123FormBuilder vs FormSmarts (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FormSmarts grades higher than 123FormBuilder: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FormSmarts grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
123FormBuilder
Online form builder with payments and Salesforce connections
FormSmarts
Online form builder with PayPal forms, e-signatures and a web API
Which one is for you
Pick 123FormBuilder if
- Fits if you take card payments through a form and already use Stripe or PayPal
- Works for Salesforce users who want form entries to land in Salesforce
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on the free plan, with 100 submissions a month and 10 fields a form
- Watch out: the paid prices are shown at 50% off a higher crossed-out price, with no end date given
- Pricey if you add people, because extra user licenses cost more on every paid plan
- Skip it if you want your branding removed for free, as that starts on Gold
Pick FormSmarts if
- Fits if you want PayPal forms on a yearly price
- Works for people who need a signature on a form
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as there are no uploads or payments and embedded forms carry an attribution notice
- Watch out: the API, private forms and editing submissions need Business Max at $360 a year
- Watch out: plans are yearly, with no monthly price shown
- Watch out: the page leaves out several Business tiers and refers larger needs to the vendor
How we grade them
| 2.2GPA123FormBuilderFair | 2.4GPAFormSmartsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CGold is $18.50 a month billed yearly, inside the $14 to $34 band where most form tools sit. Platinum is $24.50 and Diamond $49.50. | CPro is $60 a year but has no payments or uploads. Business Starter, which adds them, is $120 a year, about $10 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic is free for 5 forms but caps you at 100 submissions a month, 10 fields a form and 1,000 form views, with 123FormBuilder branding. | BFree has unlimited forms and responses and no preset limit, but no uploads, payments or Excel export, and an attribution notice on embeds. |
| Features | CEditor, templates, payment gateways, Salesforce and accessibility settings cover the basics. Extra user licenses are sold on top of the paid plans. | CForms by email and report, PayPal and Stripe, e-signature, uploads and an API. The free plan has no uploads, payments or Excel export. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you build each form yourself. | CNo store rating on record, and it is a web app where the work is building each form, so it sits at C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it connects to Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.Net, Braintree, Wix and Shopify. | BWeb only, with an API, webhooks and PayPal and Stripe. |
| Best for | online forms with payment gateways and Salesforce | online forms with PayPal and e-signatures |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 123FormBuilder and FormSmarts. How we grade
Price against what you get
123FormBuilder starts at $18.50 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. FormSmarts starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and FormSmarts starts $13.50 a month lower. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 13 score higher than 123FormBuilder for less, and 3 score higher than FormSmarts for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- 123FormBuilder also covers templates and surveys.
- FormSmarts also covers qR codes.
At a glance
| 123FormBuilder | FormSmarts | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $18.50 per month, billed yearly | $60 per year |
| Free plan | Basic plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month, 10 fields per form and 1,000 form views, with 123FormBuilder branding. | Unlimited forms and responses, 1 user, 1 email recipient per form, with an attribution notice on embedded forms and no file upload, payments or Excel export. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | 123FormBuilder | Syronex |
| Price read from | 123formbuilder.com | formsmarts.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
123FormBuilder
- The free Basic plan stops at 100 submissions a month, 10 fields per form and 1,000 form views.
- Paid prices are shown at 50% off higher crossed-out prices, with no end date given.
- The brand is removed from Gold up; Basic forms carry 123FormBuilder branding.
- Extra user licenses are sold separately on the paid plans.
FormSmarts
- The free plan has no file upload, payments or Excel export, and shows an attribution notice on embedded forms.
- Plans are billed per year; the page shows no monthly price.
- The page omits Business 2/Premier, Business 3 and Business 4 plans for clarity and refers larger needs to the vendor.
- Private forms, editing submissions and the API need Business Max.
Key features
123FormBuilder
- Form editor and templates
- A form editor with 25+ field types, multi-page forms, digital signatures, Likert scales, embedded files and a template library by form type and industry.
- Payment gateways
- The site lists integration with 15+ payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, Authorize.Net and Braintree.
- Salesforce integration
- Forms connect to Salesforce Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Experience Cloud.
- Branding and domains
- Gold removes the 123FormBuilder brand, Platinum adds a custom form domain, Diamond adds a favicon and white labeling is an Enterprise add-on.
- Data transfers
- Basic allows up to 100 automated data transfers a day; paid plans list them as unlimited.
- Accessibility
- The vendor says its forms meet WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA and include alt-text for form elements.
FormSmarts
- Embeddable and shareable forms
- Embed a form with an HTML snippet, or share its FormSmarts address, short link or QR code.
- Responses by email and report
- Responses can be emailed, viewed online, downloaded as PDF or exported to Excel or CSV.
- PayPal and Stripe
- Payment forms arrive with Business plans, with subscriptions and recurring payments from Business Plus.
- E-signature and file upload
- File uploads start on Business Starter and electronic signatures on Business Plus.
- Web API and webhooks
- Webhooks start on Business Starter, and the full API on Business Max.
- Mobile-friendly forms
- Forms open in a layout optimized for touch screens when visited on a phone or tablet.
Plans
123FormBuilder
Basic$0
5 forms, 100 submissions a month, 10 fields per form, 1,000 views and up to 100 data transfers a day.
Gold$18.50
per month, billed yearly
Shown at 50% off a crossed-out $37. 25 forms, 5,000 submissions a month, 250 fields per form and 1 GB of storage.
Platinum$24.50
per month, billed yearly
Shown at 50% off a crossed-out $49. 100 forms, 20,000 submissions a month, 500 fields, 10 GB and a custom form domain.
Diamond$49.50
per month, billed yearly
Shown at 50% off a crossed-out $99. 200 forms, 100,000 submissions a month, 800 fields and 100 GB of storage.
Enterprise$225
per month and up, billed yearly
Unlimited forms, submissions and fields, with 100 GB or more of storage. Sold through sales.
FormSmarts
Free$0
per year
Unlimited forms with 1 email recipient per form and an attribution notice on embedded forms.
Pro$60
per year
No branding on embedded forms, up to 60 fields per form and 2 email recipients; stored results are limited to 20,000 records.
Business Starter$120
per year
PayPal and Stripe payments, webhooks, stored results with Excel reporting, 2 MB uploads with 100 MB storage and up to 100 fields.
Business Plus$240
per year
Adds electronic signature, recurring PayPal payments, recipient choice by respondent, up to 4 users and 500 MB of attachment storage.
Business Max$360
per year
Adds the API, auto-responder, private forms, search and editing of submissions, booking forms, 10 users and 1.5 GB of storage.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, 123FormBuilder or FormSmarts?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FormSmarts is cheaper to start with: $5 a month when paid by the year, against $18.50 a month for 123FormBuilder. 123FormBuilder starts at $18.50 per month, billed yearly, and FormSmarts starts at $60 per year.
Which has a free plan, 123FormBuilder or FormSmarts?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both 123FormBuilder and FormSmarts have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.