Contact forms provide a quick and easy way for customers and potential clients to get in touch with you. Plus, they can do a lot more than that. From serving as a way for members to register with your site to acting as a lead generation tool, there’s no limit to what you can use forms for. However, to add them to your site without manual coding, you’ll want to use a WordPress contact form plugin.
In this post, we’ll look at the evolution of WordPress forms plugins. Then we’ll provide explore 11 of the best options, and help you find the right one for your website.
Let’s get started!
The Evolution of WordPress Forms Plugins
In the early days of the Content Management System (CMS), WordPress contact form plugins served a somewhat singular and simple purpose: to create basic forms on websites so that customers could contact businesses or bloggers via email. However, these forms have since evolved far beyond the contact page.
Over the years, the once humble contact form plugins have grown to become fully functional form builders. Today they can be used to serve a wide range of purposes on just about any type of WordPress site. This includes, but is not limited to:
Thanks to WordPress contact form plugins, you can now easily build dynamic, aesthetically pleasing forms without having to manually code them. You can even create animations and special effects, such as pop-up forms. Plus, you can place them just about anywhere on your site, and integrate them with payment, email, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms.
The best WordPress contact form plugin for you to use will depend on a handful of factors. Some tools serve as all-in-one solutions that let you easily build and customize a variety of complex forms. Others are geared more towards beginners looking to create simple contact forms. So before beginning your search, it’s a good idea to know what you’re looking for and what kinds of features you’ll need.
11 Best WordPress Contact Form Plugins
Now that you understand a little more about WordPress forms and the kinds of content you can use them to create on your website, it’s time to explore some of your options. In the following sections, we’ll introduce 11 of the best WordPress contact form plugins.
To compile this list, we took a handful of factors into consideration. This includes each plugin’s active installations and ratings, features and support, and pricing. No matter what you plan to use your WordPress contact form plugin for, one of these tools should be able to help you out.
1. WPForms
First up, WPForms is perhaps the most well-known WordPress contact form plugin, and the all-around best option for many users. It lets you build beautiful, dynamic forms in minutes using its intuitive drag-and-drop interface:
You can also choose from a library of pre-built templates to make the creation process that much quicker. This plugin is incredibly beginner-friendly, and it is offered in both a lite and premium version.
You can use the free version on as many sites as you’d like. You can also leverage its impressive collection of handy features, including email notifications, spam protection, and more. If you want to upgrade to a premium plan, you can use advanced functions such as multi-page, payment, and order forms.
Key Features:
WPForms is for you if…
…… you’re looking for a reliable, flexible, and powerful WordPress contact form plugin. It can be used on everything from basic start-up sites to complex e-commerce sites.
Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $39.50 per year | More Information
2. Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms is a freemium WordPress contact form plugin, which helps you quickly create and customize a variety of form types. As with WPForms, it offers a clean drag-and-drop interface that is suitable for beginners:
Through this plugin, you’ll have the option of creating your own forms from scratch or selecting one of the ready-made templates. If you’re looking to build standard contact forms, the lite version is usually sufficient. However, if you want to expand your forms beyond the seven fields the free plugin offers, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version.
The premium plugin offers a wide range of features that are ideal for building complex forms. It’s focused largely on developers, making it an excellent tool if you plan on creating a range of forms for various websites.
Key Features:
Formidable Forms is for you if…
… you’re a developer looking for an advanced, premium WordPress contact form plugin. While the free version is suitable for creating simple forms, the real value of Formidable Forms is in its premium tool, which is ideal for creating complex elements. It’s targeted at advanced users and developers. Therefore, if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly option, this may not be the best choice.
Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $49.50 per year | More Information
3. Gravity Forms
Next on our list, Gravity Forms is a premium WordPress contact form plugin that, like Formidable Forms, is also mostly aimed at developers and other advanced users. However, unlike many premium tools, it doesn’t offer a free version (aside from a Custom Post Types add-on).
With the paid version, you can easily create complex forms, including ones with multiple pages. It also lets you schedule forms to limit when they’re displayed, limit entries (such as for contests), and export entry data as CSV files.
Key Features:
Gravity Forms is for you if…
… you’re looking for a premium and sophisticated WordPress contact form plugin. It’s a solid option if you have a customer support website. Also, because you can incorporate schedule forms, it can be helpful for letting your users book appointments via your site.
Price: Licenses start at $59 per year | More Information
4. Ninja Forms
Ninja Forms is a flexible freemium plugin that can be helpful whether you’re a developer or a beginner WordPress user. It boasts a modern, drag-and-drop interface that you can use to create unlimited forms and fields:
It’s simple enough for beginners to use. However, there are also plenty of customization features that make it helpful for developers as well.
Key Features:
Ninja Forms is for you if…
… you’re looking for a freemium option that lets you create unlimited forms. You can use the free version on as many sites as you wish, while the premium tool lets you access advanced features and paid add-ons.
Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $49.50 pear year | More Information
5. Contact Form 7
There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Contact Form 7 – it’s among the most popular WordPress contact form plugins, especially when it comes to free tools. With over 5 million active installations, it’s also one of the oldest form plugins out there.
While it’s certainly not as advanced or feature-rich as some of the premium or freemium options on this list, this solution does boast an impressive array of features for creating and managing multiple contact forms:
Although the interface is by no means as clean or modern as some of the other plugins on our list, the forms are easy to customize and let you add simple markup. If you’re used to creating WordPress pages and posts, you should have little trouble navigating this plugin to create new forms.
While some people have complained about the plugin causing compatibility issues, its main advantage is that it’s free. As long as you’re not looking for advanced functionality or complex solutions, Contact Form 7 is worth checking out. We’d simply recommend testing it out on a staging site first (which is a smart practice for any new plugin you’re considering).
Key Features:
Contact Form 7 is for you if…
… you’re looking for a free, simple plugin. It’s a flexible tool that is perfect for beginners wanting to create standard contact forms on their WordPress sites. Also, it’s incredibly lightweight and shouldn’t affect your site’s performance.
6. Jetpack Forms
Jetpack is another incredibly popular WordPress plugin you’ve likely heard about. However, unlike many of the solutions on this list, Jetpack is used for a wide variety of purposes beyond just creating forms. For example, it can also be used to boost your website’s speed and security.
The Jetpack contact form module can be enabled on the plugin’s settings screen. Then you’ll be able to access the contact form builder from your WordPress editor, via the Jetpack Form block:
If you’re already using Jetpack, this plugin can be an excellent option for creating forms, especially if you don’t want to add another tool to your site. However, it’s important to note that its customization features are limited.
Key Features:
Jetpack Forms is for you if…
… you’re looking for a plugin that can also help you improve your site in other ways. For example, in addition to creating user-friendly forms, you can also use this tool to enhance your site’s performance and security. However, if you’re looking for a highly customizable-form builder, this probably isn’t the plugin for you.
Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $4.77 per month | More Information
7. Divi Contact Forms Module
If you’re an Elegant Themes member, you can use our Divi Contact Forms module to create stunning, dynamic forms for your site. While it’s not a standalone plugin like some of the other tools included on this list, it’s the most accessible option if you already use Divi Builder.
As a powerful page builder, Divi makes creating beautiful, fully-functional pages as quick and easy as possible. We offer a ton of elements and modules for you to choose from, including a Forms module:
One of the advantages of using Divi Builder is that you won’t need to install any additional plugins in order to create contact forms. Our Forms module comes built-in, so you can quickly add it via the searchable module list when building your pages and posts.
Key Features:
Divi Forms is for you if…
… you’re an Elegant Themes member looking for a quick and simple way to add forms to your site. It’s a high-quality solution for creating both forms and entire pages for your WordPress website. Plus, you can ensure that any form you add will perfectly match your current theme’s branding and styling.
Price: Access starts at $89 per year (as part of an Elegant Themes membership) | More Information
8. Quform WordPress Form Builder
Quform WordPress form builder is an extremely versatile WordPress contact form plugin. You can use it to build nearly any type of form using a simple, modern drag-and-drop interface:
One of the best aspects of this plugin is the expansive array of customizable elements it offers. From button styles and animations to labels and loaders, there are plenty of features for tailoring the design of your forms to your liking.
Key Features:
Quform is for you if…
… you want a highly-customizable yet user-friendly premium form builder. It’s also a solid choice if one of your main concerns is personalizing your forms’ appearance to match your business’ branding. Quform is also a great option if you want a premium tool but need to keep costs low, as it is one of the least expensive paid options.
Price: Licenses start at $29 | More Information
FormCraft is another premium-only tool offered on CodeCanyon. It has a 4.5-star rating and nearly 20,000 users, which is a clear testament to its reliability and usefulness as a WordPress contact form plugin.
The tool is a powerful, feature-packed form builder that is both fast and scalable. You can choose from an array of templates, or create your own forms from scratch:
Another aspect we appreciate about this plugin is the variety of forms you can create. This includes (but is not limited to) surveys, booking appointments and scheduling, and pop-up forms.
Key Features:
FormCraft is for you if…
… you’re a developer or advanced user who plans on creating many different types of forms. It’s also a cheaper alternative to Formidable Forms Premium or Gravity Forms.
Price: Licenses start at $36 | More Information
10. Form Maker
If you want to create simple yet customizable contact forms, Form Maker is another freemium WordPress contact form plugin that’s worth checking out. Like most of the tools included on this list, it features a drag-and-drop builder that makes creating forms straightforward, even for beginners:
Whether you want to create your form from scratch or use a pre-made template, this tool includes plenty of options for you to choose from by default. Then you can easily display the resulting forms on your site as popups, top bars, or scroll boxes. You can also embed them into your posts and pages.
The free version of Form Maker includes handy features such as conditional logic and multi-page forms. The premium option is even more impressive, enabling you to accept payments via Stripe or PayPal, upload files, and more.
Key Features:
Form Maker is for you if…
… you’re looking for a powerful freemium plugin. While it’s not as popular as some of the other freemium options, it does include an expansive range of features that are suitable for many different types of forms and websites. You can try the free plugin to get a feel for whether it’s the right fit, and then upgrade to the paid tool when you’re ready to unlock more advanced functionality.
Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $30 | More Information
11. Visual Form Builder
Visual Form Builder is a freemium WordPress contact form plugin that’s true to its name. It’s a quality choice if you’re looking to visually create forms, without touching a line of code.
What makes this plugin stand out is the simplicity of its interface:
As you can see, the plugin offers few settings you have to configure in order to create a simple contact form. If you’re a beginner or are only looking to create a standard form with basic fields, this can be a big advantage.
On the other hand, if you want a bit more advanced functionality, this form builder may not be enough for you. However, there is a premium version that offers more flexibility and customization. For example, you can leverage conditional logic, add over 15 form fields, and choose from a variety of add-ons.
Key Features:
Visual Form Builder is for you if…
… you want a clean, basic form builder. While it’s not the best option if you’re looking for complete drag-and-drop functionality, it’s worth checking out if you’re a beginner and want the option to upgrade eventually.
Price: Free, with premium licenses starting at $29 | More Information
Forms play an essential role on most websites. You can use them to gather leads, communicate with customers, register users, and much more. However, with so many options out there, figuring out which WordPress contact form plugin to use can be challenging.
As we discussed in this post, there are a wide range of quality options to choose from. The best one to use depends on your budget, experience level, and what specific features and functionality you’re looking for. With that said, you can’t go wrong with a flexible tool such as WPForms. As one of the most popular form plugins out there, it comes in both free and premium versions, and is versatile enough for you to use on both basic and complex sites.
Do you have any questions about using a WordPress contact form plugin? Let us know in the comments section below!
Featured image via Dzianis_Rakhuba/shutterstock
This content was originally published here.