Respondents find upload limits halfway through a submission, after the link is out. This page compares what each form tool documents about file uploads and lists the tests to run before you publish.
Check six things, not one
- Per-file cap: the largest single file a respondent can send.
- Files per question: one file or a set.
- Who can upload: anyone, or only signed-in or in-organization people.
- Where the bytes land: the vendor's storage or yours.
- Account storage ceiling: a separate total that often never resets.
- What happens at the ceiling: the form keeps collecting, stops, or is disabled.
The last two surprise teams. A generous per-file cap behind a small account ceiling works until the day it doesn't.
What the vendors document
Checked on 2026-09-27 against each vendor's own docs. Vendors change limits, so re-check the linked page before you depend on a figure.
| Tool | Per-file cap | Files per question | Who can upload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typeform | 10 MB, on Basic plans and higher | Not stated | Any respondent |
| Airtable | 5 GB per attachment, 1 GB on Free | Not stated for forms | Anyone with a standalone form's link |
| Formspree | 25 MB | See Formspree's plans | Any respondent, on paid Formspree plans |
| Notion | Under 5 MB on Free. Up to 5 GB on paid plans, lower for PDFs and images | Not stated for forms | Any respondent |
| Google Forms | Set by the form owner | Set by the form owner | Respondents must sign in to a Google Account |
| Microsoft Forms | 10 MB, 100 MB, or 1 GB | Up to 10 | Only people in your organization |
| Jotform | Up to 1 GB, with a lower default | Not stated | Any respondent |
What the size number hides
A sign-in gate filters more than a size cap
Google's help center says respondents must sign in to a Google Account to answer a file-upload question. For an internal survey that's free authentication. For an anonymous intake form, it's the whole funnel.
Microsoft Forms uploads are internal only
Microsoft's docs say file upload works only when the form is limited to people in your organization. Adding an upload question removes the option to let anyone respond, which rules out collecting client documents.
Account storage is a separate limit
Jotform's account limits put upload space in a total that doesn't reset. Its pricing lists 100 MB on Starter, 1 GB on Bronze, 10 GB on Silver, and 100 GB on Gold. Reaching a limit disables your forms on a scheduled date, and respondents see a "Form over quota" message. Typeform's pricing lists 1 GB, 2 GB, or 4 GB of file uploads by plan.
A large per-file cap can still fill a small base
Airtable allows 5 GB attachments, reduced to 1 GB on Free, and its pricing lists 1 GB of attachments per base on Free and 20 GB on Team. On Free, one attachment can use the whole base. Airtable's forms article also tells owners to keep form attachments under 5 MB, so test a real submission.
Notion's workspace caps apply to forms
Notion documents file limits for the workspace, and its forms help page doesn't mention uploads. Treat the workspace limits as the ones that apply.
Fillo's numbers
Fillo sends files browser-direct to storage you connect: Google Drive, Box, Amazon S3, or Cloudflare R2. Fillo opens and verifies each upload session and stores the response with a reference to each file. Uploads are chunked and resumable where the provider supports it. From Plans and limits:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Size of one file | 500 MB by default, configurable from 1 MB to 5,000 MB |
| Files in one field answer | 1 by default, configurable up to 20 |
| Accepted type rules | Up to 50 extensions or MIME patterns |
| Who can upload | Any respondent, no account needed |
| Temporary transit storage, before you connect storage | 10 MB per file, 100 MB of active files per workspace, files expire after 7 days |
Your storage provider, browser, network, and proxies keep their own quotas, so a 5,000 MB field limit doesn't guarantee every 5 GB upload succeeds. Transit storage lets a new form go live the same day. It isn't a durable destination.
Test the limit before the form is public
Run these against the published form, not the preview:
- a file just over the cap, to see the error respondents see
- a disallowed file type
- an interrupted upload, then a retry
- the largest realistic file, on a mobile connection
Then check the account storage ceiling and work out how many months of expected volume it holds.
Related
- Job application example: Try a live form with a file-upload field.
- Uploads and storage: Connect Google Drive, Box, or S3/R2 and set per-field file rules.
- Client intake with file uploads: Build an intake form that collects documents.
- Upload rejected: Diagnose a refused upload.