Epicollect5 vs Google Forms (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Google Forms: it is first in our ranking of form and survey tools, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 3.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Google Forms grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Epicollect5
Free mobile and web data collection from Oxford University
Google Forms
Form, survey and quiz builder that comes with a Google Account
Which one is for you
Pick Epicollect5 if
- Fits if you need a free tool for a research or survey project
- Works for field teams with phones and GPS
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if the work is mission-critical, as the team says it is provided as-is with no guarantees
- Watch out: a fair usage policy applies, and it is not designed for free media storage
- Too light for case management or in-depth reporting
- Skip it if you need support or a service agreement, as it is not a commercial company
Pick Google Forms if
- Fits if you need a quick poll, sign-up sheet or class quiz and don't want to pay
- Works for teams already in Google Workspace who read answers in Sheets
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a phone app, as it only runs in the mobile browser
- Skip it if people without a Google Account need to upload files: uploads need a sign-in and don't work on shared-drive forms
- Too light for order forms, since there's nothing here for payments, signatures or calculated totals
- Watch out: the business version comes only inside Workspace from $7 per user a month, and its 14-day trial needs billing details
- Watch out: Gemini's form drafting is desktop-only, can't build multi-section forms and needs Business Standard or higher
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAEpicollect5Very good | 3.2GPAGoogle FormsVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with as many projects and entries as you want, under a fair usage policy. Nothing in forms tools costs less, and you need no server. | AFree with a personal Google Account, in a category where the middle paid plan is $24 a month. There's no standalone paid Forms plan: the business version rides inside Workspace from $7 per user a month, Gmail, Drive and Meet included. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no cap a normal project would reach. | AFree with an account you almost certainly have, and the listing shows no cap on forms or responses that a normal person would meet. The only paid extra is Gemini drafting a form for you. |
| Features | CForm builder, mobile collection, exports, an API and logic. The docs point to KoboToolbox, ODK or Google Forms for mission-critical work. | CIt covers the basics: drag-and-drop questions, logic that skips sections, quizzes with answer keys, live charts and a linked Sheet. The gaps are plain: no payments, no signatures, no calculations, and file uploads force respondents to sign in to Google. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You design each project in the form builder. | BNo store rating on record, and there is nothing to set up: no new account, no plan to pick, no install. Open it, add questions, send the link. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus Android and iOS apps with GPS and media capture, an export API and Google Maps and Earth links. No desktop app. | BWeb with Google's own plumbing: Sheets, Drive, Apps Script, AppSheet and a Forms API. No dedicated phone app, though. Google's help pages describe using it in a mobile browser instead. |
| Best for | free field data collection from a university team | quick free forms, polls and quizzes |
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: Epicollect5 and Google Forms. How we grade
Price against what you get
Epicollect5 has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Google Forms starts at $7 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Google Forms scores higher, and starts $7 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, none scores higher than Epicollect5 for less, and none scores higher than Google Forms 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
- Google Forms also covers templates and reports.
At a glance
| Epicollect5 | Google Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) |
| Free plan | Free to use without limits, subject to a fair usage policy; as many projects and entries as you want. | Free with a personal Google Account at forms.google.com. Workspace Essentials Starter, a no-cost edition for work email addresses, also includes Forms. Gemini form drafting needs an eligible paid plan. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day Google Workspace trial for new customers, limited to 10 users; billing details required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance | |
| Price read from | docs.epicollect.net | knowledge.workspace.google.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Epicollect5
- The team says it is not a commercial company and provides the service as-is, with no guarantees.
- For mission-critical projects the docs suggest alternatives such as KoboToolbox, ODK or Google Forms.
- A fair usage policy applies, and Epicollect5 is not designed as free media storage.
Google Forms
- There is no standalone paid Forms plan; the business version comes only inside Google Workspace, with Gmail, Drive and Meet.
- Google's help pages describe using Forms in a mobile web browser on Android, iPhone and iPad; no dedicated mobile app is listed.
- File upload questions require respondents to sign in to a Google Account and cannot be used on forms stored in a shared drive.
- Help me create a form is desktop-only, cannot yet build multi-section forms, and needs Business Standard or higher or a Google AI plan.
Key features
Epicollect5
- Form builder
- Create projects and multi-form questionnaires in the web app, then download them to a device.
- Mobile collection
- The app runs on Android 10+ and iOS 15.6+, collecting GPS locations and media.
- Central views
- Entries can be viewed on a map, in tables and in charts on the project site.
- Export and API
- Data exports as CSV and JSON, and a developer API is documented.
- Logic
- Jumps, branches, groups and double-entry verification are documented in the form builder.
Google Forms
- Drag-and-drop form editor
- Choose from multiple question types, reorder them by dragging, and add images or videos. File upload questions save submissions to a folder in the owner's Google Drive.
- Answer-based logic
- Show questions based on earlier answers, so each respondent only goes through the sections that apply to them.
- Quizzes with answer keys
- Turn a form into a quiz with point values and answer keys on supported question types, and attach a written or YouTube explanation to an answer.
- Response charts and Google Sheets
- Answers are charted in a Summary tab as they arrive and can be stored in a new or existing Google Sheet for deeper analysis.
- Templates and themes
- Start from premade survey and questionnaire templates, then set colors, images and fonts to match an organization's branding.
- Help me create a form
- Gemini drafts a form from a prompt or from Drive files such as Docs, Sheets, Slides and PDFs. It works on desktop and needs an eligible Workspace or Google AI plan.
Plans
Epicollect5
Free$0
100% free service with unlimited projects and entries, provided as-is under a fair usage policy.
Google Forms
Personal Google Account$0
Forms, surveys and quizzes for personal use, with response charts and a linked Google Sheet.
Business Starter$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)
Google Workspace with 30 GB pooled storage per user. Gemini in Workspace apps is listed as limited.
Business Standard$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)
2 TB pooled storage per user. The lowest Business edition that Google lists for Help me create a form.
Business Plus$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)
5 TB pooled storage per user, plus Vault, eDiscovery and advanced endpoint management.
EnterpriseCustom
No minimum or maximum user count, with data loss prevention and data regions; priced through Google sales.
Ways to pay less
Epicollect5
No public discounts listed.
Google Forms
- Annual discount
Lower rate with a 1-year commitment
Business Starter costs $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan versus $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.
- Nonprofit
Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0
Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0 per user, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.
- Education
Education Fundamentals at no charge
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Forms, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 Google's pricing page showed Starter at ₹270 per user / month to a visitor in India, against $7 in the US version, and listed a Base plan at ₹99 that the US version does not show.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Epicollect5 or Google Forms?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Epicollect5 is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7 a month for each person for Google Forms. Epicollect5 is free, and Google Forms starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter).
Which has a free plan, Epicollect5 or Google Forms?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Epicollect5 and Google Forms have a free plan.
Which platforms do Epicollect5 and Google Forms run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Epicollect5 lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.