Google Forms alternative, GDPR compliant

Google Forms costs nothing and writes answers straight into Google Sheets. For a form filled in by people in the EU there are two catches. With a personal Google account you get no DPA; that needs Google Workspace. And you can only choose EU storage in Workspace from Business Standard. File uploads also only work if visitors sign in to Google.

Mailiy and Google Forms compared

Feature	Mailiy	Google Forms
Operator	26LAB.IO, Mettmann (Germany)	Google Ireland Limited (for personal accounts in the EU)
Server location	Hetzner in Germany, own mail server	Google data centers; EU data region only in Workspace from Business Standard
Storing submissions	Encrypted, retention of your choice down to “Don't store”	Yes, in the form, until you delete answers
Free	250 submissions a month, 1 website	No fee with a Google account, up to 500,000 answers per form
Paid plans	From €9 a month	Only through Google Workspace, priced per user
Spam protection	Honeypot, rate limits, content filter, optional captcha (self-hosted ALTCHA, hCaptcha; Turnstile and reCAPTCHA from Developer)	No captcha; access can be limited to a domain or group
File uploads	Up to 5 files, 10 MB, encrypted in the EU	Only with a Google sign-in, stored in Google Drive
Webhooks	From Developer	None; only through Apps Script or Pub/Sub
DPA under Art. 28 GDPR	Concluded when you sign up	Only with Google Workspace (Cloud Data Processing Addendum), not with a personal account

As of 6 November 2026, based on the provider's public pages. Prices and plans change, so check them there before you switch: knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/compliance/choose-a-geographic-location-for-your-data, cloud.google.com/terms/data-processing-addendum.

When Google Forms is the better fit

You need an internal form that only people in your Workspace domain fill in.
You already work in Google Sheets and Apps Script and have a Workspace contract with a DPA.
You expect a very large number of answers on one form and don't want to pay.

Switch from Google Forms to Mailiy

Create a free account, then under “New form” pick “Hosted by Mailiy” and “In the editor”.
Rebuild the questions from Google Forms with the blocks: text, email, choice, date, file, rating and more. Set conditions per field under “Only show when”.
Publish the page. You get a link, a QR code and an iframe embed code.
Replace the old Google Forms link or embed on your website, in emails and on flyers.

Every block, condition and payment option is described in the hosted form docs. If you have your own website, you can also build the form in HTML yourself; the guides show how.

Before you cancel

After the change, send a test message and check that it reaches your inbox and the dashboard.
Enter the domains the form may send from in the dashboard.
If you used webhooks or Zapier flows with Google Forms, set them up again in Mailiy. From the Developer plan, Slack, Discord and Telegram are built in, and everything else runs through a webhook.
Update your privacy policy and name Mailiy as the recipient of form data.
Cancel Google Forms only after the new form has run for a few days without problems.

What matters when comparing

Server location and operator

A contact form transfers names, email addresses and often more. If the provider sits outside the EU or stores data there, you need a legal basis for the transfer to a third country and have to name it in your privacy policy. With a provider based and hosted in Germany, that step goes away.

Storage

Many services keep every submission so you can see it in a dashboard. That is handy, but it adds to the data you have to protect and delete at some point. Check whether you can set the retention yourself or switch storage off entirely.

Limits on the free plan

The number of submissions is rarely the problem. More often the free plan lacks uploads, custom redirects or a way to remove the branding. Check which feature you actually need before you decide on price. On Mailiy the Free plan has uploads and custom redirects too. You remove the branding from Developer with a €9 a month add-on, and Agency Plus has none.

Spam protection

A honeypot stops most bots without visitors noticing. Captchas help against persistent spam but cost conversions and often load third-party scripts. A good service lets you add a captcha only when you need one.

What else a contact form needs for the GDPR is covered in the GDPR checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Google Forms's servers?

Google data centers; EU data region only in Workspace from Business Standard. Mailiy: Hetzner in Germany, own mail server.

How much does Google Forms cost?

Free: No fee with a Google account, up to 500,000 answers per form. Paid: Only through Google Workspace, priced per user. As of 6 November 2026.

Do I have to rebuild my form to switch from Google Forms?

Yes. Mailiy does not import forms from Google Forms, so you rebuild the questions in the editor. A form holds up to 50 fields. Conditions work on every plan; multi-page forms, signatures and calculations need Developer.

Can I bring my old submissions over from Google Forms?

Yes, from the Agency plan, if you have them as a CSV file. Export them from Google Forms before you cancel and import the file in the form's Submissions tab. On smaller plans, keep the file separately. Mailiy collects new submissions from the first test on.

Do I need a new DPA with Mailiy?

Yes, because Mailiy processes your visitors' data on your behalf. The DPA is concluded when you sign up, so there is nothing to print or sign. In your privacy policy, replace the old provider with Mailiy.

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