Cognito Forms alternative
BackPR vs Cognito Forms
Cognito Forms is an online form builder with calculations, payments and workflows, with a free plan and paid plans from $19 a month billed yearly. Its built-in payments add a 1% or 2% fee on the lower plans and it can't run recurring payments itself, while BackPR is free for nonprofits and has payment plans with autopay.
At a glance
BackPR and Cognito Forms, side by side
| Term | BackPR | Cognito Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Youth and community programs: camps, after-school, childcare, classes, sports, schools and churches. | Organizations of any kind that need online forms with calculations, payments, workflows and document generation. |
| Cost for nonprofits | $0. No subscription and no BackPR fees. | Discounted rates on any plan for 501(c)(3) organizations that aren't educational or governmental, by request to support. Discount amount not published. |
| Pricing | Nonprofits: $0. Other organizations: custom quote. | Free Individual plan (1 user, 100 entries a month, Cognito Forms branding). Pro $19, Team $39, Enterprise $129 per month billed yearly; $24, $49, $174 billed monthly. |
| Fees added to what families pay | None from BackPR. | None unless the organization turns on Include Processing Fees, which passes the plan's added Cognito Pay fee on to payers. |
| Payment fees | Stripe's standard processing rates. For nonprofits, BackPR adds nothing on top. | Cognito Pay (US): 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment, plus 2% on the free plan or 1% on Pro. Team and Enterprise add nothing and can also use PayPal or Square. Fees aren't returned on refunds. |
| Contract | No long-term contract. Cancel anytime with no exit fees. | Monthly or annual plans that renew automatically. Annual plans are non-cancelable 12-month terms; fees are non-refundable. |
| Onboarding and data import | Free, including data import. | Self-serve, with a 14-day free trial. Entries can be imported from Excel or CSV on Pro and higher plans and count toward entry limits. |
| Spanish for families | Yes. | A form's language can be set to Spanish, so its fixed text, such as error messages, appears in Spanish. Each form has one language setting. |
Cognito Forms details are from Cognito Forms's public website and terms, checked October 11, 2026. Products and prices change, so check Cognito Forms pricing, Cognito Forms help: nonprofit discounts, Cognito Forms help: Cognito Pay fees, Cognito Forms help: card on file and recurring payments, Cognito Forms terms of service and Cognito Forms help: language settings for current details.
The difference
Where BackPR is different
Payment plans and autopay
Families can pay over time on autopay. Cognito Forms doesn't support recurring payments; they have to be set up in the payment provider's dashboard.
No added percentage
For nonprofits, BackPR adds nothing to Stripe's standard rates. Cognito Pay adds 2% on the free plan and 1% on Pro.
Free for nonprofits
Nonprofits pay no subscription to BackPR. Cognito Forms has a free plan with 100 entries a month, offers 501(c)(3) discounts on request without publishing the amount, and its paid plans start at $19 a month billed yearly.
Built for youth programs
Family accounts with several children and one checkout, waitlists, rosters, and check-in and check-out with authorized pickup.
In fairness
What Cognito Forms does well
Cognito Forms handles complex calculations, repeating sections, discount codes, automated receipts and invoices, with no limit on forms or payments on any plan (the free plan allows 100 entries a month).
Switching
Moving from Cognito Forms is free
Send us an export of your families, participants and programs and we'll set up your BackPR account with them. There's no setup fee and no long-term contract.
How switching worksFAQ
Questions, answered
Can BackPR import our data from Cognito Forms?
Yes, for free. Send us your form entries in a spreadsheet, and we'll set up your families and programs in BackPR.
Does BackPR support payment plans?
Yes. Families can split a balance into a payment plan, and autopay charges each installment on schedule.
Other comparisons
Cognito Forms is a trademark of its owner. BackPR is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cognito Forms.
Open registration
with BackPR
Free for nonprofits. No long-term contract. We set you up and import your data at no cost.