Wondering what’s happening in the online form building category in 2024?
This is our analysis and outlook.
The “Big-forms Monopoly”
The online form building category has long been dominated by what I call the “big-forms monopoly”.
That is –– Typeform, SurveyMonkey, and Jotform. Legacy players.
Over the years, these same players have hiked prices for individuals and small businesses, gated many of their core features, and dove enterprise-first.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested into these companies and they have strict obligations to report financials to their board and investors.
They have growth targets they need to achieve, and their investors are always pushing for more. Rightfully so.
Therefore, product teams and engineers start gating features and disappointing users.
While I’m sure those millions have been put to good use when it comes to building enterprise focused form solutions and use cases, we’re seeing a shift happening down market.
In 2024, businesses are searching for more affordable alternatives.
We’re seeing trends of new, more affordable form builders like Formberry emerge, complaints from legacy users, and a pricing lockout for many businesses.
The big-forms monopoly has dominated the online form building industry for years. But they are not the best option for small businesses and agencies who need affordable and accessible solutions.
Race to the Bottom
Our outlook on the competitive landscape is that the form building category is a race to the bottom, so why not make great form building software affordable to all?
In a world where all other form builders are competing on features and pricing, soon enough all solutions will be totally free and open source.
Just kidding, humans are greedy! 🤑
Seriously though, Formberry’s emergence as a Typeform alternative marks a pivotal moment in the form building category.
It not only introduces healthy competition but raises the bar for affordability, accessibility, and user-centricity.
Here is why legacy users are migrating to Formberry:
- 40% less expensive than Typeform’s paid plans.
- Free forever plan offers unlimited responses, a custom URL, integrations, customization and more.
- Multiple layout options including Google Form’s linear layout, and Typeform’s multi-step layout.
- Easy to migrate out
Businesses are seeking cost-effective solutions to connect with their audiences and gather data, and Formberry promises to shape a future where form building software is accessible to all.
Closing Thoughts
Review sites like G2, Capterra, and GetApp will paint a different picture for our category.
But with all things considered, we’re predicting that with the new wave of affordable form builders, market share will slowly be redistributed.
Typeform alone owns 24% marketshare, generates over $100M ARR, and has raised $187M from investors.
While the legacy products are obviously great in many regards, their pricing models are not conducive down market anymore.
They have a few options:
1. Retain small business users/prevent churn by lowering the barrier to entry, offering more value on free and lower tiers.
2. Increase pricing for enterprises, risking key accounts.
3. Let customers go.
