IstbanIstban vs Microsoft Forms: an Arabic-first alternative for business forms
Microsoft's forms tool, available with Microsoft accounts and within Microsoft 365.
The short answer
If your organisation is on Microsoft 365 and needs a simple internal survey, Microsoft Forms may be enough. For Arabic forms aimed at Saudi customers, with local payments, a Hijri calendar and quizzes from training files, Istban fits better.
Comparison
| Feature | Istban | Microsoft 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 | Varies by plan — check their website |
| 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 Microsoft Forms may suit you better
No tool fits everyone. Microsoft Forms may be the better choice if:
- Your organisation runs entirely on Microsoft 365 and wants to stay there.
- You only need simple internal surveys for employees.
- Your IT policies restrict tools to a single vendor.
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 I create an employee quiz from a training file?
Yes. Upload a PDF, Word file or images of the material, AI suggests questions you review and edit, then enable quiz mode and a pass mark.
Does Istban support bilingual forms?
Yes. One form can be in Arabic and English and the respondent chooses; automatic translation is available on plans that include it.
Can I import my forms from Microsoft 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.