I have tried quite a few forms plugins, but Formidable is definitely the best if you need a bit more advanced control and custom functionality. Great features out of the box and plenty of hooks to add your own functionality.
Last updated on March 3, 2026 by Kyle Cash
7 Powerful Things You Can Do With Formidable Forms Lite
Think you need to pay for top form tools? Think again! These 7 Formidable Forms Lite features beat what many paid plugins offer.
Approximate read time: 6 minutes
Most "free" form plugins keep the good stuff locked behind a paywall.
Want to save entries? Pay up.
Want to take payments? You must pay them first.
But Formidable Forms Lite is different. You can do way more than just build a simple contact form — without paying a dime. In fact, it has features in the free version that other WordPress form plugins make you pay for.
Don't believe us? Here are 7 underrated things you can do right now with the free version of Formidable Forms.
Psst, by the way, you can use this form below and we can help you download it!
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7 Powerful Things You Can Do With Formidable Forms Lite
1. Store Form Entries in Your WordPress Dashboard
Some free form plugins don't even let you see your form submissions inside WordPress.
Missed an email? Sorry, it's gone for good. Did a customer email you asking about ordering your fancy new fork/spoon/knife combination in bulk and you didn't see it? Sorry, looks like you'll be the only one enjoying it at dinner tonight.
But with Formidable Forms free version, every entry is saved to your database automatically. No coding on your end. No connecting 3rd-party plugins or adjusting settings.
It was already the most advanced WordPress form builder, but we also like to think it's the most generous, too.
Just a simple dashboard where you can view, search, and manage form entries.
2. Collect Payments with Stripe
Yes, you read that right. You can create Stripe payment forms, even in the free version.
Taking payments is almost always a premium feature. Whether its Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, or any payment provider. If you're taking payments, you're usually paying for a premium plugin.
But Formidable Forms Lite is different.
You can start taking payments today in less than a half hour! Just a simple setup: connect your Stripe account, drop in a payment field, and publish your form.
💡 Heads up: There’s a small 3% transaction fee on payments in the free version. Want to remove that? You can always upgrade to the Business or Elite plan later.
3. Use 30+ Ready-to-Go Form Templates
Don't feel like building a form from scratch?
We get it. Finding the inspiration then the right layout and actually making it can take a lot of time and effort. And sometimes you just don't have that.
No problem. The free Formidable Forms gives you over 30 free templates to get you started quickly. Whether you need a Contact Us form, Simple RSVP, or a Support Ticket — there's a template for that. Just pick one, adjust it to your needs, then hit publish. (And there are even more form templates in Formidable Pro.)
It's form-building made fast...and a little less stressful.
4. Build Fully Responsive, Mobile-Ready Forms
People are filling out forms on phones more than ever.
In fact, mobile users make up over 60% of all internet traffic. That's a huge segment of users (and it's only increasing), so your form has to look right on mobile.
Normally this means coding, CSS, and changing the finest details only for it to look completely unreadable on your phone. We've been there ourselves, and we know the frustration is real.
But with Formidable Forms Lite, every form you create is mobile-friendly by default. No extra settings, no special designs, and definitely no coding on your end (only for our developers).
Just forms that work and look good, no matter the device or screen size.
5. Create a Basic Quote Calculator
Need to show customers a quick price estimate?
Normally, that means one of three things:
→ Hiring a developer
→ Writing custom code
→ Or… upgrading to a paid plugin
But with Formidable Forms free plugin (we're sure you guessed it), you don't have to do any of that.
If you need a simple quote calculator — one that adds up prices based on what a user chooses — you can build it right in the free version. Just drop in a few fields, set up the calculation, and you're good to go.
No coding. No upgrade. No problem.
6. Customize the Look of Your Forms Without Code
You want your forms to match your WordPress site.
But that doesn't mean you want to dive into CSS and tweak every little detail by hand. It's definitely not the best use of your time, and it seems like something that should be easier.
Well, it is with Formidable Forms Form Styler.
You can change fonts, colors, spacing, and more — all from a simple dashboard in Formidable Lite. It's point, click, and done. Your form looks like your brand...without the tech headaches.
7. Keep Spam Entries Away
Spam is the worst.
Bots fill out your forms with junk, and suddenly your inbox is overflowing with nonsense entries that you take an entire afternoon to delete.
For many plugins, they make you install extra tools or add annoying CAPTCHAs to deal with it (because everyone loves CAPTCHA tests, right?). It's just not an effective way to take care of something we all have to deal with if we have a form on our WordPress website.
Formidable's free plugin takes care of that for you — with minimal setup required.
Honeypot, reCAPTCHA, Javascript Token Validation, Cloudflare Turnstile and many more — if you want spam protection, you have options here.
That way you can filter out all the nonsense and only focus on the form entries that matter... the human ones.
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More Than a Contact Form Plugin
Most free form plugins give you the basics. A drag and drop form builder, some basic form fields, and little else.
And we thought that wasn't enough. That's why Formidable Lite gives you the tools to actually build something useful — no strings attached or credit cards asked for.
From saving entries to payment forms to building quote calculators, you can do way more wth the free version than you'd expect. And we hope this post helped show some of those features that we think makes Formidable stand out.
So, if you're ready to get started, grab our free WordPress form builder and see what you can build! Or, if you want more advanced features like file uploads, conditional logic, and more, check out Formidable Pro!
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