Why free visitor check-in forms cost more than you think.
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Google Forms is the go-to solution for organizations that need to collect information quickly without a budget. It's free, everyone knows how to use it, and you can create a visitor check-in form in minutes. So why pay for dedicated visitor management software?
The answer lies in everything that happens after someone fills out the form. Google Forms collects data, but it doesn't help you use it. There's no dashboard showing who's currently checked in. No automatic notifications when visitors arrive. No way to analyze trends or generate reports without exporting to spreadsheets and doing the work yourself.
Then there's the visitor experience. A Google Form on a tablet feels exactly like what it is—a makeshift solution. Visitors fill out fields and hit submit, but there's no confirmation that it worked, no guidance on what to do next, and no sense that your organization has invested in making their arrival smooth.
The hidden cost of Google Forms is the gap between data collection and data utility. You have visitor information scattered across form responses, but turning that into actionable insights—attendance reports, trend analysis, follow-up communications—requires significant manual effort.
Clerkcat costs money because it does the work that Google Forms leaves to you. Check-in is seamless. Notifications are automatic. Reports are one click away. The $49/month isn't paying for data collection—it's paying for everything else.
| Feature | Clerkcat | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $49/month per location | Free |
| Check-in experience | Purpose-built kiosk interface | Generic form |
| Host notifications | Automatic email alerts | Not available |
| Current visitor view | Real-time dashboard | Not available |
| Reporting | Built-in analytics | Manual spreadsheet work |
| Check-out tracking | Full check-in/out workflow | Not supported |
| Custom branding | Your logo and colors | Google branding |
| Offline support | Works without internet | Requires connection |
See who's currently checked in, get notified when visitors arrive, and track check-outs—not just submissions.
A dedicated kiosk interface with your branding looks professional. A Google Form doesn't.
Export visitor data for grants or compliance without manually processing spreadsheets.
Hosts know immediately when their visitor arrives. No manual checking or follow-up required.
Visitors can check in even when internet is spotty. Data syncs when connection returns.
Google Forms can't show you who's currently in your building or when someone checked out.
Hosts don't know when visitors arrive unless someone manually tells them.
Every report requires exporting to Sheets and processing the data yourself.
Google branding and generic form styling don't reflect well on your organization.
You know when people arrived but not when they left—critical for fire safety and security.
Clerkcat is the better choice if any of these apply:
Google Forms is free but incomplete. If all you need is basic data collection, it works. But if you need actual visitor management—knowing who's here now, notifying hosts, generating reports—you need purpose-built software. Clerkcat does what Google Forms can't.
Start your 14-day free trial today. No credit card required.
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