Formester
Online form builder with workflows and integrations
TellForm
Self‑hosted form builder, now deprecated – use for testing only
TellForm provides a self‑hosted, mobile‑ready form builder with multi‑language support, analytics, and Docker deployment, but it is deprecated and should only be used for internal testing.
Overview
Overview
TellForm is a self‑hosted web application that lets developers create mobile‑responsive forms, surveys, and questionnaires. It targets teams that need a customizable form solution for internal testing, prototyping, or learning the architecture of a SaaS‑style form service.
Features & Deployment
The platform supports eleven question types, multi‑language interfaces, embeddable forms, and native analytics with optional Google Analytics integration. Submissions can be exported as XLS, JSON, or CSV, and each user can operate under a custom subdomain. TellForm can be run locally with Redis and MongoDB, or deployed via Docker Compose or Heroku using environment‑variable configuration. The repository includes Grunt build scripts, a Dockerfile (though noted as outdated), and a full test suite.
Current Status
As of version 2.1.0 the project is officially deprecated due to outdated and vulnerable dependencies. No new issues are accepted and the codebase is maintained only for reference. For production use the community recommends the actively maintained fork OhMyForm, which aims to be a drop‑in replacement and continues development under an AGPL licence.
Highlights
Multi‑language support for global audiences
Eleven built‑in question types and embeddable forms
Export submissions as XLS, JSON, or CSV
Deployable via Docker Compose or Heroku with env‑var config
Pros
- Rich feature set comparable to commercial form services
- Fully self‑hosted, giving full control over data
- Supports Docker and Heroku for flexible deployment
- Extensible via API and custom subdomains
Considerations
- No longer maintained; dependencies contain known vulnerabilities
- Dockerfile and deployment scripts are outdated
- No official support or issue tracking
- Not suitable for handling sensitive or production data
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Fit guide
Great for
- Internal testing of form workflows
- Prototyping survey interfaces before production
- Learning how to build a SaaS‑style form platform
- Evaluating self‑hosted alternatives to commercial services
Not ideal when
- Production environments handling personal data
- Compliance‑critical applications (GDPR, HIPAA)
- Long‑term projects requiring security updates
- Teams without capacity to patch vulnerable dependencies
How teams use it
Employee satisfaction survey
Collect anonymous feedback from staff using a self‑hosted form without exposing data to third‑party services.
Client prototype demo
Rapidly build a mock questionnaire to showcase form functionality during sales pitches.
Analytics integration test
Validate native and Google Analytics event tracking in a controlled environment.
Developer sandbox
Provide a learning environment for new engineers to explore form‑builder architecture and API usage.
Tech snapshot
JavaScript68%
HTML23%
CSS8%
Dockerfile1%
Python1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
Is TellForm safe to use in production?
No. The project is deprecated and contains outdated, vulnerable dependencies, so it should not be used for production workloads.
How can I run TellForm locally?
Install Redis and MongoDB, set the required environment variables in a .env file, then run `grunt` to build and start the server on port 3000.
Can I deploy TellForm with Docker?
Yes, a Docker Compose file is provided, but it is known to be out of date and may require manual fixes.
What is the recommended alternative?
The community recommends the actively maintained fork OhMyForm, which is a drop‑in replacement and receives security updates.
Where can I get help or discuss the project?
The project’s Discord channel and the OhMyForm community are the primary places for discussion; the original repository’s issue board is closed.
Project at a glance
Dormant- Stars
- 3,035
- Watchers
- 3,035
- Forks
- 521
Repo age10 years old
Last commit6 years ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageJavaScript
Last synced 12 hours ago