Contact forms are essential on pretty much any website, and while WordPress does not have any built-in functionality to create such forms, there are a number of form builder plugins that are perfect for this purpose. In fact, some of them are much more than contact form creators, you can build any kind of form with them, including questionnaires and polls.
Let’s take a look at the best contact form plugins for WordPress:
#1: Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms is one of the best contact forms plugin for WordPress. Use it to create the most simple of contact forms, up to multi-step user content submission forms on the front end of your site (ideal for encouraging user generated content). For bonus points, the form builder is super easy to use. You can even create forms that enter content into custom post types.
With Gravity Forms, you can also create conditional fields, and this works very nicely specifically for creating order forms. It performs advanced calculations based on input field values. Gravity forms can therefore be used to sell products from your site, and users can also customise the product variations to get an updated price before they purchase.
Pricing for Gravity Forms starts at $59/year. | Download Gravity Forms
#2: Quform
(Credit: Image source)
If you use WordPress, require custom forms, and don’t like wasting time or simply don’t want to touch any code — then this is a must-have tool for you.
Quform is an advanced WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly and easily build multiple forms with total control, thanks to a new and improved user interface. Whether it’s a complex quote or booking form or just a simple contact form, Quform allows you to do all this without touching any code. In a few clicks you will have a fully functional form — it’s that simple. Additionally, Quform is GDPR and mobile-friendly.
Pricing for Quform starts at $29 for a regular license. | Download Quform
#3: Ninja Forms
With a happy user base that includes over 16 million downloads, Ninja Forms is a full-featured form creation framework for WordPress. It allows you to easily and quickly design complex forms through a minimalist drag and drop interface (that requires absolutely no coding). For the developers, it’s built with many different useful hooks and filters, so you can do absolutely anything with this powerful form building framework. Additionally, Ninja Forms integrates with 40+ third-party services, including Paypal, Stripe, and Zapier.
Ninja Forms is very flexible — you can add your form as a widget, shortcode, or append it automatically to any content you choose. The core plugin is free, but you can purchase a number of add-ons from the Ninja Forms website.
Paid plans start at $99/year, with access to Multi-Part Forms, Conditional Logic, and File Uploads. If you subscribe to the most basic plan, you get a minimum of 20% off additional add-ons. | Download Ninja Forms
#4: Formidable Forms
Quickly and easily build forms with a simple drag-and-drop interface and in-place editing. There are dozens of form-building plugins out there to create forms, but most are confusing and overly complicated. With Formidable, it is easy to create forms within a simple drag-and-drop interface. You can construct custom forms or generate them from a template. Shortcodes can be used as well as spam catching services.
With Formidable Pro, all forms are customizable and there are 20 add-ons available to allow for various app integrations (including PayPal, MailChimp, Zapier, WooCommerce, Salesforce, and Hubspot).
Other features include:
- Smart forms with conditional logic: Use conditional logic to show or hide questions based on responses.
- Save and continue partial submissions: Ideal for when the internet suddenly goes out.
- With their Visual Form Styler, use drag-and-drop functionality to create branded forms to match your site. With their library of templates, it’s never been easier to create a form! Formidable Forms also allows you to create white-label forms (even on the Lite plan).
- Email autoresponders and notifications to get form submission data to the appropriate parties.
- Schedule forms and limit responses; automatic form filler; invisible spam protection.
What sets Formidable Forms apart from other plugins is that the plugin does not only simply collect data but also gives you the tools to display the data.
Pricing starts at $49 for the basic plan, which includes updates and support. | Download Formidable Forms
#5: WPForms
WPForms isn’t just a contact form plugin; it’s also a drag and drop form builder that allows you to build forms within minutes. Users can choose from several pre-built WordPress templates and fields to create their desired forms that include contact forms, surveys, donation forms, and even order forms for e-commerce — all without writing a single line of code.
WPForms uses Smart Conditional Logic to create high performance forms, supports multi-page form creation, and helps streamline your workflow by placing all your leads in one place. WPForms integrates with popular email service providers (including MailChimp, Aweber, GetResponse, Campaign Monitor, and Drip) as well as payment providers such as PayPal and Stripe to collect booking and order payments.
WPForms features include:
- 100% mobile responsiveness.
- Built-in smart captcha and honeypot to prevent spam submissions.
- Instant notifications to make quick responses for promising leads.
- Geolocation so that you can learn more about where the people who filled out your forms came from.
- Several other add-ons, such as Zapier, which allows you to connect with over 500 apps from the web; a form abandonment add-on, which allows you to capture more leads from partial entries; offline forms add-on, which saves users’ data once their internet connection is restored, and several more.
WPForms offers four different types of pricing plans, with the most basic one starting at $79/year — but this does not include email and payment functionality. They also offer a free lite version, which has over 1 million downloads. | Download WPForms
#6: Contact Form 7
With over 5 million active installations on WordPress, there’s no doubt that Contact Form 7 is one of the most popular WordPress plugins (and not just with contact forms).
If all you need is basic form functionality, Contact Form 7 is not a bad solution for a free plugin. It allows you to manage multiple contact forms, which you can customize as well. It also supports captcha, Akismet spam filtering, and Ajax-powered submissions.
#7: OptinMonster
OptinMonster is not a contact form plugin per se, but one of the best lead generation tools available today. That said, it still allows you to create beautiful opt-in forms that are optimized for the highest conversion rates.
Built by the same team behind WPForms, the difference between both is that OptinMonster is a platform-independent optin form builder tool (not plugin) that lets you create multiple types of forms, such as lightbox popups, floating bars, slide-ins, and sidebar forms, while WPForms is a contact form plugin specifically for WordPress.
Both OptinMonster and WPForms include these features in common:
- Drag-and-drop form builder functionality.
- Integration with email marketing tools such as Aweber, MailChimp, InfusionSoft, GetResponse, and Constant Contact.
- Mobile-friendliness.
These features are unique to Optinmonster:
- Exit-intent technology: You can prompt visitors about to leave your site to sign up for your list.
- A/B testing for various elements, including headline, copy, as well as designs, to see which convert best.
- Scroll trigger, which shows campaigns after the user has scrolled a certain percentage of a page, and InactivitySensor, which targets inactive visitors to convert them to subscribers.
- Built-in analytics
OptinMonster’s basic plans start at $9/month. | Download OptinMonster
Final Thoughts: The 7 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress
The best contact form plugin for you will look different than someone else’s ideal pick based on your needs and budget. With plenty of paid and free options to choose from, your perfect solution may be on this list!
Do you use any other contact form builder plugins? Let us know in the comments section below.
This article was updated in May 2019 by Maddy Osman.
Some of the links below are affiliate links, if you click through and purchase a package we will receive a commission that helps keep WP Mayor running.
38 Responses
I’m sad to see that Contact Form 7 is still making these lists while plugins like Ninja Forms aren’t: http://wordpress.org/plugins/ninja-forms/
In no world is Contact Form 7 and easier plugin to use.
I’m afraid I hadn’t come across Ninja Forms yet when I wrote this post, but I agree that it’s definitely worthy of this list and I’m going to add it along with the others. The guys at WP Ninjas could definitely do with some better headshots though 🙂
What do you have against my headshot? I mean, I’m not trying to be a model or actor. 😛
Just an opinion mate, don’t take it personally 🙂 I was just reading the excellent book ‘Platform’ the other day, and headshots was one of the things the author spoke about. So I guess it remained in my head and I just thought you’d both do with more professional ones. Again, just an opinion, I happen to think that image is always very important, although of course the plugin itself is what we all care most about.
No offense taken. I personally like my pic and have never had one mention before so I thought it was humorous that you brought it up. I don’t see myself ever doing a professional headshot. Feels pretentious to me for some reason. Maybe if I were a writer, actor, or model but as a developer I think what I has works for now.
That being said, thanks for adding Ninja Forms to the list. That was kind of you. 🙂
@James So be it then 🙂
You’re welcome, but the plugin fully deserved to be in the list originally anyway.
Pippin speaks the truth!
Visual Form Builder is also quite nice: http://wordpress.org/plugins/visual-form-builder/
Thanks, Bill. Visual Form Builder has been out for two years and never makes these lists. Security through obscurity? 😉
I agree Pippin. I’m not sure why people use Contact Form 7 anymore with so many user-friendly options out there.
I use Fast Secure Contact Form. Awesome plugin with a TON of options to customize.
http://wordpress.org/plugins/si-contact-form/
I use Contact Form 7 on my web site and really don’t understand why anyone would have a problem with it. The interface is simple to use and quick to set up and has brought with it, so far, not a single problem.
To be fair to Contact Form 7, it’s focused on one thing, and does it well. It’s versatile, configurable, extensible, and the output can be custom styled. As I see it, if a contact form is all that’s needed, CF7 is quite capable, and a “full” forms plugin is overkill in such a circumstance.
Agreed Grant, which is why I’m still keeping CF7 in this list.
How about the Jetpack form module? (Let the lambasting begin) http://jetpack.me/support/contact-form/
ive used contact form 7 for a few years and styled it up to how i want it. does what it is meant to.
What I dislike is that most (all?) contact form plugins add scripts to the main header.php. Does not make any sense to me.
When I only have one single page with a contact form, why does the script needs to be added on each of my 2000+ other pages? That’s why I am using an iframe solution. Not really professional lol but at least it saves me (and the visitors) some KB.
Not a contact form, but a contact page plugin: Sendola can send all your contact details (phone number, address, map, directions, social links etc) to your visitors’ mobile phones via a simple button.
Its completely free for all websites to use – http://wordpress.org/plugins/sendola/
Hmm, how come Formidable Pro isn’t listed as well? =) It’s a solid plugin.
I recently started using FormGet plugin for building my contact form. It’s pretty easy to use in my opinion. It’s available in WordPress repository at
http://wordpress.org/plugins/formget-contact-form/
You should really look at Page Designer Pro http://wppagedesignerpro.com/ – it often gets overlooked because it’s new but it’s really great feature-rich WordPress Contact Form plugin! 😀
Is it me or has Contact Form 7 now been removed from the list?
I found this post by looking for Pippin’s contact form plug in, as I use Contact Form 7 (and happy w it) but driven mad by spam. I researched extra that didn’t get in the way of user experience for Contact 7 and haven’t found any.
I figured if Pippin’s contact forms are easy to use (as a user I have used them and they are) then makes sense to have a look at his contact form plug-in.
Which led me here and you’re discussing Contact Form 7 which isn’t even in the list any more! *puzzled*
There are better options nowadays, take a look at Ninja Forms for example.
hey !
is there any plugin through which i can reply to each and every contact person through my worpress dashboard ?
Hello,
I’m looking for a plugin allowing multi-steps. I have plenty of info collected trough my form therefore I need to separate the form into several pages.
thank you
Haha, just another one Ninja here 🙂 http://looks-awesome.com/portfolio/wordpress-plugins/nks-wordpress-contact-form/
I wonder how it happens that the most popular form was the Japanese one? Looks like an old Samurai tradition — always make perfect web forms 🙂
This would do it…not available on the wordpress.org downloads, but search and download, use for free!
http://www.deliciousdays.com/cforms-plugin/
Contact Form 7 is free and easy to use. Most features that are free here are in paid versions on other forms creators. The free ninja forms barely makes it, compared to the free Contact Form 7. I’m now disheartened Contact Form 7 is not on this list..And I’m not Japanese!
Also, a new form that does a lot of what I am looking for, at the price that I am looking for – cforms..
Why is this not here? There is no other plugin that does multi-page forms for free. My 2 cents..
Great article, thank you.
By chance I found this gem https://codecanyon.net/item/forms-management-systemwordpress-frontend-plugin/8978741
This awesome plugin handled all my forms.
Hi ,
I like forms management system it’s new but I really felt comfortable with it doing anything I needed also they have a great support 🙂
http://mostasharoon.org/wordpress/plugins/forms-management-system/
Thankyou!!! for sharing informative article with useful plugins recommendations and tips.
Nice Landing pages mate. Have you tried using the TEAR email software? It’s free and can generate you a ton of leads. Online you can find some great tutorials on how to use it. Google them!
I just found good solution multi-step for contact form 7. I using this plugin and it’s amazing: https://codecanyon.net/item/contact-form-7-multistep/15232990
I have one vote for core37 form builder. It’s super easy to setup (drag and drop), have some cool settings (redirect URLs..) https://wordpress.org/plugins/core37-form-builder/
Thanks for the great article, I also have a plugins that are added to your collection. It’s plugins contact form 7 multi-step. Thank you
https://wordpress.org/plugins/cf7-multi-step/. ALL FREE
I have recently tried uCalc https://ucalc.pro/en – a new business tool for increasing the conversion. In uCalc you can quickly create a lead form with a beautiful design.
Worth exploring a list of contact form plugins for WordPress and from all these I am using contact form 7 not faced any issue till now.
Contact form 7 is easy to setup, has too many addons availble. Their support is also good. Only issue with it is, it has less scope to validate the form fields. Otherwise its #1 Contact form plugin.
Thanks for sharing an overview of these plug-ins. It’s great to see the advantages and disadvantages of each