Compare a Netlify Forms alternative that keeps your form on any host
Netlify Forms is built into Netlify: its build system detects forms marked data-netlify at deploy time, and on credit-based plans Netlify says Forms are free and unlimited. If your site stays on Netlify, that's hard to beat on price. FormThunder suits forms that need to work on any host, or that an AI agent should set up. Checked November 2026.
FormThunder and Netlify Forms side by side
Checked November 2026, from docs.netlify.com forms. Check their page for current numbers. "Not listed" means we couldn't find it on that page.
| FormThunder | Netlify Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 250 submissions a month | "For credit-based plans, Forms are free and unlimited" |
| Paid plans (submissions a month) | Pro $12/mo: 10,000. Agency $39/mo: 20,000 | Legacy plans are metered per site. See Netlify's billing docs |
| MCP server | Yes, on every plan | Not listed in the Forms docs we read |
| CLI | Yes, on every plan | Not listed in the Forms docs we read |
| Client accounts and billing | Unlimited free client accounts on Agency, billed through your Stripe | Not listed in the Forms docs we read |
Which one fits you
Netlify Forms may suit you better if
- Your site is on Netlify and will stay there. There's no key to manage and nothing to add beyond an attribute.
- You're on a credit-based plan and want unlimited form submissions without another bill.
FormThunder may suit you better if
- You host on Vercel, Cloudflare, GitHub Pages or a mix, and want one form backend across them.
- You need signed webhooks with visible retries, or a branded email template.
- You want an AI agent to configure it, or you run forms for clients.
Moving from Netlify Forms
- Remove
data-netlify="true"from the form, or Netlify's build will keep rewriting it. - Set the form's
actiontohttps://formthunder.com/submitandmethodtoPOST, and add a hiddenaccess_keyfield. - Remove the
form-namehidden field if you added one by hand.
Questions
What limits does Netlify list for file uploads?
Its forms docs list one file per upload field, a maximum request size of 8 MB and a 30-second timeout on uploads.
Can I use FormThunder on a site hosted on Netlify?
Yes. Leave out the data-netlify attribute and Netlify ignores the form.
Try it on one form
The free plan covers 250 submissions a month, with MCP and the CLI included.