> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://flexforms.bjanczak.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Write for Filament/Laravel developers buying Flex Forms.
> Be precise: every setting documents what it does and how it works.
> Use Help Center components richly: Steps, Cards, Callouts, Tabs, CodeGroup, Mermaid, Badge for Pro.
> Never invent APIs; match the real Flex Forms package behavior.

# Compare

> When Flex Forms is the right fit versus a custom form stack or an external SaaS form product.

External SaaS form products are strong general tools. Flex Forms targets a narrower job: **your team already runs Filament**, and you want public forms, submissions, and analytics to live in that same application — same login, same policies, same database.

## Two models

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="External form product" icon="external-link">
    Separate vendor UI and storage. You connect exports, webhooks, or paid add-ons to bring answers into your systems.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Flex Forms" icon="layout-dashboard">
    Plugin inside your Filament panel. Submissions, Contacts, and Insights are rows you already back up with the rest of the app.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Delivery options

| | Custom engineering | External form SaaS | Flex Forms |
| - | - | - | - |
| **First published form** | Depends on your roadmap | Fast vendor onboarding | Composer install → Studio → publish |
| **Cost shape** | Engineer time + upkeep | Monthly (often open-ended) | Yearly plans or Lifetime once |
| **Answer storage** | Your DB | Vendor cloud | Your DB |
| **Operator UI** | Custom | Vendor app | Filament panel |
| **Private / restricted networks** | If you build for it | Rarely | Same as your Laravel deploy |

## Operations checklist

| Topic | External SaaS | Flex Forms |
| - | - | - |
| Data residency | Vendor regions / terms | Your infrastructure |
| Who can open the admin | Vendor seats | Existing Filament users & policies |
| Embeds | Usually their CDN / widget | Served from your app |
| CRM / webhooks | Often plan-gated | Included — [Integrations](/integrations/overview) |
| Multi-page, logic, formulas | Varies by vendor | Included — [Logic & calculated](/guides/logic-and-calculated) |
| Analytics | Vendor dashboards | [Insights](/guides/reading-insights) in-panel |
| Commercial model | Usage / seat subscriptions | Standard **$99** · Pro **$199** · Enterprise **$799** / year, or Lifetime **$899** — [Plans](/plans/overview) |

## Rough multi-year spend (hosted vs Lifetime)

Use this only as a planning sketch against **public list prices**. Your real SaaS invoice may differ (discounts, taxes, annual billing).

| Option | Rough monthly list | \~60 months | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Hosted form SaaS (entry tier) | \~\$29 | \~\$1,740 | Vendor-hosted |
| Hosted form SaaS (business tier) | \~\$99 | \~\$5,940 | Vendor-hosted |
| Hosted form SaaS (mid tier) | \~\$39 | \~\$2,340 | Vendor-hosted |
| **Flex Forms Lifetime** | — | **\$899** | In your Filament app; Pro features; **10** activations; ongoing package updates |

<Info>
  Illustrative 2026 public tiers — verify on each vendor’s pricing page. Yearly Flex Forms subscriptions remain available if Lifetime is not the right purchase — [Plans & Pricing](/plans/overview).
</Info>

<Tip>
  No Filament panel? An external builder is usually simpler. Flex Forms assumes Filament is already your admin layer.
</Tip>

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I migrate existing forms from another builder?">
    There is no automated importer today. Recreate the form in Studio and point traffic at the new fill link or embed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which field types are included?">
    Rating, NPS, file upload, currency, voice notes, and the rest of the [Blocks catalog](/features/blocks/overview). Card payments use [Stripe](/integrations/stripe) via the Payment block. PayPal and ranking fields are not included.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Panel>
  **Next:** [Plans & Pricing](/plans/overview) · [Compare plans](/plans/standard-pro-enterprise) · [Features overview](/features/forms/overview) · [Integrations](/integrations/overview)
</Panel>


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