How to Use Tally for Indie Hackers

Indie hackers need fast, cheap ways to collect emails, run beta surveys, and take payments. Tally delivers a no‑code form builder that fits those needs. In this guide we walk through creating a sign‑up form, adding a Stripe payment, embedding the result on a landing page, and automating follow‑up emails. The steps use only free or low‑cost tools, so you can start building revenue streams today.

Table of contents

• 1. Set up a Tally account
• 2. Build your first form
• 3. Add Stripe payments
• 4. Embed the form on your site
• 5. Automate with Zapier
• 6. Tally vs. competitors
• 7. Frequently asked questions

1. Set up a Tally account

Go to tally.so and click “Sign up for free”. You can register with Google, GitHub, or an email address.

After confirming your email, you land on the dashboard. The free plan includes:

• Unlimited forms
• Up to 500 submissions / month
• Basic integrations (Zapier, Make, Google Sheets)
• Custom domain support (paid only)

2. Build your first form

Click “New Form”, give it a name like “Beta Waitlist”, and choose “Blank”. Add fields by clicking the plus icon.

// Example: adding a short text field for email
{
  "type":"email",
  "label":"Your email address",
  "required":true
}

Set the field to “required”. Add a “Multiple choice” field for “How did you hear about us?” with options “Twitter”, “Product Hunt”, “Friend”.

3. Add Stripe payments

First, sign up for a Stripe account (no monthly fee, 2.9 % + 30¢ per transaction). In Tally, open Settings → Payments → Connect Stripe.

After connecting, go back to the form editor and click “+ Add field → Payment”. Choose “One‑time payment” and set the amount, e.g., $19 for early‑bird access.

Enable “Collect email” to store the buyer’s address in Stripe. Test the flow with Stripe’s test keys before going live.

4. Embed the form on your site

When the form is ready, click “Share” → “Embed”. You have two options:

1. Iframe – copy the <iframe> snippet and paste into your HTML.
2. Script – copy the <script> tag for a lightweight load.

Example iframe code:

<iframe src="https://tally.so/r/mYbX9Z" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Place the iframe where you want the form to appear. The form automatically adapts to mobile screens.

5. Automate with Zapier

Zapier lets you trigger actions when a new Tally submission arrives.

1. Log in to Zapier, create a new Zap.
2. Choose “Tally” as the trigger app, event “New Form Submission”.
3. Select your form.
4. Pick an action – for example, “Add/Update Subscriber” in ConvertKit.
5. Map fields (email → email, source → custom field).

This workflow adds every new lead to your email list without manual effort.

6. Tally vs. competitors

Below is a quick side‑by‑side comparison of Tally, Google Forms, and Typeform for indie hackers.

Feature	Tally (Free)	Google Forms (Free)	Typeform (Basic)
Unlimited forms	✔	✔	✖ (10 per month)
Custom branding	✔ (limited)	✖	✔
Stripe payments	✔	✖	✔ (requires paid plan)
Submission limit	500/mo	Unlimited	100/mo
Conditional logic	✔	✖	✔ (paid only)
GDPR export/delete	✔	✔	✔ (paid)

For most indie projects, Tally offers the best balance of price, payment support, and design flexibility.

7. Frequently asked questions

What is Tally?

Tally is a no‑code form builder that lets you create surveys, sign‑up pages and payment forms without writing code.

Do I need a credit card to start?

No. Tally offers a free tier that includes unlimited forms and up to 500 submissions per month.

Can Tally accept Stripe payments?

Yes. Connect your Stripe account in Settings → Payments and add a payment field to any form.

How do I embed a Tally form on my website?

Copy the embed code from the Share dialog and paste it into your HTML, or use the <iframe> snippet provided.

Is Tally GDPR‑compliant?

Tally stores data in EU‑based servers and offers a data‑export and deletion tool to meet GDPR requirements.

Using Tally, indie hackers can launch sign‑up pages, collect payments, and automate follow‑ups in under an hour. The tool’s free tier covers early‑stage projects, and the simple embed code fits any website. Start building your next revenue stream with Tally today.