# Netlify Forms alternative: free, with your own SMTP

> Netlify Forms only works on Netlify. FormSMTP works on any host and sends form emails from your own address through your SMTP, 1,000 free a month.

Source: https://formsmtp.com/alternatives/netlify-forms · Last updated November 2, 2026

Netlify Forms is built into Netlify hosting: add an attribute to your form and Netlify finds it when it builds your site. On Netlify’s credit-based plans, form submissions use no credits. But it only works on sites deployed to Netlify, and email notifications come from formresponses@netlify.com by default.

## Netlify Forms not receiving submissions?

Netlify’s docs point to a few usual suspects:

- **Form detection is off.** Netlify only handles forms after you select *Enable form detection* under *Forms* in the Netlify UI, and it finds them by parsing your HTML when the build completes.
- **The form is rendered by JavaScript.** React, Vue and other client-rendered forms aren’t in the built HTML, so Netlify can’t see them. You need a hidden static copy of the form, or a hidden `form-name` input.
- **You post JSON.** AJAX submissions must be URL-encoded; Netlify Forms doesn’t accept JSON form data.
- **The site is paused.** On credit-based plans, a project that runs out of credits stops receiving form submissions until it has credits again.
- **The notification went to spam.** Notifications come from formresponses@netlify.com, so look for that sender in your spam folder or filters.

With FormSMTP the form posts straight to a URL, so there’s no build step to detect it, JavaScript-rendered forms and JSON work as they are, and the email comes from your own address. Every submission shows up under *Logs*, with the SMTP server’s exact error if one fails.

## Netlify Forms vs FormSMTP pricing

### Netlify Forms

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | 300 credits |
| Personal | $9/mo | 1,000 credits |
| Pro | $20/mo | 3,000 credits |

Hosting plans from [Netlify’s pricing page](https://www.netlify.com/pricing/). On these credit-based plans, form submissions use no credits, per [Netlify’s billing FAQ](https://docs.netlify.com/manage/accounts-and-billing/billing/billing-for-credit-based-plans/billing-faq-for-credit-based-plans/); older legacy plans meter submissions. November 2026.

### FormSMTP

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | 1,000 / month |
| Founding member | $0 | 10,000 / month (first 2,000 accounts) |
| Pro | $5/mo ($48/yr) | 50,000 / month |
| Agency | $15/mo ($144/yr) | 250,000 / month |

## Why people switch

- Works on any host: GitHub Pages, Vercel, Cloudflare Pages or your own server
- Emails come from your own address and SMTP account
- No build-time form detection: JavaScript-rendered forms and JSON posts just work
- Contacts, templates and scheduled & recurring emails included

## When Netlify Forms is the better choice

- Your site already lives on Netlify and you want submissions stored in the Netlify dashboard.
- Your form needs file uploads (Netlify allows up to 8 MB per request).
- You want form submissions with no separate monthly cap: on Netlify’s credit-based plans they use no credits.
- You use its Slack, Zapier or webhook notifications.

## Switching takes five minutes

1. [Create a free account](https://app.formsmtp.com/#/signup) and connect your SMTP account.
2. Remove `data-netlify="true"` (or `netlify`), `netlify-honeypot` and the hidden `form-name` input, and set the form’s `action` to `https://app.formsmtp.com/api/v1/form/YOUR_FORM_KEY`. Field names stay the same; call your honeypot field `_gotcha`. FormSMTP doesn’t accept file uploads, so remove any `type="file"` inputs.
3. Submit a test message and check *Logs*.

## FAQ

### Is FormSMTP a drop-in Netlify Forms replacement?

For contact and signup forms, yes. Point your form at FormSMTP, keep your field names, and connect the SMTP account you want to send from. Remove data-netlify="true" (or netlify), netlify-honeypot and the hidden form-name input, and set the form’s action to https://app.formsmtp.com/api/v1/form/YOUR_FORM_KEY. Field names stay the same; call your honeypot field _gotcha. FormSMTP doesn’t accept file uploads, so remove any type="file" inputs.

### Is FormSMTP cheaper than Netlify Forms?

Not on price alone. On Netlify’s credit-based plans, form submissions use no credits, so Netlify Forms costs nothing extra if you already host there (Netlify docs, November 2026). FormSMTP is free for 1,000 emails a month and works on any host, with the email coming from your own address.

### Can I use Netlify Forms on a site hosted somewhere else?

No. Netlify Forms works on sites deployed to Netlify, because Netlify finds your forms while it builds the site. A FormSMTP form is a plain URL, so the same form works on any host, Netlify included.

### Can I keep my site on Netlify and use FormSMTP?

Yes. Point the form at FormSMTP instead of Netlify, and add both your custom domain and your netlify.app address under Allowed websites.

### What’s the catch?

You connect your own SMTP account (Gmail, Zoho, SES…). Most people already have one, and it means emails come from your own address with your own sender reputation.