Microsoft Forms is cheaper, but covers only 2 of 6 compared capabilities
$7/mo (Microsoft 365 Business Basic) vs Cognito Forms Pro at $24/mo — covering 33% of the 6 compared capabilities.
Cheaper. Not the same job.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
1,000 responses/month, 1 seat, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
Pro plan at $24/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: 7 USD/monthly.
Cognito Forms costs $24/mo on the Pro plan at 1,000 responses/month, 1 seat, monthly billing. We found 1 assessed alternative that is cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 6 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
Microsoft Forms covers 33% of the 6 capabilities compared against Cognito Forms. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Microsoft Forms | Cognito Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payment collection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional logic | ✓ | ✓ |
| File uploads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Signature collection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ◐ | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Cognito Forms has that Microsoft Forms lacks.
- Unlimited forms — Create as many forms as you need without hitting a plan cap.Missing from Microsoft Forms.
- Payment collection — Collect payments directly through a form.Missing from Microsoft Forms.
- File uploads — Let respondents attach files as part of their answers.Missing from Microsoft Forms.
- Signature collection — Collect legally binding signatures within a form.Missing from Microsoft Forms.
Price at your volume
The same comparison recomputed at three sizes. Plan caps change who is cheapest.
| Usage | Cognito Forms | Microsoft Forms |
|---|---|---|
| 100 responses/month | $24/moPro | $7/mocheaperMicrosoft 365 Business Basic |
| 1,000 responses/month | $24/moPro | $7/mocheaperMicrosoft 365 Business Basic |
| 10,000 responses/month | $49/moTeam | $7/mocheaperMicrosoft 365 Business Basic |
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Free (Microsoft account) | Free |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7/seat/mo |
| Individual | Free |
| Pro | $24/mo |
| Team | $49/mo |
| Enterprise | $174/mo |
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Frequently asked
How much cheaper is Microsoft Forms than Cognito Forms?
71% cheaper in our scenario (1,000 responses/month, 1 seat, monthly billing): $7/mo on Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs $24/mo on Pro. That is $204 a year. But it covers only 2 of 6 compared capabilities, so it isn't a like-for-like replacement.
What does Microsoft Forms lack compared with Cognito Forms?
Unlimited forms, Payment collection, File uploads, Signature collection — 4 of the 6 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Cognito Forms: 2026-10-26; Microsoft Forms: 2026-10-29 — on the official pricing pages.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources & freshness
- https://www.cognitoforms.com/pricing (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- https://www.cognitoforms.com/features (feature_page, checked 2026-10-26)
- Microsoft Forms data last verified 2026-10-29