Best WordPress Form Plugins: An Honest Comparison
WPForms vs Gravity Forms vs Formidable vs SkunkForms — what actually matters when choosing a WordPress form plugin.
There are dozens of WordPress form plugins. Most comparison posts rank them by who pays the highest affiliate commission. This isn't one of those posts.
Here's an honest look at what each major form plugin does well, where it falls short, and who it's actually for.
The Contenders
WPForms
Price: Free / $49–$299/yr
Best for: Beginners who want drag-and-drop simplicity (see our detailed WPForms comparison)
WPForms dominates the WordPress forms market — and for good reason. The builder is intuitive, templates are solid, and the ecosystem of integrations is massive. It's the safe choice.
Strengths:
- Easiest builder to use
- Huge template library
- Excellent documentation
- Integrates with everything
Weaknesses:
- Free version is very limited
- Premium pricing adds up fast (you need Pro for conditional logic)
- No native CRM — you'll need Zapier or another plugin
- Bloated codebase on higher tiers
Gravity Forms
Price: $59–$259/yr (no free version)
Best for: Developers and complex form workflows (see our detailed Gravity Forms comparison)
Gravity Forms is the power user's choice. If you need calculations, advanced conditional logic, multi-page forms with save-and-continue, or complex routing — Gravity Forms can handle it.
Strengths:
- Most powerful form logic engine
- Excellent developer API
- Mature, battle-tested
- Strong add-on ecosystem
Weaknesses:
- No free version
- Builder feels dated compared to modern alternatives
- Steeper learning curve
- Can be overkill for simple forms
Formidable Forms
Price: Free / $39–$299/yr
Best for: Data-heavy applications (directories, calculators, front-end posting)
Formidable is underrated. Where other plugins focus on simple forms, Formidable excels at turning form data into views — directories, listings, filterable tables. It's more of a front-end application builder.
Strengths:
- Powerful views and data display
- Great for calculators and configurators
- Front-end content creation
- Solid free version
Weaknesses:
- Steeper learning curve
- Views feature can be complex to set up
- Less intuitive than WPForms for basic forms
- Smaller community
SkunkForms
Price: Free / Pro (bundled with SkunkCRM)
Best for: Businesses that want forms and CRM without the plugin soup
Full disclosure: we built this. But here's why.
Every form plugin above collects data. None of them do anything smart with it. You end up needing a CRM plugin, a Zapier account, an email marketing tool, and three hours of your Saturday to wire them together.
SkunkForms takes a different approach: forms are the front door, and SkunkCRM is the house they walk into.
Strengths:
- Native CRM integration (no middleware)
- Built on the WordPress block editor (familiar UI)
- Free version includes conditional logic
- Clean, modern codebase (no legacy baggage)
Weaknesses:
- Newer — smaller template library (growing)
- Fewer third-party integrations (webhooks cover most cases)
- CRM integration is SkunkCRM only (for now)
- Smaller community (but growing fast)
So Which One Should You Choose?
Choose WPForms if you want the safest, most popular option with maximum integrations.
Choose Gravity Forms if you need complex form logic and don't mind paying for power.
Choose Formidable if you're building data-driven applications, not just contact forms.
Choose SkunkForms if you want forms and CRM working together natively, without duct-taping five plugins together. See pricing →
The best form plugin is the one that fits your workflow. But if you're tired of forms that collect data and go nowhere — give SkunkForms a try. It's free, and your leads will thank you.
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