The best Google Forms alternative for pre-use equipment checks is CheckBadges: every machine gets a QR sticker and operators scan it with their own phone to do its checklist in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat — free for 3 machines. Other strong options: Jotform, Connecteam, SafetyCulture (Mitti), MasterCheck, Simply Fleet.
Why people look for a Google Forms alternative
Operators can't attach a photo of the damage without signing in to Google.
Answers for every machine pile into one spreadsheet, and a failed check goes unnoticed.
Operators pick the wrong machine from the dropdown, or skip it.
There's no way to stop the next shift using a machine that failed.
Someone has to build, fix and update a form for every machine type.
The 6 best Google Forms alternatives
1
CheckBadges
Our pick for pre-use checks
QR code equipment checklists: every machine gets a printed QR sticker, operators scan it with their own phone's camera and do its pre-use check in the browser, and problems email the owner with photos straight away. Best for: Anyone whose people run machines that need checking before use — warehouses, construction, rental yards, plants, farms and fleets — who wants checks done and recorded without rolling out an app.
How an operator does a check
Scan the QR sticker on the machine with the phone's camera, answer that machine's checklist in the browser, submit. About a minute.
Operator needs an app or login
No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 machines. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that. Operators and checks are unlimited on both.
Jotform is a popular online form builder: you can make an inspection form (it publishes forklift checklist templates), share it as a public link or QR code, and collect submissions. Best for: Teams that want one flexible, inexpensive form tool for many jobs — inspections among them — and are happy to build and watch the forms themselves.
How an operator does a check
The operator scans a QR code or opens a link to the form, fills it in in the phone's browser (or Jotform's mobile app), and submits.
Operator needs an app or login
No. Operators fill in a public form link in the browser without an account; Jotform's mobile app is optional.
Free plan
Free Starter plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month and 100 MB of uploads.
Pricing
Starter is free. Bronze is $39 a month ($34 billed annually) for 1,000 submissions a month, Silver $49 ($39) for 2,500 and Gold $129 ($99) for 10,000; these plans have one user, and multi-user accounts need Enterprise.
Connecteam is an all-in-one app for deskless teams — time clock, scheduling, chat, forms and checklists — where each employee uses the Connecteam app with their own account. Best for: Teams where everyone has a smartphone and you want scheduling, time tracking, chat and checklists in one employee app.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the Connecteam app, signs in, finds the checklist or form and fills it in.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator needs a Connecteam account and the app; forms and checklists live inside it. It's free for up to 10 users.
Free plan
Free for up to 10 users.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 users. Operations Hub Basic is $35 a month billed monthly ($29 yearly) for the first 30 users, plus $1 ($0.80) per extra user; Advanced and Expert cost more.
SafetyCulture, rebranded in 2026 as Mitti (and long known for its iAuditor app), is a large inspection and operations platform where each person who does inspections uses its app with their own seat. Best for: Safety and operations teams that run many kinds of audits and inspections, want scheduling, actions and training in one place, and have people who will all use the app.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the Mitti app (or the web app), signs in, picks the inspection template or scans the asset's code inside the app, and completes it — online or offline.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator signs in to the Mitti (SafetyCulture) app or web app with their own seat: free for up to 10 seats, then $29 a seat a month. The pricing page also lists free guest seats, but we couldn't confirm whether guests can complete inspections.
Free plan
Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
Pricing
Free for up to 10 seats and 5 active templates. Premium is $29 a seat a month billed monthly, or $24 billed annually, according to Mitti's pricing page; Enterprise is quoted.
MasterCheck is a Canadian forklift inspection app: operators do daily checks in its iOS or Android app, priced per forklift with unlimited operators. Best for: Forklift fleets that want a dedicated forklift app with offline checks, accident and near-miss reports and hour-based maintenance reminders, and can get every operator onto it.
How an operator does a check
The operator opens the MasterCheck app on a phone or Android handheld, signs in with a username and the company password, and completes the forklift's inspection; it works offline and syncs later.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Each operator installs the MasterCheck app and signs in with a username and a company password from their supervisor. Operators are unlimited, so there's no per-seat fee.
Free plan
No free plan; a 30-day free trial on the annual plan, with a card required.
Pricing
$39.99 per forklift (or other unit) a year on the annual plan, or $6.99 per unit a month on the monthly plan, with unlimited operators, supervisors and inspections.
Simply Fleet is low-cost fleet management software for vehicle fleets, with inspections, issues, maintenance tracking and a driver app, priced per vehicle with unlimited users. Best for: Small and mid-size vehicle fleets that want inexpensive fleet management — inspections, issues and maintenance — with a free plan to start.
How an operator does a check
The driver opens the Simply Fleet app, signs in, identifies the vehicle (the app can scan barcodes to identify assets), completes the inspection and signs it.
Operator needs an app or login
Yes. Drivers use the Simply Fleet mobile app with their own user login. Paid plans include unlimited users; the free plan allows 3.
Free plan
Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users, with 6 months of data storage.
Pricing
Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users. Essential is $3 per vehicle a month and Advanced $5 (or $30 and $50 per vehicle a year), with a 5-vehicle minimum and unlimited users; its page announced pricing changes from 15 September 2026.
No. No app, account or password: operators type their name, or a 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.
No. Operators fill in a public form link in the browser without an account; Jotform's mobile app is optional.
Yes. Each operator needs a Connecteam account and the app; forms and checklists live inside it. It's free for up to 10 users.
Yes. Each operator signs in to the Mitti (SafetyCulture) app or web app with their own seat: free for up to 10 seats, then $29 a seat a month. The pricing page also lists free guest seats, but we couldn't confirm whether guests can complete inspections.
Yes. Each operator installs the MasterCheck app and signs in with a username and a company password from their supervisor. Operators are unlimited, so there's no per-seat fee.
Yes. Drivers use the Simply Fleet mobile app with their own user login. Paid plans include unlimited users; the free plan allows 3.
QR codes on equipment
Every machine gets its own printed QR sticker, 8 to a page. A lost sticker is reissued in a click.
Do it yourself: point a QR code at the form (Jotform has a QR code generator). A code per machine means a form or a prefilled link for each machine.
Not found: checklists are opened inside the Connecteam app rather than from a code on each machine.
Inside the Mitti app: assets can carry QR codes or barcodes that the app scans to start an inspection. The phone's own camera doesn't open a check without the app and a login.
Not mentioned on MasterCheck's site or FAQ; checks start in the app.
Its app scans barcodes to identify assets; QR codes on equipment weren't specifically mentioned.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 machines, with every feature and unlimited operators.
Free Starter plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month and 100 MB of uploads.
Free for up to 10 users.
Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates.
No free plan; a 30-day free trial on the annual plan, with a card required.
Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users, with 6 months of data storage.
10 machines, 20 operators / month
$19.50/mo
$39/mo
$35/mo
$580/mo
$69.90/mo
$30/mo
25 machines, 50 operators / month
$42/mo
$49/mo
$55/mo
$1,450/mo
$174.75/mo
$75/mo
50 machines, 100 operators / month
$79.50/mo
$49/mo
$105/mo
$2,900/mo
$349.50/mo
$150/mo
Monthly list prices for each fleet on the cheapest plan that runs equipment checks, assuming two operators per machine (two shifts), checked in October 2026. Each comparison page shows the exact plan used. Annual billing is cheaper with most vendors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Google Forms alternative?
The best Google Forms alternative for pre-use equipment checks is CheckBadges: every machine gets a QR sticker and operators scan it with their own phone to do its checklist in the browser — no app, login or per-user seat — free for 3 machines. Other strong options: Jotform, Connecteam, SafetyCulture (Mitti), MasterCheck, Simply Fleet.
Is there a free Google Forms alternative?
Yes. CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines with every feature and unlimited operators. Jotform: Free Starter plan: 5 forms, 100 submissions a month and 100 MB of uploads. Connecteam: Free for up to 10 users. SafetyCulture (Mitti): Free for up to 10 seats, with 5 active inspection templates. MasterCheck: No free plan; a 30-day free trial on the annual plan, with a card required. Simply Fleet: Free for 5 vehicles and 3 users, with 6 months of data storage.
Does Google Forms work for forklift checklists?
Yes, for simple checks: build the form, put its link in a QR code on the truck, and answers land in a Google Sheet. The limits show up later — photo uploads need a Google sign-in, every truck's answers share one sheet, and nothing warns the next operator about a failed check.
Can operators fill in a Google Form without a Google account?
Yes, for ordinary questions. A file upload question — the way to attach a photo — requires responders to sign in to a Google Account, according to Google's help center.
Can Google Forms email me when an equipment check fails?
Not on its own. Google Forms can email you for every new response, failed or not; an alert only for failures needs a script or add-on. CheckBadges emails your alert list only when a check has problems, with the photos.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.