Free Fillout alternative

The Fillout alternative with offline forms and an MCP server for AI agents.

Build forms with AI, ship them offline as installable PWAs, and pipe responses into Claude or ChatGPT through the MCP server. The free plan covers 100 monthly responses with the AI form generator, payment collection, and offline forms already on, the features Fillout reserves for paid tiers or does not ship at all.

Free forever No credit card Last updated: 10 May 2026

Formester Vs Fillout

a screenshot of formester form builder

Formester

Formester is a hosted form builder with a built-in AI generator, offline forms that install as an app on phones and tablets, and 50 GB of file storage on the Business plan. Free includes 100 responses a month, 100 MB file uploads, and the AI form creator. Personal at $12 a month removes branding and adds conditional logic. Business at $45 a month covers 15,000 responses, API access, PDF exports, and 25 team seats.

a screenshot of fillout form builder

Fillout

Fillout is a hosted form builder best known for native two-way sync with Airtable, Notion, and Google Sheets, and a generous free plan with 1,000 responses a month and unlimited forms. Pricing climbs to $15 Starter, $40 Pro, and $75 Business. Strong fit for teams whose work already lives inside Airtable or Notion. No native offline mode and no dedicated mobile app.

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Austin Independent School District
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Trusted by 56,000+ Global Users

5/55 stars
4.4/54.5 stars
5/55 stars
4.7/54.5 stars
At a glance

Formester vs Fillout, in five attributes.

The deciders before you scroll the rest of this Fillout alternative comparison. Verified against Fillout's pricing page, May 2026.

Attribute Formester Fillout Verdict
Free response cap 100 / month 1,000 / month Fillout wins
AI form generator on free Yes Yes Tied
Native payment collection on free Yes Yes Tied
REST API + MCP server REST + MCP (Business) REST only Formester wins
Offline form mode Yes (free, PWA install) No Formester wins

Pricing and feature data verified May 2026. Always re-check live pricing pages before signing a contract.

The honest read

Why teams leave Fillout.

Four reasons teams switching to Formester have given us. Sourced from G2, Capterra, Reddit reviews and vendor pricing pages, not made up.

No offline mode for mobile collection.

Fillout does not ship a native offline mobile app. Field teams collecting data without connectivity (events, surveys, in-store) hit a wall the moment the network drops.

Dossier: Fillout weaknesses, no offline mobile app.

EU data residency only on higher tiers.

EU customers who need GDPR-grade data residency are pushed to the Team or Enterprise plans. Smaller EU teams describe building workflows on Starter, then discovering they need to upgrade for residency.

Dossier: top Fillout user complaint: "Seems that the only way to be GDPR compliant with Fillout is to be on Enterprise plan."

Fewer payment gateways than incumbents.

Fillout's payment integration list is narrower than Jotform's 40+ gateways. Teams running international payment flows (Razorpay, Mollie, regional providers) hit gaps.

Dossier: Jotform's own comparison cites Fillout's narrower gateway list.

Pricing climbs fast above the free tier.

Free is generous (1,000 responses), but Starter is $15/mo, Pro $40/mo, Business $75/mo. The $228 to $900 jump from annual Pro to annual Business surprises teams who expected a smoother ramp.

Live pricing scrape, fillout.com/pricing, 2026-05-10.

Pricing

Fillout vs Formester pricing, plan by plan.

Annual billing displayed where applicable. Re-verified against Fillout's live pricing page, May 2026.

Tier Formester Fillout Note
Free $0 · 100 responses/mo, 10 forms, AI generator, payments $0 · 1,000 responses/mo, unlimited forms, AI generator Fillout has 10x the free response cap
Entry paid Personal · $12/mo annual, 1,000 responses, conditional logic, brand removal Starter · $15/mo annual, 2,000 responses, custom branding Comparable; Fillout costs $3/mo more
Mid tier Business · $45/mo annual, 15,000 responses, 25 seats, REST API + MCP, 50 GB Pro · $40/mo annual, includes more integrations and Pro features Pricing close; Formester adds MCP
Top tier Enterprise · custom (talk to sales) Business · $75/mo monthly billing Different model
Free plan

Free plan: Formester vs Fillout, side by side.

What each free plan actually lets you do, line by line. Verified against the live pricing pages, May 2026.

Feature Formester Free Fillout Free
Monthly response cap 100 1,000
Forms allowed 10 Unlimited
File upload storage 100 MB Unlimited (per-file ~20 MB)
AI form generator Yes (prompt + question list + PDF) Yes
Conditional logic Limited; full on Personal Yes
Native payment collection Yes (Stripe, PayPal) Yes
Offline form mode (PWA install) Yes No
Custom branding / brand removal Branding shows; removal on Personal Branding shows; removal on paid
REST API + Webhooks Webhooks; full API on Business Webhooks; API on paid
MCP server for AI agents Yes (Business) No
Drop-off analytics Yes Yes
Paid features

Fillout vs Formester paid features, line by line.

What unlocks on each tool's paid plans, grouped by what teams searching for an alternative actually upgrade for. Verified against live pricing pages, May 2026.

Feature Formester (Personal $12 / Business $45 monthly, billed annually) Fillout (Starter ~$15 / Pro $40 / Business $75 monthly, billed annually)
Volume and seats
Entry-paid monthly response cap 1,000 (Personal) 2,000 (Starter)
Mid-tier monthly response cap 15,000 (Business) Higher on Pro / Business (not fully reconfirmed)
Team seats (mid tier) 25 (Business) Varies; Business sold as "unlimited users"
File storage (mid tier) 50 GB (Business) Unlimited file uploads; per-file ~20 MB
Logic and form behavior
Conditional logic depth Full field-level rules across multiple inputs (Personal+) Conditional logic, branching, answer piping (free and up)
Calculations and scoring Quiz auto-scoring (free); calculations on paid Calculations and scoring (paid)
Save and resume Yes (Business; partial submissions on every plan) Yes (paid)
Multi-language forms Yes; AI translation across 180+ languages on Business Yes (multilingual support; tier specifics not reconfirmed)
Branding and distribution
Brand removal Personal ($12/mo annual) Pro / Business
Custom domain / subdomain Custom subdomain on Personal; full custom domain on Business Custom domain on Business+
Embed modes 6 modes: Standard inline, Popup, Sidebar, Side Tab, Popover, Fullscreen Standard block, popup, full screen, slider
Native iOS / Android apps No native app (forms install as PWA on phones, tablets, laptops) No native Fillout app
Offline form collection Yes (PWA mode, free and up) No native offline sync
Developer and AI surface
REST API Webhooks on every plan; full REST API v2 on Business Webhooks on every plan; API on paid
MCP server (Claude / ChatGPT / agents) Yes (Business) No
PDF export of responses Yes (Personal+); auto-send to respondents on submit (Business) CSV export; PDF flows via integrations
Compliance and security
GDPR / UK GDPR / CCPA Yes Yes; EU hosting on Team / Enterprise
SOC 2 Type II Not certified yet Yes (SOC 2; type not publicly specified)
ISO 27001 / HIPAA Not certified yet Not confirmed publicly
Encryption at rest + TLS in transit Yes; payment data adds AES-256 via Stripe Yes (AES at rest, TLS in transit)

Pricing and feature data verified May 2026 against the live pricing pages on formester.com and fillout.com/pricing/. Re-verify against live pages before a contract decision.

Where the comparison gets specific

Logic, integrations, and offline: Formester vs Fillout.

The three dimensions teams searching for a Fillout alternative tell us actually drove the switch. Specific behavior, not feature-list checkmarks.

Conditional logic that actually branches.

Field-level show / hide / require / route rules across multiple inputs, not just section-level branching. Show a question only if a Likert score is below 3, route the response to a CS lead, fire a webhook on submit. The full engine unlocks on Personal at $12 per month, billed annually.

Formester Field-level rules, calculations, route-on-submit (Personal+)
Fillout Conditional logic, branching, answer piping (free and up)

Integrations and AI agent surface.

Native HubSpot, Google Sheets, Slack, Stripe, PayPal, Calendly, n8n, Pabbly, OttoKit, GA4, and GTM. Webhooks fire on submission created / updated / deleted on every plan. REST API v2 on Business plus an MCP server that plugs into Claude or ChatGPT. The Fillout alternative for teams running AI agents on form data.

Formester 11+ native + webhooks + Zapier + REST API + MCP server
Fillout ~50 integrations, deep Airtable / Notion / Sheets sync, no MCP

Offline forms that ship as installable apps.

Formester forms install as a PWA on phones, tablets, and laptops. Field teams collect responses with no connection, submissions queue on the device, and sync the moment the network returns. Available on the free plan, no app store install. Fillout has no native offline option, which is a real gap for in-store, event, and field-research collection.

Formester PWA install, offline collection, auto sync (free and up)
Fillout No native offline sync
For developers

Your form data, ready for the AI you already use.

Every Formester form ships with a REST API and an MCP server. Submissions don't stop at a CSV. The Fillout alternative built for teams running AI agents on top of their data.

MCP server

Plug Formester into Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible model.

Claude ChatGPT Custom agents

Connect Formester to any MCP-compatible model and let it read your form submissions directly. Ask Claude "which leads from this week's form look highest fit?", or have a custom agent score job applications against the role brief and flag the top candidates for the recruiter.

Read the MCP docs →
REST API v2

Or build directly on the REST API.

Self-service token Webhooks Business plan +

Pull form submissions into your data warehouse, push pre-filled form URLs back from your CRM, or build a custom enrichment pipeline. Self-service token at app.formester.com/api in two clicks. No support ticket, no waiting.

Read the API docs →
Why teams switch

Why teams choose Formester over Fillout.

Eight reasons buyers searching for a Fillout alternative tell us they made the switch. Each item ties to a specific Formester plan or feature, not a marketing line.

AI form generator on the free plan

Type a prompt, drop in a PDF, or paste a question list. Formester drafts the form in seconds. Available on the free plan, before you decide to pay.

Native payments included on the free plan

Stripe and PayPal integration on day one. No add-on, no upgrade. Most teams switching from Fillout cite this as the deciding feature.

Conditional logic on Personal at $12/mo annual

Field-level rules across multiple inputs, not just section branching. Show, hide, skip, route, calculate. Available on the entry paid plan.

REST API + MCP server for AI agents

Hosted REST API on Business and an MCP server that plugs into Claude, ChatGPT, or any compatible model. Read your form data from the AI you already use.

Offline forms that install as PWAs

Field teams collect responses without a connection. Submissions store on the device and sync when the network returns. Available on the free plan, no app store install.

Custom domain on Business, branded URL on Personal

Forms live on your domain, not a vendor URL. Personal unlocks a custom subdomain; Business unlocks the full custom domain.

Multi-language with AI translation

180+ languages supported via AI translation on Business. One source form, the respondent picks their language at the top, edits stay in sync.

Privacy-first: no AI training on your data

GDPR, UK GDPR, and CCPA compliant. Customer Data is not used to train AI models, run advertising, or feed analytics. DPA section 4.4. We are honest about what we do not certify yet (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA).

Migration

How to switch from Fillout to Formester in 3 steps.

From "I want to leave Fillout" to "the new form is live" without losing data or missing submissions.

Export your existing entries.

In Fillout, open Forms → Submissions → Export CSV. Capture each form's responses as a CSV. Pull integration logs (Airtable / Notion sync history) for reference.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes for a typical 5-form workspace.

Rebuild with the AI form generator.

Sign up for Formester (free, no card). Open the AI form generator, paste a description of the Fillout form, or upload the questions list. The generator drafts the structure with field types, validation, and conditional logic. Edit the labels and apply your branding.

Time: 10 to 20 minutes per form for a typical 10-field form.

Re-point your integrations.

Update the destination on your Airtable / Notion / Slack / Zapier flows from Fillout's webhook endpoints to Formester's. Test one submission, confirm the integration fires, then archive the Fillout form.

Time: 10 to 15 minutes; keep Fillout active for a week as a fallback.

Honest comparison

When Fillout is still the better choice.

Two real cases where Fillout beats Formester. We are the alternative for the rest, and that is okay.

Your forms live downstream in Airtable or Notion.

  • Fillout's deepest moat is two-way sync with Airtable, Notion, and Google Sheets, including pre-fill flows from existing records.
  • If your team's source of truth is an Airtable base or a Notion workspace, Fillout's native bindings will be cleaner than anything Formester ships through Zapier.
  • Their UI is purpose-built around the database connection; Formester's is purpose-built around the form output.
  • Honest tradeoff: that Airtable / Notion polish is the reason to stay on Fillout despite the lower free-plan ceiling on Formester.

You need 1,000 free responses per month and SOC 2.

  • Fillout's free plan covers 1,000 responses per month, 10x Formester's free cap of 100/mo.
  • Fillout is SOC 2 compliant; Formester is not yet.
  • Combined, those make Fillout the cheaper option for high-volume teams who need a security-questionnaire answer.
  • Honest tradeoff: response volume + SOC 2 are real wins. We're a fit when offline collection, AI on free, or cleaner branding matter more.
Privacy and data ownership

Your form data is yours. We don't train on it.

The prompts you write, the AI-generated form structures, and the responses respondents submit are all Customer Data. Per Section 4.4 of our Data Processing Addendum, Formester does not use Customer Data to train AI models, run advertising, run analytics, or feed marketing. The Google Gemini integration that drafts forms inherits the same boundary.

Your account is encrypted at rest, responses move over TLS, and payment data carries an additional AES-256 layer through Stripe. We are GDPR, UK GDPR, and CCPA compliant. We are not SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA certified yet, and we say so on the security page rather than implying otherwise. If your buying review requires those today, we'll tell you up front.

Quote icon

USER TESTIMONIALS

User Stories

Quotation marks

I really enjoy Formester. It’s clean and straight-forward and it does well, what it is supposed to do.

a photo of thibaud martinez
Thibaud MartinezOrganiser at Tedx
Quotation marks

Formester is really easy to use and an exceptional alternative for Typeform. We use it for call for papers, lead registrations, feedback and surveys and it cannot be simpler.

photo of jilson
JilsonOrganiser at Vue Conference
Quotation marks

Tried like 4 quiz tools for our lead gen funnel before this and honestly this is the only one I didn't end up hating. AI did most of the work and the customization actually works.

a photo of Alex
AlexCustomer Success Manager at Orion Growth Partners
Quotation marks

Very intuitive and the surveys look genuinely professional out of the box. Most importantly, I requested a custom rating scale and they shipped it within hours. Stellar support that is hands-down better than the Jotform.

a photo of Chris
ChrisOperations Lead at SummitCloud Software
Quotation marks

Formester is simple enough for non-developers and sophisticated enough for developers. I'd say being able to choose between simplicity and complexity is one of this product's strengths. In addition, the founder is available to answer questions and doubts, which does not happen every day.

a photo of costanza casullo
Costanza CasulloVolunteer at Wato Coding Hub
Quotation marks

I'm migrating my forms from Paperform, where I've been a user for over 4 years. Loving the software so far! I've already replaced Paperform form embeds & popups on my sites & my husband's websites with Formester forms

a photo of dr michele
Dr. Michele RossFounder at Infused Health
Quotation marks

Formester AI form builder has lots of customisation options. It's very easy to generate online forms. Forms generated are also very user friendly it supports both mobile and desktop version. It also allows us to build our own custom themes. File upload is also possible in surveys. I love the simplicity with which I can create forms within couple of minutes without any coding knowledge. The UI is very attractive and easy to use. No prior experience is required to use it.

Deepika K - Formester Happy User
Deepika KBusiness Development Executive at

Try Formester before you renew Fillout.

Free includes the AI form creator, 100 responses a month, and offline forms. Two minutes to sign up, no credit card.

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FAQs

Formester gives you more advanced forms, AI tools, real-time support, and team collaboration options making it the ideal fillout alternative.

Yes. With granular team collaboration, full control over form submission, and multi page forms, it’s designed for businesses of all sizes.

Yes. Fillout shipped its AI form generator in 2023 and added AI workflows for response routing. Formester also includes an AI form generator and adds an AI quiz maker, both available on the free plan.

Yes. Explore our free tier and see how easy it is to create smarter forms, making Formester the perfect alternative to Fillout.