Powerful React Form Builders to Consider in 2024

## Introduction

In today's world of web development, forms play a critical role in engaging users, collecting essential information, enabling important features in various applications, and allowing users to input information.

However, building and controlling various kinds of forms from scratch can take time and a whole lot of effort. And that's where form builders come in.

<!-- React Form builders are purposely made to simplify the development process and make the user experience simple and friendly. -->

Form builders are made to simplify form creation in React applications, making the user experience simple and friendly.

<!-- In this article, we will explore various React form builders in detail. Check their features, and discuss in detail some popular options like: -->
In this article, we will talk about React form builders, check out their core feature, and explore some popular options, including:

1. [SurveyJS](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/get-started-react)
1. [Formbuider](https://formbuilder.dev/),
1. [Tripetto](https://tripetto.com/sdk/react/),
1. [Form.io](https://form.io/react-forms/),
<!-- 1. Amplify Studio's Form Builder and
1. BEEKAI - Next-gen form builder. -->

Also, we will look at some important aspects to consider when picking a form builder.

## Understanding React Form Builders

### What are they?

React form builders make it easy to create and manage forms in React apps. Among the features they offer are:

* Inputs, dropdowns, and more are built into pre-built forms.
* Management of form states.
* The validation process.
* Submission of form data.

<!-- The changes make the list of items more accessible to read and maintain consistency in formatting. -->

### Features:

* The development process is faster because there is less code writing and state management.
* Sleek interactions, clear validation, and user-friendly design.
* Builders handle everyday tasks such as validation.
* Users with disabilities may find some builders accessible.

<!-- ### What they do:
* A user selects a builder and follows its integration guide.
* Design the form based on the builder's interface (either drag-and-drop or code-based).
* Create elements and define validation rules, labels, and data types.
* Describe how the form reacts to user interactions. -->

<!-- ### Various types of builders
* Using drag-and-drop is accessible for non-technical users.
* Developers are able to customize their code as they wish.
* Combination of code editing and drag-and-drop functionality (Hybrid). -->

## React Form Builders

### [SurveyJS](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react)

[SurveyJS Form Builder](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/get-started-react) is an open-source UI component in React that perfectly blends with any backend system and gives the opportunity to create and style many dynamic HTML forms in a React Application.

<!--  -->


Here, we can easily experience all the features of the form builder with this quick [demo](https://surveyjs.io/create-free-survey) without any required integration.

#### **Features**

1. A dedicated GUI for conditional rules.
1. Form branching and an integrated CSS theme editor for custom form styling and branding.
1. TypeScript support
1. Integration with any backend framework (examples for PHP, NodeJS, and ASP.NET included)
1. Generating JSON form definitions (schemas) in real-time
1. A no-code drag-and-drop interface that makes form creation accessible to anyone.
<!-- 1. Generating form definitions (schemas) in real-time -->

#### **How it works**

Following the integration guide, here are the step-by-step methods to get started with the SurveyJS Form Builder component in a React application.

1. **Install the `survey-creator-react` [npm Package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/survey-creator-react).**

The first thing is to install the survey-creator-react (rendering code) npm package using the command below.

npm install survey-creator-react --save

The command above makes sure the `survey-creator-core` package is installed automatically as a dependency.

2. **Styles Configuration**

The next step is to import the Survey Creator and SurveyJS Form Library style sheets as indicated below:

import "survey-core/defaultV2.min.css";
import "survey-creator-core/survey-creator-core.min.css";

3. **Survey Creator Configuration**

The next step is to configure the Survey Creator component.

<!-- and define all properties in a configuration object. In this example: -->

The code below is used to configure the Survey Creator component by specifying its [properties](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/api-reference/icreatoroptions) in a configuration object.

const creatorOptions = {
  showLogicTab: true,
  isAutoSave: true
};

The object above enables the following properties:

[`showLogicTab`](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/api-reference/icreatoroptions#showLogicTab) displays the Logic tab in the tab panel while
[`isAutoSave`](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/api-reference/icreatoroptions#isAutoSave) automatically saves the survey JSON schema on every change.

Now, we need to pass the configuration object to the `SurveyCreator` constructor, as shown in the code below, to instantiate Survey Creator and then assign the produced instance to a constant that will be used later to render the component.

import { SurveyCreator } from "survey-creator-react";

// ...

export function SurveyCreatorWidget() {
  const creator = new SurveyCreator(creatorOptions);
}

4. **Rendering Survey Creator**

To render Survey Creator, all that is needed is to import the `SurveyCreatorComponent`, include it in the template, and pass the instance we created in the previous step to the component's `creator` attribute, pictured below.

import { SurveyCreatorComponent, SurveyCreator } from "survey-creator-react";

// ...

export function SurveyCreatorWidget() {
  const creator = new SurveyCreator(creatorOptions);

  return (
    <SurveyCreatorComponent creator={creator} />
  )
}

5. **Saving and Loading Survey Model Schemas**

By default, Survey Creator makes survey model schemas as JSON objects, which makes it easy to persist the objects on the server, save updates and restore earlier saved schemas.

All that is needed to save a JSON object is to implement the `saveSurveyFunc` function, which accepts two arguments:

* `saveNo`: This is an incremental number of the current change.
* `callback`: This is a callback function. When called, the `saveNo` must be passed as the first argument while the second argument is set to `true` or `false` based on whether the server applied or rejected the change.

The code below shows how to use the `saveSurveyFunc` function to save a survey model schema in a localStorage or a web service:

export function SurveyCreatorWidget() {
  // ...
  creator.saveSurveyFunc = (saveNo, callback) => { 
    // If you use localStorage:
    window.localStorage.setItem("survey-json", creator.text);
    callback(saveNo, true);

    // If you use a web service:
    saveSurveyJson(
        "https://your-web-service.com/",
        creator.JSON,
        saveNo,
        callback
    );
  };
  // ...
}

// If you use a web service:
function saveSurveyJson(url, json, saveNo, callback) {
  // ...

}

More details on how to load a survey model schema JSON into Survey Creator and how to check a survey JSON schema before saving it when running a NodeJS server can be found [here](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/get-started-react#save-and-load-survey-model-schemas).

6. **Managing Image Uploads**

Adding a [logo](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/survey-data-model#logo) or [background](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/survey-data-model#backgroundImage) to a survey is one of the few things that happens. We can either add them in the survey header or within [Image](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/examples/add-image-and-video-to-survey/) and [Image Picker](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/examples/image-picker-question/) questions when creating a survey, and SurveyJS has made this easy to do. All that is needed is to embed them in the survey and theme JSON schemas as Base64 URLs.

However, this method increases the schema size. One good way to go around this is to upload images to a server and save only image links in the JSON schemas.

The code below shows how to use the [`onUploadFile`](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/api-reference/survey-creator#onUploadFile) event. The `options.files` parameter saves the images sent to the server.

export function SurveyCreatorWidget() {
  // ...
  creator.onUploadFile.add((_, options) => {
    const formData = new FormData();
    options.files.forEach(file => {
      formData.append(file.name, file);
    });
    fetch("https://example.com/uploadFiles", {
      method: "post",
      body: formData
    }).then(response => response.json())
      .then(result => {
        options.callback(
          "success",
          // A link to the uploaded file
          "https://example.com/files?name=" + result[options.files[0].name]
        );
      })
      .catch(error => {
        options.callback('error');
      });
  });
  // ...
}

The `onUploadFile` event is used to implement image upload. Its `options.files` parameter stores the images we should send to our server. When the server returns an image link, the `options.callback(status, imageLink)` method is called with a `success` as the `status` parameter passed and a link to the uploaded image as the `imageLink` parameter.

Now, to view the application, we need to run `npm run start` in the command line and open `http://localhost:3000/` in your browser.

<!--  -->

<!-- - [Install the survey-react-ui npm Package](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react#install-the-survey-react-npm-package)
- [Configure Styles](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react#configure-styles)
- [Create a Model](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react#create-a-model)
- [Render the Form](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react#render-the-form)
- [Handle Form Completion](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react#handle-form-completion) -->

The survey-creator source code is publicly accessible here on [GitHub](https://github.com/surveyjs/survey-creator).

### FormBuilder

[FormBuilder](https://formengine.io/) is a drag-and-drop React form builder library for creating web forms with a simple but powerful web interface.


Here is a quick [demo](https://demo.formengine.io/) to experience all the features of the FormBuilder without any required integration.

The following NPM packages make up FormBuilder:

1. [@react-form-builder/core](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@react-form-builder/core).
1. [@react-form-builder/designer](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@react-form-builder/designer).
1. [@react-form-builder/components-rsuite](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@react-form-builder/components-rsuite).

#### **Features**

1. Web interface with drag and drop functionality.
1. Adaptive layout.
1. Form validation.
1. Built-in web components based on React Suite library.
1. Easy integration of custom components.
1. Export form to JSON and import form from JSON.
1. Powerful internationalization.
1. Custom actions.
1. Computable properties.
1. Templates (forms within a form).

#### **Creating a Demo Simple Form**

To create a simple demo form, we'll follow the instructions in the Getting Started described [here](https://formengine.io/documentation/getting-started).

Following the guide and opening the demo page in the browser, we'll see the form builder editor page similar to the image below.


The building and making of the forms occur here, as seen in the instructions guide. For the sake of this demo, we have created a mini-application form. Added an onClick event handler for the form, and added validation on the input field. We also added a tooltip for the button and changed the format of the error message display.

<!-- FormBuilder requires adding manual coding for actions, as shown in the image below. -->

Unlike SurveyJS that allows even non-techies to set up all form configurations, including their behavior, without a line of code, FormBuilder requires adding manual coding for actions, as shown in the image below.


#### **Adding FormViewer component**

Now, we can add the [FormViewer](https://formengine.io/documentation/api-reference/modules/react_form_builder_core#formviewer) component, responsible for displaying the form in Form Builder.

The [FormBuilder](https://formengine.io/documentation/api-reference/modules/react_form_builder_designer#formbuilder) uses the FormViewer component to display the form in the center panel.

But we need to install the package first by using the command:

npm install @react-form-builder/core @react-form-builder/components-rsuite

Now, we can use the FormViewer component with elements from the React Suite library to render the Application form by pasting the code below in the App.js file.

import React from 'react'
import {view} from '@react-form-builder/components-rsuite'
import {FormViewer} from '@react-form-builder/core'

const form = `{
  "form": {
    "key": "Screen",
    "type": "Screen",
    "props": {},
    "children": [
      {
        "key": "RsInput 1",
        "type": "RsInput",
        "props": {}
      }
    ]
  }
}`

function App() {
  return <FormViewer view={view} getForm={_ => form}/>
}

export default App

<!--

import { FormViewer, IFormViewer } from '@react-form-builder/core'
import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
import { view } from '@react-form-builder/components-rsuite'


// Example form, in JSON format
const FormJSON = `
{
  "version": "1",
  "actions": {
    "logValue": {
      "body": "console.log('FirstName', e.data.name, 'LastName', e.data.lastname)",
      "params": {}
    }
  },
  "tooltipType": "RsTooltip",
  "errorType": "RsErrorMessage",
  "form": {
    "key": "Screen",
    "type": "Screen",
    "props": {},
    "children": [
      {
        "key": "RsHeader 1",
        "type": "RsHeader",
        "props": {
          "content": {
            "value": "Application Form"
          }
        },
        "css": {
          "any": {
            "object": {
              "textAlign": "center"
            }
          }
        }
      },
      {
        "key": "name",
        "type": "RsInput",
        "props": {
          "label": {
            "value": "First Name"
          },
          "placeholder": {
            "value": "First Name"
          }
        },
        "schema": {
          "validations": [
            {
              "key": "required"
            },
            {
              "key": "min",
              "args": {
                "limit": 3
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        "events": {
          "onChange": [
            {
              "name": "validate",
              "type": "common"
            },
            {
              "name": "logValue",
              "type": "code"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "key": "lastname",
        "type": "RsInput",
        "props": {
          "label": {
            "value": "Last Name"
          },
          "placeholder": {
            "value": "Last Name"
          }
        },
        "events": {
          "onChange": [
            {
              "name": "validate",
              "type": "common"
            },
            {
              "name": "logValue",
              "type": "code"
            }
          ]
        },
        "schema": {
          "validations": [
            {
              "key": "required"
            },
            {
              "key": "min",
              "args": {
                "limit": 3
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "key": "RsButton 1",
        "type": "RsButton",
        "props": {
          "children": {
            "value": "Submit"
          }
        },
        "events": {
          "onClick": [
            {
              "name": "validate",
              "type": "common"
            },
            {
              "name": "logValue",
              "type": "code"
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "localization": {},
  "languages": [
    {
      "code": "en",
      "dialect": "US",
      "name": "English",
      "description": "American English",
      "bidi": "ltr"
    }
  ],
  "defaultLanguage": "en-US"
}
`
const formName = 'Example'

async function getFormFn(name?: string) {
  if (name === formName) return FormJSON
  throw new Error(`Form '${name}' is not found.`)
}

function App() {
  const ref = useRef<IFormViewer>(null)

  useEffect(() => {
    if (ref.current) {
      // if you want to work with the internal FormViewer component in an imperative style
      console.log('Viewer', ref.current)
    }
  }, [])

  return (
    <FormViewer
      view={view}
      getForm={getFormFn}
      formName={formName}
      initialData={({})}

      viewerRef={ref}

    />
  )
}

export default App

Next is to confirm the form by visiting `localhost:3000` in the browser to view the application form.

Below is an example of what we should see on the screen:

<!--  -->


### Tripetto

[Tripetto](https://tripetto.com/) is a form tool that is suitable for different purposes. It is a complete and unique solution for creating and running forms and surveys.

<!-- It comes as [a SaaS](https://tripetto.com/studio/?utm_source=Tripetto&utm_medium=content-marketing&utm_content=formbuilder-sdk-implementation-guide), exactly like Typeform and SurveyMonkey. -->


Tripetto running operation consists of three core pillars:
1. 🏗️ Visual form builder to create forms (form designer);
1. 🏃 Runners to run those forms (and collect responses);
1. 🧱 Blocks (question types) for use in the forms.

One good thing about Tripetto is that the running pillars above are available as entirely client-side components.

They run in the context of the user's browser and do not rely on a specific back-end, which means that they can serve in any client-side environment that supports [JavaScript](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Language_overview).

Also, it gives total freedom in handling the data that Tripetto generates or consumes.

The back end can also be whatever we want.

#### **Features**

1. A unique visual [form builder](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/builder/introduction/) that allows form sketching and surveys like flowcharts
1. Fully custom integration with various web apps without external dependencies
1. A standby runner to display forms in a modern [autoscroll UI](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/runner/stock/faces/autoscroll/), a more [classic form UI](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/runner/stock/faces/classic/), or a fancy [chat UI](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/runner/stock/faces/chat/)
1. Available components for [Angular](https://angular.io/) and [React](https://react.dev/)
1. Bundled with the standard [question types](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/blocks/stock/) (blocks)
1. Extendable with [custom blocks](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/blocks/custom/introduction/)
1. [JSON form definition](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/builder/api/interfaces/IDefinition/)

#### **How it works**

There are various options for using Tripetto's visual form builder to create forms. We can integrate it into any project, but it is optional. The best choice for any project depends on some of the required needs.

Among the options available are:

1. [Studio web app](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/getting-started/what-is-tripetto/#%EF%B8%8F-studio-web-app)
1. [CLI tool](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/getting-started/what-is-tripetto/#%EF%B8%8F-cli-tool)
1. [Integration](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/getting-started/what-is-tripetto/#-integration)
1. [WordPress plugin](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/getting-started/what-is-tripetto/#-wordpress-plugin)

But we'll use the Tripetto Studio web app to create a form and explain how to use the Tripetto runner to run it.

Tripetto Studio web app allows anyone who needs a form or survey. Whether they need a form for a website or want to create a survey that can be shared using a direct link, it's all possible with the Studio.

#### **Creating a Demo Simple Form**

To create a simple form, all we need to do is go to [tripetto.app](https://tripetto.app/) and start building our form.


We made an application form without creating an account following the documentation [guide](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/applications/studio/introduction/).

But if we want to save (and publish) our form and store it, we need to create an account by clicking on the user icon in the top right corner of the application.

Now that we have built our form, we will run it and extend the Tripetto to include more question types. Here is more information about doing that in the [documentation](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/getting-started/what-is-tripetto/#%EF%B8%8F-cli-tool).

* ### Form.io

<!-- [Form.io](https://form.io/) combines a Data Management platform and Form that enables the development of form- -->

[Form.io](https://form.io/) enables the development of form-based progressive web applications. It allows developers to create Forms speedily using a painless drag-and-drop form builder interface. Creating these forms generates a JSON schema to render the forms within the progressive application dynamically and automatically create the API to receive the data when the form is submitted.


Form.io provides everything needed to build business process workflow applications with little effort and complex, form-driven applications within a few times without compromising security or sanity.

#### **Features**

The following are some of the critical features of Form.io

1. OAuth providers
1. Dynamic Forms
1. Easy Feature enhancement.
1. User Management & Auth
1. Forms and data management
1. Role-based access control
1. Automatic API Creation
1. Drag & Drop Interface
1. Advanced conditional logic

The Form.io website contains more details about its [features](https://form.io/features/).

#### **Getting Started**

To get started with Form.io, here are the basic steps required:

1. [Create a Project](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#create-a-project)
1. [Create a Team](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#create-a-team)
1. [Create a Form](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#create-a-form)
1. [Add an Action](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#add-an-action)
1. [Configure Access Settings](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#configure-your-access-settings)
1. [Form Embedding](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#embed-your-form)
1. [View Submissions in the Developer Portal](https://help.form.io/master/getting-started-with-form.io#view-submissions-in-the-developer-portal)

To do this, here are the steps required as described in the documentation:

1. [Step 1: Create a project](https://help.form.io/master/launch#step-1-create-a-project)
1. [Step 2: Create a Form](https://help.form.io/master/launch#step-2-create-a-form)
1. [Step 3: Create some Actions](https://help.form.io/master/launch#step-3-create-some-actions)
1.[ Step 4: Configuring Access](https://help.form.io/master/launch#step-4-configuring-access)
1. [Step 5: Launch the Form](https://help.form.io/master/launch#step-5-launch-the-form)

Following all the described steps above, we should now have our Form and see how end users will experience our Form and fill it out.


We can do many other things with the FormView application, such as White Labeling, changing the logo, navigating to a thank you page, etc. For more information about the FormView application, please check out the [FormView User Guide](https://help.form.io/userguide/formview).

## **Brief Comparison Between [SurveyJS](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/get-started-react) and [FormBuilder](https://formengine.io/documentation/)**

| Features | SurveyJS | FormBuilder |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Drag and drop form builder | Yes | Yes, but requires manual coding for actions. |
| JSON forms |Yes | Yes |
| Customizable layout| Yes| Yes |
| Ease of Use| Yes (Great Documentation)| Yes|
|Language translation |Yes|Yes |
|Conditional Logic |Yes|Yes |
|Pricing|Free with Essential features|Free with Limited features |

Please refer to the documentation for additional features available in SurveyJS and FormBuilder.

## Choosing the Right Form Builder

<!-- When choosing a form builder tool for an organization or project,
We need to ensure some needs and ensure that the tool we choose has all the appropriate features to meet our requirements. -->

Here are some standard features for selecting the right form builder software for a business or project.

1. User-Friendly
1. The ability to customize forms easily
1. Conditional Logic and Question Types
1. Easy Integration with third-party systems
1. Automating work processes
1. Free Trial and Basic Demo
1. Offline Features Tool
1. Reporting and Analytics

## Conclusion

Forms are helpful in almost every business and industry to collect customer information and feedback. A powerful React form builder tool helps us create professionally looking forms for this purpose.

<!-- In this article, we explore various React form builders, check their features, and discuss some popular options in detail. -->

## References

1. [SurveyJS Documentation](https://surveyjs.io/documentation)
2. [FormBuilder Documentation](https://formengine.io/documentation)
3. [Tripetto Official Documentation](https://tripetto.com/sdk/docs/)
4. [Form.io Platform Documentation](https://help.form.io/)