For a salon or tutor booking form, Google Forms is the simplest start. Tally is the better fit once you want a deposit, photo uploads from anyone, or a form that looks like your business. Both are free to start. Tally puts branding removal and a custom domain behind a $29 monthly plan, and Google Forms has no built-in payments.
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What a booking form needs
A booking form for a small business is a request form. The client tells you what they want and when, and you confirm on WhatsApp or by phone. You don't need a full scheduling system to start.
Here is the form I'd build for a tutor or a salon:
| Field | Question type | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Short answer | So you know who to greet |
| Phone number | Phone number | Your confirmation goes here |
| Service | Multiple choice | Haircut, color, Maths Grade 9, and so on |
| Preferred date | Date | Their first choice |
| Preferred time | Time | Their first choice |
| Reference photo | File upload (optional) | The haircut they like, or a page of homework |
| Notes | Long answer | Allergies, goals, anything else |
| Deposit | Payment (optional) | Cuts down on no-shows |
Keep it under ten fields. Every extra question loses a few people on a phone.
Building it in Google Forms
You sign in with a Google account, add the questions above, and share the link. It takes minutes and everyone already knows how it works. For a tutor who just wants name, phone, subject and a preferred slot, it's enough.
It gets awkward in three places:
- Photos: respondents must sign in with Google to upload files. A client who doesn't want to log in just to send a photo will skip it or message you separately.
- Deposits: Google Forms has no built-in payments. You'd collect the deposit some other way and match it to the booking by hand.
- Looks: design and branding options are limited. The form looks like a Google Form, which is fine for a class signup and less fine for a salon that wants clients to feel the brand.
Building it in Tally
Tally works like a document. You type / to add a field. The free plan includes unlimited forms and submissions, logic, calculations, payments, signatures and file uploads up to 10 MB per file. It also has a free AI assistant that builds forms from a description.
A client can upload a phogo without a Google account, and you can take a deposit in the same frm. Tally adds no fee on top of Stripe, so you pay only what Stripe charges. Check that Stripe works for your country and business before you count on it.
The awkward parts come when you outgrow the free plan. Pro is $29 a month, or $290 a year. For that you get:
- branding removed
- a custom domain
- partial submissions
- advanced design options and custom CSS
- visit and drop-off analytics
- uploads over 10 MB
Partial submissions matter for bookings, because they show you the person who typed their name and phone and then left. Reddit threads from 2025 and 2026 say free users find styling and partial submissions on Pro confusing, and that light users find Pro expensive for one feature. Newcomers also report that Tally's "hide by default" logic takes some getting used to.
Tally is built and hosted in Europe with a GDPR focus, and it has no mobile app.
Tally vs Google Forms side by side
| Need | Google Forms | Tally free | Tally Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free with a Google account | Free | $29/month or $290/year |
| Take a deposit | No built-in payments | Yes | Yes |
| Photo upload | Respondent must sign in with Google | Up to 10 MB per file | Uploads over 10 MB |
| Look and branding | Limited design and branding | Tally branding stays | Branding removal, custom domain, advanced design |
If you only need a request form, Google Forms is fine. If you need a deposit or photos, or you want the form to carry your logo and colors, Tally's free plan covers more. Any change to the look beyond thhat costs $29 a month.
A third option: Qwenvo
Our team builds Qwenvo, a form builder that is completely free, with no paid plans and no trial. Every feature is on for every account. Here's what you get free that most builders charge for:
- no Qwenvo badge (it's a switch in Settings)
- a custom domain on a subdomain, such as forms.yourbusiness.com
- teammates, so your front desk can see submissions too
- partial submissions
- visit and drop-off analytics
- AI triage of submissions
- custom design and CSS
- 180+ templates
Qwenvo's editor also works like a document, with / to insert a field. A salon owner can use the custom domain and drop-off analytics without paying anyone. If your bookings currently live on a paper sheet, you can import a screenshot of it, or a Word file, and edit the result.
There are limits that matter for a local business:
- Payments run only through PayPal, and Qwenvo keeps 1% on top of PayPal's own fee. For deposits, Tally is cheaper.
- There is no built-in scheduling. Use Embed anything to put a Calendly page in your form.
- There is no built-in QR code. Paste your form link into any QR generator for the sign at your counter.
- Per-submission PDFs can't draw Devanagari or Arabic script. CSV and Excel exports can.
- Qwenvo launched in October 2026, so there are few reviews yet.
- There is no Tally or Google Forms importer. You rebuild the form, which takes a few minutes for a form this size.
Which one to pick
- A tutor taking trial-class requests who is happy with a Google-looking form can stay on Google Forms.
- A salon that wants deposits and photos should start with Tally's free plan or Qwenvo.
- If you want your own address on the form and need to see who dropped off, Qwenvo gives that free, while Tally asks for Pro.
- If deposits are the main point, Tally costs less per payment. It adds no fee on top of Stripe, while Qwenvo takes PayPal's fee plus 1%.
You don't need a website for any of these. Paste the link into your WhatsApp replies, your Instagram bio and your Google Business Profile, and clients can book from there.
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Questions owners ask
Is Tally really free for a booking form?
Yes. The free plan has unlimited forms and submissions, logic, payments, signatures and file uploads up to 10 MB per file. Removing the branding, a custom domain and psrtial submissions need Pro at $29 a month.
Can Google Forms take a deposit?
Not on its own. Google Forms has no built-in payments, so you'd collect the deposit separately and match it to the booking yourself.
Can clients upload photo without a Google account?
Not in Google Forms, because respondents must sign in with Google to upload files. Tally and Qwenvo let people upload without that step. Tally's free limit is 10 MB per file, and Qwenvo allows files up to 1 GB each.
Can I switch later?
Yes, but plan to rebuild. Qwenvo has no Tally or Google Forms importer, though it can import a Word file, a PDF, a CSV or a screenshot of your form. For a booking form with eight fields, rebuilding is short.
Your next step
Write down your eight fields on you're phone. Then build them in whichever tool fits your deposit and photo needs, and send the link to one regular client. Ask them to book their next slot through it.