GOV.UK Forms Alternative

SmartSurvey is the leading survey and form software in the United Kingdom. The platform has over half a million users and is trusted by central government departments, executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies, numerous NHS trusts and local authorities.

We’re trusted by 100s of Public Sector Departments

Cabinet Office logo.
Ministry of Justice logo.
Bristol City Council logo.
NHS England logo.
Welsh Government logo.
Devon County Council logo.
Ofsted logo.

The No. 1 alternative to GOV.UK Forms

Looking for an alternative to GOV.UK forms? You’re not alone. GOV forms biggest drawback is the basic feature set, which makes it unsuitable for more complex projects. You’re likely here because you’ve encountered that functionality barrier! We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to SmartSurvey and explore some of our features and why we're a trusted partner for the public sector.

SmartSurvey is built on Enterprise architecture to handle high volume responses. We ensure top-tier security, performance, and availability as standard with all data stored in the UK. We are ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials accredited company, we are also an approved supplier under the Crown Commercial Service.

Try SmartSurvey today – it’s completely risk-free.

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SmartSurvey vs. GOV.UK Forms – comparing the main features

When looking at an alternative solution it’s important to see how the features stack up side by side. To give you a better idea of what you can expect from SmartSurvey in comparison to Gov Forms, we’ve compiled a table where we’ve put both platforms’ main features head to head.
Main features
Gov Forms
SmartSurvey
Easy to use:
Both SmartSurvey and Gov Forms are designed so that users without technical knowledge can easily create forms.
Accessible:
Both SmartSurvey and Gov Forms have taken the necessary steps to meet the accessibility requirements of the public sector. That way, respondents with disabilities can also have their voices heard in full.
Safe & secure:
SmartSurvey and Gov Forms conform to the latest cyber security standards, making the platforms extremely safe and secure.
Simple reporting & analytics:
Both platforms offer users simple analytical and reporting features. That way, users can keep track of respondents and any incoming data that comes from their survey, form, or questionnaire.
All data is stored in the UK:
As both SmartSurvey and Gov Forms operate entirely within the UK, all user data will be collected, processed, and stored in the United Kingdom.
Advanced skip logic:
Advanced skip logic: Unlike Gov Forms, using SmartSurvey, users can take advantage of skip logic, randomization, scoring, and piping to ask each respondent the most relevant questions improving response rates and data quality.
Advanced reporting & analytics:
SmartSurvey allows survey makers to set very specific parameters and filter through their survey results to access important text analysis & statistical data.
Advanced question types:
SmartSurvey users can choose from 20+ different question types with specific question types like NPS and CSAT auto calculating results to track key metrics and monitor KPIS
Save & continue:
SmartSurvey allows your respondents the convenience of saving and exiting at any time. That way, the respondent can choose when to complete your survey or form, boosting both the respondent satisfaction and the quality of the results that you’ll get.
Dashboards and Sentiment Analysis
Dashboards make your survey data easy to understand, visualize trends and insights; real-time sentiment analysis flags negative feedback for proactive action
Offline surveys:
Unlike Gov Forms, using SmartSurvey, surveys can be run offline in places without direct, or poor access to the internet.
Telephone & live chat support:
All SmartSurvey users can get in touch with our dedicated customer support team via email, over the phone from 9:00am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, via ticket or live chat in app.
White label branding &domain:
Customize every last detail of your survey and make it look and feel like it’s coming directly from your organization. You’ll see an increase in respondents' trust, which will lead to higher engagement and better results.
Available to everyone:
Unlike Gov Forms, which is only available to the central government, SmartSurvey is available to all, regardless if you’re the government or an organization that isn’t directly linked to them.
Schedule & send survey results automatically:
Using SmartSurvey’s scheduling tool, you can automate the survey results so that once they come in, they will be sent to all the right people automatically.
Notice an error in our comparison data? Please let us know.

It's not just about features...  

Find out why the SmartSurvey platform
and service offering is loved by our Public Sector

All user data is stored in the UK

The SmartSurvey platform and all our staff operate entirely from the United Kingdom. SmartSurvey also has no subsidiaries abroad, meaning that none of the user data that goes through the software is subject to FISA and other third-country data laws and regulations. As a result, not only will all user data collected by SmartSurvey be processed and stored in the United Kingdom, but it won’t be at risk of ever leaving the country either.

Extremely safe & secure

SmartSurvey is one of the most safe and secure survey platforms on the internet. And it’s easy to see why. SmartSurvey conforms to the ISO 27001 standard, is Cyber Security Plus accredited, and vets all its staff to the robust BS7858 standard. As a result of the extensive security measures the platform has taken, SmartSurvey’s current SecurityScorecard rating sits at 98 out of 100. This is higher than the large majority of Gov Forms alternatives out there.

Feature-rich yet easy-to-use

SmartSurvey is one of the very few Gov Forms alternatives that offers users a robust set of features without making the platform difficult to use. That way, anyone with or without prior knowledge of using survey or form software can find their way around, create, distribute, and analyze their surveys with ease.

No limits

Using SmartSurvey, users can create unlimited surveys, add as many questions as they want, and get as many responses as they need at no extra cost. So, whether you’re looking at creating a small-scale one-off survey or a large-scale ongoing survey, you don’t need to worry about going over your budget.

White label branding

Users can customize every aspect of their survey, ranging from the colors and the fonts all the way down to the domain the survey is hosted on. If you’re a government body or an organization dealing with the public, trust is essential. With custom domains and spot on branding your audience will feel confident to complete their survey or form.

Excellent customer service

We make it as easy as possible for users to get in touch our support team. This include phone, live chat, email and ticket support. For users on Enterprise plans, you’ll have your very own dedicated account manager and access to our Customer Success, who will be there to help you with everything, on-demand.

Save & continue

SmartSurvey’s ‘save & continue’ feature allows your respondents to save their progress, exit your survey, and complete it at a time that’s suitable for them. This will lead to higher respondent satisfaction, increased engagement, and better overall results.

WCAG compliant

Using SmartSurvey, users can create accessible surveys, forms, and questionnaires so people with disabilities can also have their voices heard. This includes people who can’t use a mouse or a keyboard or require the use of devices such as screen readers. As of 2023, SmartSurvey is fully WCAG 2.0 compliant and is working hard towards achieving WCAG 2.1 compliance.

Let’s explore some key features that SmartSurvey offers, which are not available in GOV.UK Forms

There's a wealth of functionality we can't fully explore here, but here are 5 feature highlights that showcase what sets us apart. If you want to see all out functionality head to our features page.

Question types & skip logic

Using SmartSurvey, you can tailor your form, survey, or questionnaire so you can extract just the right type of information you need from your respondents. To help you do that, you can choose from over 20 different question types, ranging from multiple-choice and open & closed questions to CSAT, CES, and NPS.

Not only that, but when creating your survey, form, or questionnaire, you can implement advanced skip logic. These include randomization, scoring, and piping, and allow you to ask each respondent the most relevant questions for them.

In other words, by taking advantage of SmartSurvey’s advanced question types and skip logic, you can create the perfect survey that allows you to get the exact results you need.

White-label branding

Working in the Public sector its imperative that your surveys and forms appear trustworthy in the eyes of your respondents.

SmartSurvey allows you to white-label every part of your survey, form, or questionnaire, right down to the last detail. Some examples include:

  • The colors, fonts, and the overall theme
  • The logo & general branding
  • The URL where the survey or form is hosted and the thankyou page
  • The email domain that the survey or form is sent from

Reporting & analytics

Gov Forms has basic reporting features which can provide you with limited analytical capability. SmartSurvey on the other hand has one of the most powerful reporting and analytics features on the market to help you uncover insight fast and monitor trends and ongoing KPIs and Metrics.

All reporting is updated in real time. You have access to multiple filters and charts types as well as text and sentiment analysis. Our dashboards enable you to build your own dynamic reports using a multitude if graphs enabling you to make sense of and compare results as well as track and monitor trends and KPIS and share data seamlessly with teams.


Customer service

While users can contact the customer service team of GOV.UK Forms via email, immediate help is not available. In contrast at SmartSurvey we offer a range of ways to connect with our team to get the help you need. From 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (Mon-Fri), users can reach our dedicated support team via email, ticket, phone or live chat. Additionally, Enterprise plan users have access to a dedicated account manager for personalized, priority support whenever needed.

The importance of choosing a UK-based GOV.UK Forms alternative

If your organization is based in the United Kingdom and you use a Gov Forms alternative that is based abroad, there are no guarantees that your data will be stored in the UK. This is largely because user data collected by software that is based abroad will be subject to the data protection laws and regulations of that country.

If we take a US-based Gov Forms alternative as an example, all user data collected by the said software will be subject to the s702 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, also known as FISA. What this means is that U.S. intelligence agencies can request all data that the software collects, manages, or stores of non-U.S. users for monitoring purposes.

If you don’t want your data to be subject to such surveillance measures, opting for a UK-based alternative with no subsidiaries abroad (such as SmartSurvey) is key. It also makes compliance a whole lot simpler.

A graphic showing a survey displayed on a smartphone with a British flag icon, GDPR badge, Cyber Essentials Plus logo, ISO 27001 badge and ICO logo.

Over 500,000 users have chosen SmartSurvey since 2010

SmartSurvey has been around for way longer than Gov Forms (14 years to be exact). During that time, SmartSurvey has won numerous awards and has become the primary choice for over half a million users.

If you’re still on the fence about trying SmartSurvey - there isn’t a reason to be. Try SmartSurvey today completely for free.

Multi-award winning survey software
Crozdesk: Trusted Vendor 2024 award.Crozdesk: Happiest Users 2024 award.G2 High Performer EMEA Spring 2024 award.G2 Small Business High Performer UK Spring 2024 award.Capterra Best Value 2021 award.Capterra Best Ease of Use 2021 award.Software Advice Most Recommended 2021 award.Software Advice Best Customer Support 2021 award.
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What other government bodies have to say about using SmartSurvey

The functionality and features provided by the SmartSurvey platform have enabled us to create some really engaging surveys, with the training we’ve received from the SmartSurvey team helping us to maximize the value we can obtain through the platform. SmartSurvey are really prompt and proactive in their support too and have provided us with out-of-scope consultancy support on numerous occasions, which has been really useful.

David Cooke, Home Office

Home Office logo.

We have found Smart Survey very intuitive to use when setting up the survey questions, easy to collect responses and to collate the results. We particularly appreciate the kiosk feature, allowing us to collect responses without a stable Wi-Fi connection, invaluable when out in the parks.

Claire, Dundee City Council

Dundee City Council logo.

We started using SmartSurvey because it was difficult to set policing priorities for our communities in line with what those communities wanted, and we needed to be able to reach out and get real responses to real questions. SmartSurvey allowed us to do that easily, affordably and securely.

Metropolitan Police

Metropolitan Police logo.

Did we mention our
plans are flexible?

At SmartSurvey, we firmly believe in giving our users all the flexibility they need when using our platform. This goes for the plan you choose, how you wish to pay (monthly or annually), and how long you want to use SmartSurvey for.

When using SmartSurvey, you’re the one that’s in control. Try SmartSurvey today and see for yourself why hundreds of government agencies and institutions have relied on our platform for all their survey and form needs over the last decade.
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SmartSurvey FAQs

Where does SmartSurvey store user data?

All user data collected by SmartSurvey is stored in the UK. Aside from that, SmartSurvey guarantees that no user data will leave the United Kingdom, under any circumstances. To ensure that, all SmartSurvey employees, which may have access to user data work from within the United Kingdom.

SmartSurvey also doesn’t have any subsidiaries abroad. As a result of that, no user data will ever be subject to third-country data laws and regulations such as the United States’ FISA.

Will my respondent’s data be safe & secure with SmartSurvey?

Yes, it will. In fact, you’ll struggle to find a more secure Gov Forms alternative than SmartSurvey. This is because SmartSurvey has taken a multi-layered approach to ensure that the platform is as safe and as secure as possible.

For instance, SmartSurvey is both Cyber Security Plus accredited and conforms to the ISO 27001 standard of information security. To add an extra layer of security for users, SmartSurvey also vets all of its staff to the robust BS7858 standard.

We can keep on listing the different security measures SmartSurvey has taken. However, the platform’s security efforts are perfectly reflected in their SecurityScorecard rating, which is currently 98 out of 100.

Is there a steep learning curve with using SmartSurvey?

No, there is no steep learning curve involved with using SmartSurvey. This goes for both users with and without prior experience using survey software. In fact, the reason SmartSurvey is such a fantastic alternative to Gov Forms is because of how easy the platform is to use (as is the case with Gov Forms).

And this isn’t just our opinion. On Capterra (a popular software review website), existing SmartSurvey users have rated the platform’s ease of use 4.7 out of 5.

With that said, as is the case with all software, some basic computer knowledge is necessary. And as a result, the learning curve involved with using SmartSurvey will largely depend on the users existing knowledge of using computer devices.

Which UK organizations have already used SmartSurvey?

Since 2010, over 500,000 individuals, companies, and organizations (both public and private) have used SmartSurvey. Some of the most notable names in SmartSurvey’s vast portfolio of customers include the NHS, Home Office, Metropolitan Police, Cabinet Office, Ofsted, and BBC, to name a few.

Can I try SmartSurvey before becoming a paying customer?

Absolutely. And in fact, we highly encourage you to do so. There are two ways you can go about doing this. You can either create a free account, which will provide you with all the basic SmartSurvey features or you can start a 14-day trial on our Professional or Business plans.

The latter option will grant you access to the platform’s paid features. That way, you can try out the platform to its full potential and see if it’s a good option for you.

I have more questions. Who can I get in touch with?

Depending on the questions you have, you can either contact our customer support or sales team. If you prefer to get in touch with us right away, you can also call us on +44 (0)1684 342 400. Please note that our customer service team operates from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (UK time) Monday to Friday.

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Still on the fence about SmartSurvey? Or are you ready to give it a try and see how it compares to Gov Forms? You can try SmartSurvey right now, completely risk-free. Or if you have any questions before doing so, please don’t hesitate to contact our customer support or sales team for more information.
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