DropForm vs StaticForms: Static Site Form Backends Compared

Overview: DropForm and StaticForms in a nutshell

StaticForms is a static form backend service: you use your own HTML form, point it at a StaticForms endpoint, and it handles submissions, spam filtering, and notifications-no backend required.

DropForm is also a form backend, but aimed at teams that want an inbox for submissions and tighter integrations with modern tools.

Quick comparison

Positioning

• DropForm: Form backend + inbox and integrations for static, Jamstack, and headless sites.
• StaticForms: Lightweight backend for HTML forms on static websites.

Setup

• DropForm: Create a form in the DropForm dashboard, copy the endpoint, and submit data via HTML or JSON.
• StaticForms: Add a StaticForms endpoint to your form's action and ensure all fields have name attributes.

Feature focus

• DropForm: Shared inbox, routing into Slack/Trello/Sheets/Notion/Airtable, and headless API/webhooks.
• StaticForms: Accepting submissions, spam protection, email notifications, and basic features like webhooks and auto-responders.

What StaticForms is good at

StaticForms is a strong fit when you need a straightforward, static-site-friendly way to collect submissions without building any backend.

• Simple HTML integration: Works with any static HTML form.
• No backend required: Good for portfolio sites, static blogs, and small marketing pages.
• Spam control: Built-in spam protection features.
• Basic automation: Webhooks, file uploads, auto-responders, and related features for common flows.

How DropForm is different from StaticForms

DropForm includes the same core idea-“we'll handle your form submissions”-but then adds collaboration, routing, and integrations on top.

Inbox vs fire-and-forget

• DropForm: You get a central inbox where you can browse, search, and triage submissions across all forms.
• StaticForms: Submissions are typically handled via email notifications or exports; the service itself is less about ongoing collaboration.

Routing and integrations

• DropForm: Built to send form data into Slack, Trello, Sheets, Notion, Airtable, and custom APIs with per-form routing rules.
• StaticForms: Offers integration options but is generally focused on core form handling and simple automations.

Headless and composable

DropForm is designed to be one piece of a composable, API-driven architecture. If you're building SaaS apps, headless CMS sites, or Jamstack frontends, this model tends to scale better over time.

Pricing and limits

StaticForms and DropForm both follow usage-based pricing with free and paid tiers. At a high level:

• StaticForms: Attractive for small static sites that need straightforward form handling.
• DropForm: Competitive for teams that rely heavily on forms, need collaboration and integrations, and expect higher traffic or more complex workflows.

Developer experience

Both tools are easy to integrate into static and SSG builds.

• StaticForms: Ideal if all you want is a simple action URL in your HTML form.
• DropForm: Plays nicely with classic forms, SPAs, SSGs, and serverless functions, with guide content aimed at modern frameworks.

When to choose DropForm vs StaticForms

Use StaticForms if…

• You want a minimal form backend for a static site.
• Your follow-up happens mainly in email, not in a shared inbox.
• You need something up and running in minutes with minimal configuration.

Use DropForm if…

• You want a shared inbox and history of submissions across forms and projects.
• You depend on tools like Slack, Trello, Sheets, Notion, or Airtable.
• You're building static, Jamstack, or headless apps and want a long-term backend partner.

Migrating from StaticForms to DropForm

Migration from StaticForms to DropForm is straightforward:

1. Create the corresponding forms in DropForm.
2. Replace StaticForms endpoints in your HTML or JS with DropForm endpoints.
3. Update any success/error handling based on how you previously handled responses or redirects.
4. Configure email notifications and integrations in DropForm.
5. Test and deploy.