What it does
Form Tools is a free PHP and MySQL application for managing forms and their data on your own website. It can receive existing forms, support private entry by staff and publish public forms through its builder module. Local account permissions control who can view, edit or export responses. You provide the hosting and maintain the installation.
Choose Add Form, then select the entry model that suits the job. Internal forms stay inside Form Tools for its users. External forms keep your existing website form and send data into the manager. Form Builder uses the included module to design and publish a public form.
An external form preserves control over layout and behavior, but field changes must also be made in Form Tools. Several sources can feed one managed form, and its type can be changed later.
The application is free, with GPL v2 core code. You provide the PHP/MySQL hosting. Download a release for deployment: the repository identifies its master branch as development work.
Management uses local administrator and client accounts. Client permissions determine which forms, views and fields are visible, and what someone can edit or export. This is an account system within your installation; the public forms serve respondents separately.
Strengths
- Existing forms can feed data into a managed form without replacing their layout
- Internal and publicly published forms are separately supported
Watch out for
- External form changes must be reflected manually in the Form Tools configuration
Best for
- Website maintainers managing existing form data on their own server
Sources
- Form Tools (Oct 27, 2026)
- Form types (Oct 27, 2026)
- Client accounts (Oct 27, 2026)
- Form Tools core repository (Oct 27, 2026)
- Form Tools core GPL v2 licence (Oct 27, 2026)