It is likely that everyone has used forms, guides, and templates at some point in their lives, whether it is for college applications, learning a technique, or giving a presentation at work. However, lots of people may not know the difference between each of these. So, if you are working on a project and are trying to figure out whether you should use a form or a guide, then the following article might help you.

The difference between forms, guides, and templates

Forms
A form is a type of document that can be a hard copy (printed copy) or a soft copy (such as those available through emails or online). These forms contain information that never changes, such as questions for a particular purpose. In case they are to be filled by multiple people, soft copies of forms are also likely to have boxes, lines, and drop-down menus for respondents to write or select their answers. Forms are most often used to place an order, make a request, etc. Examples of forms would be the documents that are filled for tax returns. Forms also have a serial number so that the issuer can keep track of responses.

Guides
Guides usually give information on a particular subject, such as a travel guide, which gives information on a particular tourist destination. A guide could also advise readers or give details on the best way to do something, such as an investment guide.

Templates
A template is like a sample document. It is similar to a form; however, all information on it can be changed. It is commonly used in word processing software. An example of a template is the one that is used to write work history details or reports for work or school.

Types of forms, guides, and templates

Forms
Forms can be of different types; some of these are:

Order forms
These are used by businesses to allow customers to place orders and give details about their payment options.

Feedback forms
Through these forms, a business or service can get information from their customers about their performance or the performance of their employees.

Hospital/clinic consent forms
These forms are used by health facilities, including those dealing with oral health. They have a place for a signature so that the form is a valid document that can be used in court.

Guides
Guides can be categorized as:

Educational or subject guides
These can be used by students or any interested persons to learn a subject

Destination or travel guides
This type of guides gives information about a particular place.

Templates
Some of the various types of templates are as follows:

Office document templates
These are letterheads, policy templates, or standard agreements such as those used when renting a property.

Site and app templates
These templates help you build or create a website or app.

Form templates
As the name suggests, these can be used to create a form. In software programming, templates are widely used in certain programs such as C++ to write code. This saves time as blocks of code don’t have to be continuously rewritten.

Advantages of using forms, guides, and templates

Forms
The biggest advantage of using forms is that the information collected is uniform, which makes it easier to process. For online forms, the applicant might be prompted or reminded of the answer, which makes it easy to fill. Data collected on forms, whether written or online, can be saved and examined later if needed.

Guides
Guides can help you quickly educate yourself about a certain subject, such as investment or a tourist place. Guides specifically designed for students help them study and understand a particular topic as it is written in simple language.

Templates
The biggest advantage of using templates is that it saves time and makes the process of creating a new document easier and faster.

Where to get forms, guides, and templates
If you have to keep using paid services or buy guides or templates each time you need them, it can get quite expensive. Given below are some resources where you can get these documents for free.

Forms
You can get free forms on platforms like Google Forms, Zoho Forms, and JotForm. You can also create and customize these forms depending on your requirement.

Guides
Depending on the topic you want, you might be able to find quite a few free guides online. These documents can also be available at your local library.

Templates
Getting free templates also depends on the topic. For example, if you are looking to start a webpage for your home business, you can find plenty of free templates for website design online. Some of these are FreeTemplatesOnline, FreeCSSTemplates, and Styleshout.