Ready for a Ninja Forms alternative? This post will compare Ninja Forms for WordPress against Formidable Forms so you can decide which plugin is right for you!
Approximate read time: 7 minutes
Looking for a Ninja Forms alternative?
Maybe Ninja Forms isn’t performing how you like, or the add-ons are starting to get costly. And now you’re in the market for an alternative to give you more on your WordPress site.
Well, we’ve got just the plugin for you.
In this post, we’ll compare Formidable Forms vs. Ninja Forms. We’ll cover what the WordPress contact form plugins do, their top features, and other helpful information.
So, let’s get into it.
A quick look at Ninja Forms vs. Formidable Forms 🧐
| Formidable Forms | Ninja Forms | |
| Starting Price | $39.50 for first year | $49.99 for first year |
| Rating on WP.org | 4.7 (93% 4+ star) | 4.3 (82% 4+ star) |
| Free Form Layouts | Yes | No |
| Native Integrations | 10 | 16 |
| Form Templates | 165+ | 30+ |
| Baseline Memory Load | 2.7 MB | 5.8 MB |
| Accessible Forms | Yes | No |
An overview of the plugins
About Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms is a WordPress form plugin that gives you control over how you use submitted data.
Even better, its drag-and-drop design means anyone can make a form. You can use Formidable if you know how to use a mouse.
You can build simple contact forms, calculators, surveys, quizzes, and payment forms.
Then use the form data to create directories, real estate listings, classifieds sites, and whatever else you imagine.
But Formidable doesn't stop there.
With its advanced features, you can update those directories and listings in real-time whenever a user submits data in a form! Or, you can add an AI field and create a virtual assistant or product recommendation tool!
Best of all, you don't need to know any coding to use Formidable Forms.
About Ninja Forms for WordPress
The Ninja Forms plugin for WordPress is also a form builder and prides itself on simplicity.
And you can see that when you view their user interface. Everything is easy to find, and building a form only takes a few minutes.
You can also choose from one of their form templates to get you started quicker.
Then, add any other fields you need to make it yours.
A plus to Ninja Forms is it offers more integrations for WordPress websites than competitors such as Gravity Forms.
But at a lower cost.
They also offer flexible pricing plans to stay affordable, including a free alternative version.
WordPress Ninja Forms vs. Formidable Forms
While there are many things to consider when choosing a form builder, we want to focus on four:
- Ease of use
- Support
- Integrations
- Pricing
So, starting with ease of use!
Ease of use
Formidable and Ninja Forms are easy to use, with a drag and drop form builder to help you create custom forms without needing to know how to code.
Formidable Forms is easy for beginners but also allows developers unlimited customizations.
You can keep it simple or dive in and customize your form.
Ninja Forms operates in a similar way for creating basic forms.
They have a convenient form layout builder, which makes forms with side-by-side fields. This makes it easy for beginners.
However, Ninja Forms relies heavily on add-ons for vital features like conditional logic, multi-page forms, file uploads, and form layouts.
This makes it more time-consuming and runs the risk of slowing down your website.
Support
Regarding getting help, both plugins offer great support with a lot of documentation.
Support operates through a simple ticketing system for both plugins.
This is important because Formidable Forms constantly develops new features and improves current ones.
There have also been numerous big security issues with Ninja Forms, several of which have been unfixed.
When changes are made, a common issue among users is that installing updates causes websites to crash and go offline.
Or sometimes, users have had problems with Ninja Forms not showing up.
So, while you’ll get a good support system with both plugins, Formidable’s support is one of its best features.
Get Your Ninja Forms Alternative!
Integrations
Formidable Forms offers many integrations for you to use with your site and data.
In addition, Formidable offers integrations with marketing and CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot.
But that’s not all! It also offers email marketing service integrations to build subscription forms so you can start collecting email addresses.
These integrations show that Formidable Forms goes beyond just form building as an all-in-one business tool.
However, many of Ninja Forms' major features are available through separate add-ons.
This means that their plugin is built with integrations in mind.
Ninja Forms offer similar integrations but with a wider range of available apps. They also support popular business apps like Trello, Slack, and ConvertKit and the usual payment, CRM, and eCommerce integrations.
To conclude this section, Ninja Forms offers more integrations than Formidable, but you must add each separately.
Pricing
Regarding pricing, both plugins operate with a freemium model.
This fancy word means both plugins offer free and premium versions.
Formidable Forms offers a free version plus plans ranging from $39.50 to $299.50 for the first year.
There is a free version of Ninja Forms. And they have premium plans ranging from $49 to $299 for the first year.
Their fifth option is the à la carte plan which allows you to purchase each add-on separately.
That way, you only get the exact features you want, which can change as your business grows.
Prices for this range from $29 to $129 for each add-on, depending on how many you need.
Does Formidable Forms have a free version?
Yes, Formidable Forms has a free version that gives you access to some basic features.
Does Ninja Forms have a free version?
Yes, Ninja Forms has a free version that allows you to build basic contact forms.
Why choose Formidable Forms as a Ninja Forms alternative?
So now that we have the basics established between the two, let's look at features and usability:
Create complex applications with form data
One of the key elements of Formidable Forms is control over what you do with your collected data.
This is why it stands out among its competitors.
One of the most popular features to give you power over your data is Views.
This add-on allows you to display data any way you want on any WordPress website.
For example, it's handy for real estate listings, job boards, and event calendars. You can create your own to showcase your data on your website’s back or front end.
Unfortunately, there isn't an easy way to display Ninja Forms submissions in WordPress, nor do they have add-ons to support it.
Display data in graphs or charts
Following the previous point, you can also do more with your data through graphs and charts.
You can display form entries on any View, page, post, or widget. Any charts you create will display live data that automatically updates after a form is submitted.
So if you have a counter or donation tracker, this is a great way to make it interactive!
This is a feature unique to Formidable Forms.
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Provide front-end editing capabilities
If you need users to update their own form submissions, they can do so with our front-end editing tool.
You can choose which submissions are editable for your users, whether a View, a list of clickable entries, or a user's-only entry.
Easily accept multiple items in one section
Some forms require users to input details of multiple items at once.
With our Repeaters form field feature, you can do just that. Users can add a group of form fields any number of times.
For example, you could use it to list multiple contact details or names for a sports team registration form.
Connect relational databases from forms
Sometimes, you need multiple forms to interact with each other behind the scenes.
With our Cascading dropdown lookup fields feature, you can populate fields with values from other forms.
You can get values and use them in a dropdown, checkbox, or radio field.
For example, if you need customers to be able to search for car models, they can choose the 'Year' in one field and 'Make' in the next one.
From there, the 'Model' field will only show car models related to that make.
Add variety to your forms with different fields
Do you want to add more variety to your forms to boost conversions or get more accurate results?
You can add time, scale, slider, and toggle fields to your forms to collect different submissions.
Not everything can be answered with a checkbox or a one-word answer.
These fields can give users the freedom to answer more accurately in quiz score calculators.
Have total control over HTML
If you want more control over how your form looks and functions, you can customize form HTML.
Add a CSS class, move fields around, and control what sections your form shows to your visitors.
Go paperless with electronic signatures
The era of paper forms is coming to an end.
With Formidable, you can ditch the paper and allow electronic signature submissions on your forms.
This saves everyone time and reduces the reliance on paper.
Plus, it’s just easier than faxing (and does anyone do that anymore?)
Ensure your forms are accessible to all
With online forms so important to businesses and individuals alike, we think it's essential that forms are accessible to all.
Formidable keeps WCAG-accessible guidelines in mind to ensure every form is more accessible and screen-reader friendly.
Formidable Forms vs. Ninja Forms
Formidable and Ninja Forms are both excellent plugins.
And they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on what you need to do, one may be better than the other.
If you want a powerful and flexible WordPress plugin to create your WordPress forms, then Formidable is an excellent choice.
From basic signup forms to complex forms like quizzes and calculators, Formidable can handle it all. And any beginner user can learn to do it!
But if you want a more straightforward builder, then Ninja Forms is a good choice.
If you’re creating simple contact forms or surveys, this beginner-friendly plugin will help you do it.
So consider your needs, then make a decision.
You can’t go wrong with either plugin!
Get Your Ninja Forms Alternative!
Are you ready for a Ninja Forms alternative?
Ninja Forms is an excellent plugin.
But all the add-ons and limitations can be tiring. And that’s why we make Formidable Forms simple to use and powerful enough to support your needs.
If you enjoyed this comparison, you’ll like our other ones:
Or, you can try the free version of Formidable by downloading it from WordPress.org.And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for more excellent WordPress tips and tricks!
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Please can you make a comparison table? Thanks.
Can you Add another category to your comparison table. Forms are famous for there ability to collect and store data. I find it almost impossible to benchmark these add-ons to bridge from HTML to JavaScript and ultimately JSON Restful API effortlessly, or better put needing in-depth technical support. Can you include a comparison of what it takes to set up API.
Hi We currently use caldera forms and the data is loaded into our CiviCRM database.
Can Formidable Forms completely replace the caldera ones?
Hi there,
We don't have a native CiviCRM integration so you wouldn't be able to send data there automatically. It is possible it would work to do this using Zapier or similar service.