theming is basic, logic is simple, there are no payment fields, calculations or advanced integrations without add-ons or Apps Script, and forms all look recognisably like Google Forms. It is free for personal accounts and included in Workspace plans. It runs in the browser, including on phones.

What is Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms is the form builder bundled with Microsoft 365. It lets you create surveys, quizzes and polls with a clean editor, branching, themes and automatic quiz grading, then watch results come in as charts or open them in Excel for analysis. Forms plugs into the rest of the Microsoft world: you can add a poll to a Teams meeting, embed a form in SharePoint or OneNote, and trigger Power Automate flows when someone responds. Anyone with a work, school or personal Microsoft account can use it, which makes it common in schools and companies standardised on Microsoft 365. Like Google Forms, it is deliberately simple: limited branding, no payment fields, basic logic and few third-party integrations outside Microsoft's ecosystem, and Microsoft points people who need more to Dynamics 365 Customer Voice. It is free with a personal Microsoft account and included in Microsoft 365 plans. It runs in the browser.

Side by side

Attribute	Google Forms	Microsoft Forms
Pricing	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web
Best for	Schools, teams and individuals who need quick, free forms tied to Google Sheets	Schools and organisations already using Microsoft 365, Teams and Excel
Status	Active	Active