Why Contact Forms Matter for WordPress Sites
A contact form is one of the first elements visitors look for when they want to reach you. Unlike displaying a raw email address (which invites spam bots), a properly configured form filters submissions, validates input, and routes messages where they need to go. Choosing the right form plugin affects your site's user experience, conversion rates, and administrative workflow. For more details on developing plugins, refer to the WordPress Plugin Handbook.
This comparison covers seven widely-used WordPress contact form plugins, examining their features, pricing, performance characteristics, and ideal use cases. Whether you run a simple blog or a complex business site, this guide will help you identify which plugin fits your requirements.
Quick Comparison Overview
| Plugin | Starting Price | Drag & Drop Builder | Conditional Logic | Payment Integration | Entries Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Form 7 | Free | No | Via add-on | Via add-on | Via add-on |
| WPForms | $49.50/yr | Yes | Yes (paid) | Yes (paid) | Yes |
| Gravity Forms | $59/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Elementor Forms | Included with Pro | Yes (visual) | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Ninja Forms | Free / $49.50/yr | Yes | Yes (paid) | Yes (paid) | Yes |
| Formidable Forms | $39.50/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes (paid) | Yes |
| Fluent Forms | Free / $59/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes (paid) | Yes |
1. Contact Form 7 (Free)
Contact Form 7 (CF7) has been available since 2007, making it one of the longest-running WordPress form plugins. It uses a markup-based system rather than a visual builder, where you define form fields using shortcode-like tags. For detailed usage instructions, check the Contact Form 7 Documentation.
Key Features
- Completely free with no premium tier
- Supports AJAX-powered form submission
- reCAPTCHA v3 integration for spam prevention
- Multiple forms with independent mail settings
- Extensible through a large ecosystem of third-party add-ons (Flamingo for entries storage, conditional fields, etc.)
Considerations
CF7 requires comfort with its tag-based interface. There is no drag-and-drop builder, no built-in entry storage (submissions go only to email by default), and no visual preview while editing. Styling forms requires custom CSS unless you use a compatibility plugin.
Ideal for: Developers and technically comfortable users who want a lightweight, free solution and don't mind writing form markup.
2. WPForms
WPForms positions itself as a beginner-friendly form builder with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. The free Lite version covers basic contact forms, while the paid plans unlock advanced features. You can find more plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Key Features
- Visual drag-and-drop form builder with live preview
- 150+ pre-built form templates
- Conditional logic to show/hide fields based on user input
- Payment integrations with Stripe, PayPal, and Square
- Conversational forms (one question at a time)
- Entry management with search, filtering, and export
- Geolocation data capture
Pricing Tiers
| Plan | Price/Year | Notable Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | Free | Basic forms, limited templates |
| Basic | $49.50 | Conditional logic, 1 site |
| Plus | $99.50 | Email marketing integrations |
| Pro | $199.50 | Payment, surveys, 5 sites |
| Elite | $299.50 | All add-ons, unlimited sites |
Ideal for: Site owners who want a polished form builder without writing code. The template library significantly reduces setup time.
3. Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms has served as a go-to solution for complex form requirements since 2009. It offers a comprehensive feature set that extends well beyond simple contact forms.
Key Features
- 30+ form field types including file uploads, pricing fields, and list fields
- Advanced conditional logic with multiple rule sets
- Multi-page forms with progress indicators
- Entry management with notes, status tracking, and approval workflows
- Built-in calculation fields for quotes and order forms
- Extensive developer API with hooks and filters
- Official add-ons for Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Zapier, and more
Pricing Tiers
| Plan | Price/Year | Sites | Add-ons Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $59 | 1 | Core add-ons only |
| Pro | $159 | 3 | Pro add-ons included |
| Elite | $259 | Unlimited | All add-ons + priority support |
Ideal for: Businesses that need complex forms with calculations, multi-step workflows, and robust third-party integrations. Gravity Forms handles scenarios other plugins struggle with.
4. Elementor Forms
If you already use Elementor Pro as your page builder, its built-in form widget eliminates the need for a separate plugin. Forms are designed directly within the Elementor visual editor, matching your page's design seamlessly.
Key Features
- Visual form builder integrated into the Elementor editor
- Full styling control over every form element
- Conditional logic and multi-step forms
- Post-submission actions: email, redirect, webhooks, CRM integration
- Popup form support (triggered by buttons, scroll, exit intent)
- Submissions stored in the Elementor dashboard
Considerations
Elementor Forms only works on pages built with Elementor. You cannot embed these forms via shortcode on non-Elementor pages. Payment collection requires a separate plugin. The form capabilities, while solid for standard use, are less extensive than dedicated form plugins for complex scenarios. For detailed setup steps, see our Elementor forms tutorial.
Ideal for: Sites already built with Elementor Pro that need contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, and lead capture without adding another plugin.
5. Ninja Forms
Ninja Forms offers a free core plugin with a modular add-on system. The free version is notably capable, supporting unlimited forms and submissions without artificial limitations.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop builder with responsive preview
- Unlimited forms, fields, and submissions in the free version
- Conditional logic available as a paid add-on
- Multi-step forms with progress bars
- Layout and styles add-on for visual customization
- CRM and email marketing integrations via add-ons
Pricing Model
Ninja Forms uses an individual add-on pricing model. You can purchase specific add-ons for $29-$129 each, or opt for membership plans starting at $49.50/year that bundle multiple add-ons. This a-la-carte approach means you only pay for features you actually use, but costs can add up if you need several add-ons.
Ideal for: Users who want a capable free form builder and prefer to add features selectively rather than paying for an all-inclusive package.
6. Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms differentiates itself by focusing on complex data-driven applications. Beyond basic forms, it can build calculators, directories, listings, and data management interfaces.
Key Features
- Visual form builder with 225+ templates
- Views feature for displaying submitted data on the front end
- Advanced calculation fields with formula support
- Repeater fields for dynamic form sections
- User registration and profile editing forms
- Quizzes, surveys, and polls with scoring
- API integrations and webhooks
Pricing Tiers
| Plan | Price/Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39.50 | Core features, 1 site |
| Plus | $99.50 | Views, repeaters, 3 sites |
| Business | $199.50 | API, apps, 5 sites |
| Elite | $299.50 | All features, unlimited sites |
Ideal for: Projects that require data collection, display, and management beyond typical contact forms. Formidable's Views feature is particularly useful for directories and listings.
7. Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms has gained popularity for its performance-focused approach and competitive pricing. It loads minimal assets and uses a modern React-based interface.
Key Features
- Lightweight drag-and-drop builder (loads fast)
- Conversational forms for higher completion rates
- 75+ pre-built templates
- Conditional logic in both free and paid versions
- Partial form entries (capture data even if the form isn't submitted)
- Quiz module with scoring and results
- Inventory management for order forms
Considerations
The free version of Fluent Forms is remarkably feature-rich, including conditional logic that competitors lock behind paid tiers. The Pro version adds payment integration, advanced post creation, and the quiz module.
Ideal for: Performance-conscious site owners who want strong features at a competitive price point. The free version alone handles most standard contact form needs.
Feature Comparison by Category
Ease of Use
| Plugin | Learning Curve | Builder Type | Template Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Form 7 | Moderate (markup-based) | Text/shortcode | None built-in |
| WPForms | Low | Drag-and-drop | 150+ |
| Gravity Forms | Low-Moderate | Drag-and-drop | 30+ |
| Elementor Forms | Low (if using Elementor) | Visual builder | N/A (inline) |
| Ninja Forms | Low | Drag-and-drop | 40+ |
| Formidable Forms | Low-Moderate | Drag-and-drop | 225+ |
| Fluent Forms | Low | Drag-and-drop | 75+ |
Integration Ecosystem
Third-party integrations determine how well your forms connect with email marketing, CRM, payment, and automation tools.
- Gravity Forms and WPForms offer the widest official integration libraries, covering Mailchimp, HubSpot, Salesforce, ActiveCampaign, Zapier, and more.
- Formidable Forms provides strong API capabilities for custom integrations.
- Contact Form 7 relies on third-party plugins for integrations, which vary in quality and maintenance.
- Fluent Forms covers major email and CRM platforms and is expanding its integration list steadily.
Performance Impact
Form plugins load CSS and JavaScript files on your pages. The impact varies:
- Fluent Forms loads the fewest assets, making it a strong choice for performance-focused sites.
- Contact Form 7 loads assets on every page by default (can be limited with configuration).
- Elementor Forms share Elementor's existing assets, adding minimal overhead if Elementor is already loaded.
- WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Formidable Forms load assets conditionally on pages with forms (recommended configuration).
How to Choose the Right Plugin
Your selection should be guided by your specific requirements:
- Budget-constrained simple forms: Contact Form 7 or Fluent Forms (free)
- Beginner-friendly with guided setup: WPForms
- Complex business forms with calculations: Gravity Forms or Formidable Forms
- Already using Elementor Pro: Elementor Forms
- Performance-focused sites: Fluent Forms
- Data-driven applications: Formidable Forms
Setting Up Your First Contact Form
Regardless of which plugin you choose, the general setup process follows these steps:
- Install and activate the plugin from the WordPress plugin repository or by uploading the zip file.
- Create a new form using the plugin's builder interface.
- Add fields: At minimum, include Name, Email, Subject, and Message fields.
- Configure notifications: Set the recipient email address and customize the email template.
- Enable spam protection: Add reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, or a honeypot field.
- Set confirmation: Choose what happens after submission (message, redirect, or new page).
- Embed the form: Use the provided shortcode, block, or widget to place the form on a page.
- Test: Submit the form yourself and verify the notification email arrives correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use multiple form plugins on the same WordPress site?
Technically yes, but it is not recommended. Running multiple form plugins increases your site's asset load and can create conflicts. Choose one plugin and use it consistently across your site for maintainability.
Do free form plugins provide adequate spam protection?
Most free versions support reCAPTCHA or honeypot fields, which handle the majority of automated spam. For high-traffic sites receiving targeted spam, premium anti-spam features or a dedicated service like Akismet may be necessary.
