If you’re responsible for bringing in leads at a B2B company, you know the tools out there all promise the same thing: more, better leads—faster. But if you want to make a smart, realistic choice between Typeform and its competitors, you’ll need to look past the sales pitches and focus on what really matters for your business. This guide will walk you through exactly how to do that—no fluff, just practical advice.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you even open comparison charts or free trial tabs, write down what you’re really trying to solve. Don’t worry about features yet.
Ask yourself: - Are you struggling to get enough leads, or are you drowning in junk contacts? - Do you need to qualify leads before sending them to sales? - Is your sales team begging for more context about each lead? - Are you replacing a tool that’s making life harder, or just starting from scratch? - What’s your real volume—do you get 10 leads a month or 10,000?
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, ask your sales team what info they wish they had about each lead. That’ll tell you a lot about your forms’ job.
Step 2: Know What Typeform Does (and Doesn’t) Do
Typeform’s claim to fame is its slick, conversational forms. People like filling them out because they look good and feel less like homework. Here are the basics:
What works: - Simple, interactive forms that don’t scare people away. - Good for getting more complete answers (not just email addresses). - Tons of integrations: CRMs, email tools, Slack, Zapier, etc. - Easy to embed on your site or share as a link.
What doesn’t: - Not built for super complex logic or huge enterprise data flows. - If you need serious analytics or A/B testing, you'll hit limits. - Gets expensive fast as responses pile up. - Custom design options are limited compared to building your own forms.
Ignore the hype about “AI-powered engagement.” Most leads just want a quick, painless experience—not a chatbot quiz that drags on.
Step 3: Shortlist the Real Alternatives
Everyone says they’re a “lead gen platform,” but here’s who really competes with Typeform for B2B use:
- Google Forms: Free, basic, super reliable. Ugly, but gets the job done for simple needs.
- Jotform: Lots of templates, more design flexibility, good feature set for the price.
- Formstack: Bigger focus on workflow, approvals, and data routing. Costs more, but powerful.
- HubSpot Forms: Part of HubSpot’s CRM. Great if you already use their tools, but not worth it as a standalone.
- SurveyMonkey: More survey-focused, but can do lead gen if you twist its arm.
- Paperform, Cognito Forms, Wufoo: Niche players. Each has quirks, but generally similar to Jotform or Typeform.
What to skip:
- Any “lead gen tool” that’s just a glorified pop-up or cold email blaster. If it feels spammy, your leads will think so too—and so will your deliverability rates.
Step 4: Compare on What Matters (Not Just Features)
Here’s what actually moves the needle in B2B lead gen tools. Make a quick table with these headings for each tool:
1. Form Design & User Experience
- Do the forms look trustworthy?
- Can you customize to match your brand?
- Is it mobile-friendly? (Almost everyone says yes, but test it.)
2. Lead Qualification & Routing
- Can you ask follow-up questions based on answers?
- Is there logic to score or qualify leads before they hit your CRM?
- Can you send leads to the right person or team?
3. Integrations & Workflow
- Does it connect directly to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)?
- Can you automate follow-ups or notifications?
- Is there support for webhooks or Zapier if you need to get creative?
4. Data Ownership & Security
- Who owns the data? (Hint: You should.)
- Is there GDPR/CCPA support if you care about privacy?
- Can you export everything easily, or is it stuck behind a paywall?
5. Pricing & Scalability
- Is pricing per form, per response, or per user? (Watch for hidden costs.)
- Are there limits on responses, integrations, or team members?
- Does the price double when you cross some invisible threshold?
Honest take:
Most teams overpay for features they’ll never use. Unless you’ve got a complicated sales process or serious compliance needs, simple usually wins.
Step 5: Test the Top Two (Not Ten)
Analysis paralysis is real. Once you’ve narrowed it down to 2 (maybe 3) tools, do this:
- Build your main lead form in each tool. Time how long it takes, and note any headaches.
- Run each form live for a week (or as long as you can). Don’t just test with your team—get real leads.
- Check the results for:
- Drop-off rate (how many start but don’t finish)
- Quality of info collected
- Any complaints about the experience
Pro tip:
Send a few test leads through the entire process—form to CRM to sales—to see where it breaks down. Better to find gaps now than after you launch.
Step 6: Watch Out for Hidden Gotchas
Here are the catches most folks miss until it’s too late:
- Response limits: Some tools throttle or charge extra once you hit a certain number of submissions.
- Branding removal: Want to remove their logo? That’s often a paid feature.
- Integrations paywall: The integrations you need may only come with higher plans.
- Data lock-in: Exporting data can be a pain—or cost extra.
- Support quality: Fancy tools are useless if support is slow or unhelpful when something breaks.
Read real reviews (not just the ones on their sites) and ask support a dumb question before you buy. How they respond tells you a lot.
Step 7: Make Your Pick (and Don’t Overthink It)
Perfect doesn’t exist. If you’re stuck between two solid options, flip a coin—seriously. The best tool is the one you’ll actually use and can afford.
- Set a calendar reminder to review how it’s working after a month.
- Tweak your forms as you learn what your sales team really needs.
- Don’t be afraid to switch later. It’s a tool, not a tattoo.
The Bottom Line
Comparing Typeform with other B2B lead gen tools isn’t rocket science, but it does take honest self-assessment and a little hands-on testing. Don’t get dazzled by features you’ll never use or “AI” fluff. Focus on what makes it easier to get quality leads into your sales team’s hands. Pick something simple, iterate as you go, and save yourself the headache of endless comparisons. Good luck!