Tally

Tally is a refreshingly simple yet surprisingly powerful form builder that has quickly earned a devoted following since its launch in 2020. Founded in Belgium by Marie Martens and Filip Minev, Tally was born from the frustration of existing form builders that either charged too much for basic features or made form creation unnecessarily complicated. The result is a product that feels as intuitive as writing in a document while delivering capabilities that rival premium form platforms costing many times more.

What truly distinguishes Tally in the crowded form builder market is its remarkably generous free tier. Unlike competitors such as Typeform and Google Forms that impose strict limitations on submissions, form logic, or branding, Tally offers unlimited forms and unlimited submissions completely free of charge. This approach has made it a favorite among startups, freelancers, and small businesses that need professional forms without monthly subscription costs eating into their budgets.

As a Belgian company headquartered in Brussels, Tally operates firmly within the European Union's data protection framework. All form submission data is stored on European servers, ensuring GDPR compliance out of the box. For businesses that collect customer information, lead data, or payment details through forms, this European data residency provides peace of mind that is increasingly difficult to guarantee with US-based form platforms subject to laws like the CLOUD Act.

The Notion-Style Editor

Tally's form editor takes inspiration from modern productivity tools like Notion, employing a block-based approach where each form element is a content block that you add, rearrange, and configure directly on the page. Instead of the traditional question-by-question builder that most form tools use, Tally lets you type your form as naturally as writing a document. You start typing a question, press Enter for a new line, and use the slash command menu or formatting toolbar to insert different input types like text fields, multiple choice, file uploads, ratings, and more.

This approach eliminates the cognitive overhead of switching between editing modes, previewing forms, and configuring settings in separate panels. What you see while editing is essentially what your respondents will see, with the form automatically adapting to a beautiful, responsive layout. The editor supports rich text formatting, images, and embedded content, allowing you to create forms that feel more like interactive web pages than traditional surveys.

Form Types and Use Cases

Tally's flexibility supports a wide range of form types beyond simple surveys. The platform excels at contact forms, feedback surveys, registration forms, quiz and assessment forms, order forms, job application forms, and event RSVPs. With its payment integration through Stripe, Tally can also function as a lightweight checkout or donation collection tool, making it suitable for small e-commerce operations and nonprofit fundraising without needing a dedicated payment platform.

The form builder includes specialized input types for various data collection needs: file uploads (up to 10 MB per file on the free plan), e-signatures for collecting legally binding signatures directly within forms, date and time pickers for scheduling, rating scales and Net Promoter Score (NPS) fields for feedback collection, and ranking questions that let respondents order options by preference. These specialized inputs cover the vast majority of real-world form requirements without needing workarounds or third-party tools.

Conditional Logic and Calculations

Despite its simplicity, Tally includes powerful conditional logic that enables dynamic, personalized form experiences. You can show or hide specific questions, sections, or entire pages based on how respondents answer previous questions. This branching capability turns simple forms into intelligent questionnaires that adapt to each respondent, showing only relevant questions and reducing form abandonment rates.

The calculation feature allows you to perform mathematical operations based on form input values, making Tally useful for pricing calculators, quote generators, scoring systems, and assessment tools. Calculations can reference multiple input fields and apply formulas that update in real time as respondents fill out the form. Answer piping further personalizes the experience by referencing previous answers in subsequent questions or confirmation messages.

Integrations and Workflow Automation

Tally integrates natively with popular tools including Notion, Google Sheets, Airtable, Slack, and email services. When a form is submitted, data can automatically flow to your preferred workspace, spreadsheet, or project management tool without manual export. The webhook integration enables sending form submissions to any HTTP endpoint, opening up custom integrations with virtually any system that accepts incoming data.

For more complex automation workflows, Tally works with Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat), connecting to thousands of apps and enabling multi-step automations triggered by form submissions. Common workflows include automatically creating CRM contacts, sending personalized follow-up emails, adding rows to databases, creating project tasks, or triggering Slack notifications when specific form conditions are met.

Design and Customization

Tally forms are designed to look clean and modern by default, with a minimalist aesthetic that works well for professional use cases. The free plan allows basic customization including cover images, logos, and color themes. The Pro plan unlocks more extensive branding options including custom CSS, custom domains for hosting forms on your own domain, removal of Tally branding, and custom thank-you pages that maintain your brand experience after form submission.

Forms can be embedded on websites using a simple embed code, shared via direct link, or presented as pop-ups triggered by user interaction. The embedded forms adapt responsively to the container size, ensuring a seamless experience whether viewed on desktop, tablet, or mobile devices. For organizations with strict brand guidelines, the custom CSS capability on the Pro plan provides pixel-level control over every visual aspect of the form.

Data Management and Analytics

Every form submission is stored in Tally's dashboard, where you can view individual responses, filter and search across submissions, and export data in CSV format. The submission dashboard provides summary statistics and visualizations for multiple-choice and rating questions, giving you quick insights without needing to export data to a separate analytics tool. Form owners receive email notifications for new submissions and can configure which team members are notified.

For teams that need collaboration features, Tally supports sharing forms across workspaces with configurable permissions. The Pro plan adds response notifications with conditions (only notify when specific criteria are met), partial submissions tracking (capturing data from respondents who start but do not complete the form), and version history that lets you review and restore previous versions of your forms.

GDPR Compliance and Privacy

Tally's European foundation is a significant advantage for privacy-conscious organizations. As a Belgium-based company, Tally stores all data within the European Union and is subject to GDPR regulations. The platform includes built-in cookie consent handling, and form creators can add consent checkboxes and privacy policy links to comply with data collection requirements. Tally does not use third-party tracking or analytics on forms, ensuring that respondent data is not shared with advertising networks or data brokers.

The platform also supports data deletion requests, allowing form owners to remove individual submissions upon request to comply with the right to erasure. For organizations that need to demonstrate GDPR compliance during audits, Tally's straightforward data handling and European data residency simplify the compliance documentation process significantly compared to US-based alternatives.

Pricing and Value

Tally's pricing model is deliberately generous. The free plan includes unlimited forms, unlimited submissions, conditional logic, calculations, file uploads, payment collection, and most integrations. The Pro plan at approximately 25 euros per month adds custom domains, custom CSS, removal of Tally branding, priority support, extended file upload limits, and team collaboration features. The Business plan at 79 euros per month includes email verification, version history, and enhanced collaboration tools.

This pricing structure means that the majority of users, especially individuals, freelancers, and small teams, can use Tally indefinitely without paying anything. The free tier is not a time-limited trial or a feature-crippled teaser; it is a genuinely functional product. This makes Tally one of the best value propositions in the form builder market, particularly when considering that competitors like Typeform charge $25 per month for just 100 responses.

Limitations and Considerations

While Tally excels for most form use cases, it has some limitations to consider. The platform does not support multi-page forms with a traditional progress bar in the same way as Typeform (though it does support page breaks with its own navigation). Advanced reporting and analytics are basic compared to dedicated survey platforms like SurveyMonkey. File upload limits on the free plan (10 MB per file) may be restrictive for use cases requiring large document submissions. Additionally, while the Notion-style editor is intuitive for most users, those accustomed to traditional drag-and-drop form builders may need a brief adjustment period.

Who Should Use Tally

Tally is an excellent choice for startups, freelancers, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations that need professional, privacy-friendly forms without ongoing costs. It is particularly well-suited for European businesses that require GDPR-compliant data collection with EU data residency. Teams already using Notion will find the editor immediately familiar. Organizations currently paying for Typeform, Google Forms premium features, or JotForm will find Tally a capable and often free European alternative that does not compromise on the features that matter most.