Intake

Overview

Intake is a client-collection service for businesses that need forms, signed PDFs, documents, and payments gathered through a shared link. It is best suited to professional services such as tax and accounting, mortgage and lending, real estate, immigration, and bookkeeping. Its strongest case is combining client submissions and payment collection in one workflow; the 10-client free-plan ceiling and payment fees make it less compelling for larger or fee-sensitive operations.

Businesses can create reusable intake links for a website, email signature, or QR code, so prospective clients can start without waiting for a one-off request. Clients open the link without creating an account, and can upload documents or use a mobile camera to capture them.

See our Client Intake Software directory for more options in this category.

Key features

Forms, PDFs, and document handling

The form builder supports conditional fields and validation, useful when the next questions depend on a client's answers or submissions need basic checks. Clients can also complete and sign fillable PDFs in a browser. This mix can reduce the need to collect form answers and signed documents through separate channels.

Classification and integrations

Intake says its AI identifies document types with over 95% accuracy and flags uncertain cases for review. That may help sort incoming paperwork, though the review flags mean it is not a reason to remove human oversight. The privacy policy says document content is processed for classification, is not used to train AI models, and is not shared with third parties.

A REST API, webhooks, and native MCP server support custom connections, while Make.com, Zapier, Claude, and GPT are named integration options. These tools give teams ways to connect Intake with other systems, but the most relevant path will depend on their existing setup.

Payments and safeguards

Clients can pay through a connected Stripe account. Intake charges 1% per successful payment in addition to Stripe processing fees, so payment collection adds a variable cost that grows with transaction volume. The site says data is encrypted in transit and at rest using 256-bit encryption; its privacy policy also describes TLS/SSL encryption, access controls, authentication, and regular security assessments.

After account deletion, account data is deleted within 30 days, uploaded documents are permanently deleted, and backup copies may remain for up to 90 days. Enterprise customers can request dedicated support; support requests are directed to Intake by email.

Pricing

Intake uses a freemium model, with paid plans from $19 a month. The Free plan costs nothing, requires no credit card, and allows up to 10 clients. That cap makes it suitable for a small trial or very low-volume practice, but not a growing client roster.

Professional costs $19 a month, or $190/year with two months free. It includes unlimited requests and clients, which removes the free plan's core volume constraint. The 1% platform fee still applies to payments, on top of Stripe processing fees.

Team costs $49 a month, or $490/year with two months free. It includes three seats; additional seats cost $15/seat/month and are prorated. This is the clearer fit for a small team sharing intake work, though headcount beyond three raises the subscription cost.

Enterprise has custom pricing and adds custom integrations, dedicated support, volume pricing, SSO, and SLAs. It is aimed at organizations that need those operational or contractual provisions rather than a standard self-serve plan.

Platforms

Intake is available on Android, iOS, and the web, and offers an API. The mobile client portal's upload and camera-capture support is particularly relevant when clients submit paperwork away from a desktop.

Who it's for

Intake fits businesses that regularly request a bundle of information, paperwork, signatures, or payment from clients. Its reusable links suit organizations that want intake to begin from their public-facing channels, while conditional forms and document classification can help structure incoming submissions. Firms that mainly need a basic form, do not collect payments, or exceed the free tier's client ceiling should weigh whether Intake's broader workflow is worth its paid plan and transaction charges.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A single client link can combine conditional forms, signed PDFs, document uploads, and payment collection, reducing the need to split those steps across services.
• Pros: Clients do not need an account, and mobile uploads include camera capture, lowering friction for document submission.
• Pros: The free plan costs nothing and needs no credit card, giving small practices a way to start without an upfront subscription.
• Cons: The free plan stops at 10 clients, so even modest growth may require Professional.
• Cons: Successful payments incur Intake's 1% fee plus Stripe processing fees, which can make payment collection costly at higher transaction volumes.
• Cons: Team's three included seats may not cover larger groups; each additional seat costs $15/seat/month.

Alternatives

Choose ClientLoop if a lower client cap is acceptable in exchange for a free plan that includes one team member, unlimited document and form requests, 1 GB of storage, and 100 uploads per month; files are kept for six months. Consider FormsHQ for a form-focused starting point: its free Starter Form allows one published form and 50 responses per month, with basic templates, email notifications, CSV export, and FormsHQ branding.

PlatoForms is worth comparing for a free form-oriented tier with one live form, 100 submissions per month, 100 MB storage, two members, and 10,000 AI credits per month. Portico may suit onboarding volumes of up to three active onboardings per month, with e-signatures limited to three per month, 1 GB of storage, and unlimited team members on its free plan.

For form creation without a free-trial requirement, FlowyForm offers a free Standard plan with unlimited forms and submissions, e-signatures, file uploads, and conditional logic. Onvoy is another onboarding option, with five onboardings per month, one team member, forms, file uploads, templates, and automated email reminders on its free plan.

Clustdoc is a paid option with a PRO plan at $190 a month, including three user seats, 50 new applications per month, and 25 GB of storage; some e-signatures and reminders have limited usage. ClientEnforce is another freemium option.

Verdict

Intake is a strong match for small professional-service businesses that want clients to submit forms, signed documents, uploads, and payments through one account-free link. The free tier offers a low-risk start, and Professional removes client and request limits, but payment fees remain and the free plan's 10-client cap is restrictive. Choose it when consolidating intake matters more than minimizing transaction costs; look elsewhere if you only need forms or expect payment fees to outweigh the convenience.