The 12 Best WordPress Form Plugins Reviewed

WordPress is a powerful CMS that comes with a lot of built-in features out of the box. But a contact form isn’t one of them. This is a bit odd because it’s almost impossible to run an online business or any e-commerce website without some kind of form. Forms are used to allow customers to get in touch with you, accept payments, integrate with 3rd-party tools, and more.

The good news is that if you use WordPress.com to build your website, you get a built-in form block in your post and page editor, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

If you want additional functionality, or you’re not yet using WordPress.com, you’ll need a form plugin. Since there are hundreds of contact form plugins for WordPress websites, evaluating different options and picking the right one for your business can be overwhelming.

The WordPress.com Business plan gives you the freedom to use any WordPress theme and can support any type of form plugin that you want to use for your website. It also has essential business tools built-in as standard, including SEO, social media scheduling, and site statistics. You’ll also get 200GB of storage, best-in-class security, lightning-fast hosting, and 24/7 support from WordPress experts. Whatever your vision for your form-powered website, WordPress.com has you covered.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the best WordPress form plugins, along with their pros and cons, to help you make an informed decision.

WordPress Form Capabilities

Each WordPress form plugin comes with its own unique set of functionalities. Here are the main features you should consider:

Form Templates: A great WordPress form plugin allows you to build any type of form with minimal effort, such as contact form, user registration form, payment form, subscription form, and so on.

Ease of Use: You should be able to create a form easily even if you’re not tech-savvy, preferably with a drag and drop editor.

Mobile-Responsive: A WordPress form plugin should allow you to create forms that look great on all devices.

Thorough Documentation: The documentation should be extensive enough for you to understand and apply the features you want.

Customer Support: The WordPress form plugin should have a solid team behind it, along with prompt customer service.

Form Customization: The more fields and settings you have to customize your form, the more versatile forms you’ll be able to make. Also, consider whether you can make changes that enhance user experience, like splitting your form into multiple pages or making it conversational.

3rd-Party Integrations: Your WordPress form plugin should support the other tools and technologies you have in place, like CRM, email automation software, WooCommerce, Stripe, Zapier, etc.

Conditional Logic: Altering form fields and sections based on user input makes your form less overwhelming and more efficient.

Email notifications: Check if the WordPress form plugin lets you notify multiple people when the form is submitted.

Frontend File Submission: Users should be able to attach different types of files, including images, videos, PDFs, and more.

Form Publishing: Does the WordPress form plugin enable you to display the form anywhere on your website with widgets and shortcodes?

Spam Protection: Spam messages are a real challenge for anyone using the internet. So your WordPress form plugin should have features to minimize spam, like Captcha and Honeypot.

It’s important to keep your business needs in mind when evaluating these features. For example, if you’re running a jobs website, you will need forms like the employer registration form and job application form. Similarly, e-commerce merchants will need specific forms like order placement, user login, and more.

Creating a Form with WordPress.com

As we discussed above, WordPress.com comes with a built-in form block that you can use to add a simple contact form to your pages and posts. You can use this block to create different types of forms such as a contact form, event registration form, feedback form, appointment booking form, and more.

To use this feature, click the + Block Inserter icon when editing a post or page and search for “Form”. Then click on the Form block to add it to the post or page.

Once you have selected the type of form you need, use the settings panel on the right to configure options such as email notifications and what will happen after form submission. To learn more, read our guide to the WordPress.com Form block.

As you can see, WordPress.com makes it easy for you to create simple forms without any coding. But in some cases, you might need complex features such as conditional logic or math calculations. That’s when WordPress’s integration with powerful third-party form plugins will come in handy.

The Best WordPress Form Plugins

Here’s a detailed overview of the best form plugins for your WordPress site, from basic plugins with bare-minimum features to advanced custom form building solutions with extensive customization, file submission, and conditional logic.

Jetpack Contact Form

Jetpack is a powerful multi-purpose plugin for WordPress websites. It has a number of different functionalities, one of which is a WordPress contact form with a drag and drop editor you can use to add, edit, and reorganize form fields.

You can create unlimited forms and embed them in different areas of your website. The plugin uses native WordPress settings to send email notifications when a form is submitted.

Features:

Create simple contact forms on both the classic and the Gutenberg editor
Dashboard notifications
Spam filtering with Akismet plugin
Configure custom email to get form notifications
Many other site management, performance, and security modules in addition to forms

Cons

You won’t find extensive customization like adding custom fields
No ready-made form templates

WPForms

WPForms is a beginner-friendly WordPress form plugin offering both a free version and a premium version. It has a powerful drag and drop form builder workflow to make WordPress forms without coding.

With WPForms, you can create different types of mobile-responsive forms with ready-made templates for survey forms, order forms, email subscription forms, donation forms, and more.

Features:

Pre-made templates for commonly used forms even in the free version
User-friendly drag and drop form builder with custom field types and editing in real-time
Integration with email marketing or CRM software such as Salesforce
View or get email notifications for form entries
Connect forms to Uncanny Automator to integrate with Elementor, WooCommerce, Sendfox, and more
Multi-step forms and deep customization with Webhooks
Form abandonment email notifications
Display forms anywhere on the website with widgets and shortcodes
Create surveys and polls with Likert scale and star ratings
Build distraction-free form landing pages
Users can upload files, documents, or images when submitting the form
Integration with Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.Net to collect payments
Forms are mobile-responsive
ReCAPTCHA for anti-spam protection
Conditional logic to customize form based on user responses

Cons:

WPForms compromises on some advanced features and customization provided by other plugins to keep it easy to use for beginners
Form entries can’t be saved in the free version
The free version provides fewer features than other free plugins

Formidable Forms

Formidable Forms is an advanced online forms plugin for WordPress that allows you to make complex forms easily. Both a free version on WordPress.org and a premium version are available. In addition to receiving form data on the backend, Formidable allows you to show submitted information on the front end.

There are lots of really powerful features to make sophisticated forms for not just a website, but also for data-driven web apps like directories, listings, etc.

Formidable Forms also comes with premium add-ons that you can purchase separately. You may not need them as a small business. But as your business grows, the whole package with extra add-ons can get expensive.

Features:

Drag and drop builder and form styler
Conditional logic feature that lets you show/hide elements based on user preferences.
Spam protection
Calculation fields to create complex calculator forms
Gather, display, modify, and filter submission data without any extra plugins
Mobile-responsive forms
A range of pre-made templates to choose from
Email notifications and autoresponders
Ability to export form settings and form entries
Create multi-page forms for users’ convenience
Accept payments via forms
Users can upload files when filling the form
Integration with email marketing tools including Mailchimp and Aweber
Create schedule forms for event registration

Cons:

For an average user, the plugin can come across as overwhelming and bloated with too many advanced features
It’s probably only suitable if you are a professional WordPress developer, or if you want to build really complex forms

Gravity Forms

Gravity Forms is a popular, premium contact form plugin for WordPress that is good for both beginners and advanced users. Its drag and drop form builder allows you to create forms without any programming knowledge.

An advantage it has over other plugins is that some of the top premium WordPress themes are optimized for Gravity Forms. It includes features that allow you to create advanced forms, such as conditional logic, numeric calculations, and more.

If you are running a real estate website, for example, you can set up a form to calculate mortgage payment from user input in fields such as purchase price, interest rate, down payment, and mortgage period.

Features:

Visitors can save and continue a form later
Limit the number of submissions for a form
Ability to schedule forms
Multi-page and mobile-responsive forms
Create posts from a form submission
Supports file uploads
Conditional logic to hide or show form fields in real-time
Variety of form fields that can be organized with drag and drop builder
Perform advanced calculations on input values
Accept payments for purchases by users
Spam protection to prevent unwanted form entries
Email marketing integration with Mailchimp and Aweber

Cons:

Does not have a free version
Cost is on the higher side

Ninja Forms

Ninja Forms is yet another form plugin for WordPress that lets you create contact forms with ease. It is developed by WPNinja, a company known for many popular WordPress plugins.

The core plugin is free. You can extend the feature set with various premium add-ons as required. These include multi-page forms, conditional logic, front-end post submission, user analytics, and more.

If you are unsure about what type of needs you’re going to have in the future and just want a free contact form plugin, then Ninja Forms is a good fit for you. You can always extend its features later by buying the add-ons you need.

Features:

Developer-friendly plugin with hundreds of hooks and functions. It can be enhanced with custom features.
Add custom CSS to style your WordPress contact forms
Manage and export your form submission data
Integration with popular email automation and CRM software including Zoho CRM, Mailchimp, Aweber, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, and Capsule CRM.
Accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, and Elavon
Conditional Logic that lets you control layout based on user selection
Supports multi-page form and multi-column layout
Users can upload files
User analytics tool to see data regarding form submissions

Cons

Buying an add-on for each feature can get expensive
Some add-ons are not compatible with WordPress versions 4.0 and up
It is also limited in its ability to embed the form anywhere on your website

Contact Form 7

Contact Form 7 is one of the most popular contact form plugins for WordPress, and has been around for 10+ years. It’s also totally free. Because of its popularity, there are several premium 3rd-party add-ons you can find to enhance its features.

As we discussed, it was one of the first free contact form plugins in the WordPress plugin repository. The basic user interface hasn’t changed much since then, while newer and better plugins have flooded the market. But if you just want a basic contact form at no cost and don’t mind learning a bit of HTML, then Contact Form 7 is what you need.

Features:

Create simple forms with form fields like text boxes, checkboxes, dates, and more
File submission fields
Integration with Google reCaptcha to filter spam
Many free add-ons in the WordPress plugin repository to enhance its features

Cons

It’s a bit hard to use for beginners as it doesn’t have a visual form builder
It requires that you have knowledge of some basic HTML, or the patience to read some tutorials
There’s no live preview to see what your form will look like when it’s published

Caldera Forms

Update: Caldera Forms is going to be retired on December 31, 2021. So it’s better to consider other options in this list.

Caldera Forms is a WordPress form plugin that helps you build complex forms with an intuitive user interface. You can make responsive forms using its drag and drop form editor. You also have access to several ready-made templates for commonly used forms.

It comes in both free and premium versions. The free version of the plugin boasts more features than any other free forms plugin.

Features:

Pre-made form templates to make common types of form
Drag-and-drop form builder
Free and premium add-ons for extra features like selling digital products, accepting payments, and integrating with email marketing software
Spam prevention
Email notifications
Multi-part forms
Conditional logic
Calculation fields
Column layouts
File uploads

Cons

To be discontinued soon
Not be the most reliable option, based on several recent reviews

ARForms

ARForms is a WordPress form plugin available in both free and premium versions. The plugin is simple to use, even for beginners. You can create a range of different types of forms such as contact forms, pop-up forms, order forms, subscription forms, survey forms, and more.

Additionally, you can create advanced forms with videos and maps by making use of helpful form-creation workflows. If you’re comfortable with advanced customization, you have the ability to style forms with custom CSS.

Features:

Real-time editor with drag and drop functionality
Several unique form field elements
Different input field styles such as bounded rectangle, material style, etc.
Conditional logic to adapt based on user input
Perform mathematical calculations
Unlimited repeatable fields
Supports multi-step forms
Pre-built sample forms
Ability to autosave form progress
Forms are mobile responsive
Built-in analytics to see form views and entries
Determine submit action after a visitor completes the form
Integration with popular email automation tools
Payment gateway integration
Email notifications to admins and users
Customize colors, fonts, and other styling aspects
Google ReCaptcha for spam prevention

Cons:

The feature set may be beyond what’s essential for new WordPress users

HappyForms

HappyForms is a free and simple contact form plugin for WordPress. A premium plan is also available. It comes with a drag and drop form builder with customization options and a variety of form fields.

It allows you to add the contact forms to your posts, pages, template files, and widgets. The best part is that you can build multi-column forms with a single click.

You get features to create conversational forms and check a live preview before publishing a form. Upon form submission, users can be shown a custom message or redirected to any URL.

Features:

Enables you to use Google ReCaptcha and HoneyPot to filter spam
Form duplication feature allows you to create a duplicate form
Create mobile-responsive forms
Supports multi-page forms
Users can upload files and attachments to the form
Analytics dashboard so to track user submissions
Connect to email software like Mailchimp
Integration with Stripe for online transactions

Cons:

No pre-designed templates. You’ll need to create forms from scratch

weForms

weForms is a free drag and drop form builder plugin for WordPress. It also has a premium version.

With weForms, you can create as many forms as you want and embed them anywhere on your WordPress website. These include payment forms that can integrate with PayPal or Stripe. There is also an option to preview the form before you publish it.

The form builder has predefined templates to create common types of forms with ease. Using the expiration feature, you can make a form invalid past a certain date. And you get integrations with third-party email solutions and other services.

Features:

Predefined and customizable form templates
Drag & drop form builder
View live preview before publishing the form
Set a form expiration date to prevent from being filled after a certain date
Limit the number of entries for a form
Form submission notifications
Form export and import options
Forms are mobile-friendly
Connect forms to email services
Minimize spam entries by using reCaptcha

Cons:

Limited payment gateway integration

FormCraft

FormCraft is a premium form plugin that’s unique because of its specialty in design. The forms created with FormCraft look better than the generic forms you generally see on the web.

The drag and drop form builder, along with a wide range of ready-made templates, makes it easy to create any type of form without coding. You can create and embed multiple forms on your website.

Another notable benefit of FormCraft is the popup form. You can configure the form to appear in a popup based on an action taken by the user.

Features:

Drag & drop style of editing
Integration with payment gateways
Integration with MailChimp, GetResponse, and Campaign Monitor
Customize fonts, layouts, background, etc. without coding
Add custom CSS for deeper customization
Forms are mobile-friendly
Supports conditional logic and math calculations
Embed forms anywhere or trigger with a popup
Real-time web form analytics to check form views and submissions

Cons:

Minor bugs and glitches on occasion

QuForm

Quform is a premium but affordable WordPress plugin that allows you to build mobile-responsive contact forms with a drag and drop form builder. The dashboard is easy to navigate as you build different types of forms.

You can build several advanced contact forms without coding, including multi-page forms. It comes with many different themes to change the form styling.

Features:

reCAPTCHA for protection from spam.
Conditional logic to automatically hide/display elements
Users can upload files

Cons

Not the most robust solution in terms of features and options

Pick the Best WordPress Form Plugin

So that was our overview of the best WordPress form plugins for you to consider. Learning about and comparing the different features in various form plugins can be overwhelming. So here are some quick suggestions to make it easy for you.

For a simple contact form that doesn’t cost anything, pick Jetpack Forms or WP Forms free version. If you’re a WordPress beginner with a reasonable budget, go with the WPForms. If you’re an advanced user or developer trying to create complex forms, there’s no better option than Formidable Forms.

Hopefully, this information will help you zero in on the best WordPress form plugin. Finally, remember that the WordPress.com business plan offers you the best plans to create a WordPress website with any form plugin with ease.