When it comes to free form tools, these are the first two names. Both are generous enough to shame Typeform, but they're strong in different places: Tally leads with its unlimited free plan, Fillout with feature depth. Short answer: Tally for maximum free volume, Fillout for power like payments and Airtable/Notion.
The details below come from both tools' own pages and independent comparisons; all sourced. I'm a Fillout affiliate, but I name clearly where Tally wins too.
When Tally is the better pick
Let's be fair: it's hard to beat Tally on free-plan generosity. Unlimited forms and responses (within high fair-use limits), conditional logic, scoring and integrations — all free. If you live in Notion, want to spin up forms from the keyboard and embed them in docs, and volume is the priority, Tally is a great pick, especially for indie hackers and early-stage startups.
When Fillout wins
Fillout pulls ahead on feature depth: taking payments through the form, working bidirectionally with Airtable and Notion (it doesn't just write, it reads too), more field types, white-label and advanced automation. With 1,000 responses a month on the free plan, most of that power is already on. So if you're building applications, paid registrations or an Airtable-connected operation, Fillout is the sturdier pick.
| Fillout | Tally | |
|---|---|---|
| Free responses | 1,000/mo | Unlimited (fair use) |
| Take payments | Yes (free) | Yes |
| Airtable / Notion | Bidirectional | Notion embed |
| Strongest at | Feature depth | Most generous free |
If payments and Airtable are your thing: Fillout.
Open your Fillout account through my link — 1,000 responses, payments and conditional logic on the free plan. At no extra cost to you.