Typeform vs Tally: the polished original vs the generous upstart
Tally is better for almost everyone on a budget: its free plan includes unlimited forms and responses (fair-use), conditional logic, calculations, file uploads, and even Stripe payments — things Typeform locks behind paid tiers. Typeform is better if you want the most polished conversational respondent experience and a large integration ecosystem, and you're willing to pay from $25/month for it, because its free plan allows just 10 responses a month. Price-sensitive builders should start with Tally.
Tally launched in 2020 with a simple pitch: most of what Typeform charges for should be free. Five years on, that pitch holds up — but Typeform still owns the high end. Here's where each one actually wins.
| Typeform | Tally | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 responses/month across all forms, 10 questions per form, Typeform branding | Unlimited forms and responses (fair-use), logic, calculations, Stripe payments; 'Made with Tally' branding, 10 MB per-file uploads |
| Paid from | $25/mo (annual; $29 month-to-month) — Basic, 100 responses/month | $24/mo (annual) — Pro: removes branding, custom domains, team collaboration, drop-off analytics |
| Standout features | Conversational one-question-at-a-time UX, AI form creation, big integration ecosystem | Most generous free plan in the category, Notion-style doc editor, advanced features free |
| Best for | Brands that want beautiful, conversational forms and will pay for them | Startups and creators who want unlimited free forms |
How do the free plans and pricing compare?
There is no contest on the free tier. Tally offers unlimited forms and unlimited responses under a fair-use policy, with conditional logic, calculations, signatures, file uploads, Stripe payment collection, and webhooks all included. The free-tier costs are cosmetic: 'Made with Tally' branding, a 10 MB per-file upload limit, and no custom domains. Typeform's free plan allows 10 responses per month across all your forms, 10 questions per form, and no logic — and forms go private when the cap is hit.
The paid plans nearly match on price — Tally Pro at $24/month versus Typeform Basic at $25/month (both annual) — but not on what you get. Tally Pro is about removing branding and adding custom domains, team collaboration, partial-submission capture, and drop-off analytics on top of an already-unlimited plan. Typeform Basic is where the product merely becomes usable: 100 responses a month, unlimited questions, logic, and payments.
Question types and logic
Both tools handle serious form logic. Tally includes conditional logic, calculated fields, hidden fields, signatures, and payment collection on the free plan. Typeform's paid plans offer comparable logic plus webhooks and its AI form builder. The practical difference: with Tally you prototype and ship complex forms for free; with Typeform you pay before you can test logic on real respondents.
Design and respondent experience
Typeform keeps the crown here. Its one-question-at-a-time conversational flow, animations, and template library remain the benchmark for form aesthetics. Tally takes a different approach — a fast, clean, Notion-style document editor where forms look minimal and modern but less theatrical. Tally forms are pleasant; Typeform forms are memorable. Whether that gap is worth $25/month depends on how much each response is worth to you.
Tally's editor works like a Notion page: type '/' to insert any field type. If your team already lives in Notion, the learning curve is close to zero — and Tally connects natively to Notion databases.
Results, analysis, and ecosystem
Typeform has the bigger ecosystem — a large integration marketplace including Zapier, HubSpot, and Mailchimp, plus more built-in analytics on higher tiers. Tally covers the essentials with Google Sheets, Notion, and Airtable integrations plus webhooks on the free plan, while its deeper analytics (drop-off rates, partial submissions) require Pro. Big-stack marketing teams will feel Tally's smaller ecosystem; indie builders mostly won't.
Choose Typeform if…
- Form aesthetics directly drive your conversion rates and brand perception
- You need a wide integration marketplace (HubSpot, Mailchimp, and more)
- You want AI-assisted form creation and premium templates
- Budget from $25/month is acceptable for the volume you collect
Choose Tally if…
- You want unlimited forms and responses without paying
- You need logic, calculations, file uploads, or Stripe payments on a free plan
- You like a fast, Notion-style editing experience
- Simple two-tier pricing beats per-response anxiety for you
Where Formkii fits
Formkii competes in the same generous-free territory as Tally, with a different shape. Like Tally, it offers unlimited forms, questions, and responses free. Unlike Tally, it includes a Typeform-style one-question-at-a-time mode plus auto-scored quizzes, live polls, and audience Q&A in the same tool — so if your forms sit alongside classroom quizzes or live event polls, one free account covers all of it. You also get 18 field types, show/hide and jump logic, and full design control with your own branding.
Formkii is not the right pick if you need payments — Tally's free Stripe integration is genuinely unmatched there — or native integrations with Notion, Airtable, or marketing tools. For payment forms or deeply integrated workflows, Tally or paid Typeform are the better calls.
The verdict
Start with Tally unless you know exactly why you need Typeform. Tally's free plan covers what 90% of form builders need, and its $24/month Pro mainly buys branding control. Typeform justifies its cost when the conversational polish measurably lifts completion or conversion — a real effect for brand-facing lead generation, and an irrelevant one for internal requests and registrations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tally better than Typeform?
For free use, Tally wins decisively: unlimited forms and responses with conditional logic, calculations, and Stripe payments included, versus Typeform's 10 responses per month. Typeform is better if you'll pay for its conversational design and larger integration ecosystem, starting at $25/month.
Is Tally really free with unlimited responses?
Yes. Tally's free plan includes unlimited forms and unlimited responses under a fair-use policy, with logic, calculations, signatures, file uploads, and Stripe payments included. The trade-offs are 'Made with Tally' branding, a 10 MB per-file upload limit, and no custom domains until the $24/month Pro plan.
What does Tally Pro cost and add?
Tally Pro is $24/month billed annually. It removes Tally branding and adds custom domains, unlimited team collaboration, partial-submission capture with drop-off analytics, custom CSS, and premium integrations like Google Analytics and Meta Pixel.
Does Tally look as good as Typeform?
Tally forms look clean and modern in a minimal, Notion-like style, but Typeform's one-question-at-a-time presentation with animations is more visually striking. If you want a conversational one-question flow without paying, Formkii includes that mode on its free plan.