If you work in a B2B team, you know the drill: too many tools, too many emails, and way too many manual steps just to get basic info from A to B. You’ve probably heard about Formstack, the “no-code workflow automation platform” that claims to make all this painless. But does it actually do the job for go-to-market (GTM) teams—sales, marketing, customer success—who need their processes running smoothly, not just “digitized”? That’s what we’re digging into here.
This guide is for busy GTM and ops folks who want the honest lowdown—what Formstack nails, where it stumbles, and what’s just marketing fluff. If you’re deciding whether to invest your team’s time (and budget), read on.
What Is Formstack? (The 2-Minute Version)
Formstack started out as an online form builder, but it’s grown into a bigger platform that covers forms, document generation, e-signatures, and some workflow automation. The real pitch is “get rid of repetitive manual work by automating how info moves between people and systems.” In theory, that means you can spend less time on admin and more time actually selling, marketing, or supporting customers.
The platform’s main modules:
- Forms: Drag-and-drop builder for web forms (think lead capture, internal requests, surveys)
- Documents: Automatically generate docs (contracts, proposals, etc.) from your data
- Sign: Built-in e-signature solution—no need for DocuSign if your needs are simple
- Workflows: Connect forms, docs, and signatures so you can automate multi-step processes
You can buy these separately or as a bundle, depending on what you actually need.
Where Formstack Fits for B2B GTM Teams
Let’s be clear: Formstack isn’t trying to replace your CRM, marketing automation, or help desk platform. Instead, it’s a sort of “glue” for processes that span multiple systems, teams, or steps. Some typical B2B use cases:
- Lead routing: Capture leads on your site, qualify them, and route to the right rep
- Contract generation: Auto-fill NDAs, SOWs, or order forms and send them for signature
- Onboarding checklists: Collect info from new clients, trigger tasks for your team, and send welcome docs
- Internal approvals: Route budget requests, content approvals, or event plans for sign-off
If you’re cobbling together spreadsheets, PDFs, and emails to do any of this, Formstack can probably help. But if you’re looking for deep CRM automation or advanced marketing journeys, it’s not the right tool.
The Good: What Formstack Actually Does Well
Let’s cut to the chase—here’s where Formstack shines for B2B teams:
1. Fast, Flexible Form Building
- Drag-and-drop form builder is genuinely easy to use.
- Logic and branching (show/hide fields, conditional routing) work as advertised.
- No need to wait for IT or a developer—most GTM folks can build what they need.
2. Document Automation That’s Actually Useful
- You can turn form submissions into polished documents—contracts, proposals, even invoices.
- Templates are easy to update, and you can pull in data from CRMs, spreadsheets, or APIs.
- If you’re still copy-pasting into Word docs, this is a huge step up.
3. Simple E-signatures Built In
- Native e-signature works for basic needs (NDAs, order forms, HR docs).
- No extra per-envelope fees like DocuSign or Adobe Sign.
- If you don’t need “wet ink” style compliance, it’s enough.
4. Decent Integrations—If You Stay in the Mainstream
- Good out-of-the-box connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Slack, etc.
- Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) can fill some gaps.
- Webhooks and API are there if you have developer resources.
5. No-Code Automation
- You can set up multi-step workflows (e.g., submit a form → generate a doc → send for approval → notify someone in Slack).
- Visual workflow builder keeps things understandable for non-technical folks.
Pro Tip: Start with a single process to automate. Trying to “boil the ocean” with 10 new workflows at once usually leads to frustration.
The Not-So-Good: Where Formstack Falls Short
Now for the honest part—Formstack isn’t magic, and there are some real limits.
1. Pricing Gets Tricky—Especially as You Scale
- The per-user/per-module pricing adds up fast, especially if you want Forms and Documents and Sign.
- Some integrations and advanced features are only on higher-tier plans.
- You may end up with “shadow IT” as teams buy their own licenses to avoid waiting on admins.
2. Workflow Automation: Good, Not Great
- It’s fine for straightforward, linear flows (Request → Approval → Doc → Signature).
- For complex branching, dynamic assignments, or heavy data validation, you’ll hit limits.
- No-code tools are powerful, but they’re not a replacement for true BPM (Business Process Management) suites.
3. Integrations Can Be Surface-Level
- Yes, it connects to Salesforce/HubSpot—but mapping fields and handling complex data structures can be clunky.
- Error handling and data sync aren’t always robust. If something fails, you might not know until a user complains.
- For deep bi-directional sync, you’ll need developer help, or you’ll have to live with workarounds.
4. Design: Functional, Not Beautiful
- Forms and docs look “good enough” but can feel generic. Great for internal use, less so if you care about pixel-perfect branding.
- Custom CSS is possible but fiddly.
5. Support and Documentation: Mixed Bag
- Response times are decent, but don’t expect white-glove onboarding unless you’re a big enterprise account.
- Community forums and help docs are there, but not as deep as some competitors.
Watch Out: If your process is mission-critical and the workflow breaks, support may not move fast enough for you.
How to Get Real Value from Formstack in a B2B GTM Team
Here’s a practical approach if you’re considering Formstack:
1. Map Out Your Real (Not Idealized) Processes
- Write down the actual steps people take—from lead capture to contract to onboarding.
- Identify where info gets lost, delays happen, or things get done manually.
2. Start with the Ugliest, Most Manual Process
- Pick one process that chews up the most time (e.g., getting NDAs signed, or routing new client intake forms).
- Pilot Formstack here. Don’t try to automate everything at once.
3. Build a Simple MVP Workflow
- Use Formstack’s drag-and-drop builder to create your form.
- Set up document templates for any output (contracts, SOWs, etc.).
- Add a basic signature step if needed.
- Test with a real user—see where it breaks or confuses people.
4. Connect to Your Core Tools—But Be Realistic
- Use built-in integrations for simple pushes/pulls (e.g., add new leads to Salesforce).
- For anything fancy (multi-object mapping, custom notifications), expect some trial and error.
- Don’t rely on Formstack as your “source of truth”—always sync to your main CRM or system of record.
5. Iterate, Don’t Overengineer
- Once your first workflow is running smoothly, ask users what still feels clunky.
- Make small improvements, add more automation only if it actually saves time.
- Avoid the temptation to automate “just because you can.”
What to Ignore (For Most B2B Teams)
- AI-Powered Features: As of now, Formstack’s AI tools are mostly basic (think autofill suggestions). Don’t expect true AI-driven automation.
- Advanced Analytics: Reporting is fine for basic stats (how many submissions, average approval time), but it’s not a BI tool.
- Mobile Apps: The web interface is responsive, but if you need a true mobile-first experience, look elsewhere.
Alternatives Worth Considering
If you’re not sold on Formstack, or you hit its limits, here are some alternatives:
- Jotform: Cheaper forms, less workflow power.
- PandaDoc or DocuSign: Better for advanced document workflows and e-signature.
- Pipefy or Kissflow: More robust workflow automation, but with a steeper learning curve.
- Zapier/Make: For connecting lots of tools with more flexibility, if you’re comfortable getting technical.
Bottom Line: Should B2B GTM Teams Use Formstack?
Formstack is a solid, practical tool if you’re drowning in manual processes and need to string together forms, documents, and signatures without coding. It’s not a miracle cure, and it’s not going to replace your CRM or marketing automation anytime soon. But if you pick a real, painful process and automate that, you’ll get value without overcomplicating your stack.
Keep it simple. Start small. Iterate. The goal isn’t to automate everything—just to stop wasting time on the stuff that shouldn’t need a human in the loop.
If you’re a GTM leader tired of spreadsheets and email ping-pong, Formstack is worth a try—just keep your expectations grounded, and don’t buy more than you actually need.