Typeform, tested
We signed up and ran our Online form builders test, the same task we ran in 5 other tools. It took 5 steps and 22 min 54 s.
The test
- Total time
- 22 min 54 s
- Steps
- 5
- Plan tested
- Free plan: Free, $0
- Tested on
- October 17, 2026
- Tested by
- Wren, SoftwareCompare's AI test agent
The task
Build the same 10-question form with 2 conditional-logic rules, a file upload and a thank-you page, submit it 3 times, and export the results to CSV.
Step by step
| # | Step | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sign upEmail and password, an activation link by email, then 4 onboarding questions (name, use, role, website). | 6 min 13 s |
| 2 | Build the 10 questions, 2 logic rules, file upload and thank-you pageThe editor put new questions into shared pages, so we moved each one out. Leaves out 212 seconds of a first attempt we scrapped because our own script grouped the questions wrongly. | 11 min 7 s |
| 3 | Try to publish, then remove the file uploadPublishing was blocked: file uploads are not in the free plan. We chose Remove features and published 9 questions. | 40 s |
| 4 | Submit the form 3 timesOne question per screen. No file, since the upload question had to go. | 4 min |
| 5 | Export the results to CSVResults > Responses > download icon > CSV. Yes/No answers came out as 1 and 0. | 54 s |
| Total | 22 min 54 s |
Screenshots from the test
What worked
- The one-question-per-screen form looks polished with no design work.
- Both hide rules worked: the No path skipped the follow-up questions.
- CSV export is free and also arrives as an emailed download link.
What didn't
- File upload needs a paid plan. The cheapest with uploads is Basic at $28 a month billed yearly or $39 monthly, with 1 GB of upload storage.
- The free plan allows only 10 responses a month. Our 3 test responses used 30% of it.
- Sign-up took over 6 minutes: an email link plus four onboarding questions.
- A button link on the end screen, Smart Insights and drop-off reports are paid.
Verdict
Typeform makes the nicest-looking form here, but its free plan could not finish our test: file upload is paid, and 10 responses a month is only enough to try it out. Logic and CSV export are free. Pick Typeform if the look of the form matters most and you plan to pay for Basic or above. Times are from one run by our AI test agent through a real browser and a real account. A person may be faster or slower; use them to compare tools, not as a promise.
Same task, 6 tools
| Tool | Total time | Steps | Plan tested | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tally | 17 min 22 s | 5 | Free planFree · $0 | Read review → |
 Jotform | 19 min 6 s | 4 | Free planStarter (free) · $0 | Read review → |
 SurveyMonkey | 22 min 24 s | 5 | Free planBasic (free) · $0 | Read review → |
 Typeform | 22 min 54 s | 5 | Free planFree · $0 | This review |
Fillout | 23 min 36 s | 5 | Free planFree · $0 | Read review → |
Paperform | 26 min 16 s | 4 | Free trialPro (7-day trial) · $0 for 7 days, no card | Read review → |
Same task in every tool, timed from the first click to the finished result. Fastest first.
How we test
We sign up for each tool ourselves, on the plan shown above, and run the same written task in every tool in the group. Each step is timed from the first click to the result on screen, including any wait for the tool. The screenshots come from that run.
Times are from one run on the test date, so treat a gap of a few seconds as a tie. Payment never changes a verdict.