Typeform

Polished one-question-at-a-time forms, surveys, quizzes, and lead capture

KINDA · partial replacement
price $39/mosubscription / year $468estimated build time weekendreplaced by 0 people

A one-question form UI is easy, but Typeform's respondent UX, templates, analytics, integrations, anti-spam, payments, and scale justify a kinda.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • template quality
  • completion UX
  • analytics
  • integrations
  • conditional logic polish
  • payments
  • spam controls

Why people still pay

They pay because the form looks good and converts without custom QA.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • A supported Node release, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for a shared deployment, and a backup destination. Begin with one workspace and explicit owner/member permissions.
  • Implementation components: Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations. PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace. A versioned JSON form schema shared by a controlled builder, public renderer and server-side validator.
  • Scope boundary: template quality; completion UX
01
Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations.
02
PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
03
A versioned JSON form schema shared by a controlled builder, public renderer and server-side validator.
04
Domain model: versioned form definitions, ordered questions, branch rules, respondent sessions and completed responses
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Author a conversational form and render one question at a time with keyboard navigation, progress and a back action. Validate branching on the server, store completed responses and export CSV safely. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: template quality; completion UX

2

Phase 2

Durable model. Model versioned form definitions, ordered questions, branch rules, respondent sessions and completed responses Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Back navigation cannot leak answers from an abandoned branch into a final submission; public form access does not grant response access.

3

Phase 3

Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.

4

Phase 4

Permissions and integration failure. Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Apply per-form submission limits and spam controls; keep responses private and separate public form IDs from management permissions. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.

5

Phase 5

Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.

6

Phase 6

Acceptance scenarios. Change an early answer and clear newly hidden dependent answers; a spreadsheet export neutralizes formula-leading text supplied by a respondent. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
WORKING SLICE
Author a conversational form and render one question at a time with keyboard navigation, progress and a back action. Validate branching on the server, store completed responses and export CSV safely.

Build this scoped Typeform-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations.
- PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
- A versioned JSON form schema shared by a controlled builder, public renderer and server-side validator.

Prerequisites and limits
A supported Node release, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for a shared deployment, and a backup destination. Begin with one workspace and explicit owner/member permissions.
Outside this release: template quality; completion UX

Data model and correctness
versioned form definitions, ordered questions, branch rules, respondent sessions and completed responses
Invariant: Back navigation cannot leak answers from an abandoned branch into a final submission; public form access does not grant response access.
Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.

Security and privacy
Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Apply per-form submission limits and spam controls; keep responses private and separate public form IDs from management permissions.

Recovery and export
Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Author a conversational form and render one question at a time with keyboard navigation, progress and a back action. Validate branching on the server, store completed responses and export CSV safely. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: template quality; completion UX
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model versioned form definitions, ordered questions, branch rules, respondent sessions and completed responses Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Back navigation cannot leak answers from an abandoned branch into a final submission; public form access does not grant response access.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Apply per-form submission limits and spam controls; keep responses private and separate public form IDs from management permissions. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Change an early answer and clear newly hidden dependent answers; a spreadsheet export neutralizes formula-leading text supplied by a respondent. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Change an early answer and clear newly hidden dependent answers; a spreadsheet export neutralizes formula-leading text supplied by a respondent.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [vercel-composition-patterns](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/composition-patterns/SKILL.md) — Design reusable React components with composition, context and explicit component variants. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [supabase-postgres-best-practices](https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/supabase-postgres-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: versioned form definitions, ordered questions, branch rules, respondent sessions and completed responses
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Back navigation cannot leak answers from an abandoned branch into a final submission; public form access does not grant response access.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Change an early answer and clear newly hidden dependent answers; a spreadsheet export neutralizes formula-leading text supplied by a respondent.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

HeyFormTypeform's manners, minus the monthly rent8.9kjul 2026open source↗OpnFormOpen-source forms with unlimited respondents; the free self-hosted builder team stops at two3.5kaug 2026open source↗TypebotConversational forms with serious branching; free to self-host under a fair-source licence$0free↗

all 4 free alternatives to Typeform →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Typeform pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0/workspace$0/workspaceUnlimited forms; 10 responses/month across the account; 1 user.
basic$39/workspace$28/workspace100 responses/month; 1 user; response add-ons can raise the cap to 750/month.
plus$79/workspace$56/workspace1,000 responses/month; 3 users; response add-ons can raise the cap to 2,500/month.
business$129/workspace$91/workspace10,000 responses/month; 5 users; response add-ons can raise the cap to 50,000/month.
growth flow$379/workspace$266/workspace10,000 responses/month; 5 users; 1,500 enrichment actions/month; add-ons can raise responses to 50,000 and enrichment to 5,000/month.
talent$169/workspace$119/workspace3,000 responses/month; 3 users; 4,500 video views/month; 1,500 video answers/month; add-ons can raise responses to 7,500/month.
enterprise——Custom responses, seats, security, support and service levels.Quote required.
research flow——Custom research responses, seats, workflows and service levels.Quote required.

free tierUnlimited forms; 10 responses/month across the account; 1 user.

billingMonthly + annual; annual prices are billed yearly. The live page also contained a lower duplicate comparison table with older/conflicting prices, so the primary current pricing cards were used.

hidden costsContacts & Automations add-ons cost $25/month for 2,400 actions or $75/month for 12,000 actions, with plan eligibility restrictions; response add-on rates are not public; counters reset monthly even on annual plans; the Growth trial requires a card and can auto-convert to paid.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Typeform

Can you build your own Typeform with AI?

Partly. A one-question form UI is easy, but Typeform's respondent UX, templates, analytics, integrations, anti-spam, payments, and scale justify a kinda.

What does the Typeform build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Author a conversational form and render one question at a time with keyboard navigation, progress and a back action. Validate branching on the server, store completed responses and export CSV safely. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: template quality; completion UX; analytics. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Typeform prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Typeform project take?

The catalogue estimate is weekend for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Typeform?

template quality; completion UX; analytics; integrations; conditional logic polish; payments; spam controls. They pay because the form looks good and converts without custom QA.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Basic plan is $39/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-30. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Typeform?

HeyForm: Typeform's manners, minus the monthly rent. OpnForm: Open-source forms with unlimited respondents; the free self-hosted builder team stops at two. Typebot: Conversational forms with serious branching; free to self-host under a fair-source licence. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/typeform/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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