A Comparison of Static Form Providers

Let's explore the world of "Static Form Providers." These services handle the backend complexities of your HTML forms, freeing you from the burden of validation, storage, notifications, and API integrations. While often subscription-based (monthly or annual), their cost typically undercuts more comprehensive form builders that include front-end design tools.

This article compares several popular static form providers:

• Kwes
• Basin
• FieldGoal
• Formcarry
• FormKeep
• Formspree
• FormSubmit
• formX
• Getform
• Netlify Forms

Note: Feature comparisons are based on website information and provider confirmations. Thanks to Kwes, FormKeep, Formspree, FormSubmit, formX, and Netlify Forms for verifying details.

Form Construction, Validation & Spam Filtering

Provider	Custom Components	Front-End Validation	Back-End Validation
Kwes	✅	✅	✅
Basin	❌	❌	❌
FieldGoal	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
FormCarry	❌	❌	❌
FormKeep	✅	❌	❌
Formspree	❌	❌	❌
FormSubmit	❌	❌	❌
formX	❌	❌	❌
Getform	❌	❌	❌
Netlify Forms	❌	❌	❌

Most providers require adding custom HTML attributes to your form elements (text inputs, textareas, etc.). The form's action attribute points to the provider's URL for submission and processing. FormKeep offers a form designer, but otherwise, styling is your responsibility. Kwes and FormKeep uniquely support custom components. Only Kwes provides front-end and back-end validation, enhancing security. Others rely on HTML5 validation and spam protection.

Provider	Spam Protection
Kwes	AI, Honeypot, Blacklists, Proprietary Tech
Basin	Akismet, CleanTalk, reCAPTCHA, Honeypot
FieldGoal	Provided, details unconfirmed
FormCarry	Akismet, reCAPTCHA
FormKeep	Provided, details unconfirmed
Formspree	Akismet, Profanity Filter, Authorized Domains, Custom reCAPTCHA, Honeypot, Custom Filtering
FormSubmit	reCAPTCHA, Honeypot
formX	reCAPTCHA, Honeypot
Getform	Akismet, reCAPTCHA
Netlify Forms	Akismet, reCAPTCHA, Honeypot

Kwes boasts a 99.6% spam block rate without extra setup. All providers offer spam protection, employing various methods (reCAPTCHA, Akismet, honeypots, AI). Remember that additional security measures might slightly impact submission rates.

Notifications, Branding & Redirects

Provider	Confirmations	Notifications	Email Routing
Kwes	✅	✅	✅
Basin	✅	✅	✅
FieldGoal	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
FormCarry	✅	✅	✅
FormKeep	✅	✅	✅
Formspree	✅	✅	✅
FormSubmit	✅	✅	✅
formX	✅	✅	✅
Getform	✅	✅	✅
Netlify Forms	✅	✅	✅

Email confirmations are crucial for user experience. All providers (except FieldGoal) offer confirmations, notifications, and email routing. Some also support alternative notifications (push, Slack).

Provider	White Label	Custom Redirects
Kwes	✅	✅
Basin	✅	✅
FieldGoal	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
FormCarry	✅	✅
FormKeep	✅	✅
Formspree	✅	✅
FormSubmit	✅	✅
formX	✅	✅
Getform	✅	✅
Netlify Forms	✅	✅

White labeling allows for branded communications. All providers (except potentially FieldGoal) support this, enhancing brand consistency. Custom redirects improve user flow after submission; most providers offer this (again, FieldGoal's status is unconfirmed).

File Storage, Data Export & API Access

Provider	Upload Storage
Kwes	200MB/file, 20GB total
Basin	100MB/submission
FieldGoal	Amazon S3
FormCarry	5MB/file, 5GB total
FormKeep	2.5GB total
Formspree	10MB/file, 10GB total
FormSubmit	Included, amounts unconfirmed
formX	❌
Getform	25MB/submission, 25GB total
Netlify Forms	1GB total

File storage varies significantly. formX lacks this feature. Limits on individual file sizes and total submission sizes are crucial considerations.

Provider	Data Export	API Access
Kwes	✅	✅
Basin	✅	✅
FieldGoal	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
FormCarry	✅	✅
FormKeep	✅	✅
Formspree	✅	✅
FormSubmit	✅	✅
formX	✅	On demand
Getform	✅	❌
Netlify Forms	✅	✅

Data export (CSV, JSON) is essential for analysis and integration. Most providers support this. API access is vital for custom integrations; Getform is the exception, while formX offers it on demand.

Webhooks, Zapier & Analytics

Provider	Webhooks	Zapier
Kwes	✅	✅
Basin	✅	✅
FieldGoal	Unconfirmed	✅
FormCarry	✅	✅
FormKeep	✅	✅
Formspree	✅	✅
FormSubmit	✅	❌
formX	✅	✅
Getform	✅	✅
Netlify Forms	✅	✅

Webhooks and Zapier integration facilitate third-party connections. FormSubmit is the only provider without Zapier support.

Provider	Analytics
Kwes	❌
Basin	✅
FieldGoal	Unconfirmed
FormCarry	❌
FormKeep	✅
Formspree	❌
FormSubmit	❌
formX	✅
Getform	❌
Netlify Forms	❌

Analytics dashboards provide valuable insights into form performance. This feature is less common, with only Basin, FormKeep, and formX offering it.

Pricing

(Detailed pricing table omitted for brevity, but original table should be included here for completeness. It would be beneficial to summarize key pricing tiers and features across providers).

Conclusion

Static form providers simplify form integration for static sites. Key features include spam protection, email notifications, and data management capabilities. Consider your specific needs (custom components, validation, analytics) when selecting a provider. The author's personal preference is Kwes, highlighting its strengths in spam protection, usability, and comprehensive validation. Remember to thoroughly evaluate your requirements before making a decision.

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