Comparison
An open-source alternative to Google Forms
Google Forms is quick, free and tied to Google. Jackpoll is quick, free and tied to nobody — the same everyday form building, with the source code published and the option to run it on your own server.
Responses older than this are removed automatically by a daily job. Leave empty to keep them indefinitely.
Anonymise instead of delete
Keeps the statistics, drops anything identifying.
After 90 days, responses stay as anonymous statistics.
Why people look for an alternative
Google Forms is genuinely good at what it does, and for a birthday RSVP nobody needs anything else. The reasons people move are usually not about the form editor at all. They are about where the responses end up, who else can read them, and what happens when a data protection officer asks a question about a survey of employees or students.
The second reason is capability. Google Forms covers the standard question types well, but stops before the things a classroom or a conference actually asks for: a word cloud on a projector, a quiz that plays as a live game, or results a room can watch arrive.
Jackpoll compared with Google Forms
| Feature | Jackpoll | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open source — the full source is public | Proprietary |
| Self-hosting | Yes, Docker and Docker Swarm ready | Not offered |
| Where responses are processed | EU-hosted, or your own server | Google's infrastructure |
| Cost model | Free, unlimited surveys and responses | Free with a Google account |
| Live word cloud | Built-in question type with a presenter view | Not a built-in question type |
| Live quiz game | Presenter-paced, phones as buzzers, leaderboard | Not offered |
| Automatic retention rules | Per-survey auto-delete or anonymise | Not offered per form |
About this comparison
This table compares structural properties — licence, hosting model, where data is processed — because those rarely change. It deliberately avoids prices and plan limits, which vendors change without notice. Last reviewed July 2026; check the vendor's current documentation before deciding.
What changes when you switch
The building experience stays familiar — questions, pages, required fields, conditional logic — so nobody needs retraining. What changes is everything around it. You can read the code that processes the answers, run the whole application on a server you control, and set a retention rule that deletes or anonymises responses automatically after a period you choose.
You also gain the formats Google Forms does not have. Live word clouds put a room's answers on a shared screen, quiz mode grades automatically against point values you set, and a live quiz game turns the same questions into a presenter-led round with a leaderboard.
Own the data
EU-hosted, or self-hosted on infrastructure you control.
Retention built in
Auto-delete or anonymise responses after your chosen window.
Formats Forms lacks
Live word clouds, live quiz games, ranking and signature fields.
Live word cloud
A room answers from their phones; the words assemble on the projector.
Live quiz game
Presenter-paced rounds, phones as buzzers, a leaderboard between questions.
Where Google Forms is still the easier answer
If your organisation already lives inside Google Workspace, Forms is one click from a Drive folder and its answers land in a spreadsheet your colleagues already have open. That integration is real and Jackpoll does not replicate it — exports and webhooks are the route out, not a native Sheets link.
The honest summary: choose Forms when the convenience of the Google account outweighs everything else, and choose Jackpoll when you want the same speed without handing the responses to a third party — or when you need a word cloud, a live quiz or a retention policy.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Jackpoll really free like Google Forms?
- Yes, and without response caps. There are no paid tiers; the project is funded by optional supporters and you can also run it yourself at no cost.
- Can I import my existing Google Forms?
- There is no one-click importer. Most people rebuild the form, which is quick because the question types map closely, and templates let you reuse the structure afterwards.
- Is Jackpoll GDPR-compliant?
- It is built for it: consent banners, privacy notices, lawful-basis controls, retention rules, and full data export and erasure for data-subject requests. Self-hosting puts the processing entirely under your own control.
Keep reading
Related pages on the same topic.
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