Jotform vs Tally

Both of these give away far more than the category norm, which makes the comparison unusually specific: not whether the free plan is good, but which of its limits you will hit first.

Two free plans and two different ceilings

Tally's free plan carries unlimited forms and unlimited submissions within a published fair-use policy, with conditional logic, calculations, signatures and file uploads all included. That is the most generous position in this directory and Tally scores 5 for value on it.

Jotform's free plan includes standard features rather than a reduced set, which is the same instinct applied differently. Its limits are volumetric and there are several at once — submissions, storage and form views each have their own counter — so the plan ends by arithmetic rather than by feature.

What Tally charges for is presentation. Removing branding needs the Pro plan at twenty-four dollars a month, and capturing part-finished responses is a paid feature. Jotform's free forms carry branding too, so on that specific point neither is free in the way people hope.

Where each one is actually stronger

Jotform scores 5 for customisation against Tally's 4, and 5 for afterSubmit against Tally's 4. It has an unusually large template library covering narrow use cases, HIPAA-enabled forms, and human support — none of which Tally matches.

Tally scores 5 for ease against Jotform's 4 and 4 for looks against Jotform's 3. Its editor is a document you type into, which is quicker to start and gives less layout control than a visual canvas — a real trade rather than a straight win. Tally also stores form data in the EU by a company based there, which decides this outright for anyone working under a European contract.

Jotform scores 5 for logic and Tally scores 5 as well, so neither is the shallow one.

Which should you choose?

Choose Tally if the volume is high, the form is straightforward, or European data storage is something you have to be able to point at.

Choose Jotform if you need a template for something unusual, HIPAA-enabled forms, or somebody to ask when it goes wrong — and expect to pay to remove the branding either way.