*** NOTE: ALL INFORMATION IS ACCURATE AT DATE OF PUBLISHING ***

Microsoft Forms has been around since 2016. In walks Microsoft Forms Pro in 2019, then it’s changed to Dynamics 365 Customer Voice in July 2020. I created a comparison table for Forms VS Forms Pro, which is now out of date and redundant. So, what is the difference between Forms and Customer Voice?

Microsoft Forms is accessed from https://forms.office.com, while D365 Customer Voice is accessed from https://customervoice.microsoft.com. If you aren’t seeing functionality you expect, check the URL at the top to make sure you are actually using the correct product first.

To help understand the differences between the two, I’ve created a comparison table showing an area of functionality, a brief description and then an indicator if it can be used in Forms, D365 Customer Voice or both.

PROJECTS
Functionality Details Forms CV
Project Management Ability to combine multiple surveys in to one project for management and analytics
Project Templates Ready-to-use feedback project templates available
Satisfaction Metrics Ability to define satisfaction metrics for NPS, CSAT and Sentiment, accessible at the Project and individual survey level
Copy Project Create a copy of a Project to add to another location within the same tenant
Share Project Share a project with others within your organisation giving co-owner access as required.
MAIN SURVEYS
Functionality Details Forms CV
Survey Title Set the title of the survey
Survey Title Formatting Set the font as bold, italic, underlined, change the colour, font family and font size
Survey Description Add a description to the survey
Survey Description Formatting Set the font as bold, italic, underlined, change the colour, font family and font size
Survey Description Variables Add variables in to the survey such as First Name or Last Name. Can create additional variables to add more values as required
Survey Image Add an image to the survey header via upload in either BMP, GIF, JPEG and PNG format
Survey Image Add an image to the survey header by searching on Bing, or adding from OneDrive
THEMES
Functionality Details Forms CV
Add Theme Using Pre-set Colours Add a theme to the survey using up to 8 predefined colours
Add Theme Using Pre-set Images Add a theme to the survey with different images
Add Theme By Selecting Colour Add a theme to the survey by using a specific Hex Colour
Add Theme Uploading An Image Add a theme to the survey by uploading your own image
Theme Idea Suggestions Based on the title of the survey, theme ideas are suggested and can be selected to use on the survey
Customise survey fonts Select from a variety of survey fonts to use in the survey header, and survey body
ADDITIONAL SETTINGS
Functionality Details Forms CV
Multilingual Surveys Create a version of a survey in multiple languages
Upload Language File Upload an Excel file of translations for multilingual surveys
Personalise Surveys Add personalised data by creating new variables. Information from a record in CDS can then be used to pass back in to the survey (sections, questions and descriptions)
Copy Survey Create a copy of an existing survey
Move Survey Move an existing survey from one Project to another
Share Survey As Template Copy a link to share with others. Visitor to link can then duplicate the survey to start using as their own
Share Survey To Collaborate Copy a link to share with others so they can collaborate on a survey with you
Settings For Who Can Complete Survey Set who can fill out the form for either anyone with the link, or only people within your organisation
Settings To Record Name With Link Record the name of the person filling out the survey, which is only possible with personalised links
Settings For Only One Response Per Person With Link Ability to have only one response per person for a survey, which is only possible with personalised links
Settings To Record Name In Organisation Record the name of the person filling out the survey
Settings For Only One Response Per Person In Organisation Ability to have only one response per person for a survey
Accept Responses Accept responses by default but deselect to stop any further responses coming in. Then have the ability to share a message with anyone who tries to access the survey
Set Start & End Date Set a start and end date for when the survey can have responses submitted
Shuffle Questions Questions will randomly shuffle the order of the questions displayed.
Customise Thank You Message By default the thank you message will be displayed at the end once the survey is submitted. This can be changed in the settings area.
Customise Footer Message By default the footer message will be displayed at the bottom of the survey. This can be changed in the settings area.
Send Email Receipt To Respondents If only people in the organisation can respond to a survey, an email receipt can be sent to the respondent when they submit the survey
Get Email Notification Of Each Response If only people in the organisation can respond to a survey, an email notification can be sent to the person creating the survey when a response is submitted
Add Sections To Survey Organise the surveys in to separate pages by adding new sections
Preview Survey In Computer Mode Preview how the survey will be displayed to a responder reviewing it on a computer
Preview Survey In Mobile Mode Preview how the survey will be displayed to a responder reviewing it on a mobile device
QUESTIONS
Functionality Details Forms CV
Survey Question Formatting Set the font as bold, italic, underlined, change the colour, font family and font size
Survey Question Piped Data Add piped data in to the survey such as First Name or Last Name. Can create additional parameters to add more values as required
Shuffle Questions Questions on the survey can be shuffled to avoid bias in response
Several Question Types Available 7 different question types are available to add (Choice, Text, Rating, Date, Ranking, Likert & Net Promoter Score)
Make Question Visible All questions are visible by default, but can be hidden if required
Subtitle On Question Add a subtitle to a question which appears underneath the question text to provide more explanation or additional clarity to a responder
Make Question Required Set a specific question as required so the responder must provide an answer
Insert Media In To Question Insert either an image or a video in to a question
Suggested Options For Choice Question Options are suggested for the choice question based on the first initial option added
Multiple Answers On Choice Question Responder can provide multiple answers to a question when using the Choice question
Drop-down On Choice Question Make options appear as a drop-down list instead of displaying all possible options
Shuffle Options On Choice Questions Shuffle the options on a choice question so they appear in a different order each time
Long Answer On Text Question Change a single line text question to a multi-line text question
Restrictions On Text Question Add a restriction to a Text question to force the answer to be a number. This can then be forced to be greater than, less than, greater than or equal to, less than or equal to, equal to, not equal to, between or not between.
Restrictions On Text Question For Email Add a restriction to a Text question to force the answer to be in an email format including the @ symbol and a dot then a domain
Restrictions On Text Question Using Regex Add a restriction to a Text question using a custom regular expression, forcing the answer to meet the regex logic set
Rating Question As Stars Or Numbers Set a rating question to require a response giving a number of stars, or selecting a number from 1 to 10.
Rating Question As Smiley Faces Set a rating question to require a response by selecting from a range of 5 faces
Add Labels To A Rating Question Adding a label lets you set a label for the lowest option (1 star or 1) and the highest option (10 stars or 10)
Hide Question Numbers Hide the number that displays by default against each question in the survey
Progress bar If a survey has two or more pages, a progress bar can be displayed to recipients as they complete the survey
BRANCHING RULES
Functionality Details Forms CV
Create Branching Rules Create branching rules based on responses to specific questions
Create Branching Rules Using Variables Create branching rules based on survey variables. This can be set to check if a variable is equal to, not equal to, or contains specific values
Branching Rules To Navigate To Questions Navigate to specific questions based on the answer given to a prior question
Branching Rules To Navigate To End Of Survey Navigate to the end of the survey based on the answer given to a specific question
Branching Rules To Navigate To Another Survey Navigate to a follow up survey based on the answer given to a specific question. This will occur once the survey has been submitted
Branching Rules To Navigate To A URL Navigate to a URL based on the answer given to a specific question. This will occur once the survey has been submitted.
Branching Rules Based On Value Of Answer If a question is not equal to specific response, or greater than, or less than, determine what happens next
Branching Rules With Multiple Conditions Set multiple conditions to determine what happens with the survey next. For example, a responder might answer Yes to one question and No to another, and then a branching may occur
Branching Actions For True And False Set branching rules with a condition that has an action for a TRUE outcome AND for a FALSE outcome
RESPONSES
Functionality Details Forms CV
Responses Are Stored In CDS The responses to the survey are stored in the Common Data Service, allowing access to the Customer Voice entities. These can then be combined in a Model Driven Power App with entities from other platforms such as Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement
All Survey Responses Can Be Viewed The responses can be viewed for a survey easily
Charts Are Provided To Display Details Each question type has its own visual representation using charts and graphs to view the response data
Export All Responses To Excel Responses to the survey can be exported to Excel
Print Summary Print a summary of all the responses, displaying charts and visuals
Print Individual Responses Print the individual answers for a specific respondent
Get A Summary Link Get a link which can be shared with others to view a summary of all of the responses for a survey
View Sentiment See the overall average sentiment for a survey, and the sentiment for individual responses
Association Insights On Survey Displays the correlation between one or more questions in the survey to help detect patterns in the responders.
Set Response Limit Set the max number of total responses allowed for a survey
Set Link Experiations Set when a link to take the survey will expire. For example, when sending out a survey, links older than 30 days will be disabled it will not be possible to take the survey
SENDING SURVEYS
Functionality Details Forms CV
Share Survey Using Link Share a link with people so they can access and respond to the survey
Share Survey With QR Code A QR code is provided which can be downloaded and used on a website, on an advert, in a presentation or on printed collateral for responders to scan with a phone or tablet and access and respond to the survey
Embed Survey Inline To Webpage Copy generated code and paste it into a webpage so responders can access and respond from your website.
Embed Survey With Pop-up Copy generated code and paste it into a web page to display the survey in a pop-up window on a webpage.
Embed Survey Using A Button Copy generated code and paste it in to a web page to show t he survey when a button is selected on your website
Pass Context In Embed Code Use variables to pass context in the embed code used on your website. This allows you to pass information back in to CDS on the survey response which can be used to link information to other records
EMAILING SURVEYS
Functionality Details Forms CV
Send Survey Using Email Client Using the email option opens up an email template in your default email client with a link to the survey added.
Send Survey Using Customer Voice Email Survey can be sent via email using the built in email functionality within Customer Voice
Send Survey From Personal Domain Send a survey using an email on your organisations domain.
Create Custom Email Templates Email templates can be created using images, font style changes, adding tables and hyperlinks
Create Custom Email Templates In Different Languages Email templates can be created in different languages to provide a different template for each language on the survey
Email Can Be Personalised Email templates can be customised with the First Name and Last Name of the recipient
Unsubscribe Option Provided Recipients of emails requesting feedback can unsubscribe from survey emails, preventing you from sending requests in the future
Upload Recipients Upload recipients using a CSV file. The survey can then be sent to each person in the spreadsheet. 10,000 contacts can be uploaded at one time
Send Email To Office 365 Contacts Search for, find and email contacts from Office 365
Send Email to D365CE View Using Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, search for a View and send to Contacts found using the Advanced Find criteria
Quick Poll Add-In Quick poll add-in for Outlook and Outlook.com lets you create an instant, real-time poll directly in the body of an email. Results can then be reviewed in Forms
POWER AUTOMATE
Functionality Details Forms CV
Configure A Microsoft Flow From A Template Within The Survey Tool Configure a flow using a template which can be used to trigger a survey when events occur in CDS. For example, when a case is resolved, when a lead is qualified or when an order is fulfilled
Configure A Microsoft Flow From Blank Within The Survey Tool Configure a flow from blank, setting your own triggers and actions based on your own requirements
Use Satisfaction Metric Values To Create Notification Use the Satisfaction Metric Values passed through in a Survey Response to create notifications based on your own requirements. For example, send an email, create a custom insight card
WordPress Tables

Hope the comparison helped. I will try to keep this updated as new features are released. Anything you think I have missed? Let me know in the comments below!


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22 thoughts on “Forms VS D365 Customer Voice – What Is The Difference?

  1. Great overview! I see that it is not possible to “Configure A Microsoft Flow From Blank” with Forms, if I test this, it works. Are there plans to remove this functionality?

    1. Hi Bernd. Ah, OK I can see that was misleading, so I have adjusted that part of the table. It refers to being able to do this from within the survey tool/application itself. So yes, you can create flows using Power Automate and the Forms connector, but not from within Forms. Hope that makes sense!

  2. Hi Megan
    Do I need to have Dynamics 365 licence to use customer voice ?

    What flavour (Forms or User Voice) comes with the E5 licence ?
    Thanks

    Nigel

  3. How does CV compare to Forms in terms of limits on total submissions (50k on Forms), number of questions (100 on Forms), etc.?

    1. Hi Philip, same number of responses are allowed on a survey in Customer Voice, 50K. I believe it’s also still the same number of questions allowed right now too.

  4. Can you have a spreadsheet or database behind a survey with either of these options so that some questions can only be answered if the value matches one on the data base, for example an existing ID number?

    1. Hi Zoe, you can use business rules and variables with Customer Voice, and have logic where questions are only displayed based on specific variables, but not with Forms, and not by having the spreadsheet or database be checked from the survey. You would need to have your variables included when you generate the survey invitation. This blog post might help: https://meganvwalker.com/recording-anonymous-feedback-while-capturing-variables-in-d365-customer-voice/

    1. Thanks Annette! Good to know about the updates, thanks for sharing!

  5. Thank you for the time taken to produce this very comprehensive comparison table very helpful. Random question do you know how I would request Microsoft’s Accessibility statement? Any pointers much appreciated. 🙂

  6. Hi!
    Do you know of any way of transferring from Froms to Customer Voice in that you can bring your old Forms with you (export/import)?

    Have looked almost everywhere and haven’t found anything on the topic other than if you have had the Pro version of Forms. Would seem strange that you have a light version such as Forms and when you upgrade as we have to C V then you can’t take your old work with you and reuse it.
    Thanks!
    Mats

  7. I’m being asked which is the best way to go – either Forms or D365 CV. That is like – how long is a piece of string. So I have 2 questions:
    Can MS Forms be shared with people external to your organisation (general public)?
    If your survey requires collection of PII data, which handles that best?
    Apologies if this is very vague, but this is all I’m getting from my business customer.

    1. Hi Corey. Can MS Forms be shared with people external to your organisation (general public)? – Yes. If your survey requires collection of PII data, which handles that best? – I would say neither is better, just different. Both have ways that you can keep data anonymous.

  8. Hi,

    many thanks for this overview !
    I am missing an answer on the question if you can use CV-Forms with an offline app.
    I already scanned a view articles from microsoft but cannot find a clear answer if you can use CV-Forms offline. If yes, which app do i have to use here.
    Do you know ?

    1. Hi Martin. It will only ever work online. You cannot be offline and access an online form from Customer Voice.

    1. Hi Lucas, no plans to update it no. Not really the time to keep focusing on it and keeping it up to date.

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