IstbanIstban vs Google Forms: a more polished Arabic-first alternative
A free tool integrated with your Google account, popular for quick surveys.
The short answer
Google Forms is an excellent free choice for quick surveys. When you need a polished Arabic experience, a Hijri calendar, in-form payments and quizzes with pass certificates, Istban is built for that.
Comparison
| Feature | Istban | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Full Arabic interface and RTL | Built Arabic-first; accepts Arabic-Indic digits and Saudi mobile formats | Varies by plan — check their website |
| Hijri calendar | Umm al-Qura dates with the Gregorian equivalent | Varies by plan — check their website |
| AI form creation in everyday Arabic | Describe the form in your own words, even in dialect, and edit it by chatting | Varies by plan — check their website |
| Questions from a file or images | Upload a PDF, Word file or images and review suggested questions | Varies by plan — check their website |
| mada and Apple Pay inside the form | Through your own Moyasar account, paid straight to you (plan-dependent) | Varies by plan — check their website |
| SAR pricing, VAT included | Free plan to start; paid plans in SAR with VAT included | Free with a Google account |
| Six display layouts | Question by question, single page, steps and chat | Varies by plan — check their website |
| Quiz mode and certificate | Automatic grading, pass mark and a private certificate link (plan-dependent) | Varies by plan — check their website |
| Google Sheets and webhooks | A row per response in your sheet, plus signed webhooks (plan-dependent) | Varies by plan — check their website |
Paid plans start at SAR 49 per month, VAT included.
Information about other platforms is general and may change — check their official websites.
When Google Forms may suit you better
No tool fits everyone. Google Forms may be the better choice if:
- You want a completely free tool for a quick internal survey.
- Your team works inside Google Workspace and wants to stay there.
- You don't need payments, a Hijri calendar or custom design.
How to switch to Istban
- 1
Create your account
Sign in and start on the free plan, no credit card needed.
- 2
Build the form
Describe the form in your own words and let AI build it, or start from a ready template.
- 3
Share the link
Publish the form and share its new link in place of the old one.
Frequently asked questions
Can Istban send responses to Google Sheets like Google Forms?
Yes. Connect a form to a Google Sheet and each completed response adds a row; you can also export responses as CSV and Excel.
Why pay when a free tool exists?
You don't need to pay to start. Paid plans cover business needs: in-form payments, quiz mode, AI response analysis and integrations.
Can I import my forms from Google Forms automatically?
There is no automatic import tool today. The fastest route is to describe the form in your own words and let AI build it, or start from a ready template, then share the new link.
Can I start for free?
Yes. Istban has a free plan to start, and paid plans are priced in SAR with VAT included. Plan details are on the pricing page.
Try Istban for free
Describe your form in your own words and it's ready in a minute, or start from a template.