How to Handle Form Submissions Without a Backend

If you’re building a modern web app or landing page, there’s a good chance you’ve needed a simple way to handle form submissions. But what if you don’t want to spin up a backend just to receive some data?

In this post, we’ll explore your options—and show you one of the easiest ways to get real-time push notifications for form submissions, without relying on email or managing your own server.

✅ Common Options for Handling Form Submissions

1. Email-Based Form Services

There are tools that send form data to your inbox. These are simple to set up but come with drawbacks:

• You’re stuck with email for notifications
• Not ideal for fast-moving teams or mobile-first workflows
• Could end up cluttering your inbox

2. Slack-Based Form Services

These tools send form data to your Slack channels. They are great if you already have a team that uses Slack. However, it may be hard to read through submissions on a slack channel and manage them efficiently.

3. Custom Backend

You could build your own backend with Node, Python, or PHP, hook it to a database, and deploy it somewhere. This gives you full control, but it also means:

• Writing and maintaining code
• Handling spam, storage, and performance
• Handling your own notifications service

4. Third-Party No-Code Tools

Platforms like Google Forms, Airtable, or Typeform let you set up forms fast. But they limit your UI and often feel clunky when you want deep customization or a native feel.

🚀 A Simpler, Developer-Friendly Alternative: DevMatter

If you want form notifications without email and hate the overhead of backend code, DevMatter might be exactly what you’re looking for.

What it is:

DevMatter is a lightweight form backend built for developers. You design the form however you want—React, Vue, Svelte, plain HTML, anything—and simply POST data to our API.

Key features:

• No backend required: Just send a fetch() request or use a regular HTML form
• Customizable response: Choose between JSON or a redirect after submission
• Push notifications: Get real-time alerts on your phone when someone submits your form
• Mobile app: View submissions and reply on the go
• Developer-first: You own the UI, we just handle the backend plumbing

Example:

<form action="https://api.devmatter.app/forms/<your-form-id>" method="POST">
  <input type="text" name="name" required />
  <input type="email" name="email" required />
  <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

Or use javascript:

fetch("https://api.devmatter.app/forms/<your-form-id>", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({ name: "Jane", email: "jane@example.com" }),
});

Once a user submits a form, you can view the responses from your dashboard

You can also download our mobile app to receive push notifications and view responses over there.

📱 Get Started in Minutes

You can start using DevMatter for free. Just create a form endpoint, integrate it into your frontend, and start collecting data — no backend, no email, no stress.

🔗 Try DevMatter →

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re building a feedback form, contact form, or early-access waitlist, you don’t need a full backend to handle form data. And if you’re tired of managing email notifications, try our API and our mobile app for a seamless experience.

Stop overengineering your forms. Start focusing on what matters.