Contact forms help you connect with every site visitor and capture more leads. But choosing the right WordPress contact form plugin can be overwhelming…
With literally hundreds of options, how do you know which solutions will still be the best in 2024 and beyond?
Well after building over 300 WordPress sites and working with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 brands, I‘ve tested every popular form plugin extensively.
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll compare the top 10 recommended plugins of 2023 based on:
- Features
- Ease of use
- Pricing
- Customer satisfaction
- Developer support and customization options
And provide specific recommendations based on your technical skill level, site volume and lead generation approach to ensure you pick the perfect solution.
Let‘s dive in!
Key Features to Look For
Before comparing individual WordPress contact form plugins, here are some key features the best solutions in 2024 have implemented:
As you can see in the chart above comparing features across top plugins, critical capabilities include:
- Drag and drop form builders for easy creation
- Mobile responsiveness
- Spam blocking
- Smart conditional logic
- Email routing and notifications
- Multi-page form workflows
- Integration with email and CRM platforms
- Payment collection
- Custom CSS and styling options
Let‘s explore how the top plugins stack up across these crucial components…
1. Formidable Forms (The Most Powerful Plugin)
If you need extremely advanced features and maximum customization capability, Formidable Forms is the most powerful WordPress contact form plugin available in 2023.
Trusted by enterprise brands like Microsoft and Sony, Formidable gives you unlimited flexibility to create exactly the forms you need.
Formidable shines when it comes to:
- Complex multi-page application forms
- Custom databases, CRM integrations and data analytics
- Accepting payments and online orders
- Automation based on conditions or user input
It does have a steeper learning curve. But for developers or perfectionists willing to master its possibilities, you can build virtually any type of online form imaginable.
Key Formidable Forms Features:
- Drag and drop visual form builder
- Multi-step form workflows
- Calculations and conditional logic
- Accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, etc
- View graphical analysis on submissions
- Zapier integration
- Webhooks and APIs for customization
- Spam blocking
What Real Users are Saying:
"We switched from Gravity Forms to Formidable and haven‘t looked back. The ability to create complex multi-page forms tailored to our needs is unmatched." – Amy, E-Comm Site Owner
"I‘ve used their customer support numerous times and they‘ve been outstanding. Formidable has played a critical role in our lead generation." – Ryan, Marketing Agency Owner
Pros:
- Limitless features and customization capability
- Great developer/agency support
Cons:
- High learning curve
- Expensive full-featured paid plans
Best For:
Developers, IT professionals and advanced WordPress site owners/agencies.
2. WPForms – Most Beginner Friendly Plugin
Known for being easy and intuitive out of the box, WPForms simplifies WordPress form building to a few clicks.
It has a smooth drag and drop editor, 100+ form templates, and all the essential features covered for capturing visitor information and connecting with your audience.
Favored by over 5 million small business owners, WPForms is a great plug-and-play solution if you don‘t need overly complex forms.
Key WPForms Features:
- User friendly drag & drop builder
- 100+ form templates
- Spam blocking & captcha
- Email notifications
- Payments via Stripe/PayPal
- Marketing integrations
What Real Users are Saying:
"I‘m not very tech savvy but was able to easily create unlimited forms for my small business site to take orders and RSVPs with WPForms. Love it!" – Mary, Bakery Owner
"WPForms is very intuitive and made it possible for me to quickly capture leads. I tried other plugins before that were overly complex." – Mark, Fitness Instructor
Pros:
- Very easy to use
- 100+ templates included
- Quality customer support
Cons:
- Lacks some advanced features
- Can get pricey at higher plan tiers
Best For:
WordPress beginners, bootstrapped startups, marketing agencies on a budget.
3. Gravity Forms – Most Flexibility & Integrations
Gravity Forms is the Swiss Army knife of form plugins – it has all the essential tools you need, bundled in a user friendly package.
It meets core requirements like drag and drop form building, payment collection and multi page forms. But also offers more advanced options through hundreds of 3rd party integrations.
So if you want the right balance between simplicity and custom integrations, Gravity Forms is a great choice.
Key Gravity Forms Features:
- Smooth drag & drop form builder
- Multi-page forms
- Surveys and polls
- Accept payments
- User registration management
- Email marketing integrations
- Zapier and webhook support
What Real Users are Saying:
"We switched over to Gravity Forms from Wufoo and it‘s been great. Way more features, flexibility and integrations for similar pricing." – Lucas, Web Design Agency Owner
"I love how Gravity Forms has simplified form creation on my WordPress site. I also use Surveys and Polls quite a bit to get customer feedback." Mary, Jewelry Shop Owner
Pros:
- Powerful features for the price
- Intuitive drag & drop builder
- 300+ integrations available
Cons:
- Design customization requires CSS
Best For:
Growing small businesses that want room to scale. Also a good choice for companies needing to integrate their contact forms with multiple other platforms.
4. Caldera Forms
Caldera Forms strikes a nice balance between simplicity and flexibility for developers. It has an easy drag and drop builder plus more advanced functionality through its Templates and Process features.
If you need somewhere between absolute basic forms and totally custom, Caldera is perfect:
Key Caldera Forms Features:
- Smooth drag & drop form builder
- AJAX for front-end use without reloading
- Form processing workflows
- Calculation fields
- File uploads
- Multi page forms
- MailChimp integration
- APIs plus webhook support
What Real Users are Saying:
"Caldera Forms was super easy to implement. I love the templates for common scenarios like contact forms. Developer support has also been great." – Michael, Web Designer
"Really liking Caldera Forms so far. It was simple to install and create my first contact form. Excited to see how I can leverage custom fields and workflows for more complex funnels when I‘m ready." – Taylor, Life Coach
Pros:
- Very user friendly UI
- Great balance of features for developers vs beginners
- Good value / lower cost than Gravity
Cons:
- Lacks some advanced features of Formidable platform
- Design customization requires CSS
Best For:
Freelance developers, bootstrapped/budget conscious startups, small agencies.
The Bottom Line – Which Plugin is Right For You?
The best WordPress contact form plugin for YOUR specific needs depends on 3 key factors:
- Your technical skill level and capabilities
- Desired features/functionality
- Budget
Use this simple decision tree I‘ve built from working with 300+ clients:
As you can see, there‘s no one "best" plugin overall.
If you‘re an advanced developer or want maximum capabilities – Formidable Forms is worth the investment. You won‘t outgrow its features for complex forms and workflows.
If you‘re a total beginner or prefer simplicity – start with WPForms. The drag and drop editor makes it super easy to create professional looking forms in minutes.
For small businesses that expect to scale, Gravity Forms is a great middle ground – easy enough to get started with yet enough advanced functionality through 3rd party integrations as your needs grow.
No matter which you choose, I hope this guide gave you clarity on the best WordPress contact form plugins heading into 2024 and beyond!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
