Best Form Backend Services for Developers in 2026
Short answer: Forminit if you want typed validation, file uploads, and a real SDK. Formspree if you want a simple endpoint with no frills. FormSubmit or EmailJS if you just want email forwarding and don’t need storage.
A form backend handles everything after a user clicks submit — receiving data, validation, storage, notifications, file uploads, and integrations. You build the form yourself. The backend is an API you call.
Here’s every major option in 2026, what each one actually does well, and where each one falls short.
Quick comparison
| Forminit | Formspree | FormSubmit | EmailJS | Netlify Forms | Basin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Form backend API | Form backend | Email forwarding | Email sending | Platform forms | Form backend |
| Submission storage | Yes (inbox UI) | Yes (table) | No | No | Yes (table) | Yes (table) |
| Server-side validation | Typed blocks (email, phone, URL, date, rating, country) | Limited | No | No | No | No |
| File uploads | 25 MB, 50+ types | 10 MB | ~5 MB | Email limits | 10 MB | 10 MB |
| API key auth | Yes (public + protected) | No (public only) | No | Template-based | No | No |
| SDK | 2 KB JS SDK (npm + CDN) | No (fetch-based) | No | JS library | No | No |
| Framework proxies | Next.js, Nuxt.js | No | No | No | No | No |
| Webhooks | All plans | Paid only | No | No | Paid only | Paid only |
| UTM auto-capture | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Works with any host | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Netlify only | Yes |
| Email hidden from source | Yes | Yes | No (exposed) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $9/mo (200 subs) | $10/mo (100 subs) | Free | $0 (200 emails) | $0 (100 subs) | $0 (100 subs) |
1. Forminit
Forminit (formerly Getform.io) is a headless form backend API with a block-based data model. Instead of flat key-value pairs, submissions use typed blocks — each field has a type (text, email, phone, URL, date, rating, file, country) that’s validated server-side before storage.
What it does well:
- Server-side validation. Email fields validate RFC 5322 format. Phone fields validate E.164. URLs are checked for valid structure. Dates must be ISO 8601. Ratings must be 1-5. Country codes must be ISO 3166-1 alpha-2. Bad data is rejected before it’s stored.
- Two authentication modes. Public mode (no API key, for static sites) and protected mode (API key via
X-API-KEYheader, for server-side proxies). Protected mode enables higher rate limits and prevents unauthorized submissions. - SDK with framework support. 2 KB JavaScript SDK available via npm or CDN. Built-in proxy handlers for Next.js (
createForminitProxy) and Nuxt.js (createForminitNuxtHandler) that keep API keys server-side. - File uploads. 25 MB per submission, 50+ MIME types (PDF, DOCX, images, video, audio, archives). Direct download URLs in the dashboard.
- Inbox-style dashboard. Star submissions, track status (open/in-progress/done/cancelled), add internal notes, filter by date/status/starred/unread, CSV export.
- Attribution tracking. Auto-captures UTM parameters, ad click IDs (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, TikTok, X), referrer, and geolocation. No extra code needed — the SDK handles it.
- Webhooks on all plans. Plus Slack, Discord, and Zapier integrations.
Where it falls short:
- Free tier is limited (25 one-time credits, not monthly).
- No conditional logic or multi-step form orchestration — it’s a data processing backend, not a workflow engine.
Pricing: Free (25 credits), Mini $9/mo (200 subs), Pro $19/mo (3,000 subs), Business $49/mo (10,000 subs). Yearly billing saves 2 months.
Best for: Developers who want typed validation, file uploads, and a proper SDK. Teams using Next.js or Nuxt.js who need the proxy pattern.
2. Formspree
Formspree is a form backend that accepts submissions via a POST endpoint. It’s been around since 2014 and is one of the most well-known options.
What it does well:
- Simple setup — POST to
https://formspree.io/f/{formId}and it works. - Submission storage with a basic dashboard.
- Email notifications on submissions.
- REST API for reading submissions programmatically.
- Supports React, with a
@formspree/reactpackage for form state management.
Where it falls short:
- No API key authentication. Every Formspree endpoint is public. Anyone who discovers the URL can submit to it. There’s no protected mode, no server-side proxy pattern, and no way to restrict access programmatically.
- No typed validation. Submissions are flat key-value pairs. Formspree doesn’t validate email format, phone numbers, or any field type server-side.
- No dedicated SDK. The React package handles state but doesn’t provide UTM capture, file upload progress, or proxy handlers for Next.js/Nuxt.js.
- Webhooks only on paid plans.
- 10 MB file upload limit.
- No UTM or attribution tracking.
Pricing: Free (50 subs/mo), Starter $10/mo (100 subs), Growth $25/mo (1,000 subs).
Best for: Developers who want the simplest possible setup and don’t need validation, authentication, or file uploads beyond 10 MB.
3. FormSubmit.co
FormSubmit is an email forwarding service. You point your form’s action attribute to https://formsubmit.co/your@email.com and submissions are forwarded to your inbox.
What it does well:
- Zero setup. No account required. Just put your email in the form action.
- Free with no apparent limits.
- Supports basic features: custom redirect pages, CC recipients, auto-response emails.
Where it falls short:
- Your email address is in the HTML source code. Anyone viewing page source can see it. Scrapers and bots harvest these for spam lists. This is a GDPR liability if you’re in the EU.
- No submission storage. No dashboard, no search, no export. If the email doesn’t arrive, the data is gone.
- No file uploads.
- No validation. It forwards whatever it receives.
- No webhooks, no API, no integrations.
- No verifiable data handling. FormSubmit claims not to store data, but there are no audits, no DPA, and no compliance documentation.
Pricing: Free.
Best for: Personal projects where you don’t care about email exposure, data storage, or GDPR compliance.
4. EmailJS
EmailJS sends form data as emails using pre-configured templates. You create an email template, connect an email provider, and send directly from the browser using their JavaScript library.
What it does well:
- Email template system with variables.
- Works client-side — no server needed.
- Supports multiple email providers (Gmail, Outlook, custom SMTP).
- Free tier is generous (200 emails/month, 2 templates).
Where it falls short:
- Not a form backend. EmailJS is an email delivery service. It sends messages but doesn’t store submissions. No dashboard, no search, no API access.
- No file uploads beyond what email attachments support.
- No server-side validation. Data goes straight to email.
- No webhooks.
- Template IDs in client code. While your email isn’t exposed like FormSubmit, your template and service IDs are visible in the browser.
- Email deliverability varies. If you’re using a free Gmail account, emails may land in spam.
Pricing: Free (200 emails/mo), Personal $0 (limited), Professional $15/mo (500 emails).
Best for: Simple contact forms where you only need email notifications and don’t need storage, API access, or file uploads.
5. Netlify Forms
Netlify Forms is built into the Netlify hosting platform. If your site is on Netlify, forms are detected automatically from your HTML and submissions are stored.
What it does well:
- Zero configuration if you’re already on Netlify. Add a
netlifyattribute to your form tag and it works. - Spam filtering with built-in Akismet.
- Submission storage in the Netlify dashboard.
- Free tier included with Netlify hosting.
Where it falls short:
- Platform lock-in. Netlify Forms only works on Netlify. If you move to Vercel, Cloudflare, or any other host, your forms break completely.
- 10 MB file upload limit.
- No server-side validation.
- Webhooks and API access on paid plans only.
- No UTM tracking.
- No SDK. Forms are HTML-based with no JavaScript SDK for AJAX submissions, error handling, or file upload progress.
- Basic dashboard. Simple table view without status tracking, starring, or internal notes.
Pricing: Free (100 subs/mo with Netlify hosting), Pro $19/mo (Netlify Pro plan required for webhooks).
Best for: Sites already hosted on Netlify that need basic contact forms with minimal setup.
6. Basin
Basin is a form backend that stores submissions and provides email notifications. It sits between FormSubmit (email-only) and more full-featured backends.
What it does well:
- Simple setup — POST to a Basin endpoint.
- Submission storage and dashboard.
- Spam filtering (honeypot, reCAPTCHA).
- Email notifications.
Where it falls short:
- No server-side validation. Flat key-value storage.
- No authentication modes. All endpoints are public.
- No SDK. Standard fetch/form submission.
- 10 MB file upload limit.
- Webhooks only on paid plans.
- No UTM or attribution tracking.
Pricing: Free (100 subs/mo), Premium $8.25/mo (1,000 subs).
Best for: Simple forms where you need storage and email but don’t need validation, authentication, or advanced features.
Which should you choose?
Choose Forminit if you want server-side validation, API key authentication, file uploads up to 25 MB, a proper SDK with framework support, and attribution tracking. It’s the most full-featured option for developers who build their own form UIs.
Choose Formspree if you want a simple POST endpoint and don’t need validation, authentication, or large file uploads. Good for quick prototypes and low-volume forms.
Choose FormSubmit if you need a free email forwarder for a personal project and don’t care about email exposure or data storage. Not recommended for production sites.
Choose EmailJS if you specifically need email delivery with custom templates and don’t need a form backend (no storage, no dashboard, no API).
Choose Netlify Forms if you’re already on Netlify and want zero-config form handling. Accept the platform lock-in.
Choose Basin if you want a budget form backend with basic storage and don’t need advanced features.