Quick verdict
Tally has a generous free tier and a clean interface. But it's a form builder and nothing more. No workflow, no CRM, no AI. When you need more than a simple form, ioZen is the next step.
Quick comparison
| Feature | ioZen | Tally |
|---|---|---|
| Clean interface | ||
| Conversational flow | Basic | |
| AI field intelligence | ||
| AI form generation | ||
| Built-in workflow | ||
| Built-in CRM | ||
| Automatic routing | ||
| Free tier | Generous | Generous |
Why teams switch
"We outgrew simple forms"
"Tally was perfect when we just needed to collect info. But as our team grew, we needed to track submissions, assign them to people, and see where everything stood. Tally can't do any of that. ioZen gave us workflow management on top of the form building we already liked."
"We wanted smarter data collection"
"Tally forms are static. You set up questions and people answer them. With ioZen, AI asks follow-up questions when someone gives a vague answer. It also validates responses in real time. The quality of data we collect now is significantly better, with fewer incomplete submissions."
"We needed contacts, not just responses"
"Tally stores form responses. That's it. We had no way to see all interactions from a single person across different forms. ioZen creates contact profiles automatically and links everything together. Now when a client submits a new request, we can see their full history."
Feature-by-feature breakdown
Form building
Both tools have clean, modern form builders. Tally uses a Notion-like block editor. ioZen adds AI generation on top: describe what you need and get a complete form in seconds. For manual building, both are solid.
AI capabilities
Tally has no AI features. ioZen has AI everywhere: generate forms from descriptions, get intelligent follow-ups on every field, extract data from documents, and auto-generate routing rules. This is the biggest difference between the two.
Workflow
Tally doesn't have workflow. Submissions go to a response list and that's it. ioZen has Kanban-style Process Boards where submissions become cards you can track through stages, assign to team members, and manage with comments and history.
Contact management
Tally doesn't track contacts at all. Each form response is isolated. ioZen creates contact profiles automatically, links responses from the same person, and gives you tags, segments, and a full timeline of interactions.
Routing and automation
Tally has basic integrations through webhooks and Zapier. ioZen has built-in routing rules: submissions go to the right person or stage automatically based on answers. No external tools needed.
Pricing
Both have generous free tiers. Tally's free plan is very capable for basic forms. ioZen's free plan includes 1,000 AI credits on top of unlimited submissions. Both are $0 to try, and paid plans are comparable.
Who should use what
Choose Tally if...
- You just need simple forms and nothing else
- You like the Notion-style editing experience
- You don't need workflow, CRM, or AI
Choose ioZen if...
- You need to actually do something with submissions after collection
- You want AI that improves data quality with follow-ups
- You need workflow tracking and contact management
- You've outgrown basic form tools and need a platform