A Netlify Forms alternative built for shipping.

Choose Netlify Forms when the site already runs on Netlify and is likely to stay there. Current credit-based plans include free, unlimited form submissions, and Netlify provides dashboard storage, file uploads, notifications, webhooks, and API access without adding another vendor. That is a genuinely strong bundled offer.

The structural problem with Netlify Forms is portability: the moment you move hosts — to Vercel, Cloudflare, your own server, anywhere — your forms break. splitforms is host-agnostic. The action URL works the same regardless of where the page is served, which means moving hosts in the future doesn't touch your form layer at all.

The most common trigger is host migration. A team decides to move from Netlify to Vercel or Cloudflare for performance, pricing, or deployment-feature reasons — and discovers Netlify Forms doesn't follow them. Every form has to be rewritten to point at a new backend during the migration. splitforms removes this entirely: the form action URL is host-independent, so moving hosts is a deploy-config change, not a forms-rewrite project.

The second trigger is operational separation. Agencies and product teams sometimes want one form layer across Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare, and traditional hosts. splitforms gives those sites the same endpoint, dashboard, access model, and signed-delivery behavior instead of coupling each form to its deployment platform.

The third trigger is agent provisioning. splitforms' authenticated MCP server can create a real form with specified fields and return an access key plus ready-to-paste HTML. Netlify has strong Agent Runners and prompt templates, but the workflow remains part of the wider Netlify project platform.

Host requirement

splitforms works on any host. Netlify Forms only works on Netlify-hosted sites.

Free tier

splitforms includes 500 submissions/month on any host. Netlify's current credit-based plans include unlimited form submissions for sites hosted on Netlify; legacy plans retain their older, separately metered limits.

Paid tier pricing

splitforms Pro is $5/month for the standalone service. Netlify forms are bundled into hosting plans, with Personal currently starting at $9/month. These are different product shapes, so a per-submission cost comparison is misleading.

Dashboard and API

both products store submissions, support exports, expose APIs, and handle uploaded files. Compare the workflow and retention limits of the exact plan rather than assuming either lacks these basics.

Webhooks

splitforms unlocks HMAC-SHA256 signed webhooks (single delivery attempt, 8-second timeout) on paid plans. Netlify supports email, Slack, outgoing webhooks, Zapier, n8n, and form-triggered functions.

Spam protection

splitforms uses AI classification plus honeypot. Netlify uses honeypot plus reCAPTCHA, which adds user friction.

Agent surface

splitforms ships an MCP server that can provision forms and inspect submissions. Netlify ships Agent Runners and form-oriented prompt templates inside its hosting platform.

• “We're moving off Netlify and our forms are about to break.”

  splitforms' action URL is host-independent. Move hosts whenever you want; the forms keep working without changes.

• “We manage forms across several hosting vendors.”

  splitforms provides one independent access model and delivery pipeline for all of them.

• “We need signed webhook delivery at a small-service price.”

  splitforms exposes HMAC-SHA256 signed webhooks from the $5/month Pro plan.

• “I want to drive form submissions from a Claude or Cursor agent.”

  splitforms ships an MCP server natively.

Host portability is the headline. splitforms is the form backend you can point at from Netlify today, Vercel tomorrow, Cloudflare next year, your own server after that — without touching the form. For any team that thinks of hosting as a tradeable layer, this is a structural win.

A standalone control plane. Search submissions, filter by form and date, and export to CSV without coupling those workflows to the hosting account.

A low standalone paid floor. Pro is $5/month, while Netlify's price includes a much broader hosting platform. splitforms is attractive when you need only the form backend.

HMAC-SHA256 signed webhooks on paid plans — single delivery attempt, 8-second timeout. Netlify also supports outgoing webhooks; evaluate signing and delivery-log requirements for your integration.

AI spam classifier on top of honeypot. You can drop reCAPTCHA entirely and stop forcing users through image puzzles.

MCP server for AI agents — Claude and Cursor can provision a form, generate its markup, and inspect submissions through an authenticated tool surface.

Step 1: get a splitforms access key (free, no credit card). Step 2: in your form HTML, remove the `netlify` attribute and add `action="https://splitforms.com/api/submit"` and `method="POST"`. Step 3: deploy and submit a test entry, confirm it lands in the splitforms dashboard and owner inbox; Pro adds signed webhooks when you need automation.

If you've been relying on Netlify's bot-field honeypot, splitforms includes equivalent honeypot protection out of the box plus an AI classifier on top. Past submissions stay in your Netlify dashboard for as long as you keep your Netlify account active; splitforms starts collecting from the moment you switch. There's no need to rewrite anything else — field names, validation, redirect URLs, and CC recipients all transfer one-to-one.

Day 1, minute zero: `grep -rn 'netlify\|data-netlify\|netlify-honeypot' .` across your repo. You'll find the magic attributes scattered across `index.html`, `src/pages/contact.astro`, or `app/contact/page.tsx` depending on your stack — `<form name="contact" netlify netlify-honeypot="bot-field" action="/thanks">`. The Netlify Forms convention is wholly attribute-driven, so the migration is mostly attribute deletion. Open a `splitforms-migration` branch, strip the `netlify`, `data-netlify`, and `netlify-honeypot` attributes off each form, then add `method="POST"`, `action="https://splitforms.com/api/submit"`, and a hidden `access_key` input.

Minute fifteen: push the branch and let your host build a deploy preview. Submit a test entry from the preview URL, confirm it lands in the splitforms dashboard with the right field values and any file attachments. Now run shadow mode: in your form handler add a `Promise.allSettled([fetch('/', {method:'POST', body:formData}), fetch(splitformsUrl, {method:'POST', body:formData})])` so Netlify's built-in form handler and splitforms both receive every submission for 24 hours. Compare counts in both dashboards, verify file handling and notifications, and keep the provider whose operational model fits the project.

Day 2: remove the duplicate Netlify post, redeploy, watch a full day of real production traffic flow through splitforms only. Once you're confident, you can leave the Netlify Forms feature toggled off in your `netlify.toml` or just stop using the attributes — Netlify won't try to capture forms that don't have the `netlify` attribute anymore. Splitforms's free tier (500/mo, unlimited forms, full dashboard) covers dashboard validation at zero cost, and Pro adds webhooks for $5/month if the cutover needs downstream delivery.

If you're committed to Netlify hosting, Netlify Forms is one less dependency to manage. Current credit-based plans include unlimited form submissions, configuration is a single `netlify` HTML attribute, and the forms panel lives beside deploy logs. Adding a separate form vendor would create an extra account and credential without an obvious economic benefit.

The same answer applies to companies already using Netlify Functions, Netlify Identity, Netlify Edge, Agent Runners, and the Forms feature as one approved platform. Adding splitforms means a fresh vendor review and a new operational surface. Switch only when portability, independent administration, MCP provisioning, or splitforms' delivery controls solve a concrete need.

And if your forms are part of a Jamstack starter template you publish for others, Netlify Forms is the most copy-pasteable option — readers don't need to sign up for a new service to make the template work, just connect to Netlify. Splitforms requires an access key, which is friction for tutorial readers.

Will splitforms work on a site I host on Netlify? Yes — splitforms works on any host, including Netlify. You just remove the `netlify` attribute and add a standard form action URL.

What if I move from Netlify to Vercel later? Nothing changes for your forms. The splitforms action URL is host-independent.

How does the spam protection compare to Netlify's reCAPTCHA setup? splitforms uses AI classification plus honeypot, which is accurate enough that you can drop reCAPTCHA and stop punishing legitimate users with image puzzles.

Does splitforms support file uploads? Yes, when Storage is connected.

Does Netlify still have a 100-submission free limit? Current credit-based plans include unlimited form submissions. The 100-per-site allowance applies to legacy Free and Starter plans documented separately by Netlify.

Does splitforms have a long-term plan? Yes — $59 for the 3-Year plan at 15,000 submissions/month for 36 months.