WPForms vs Fluent Forms – which one is the better form builder for your WordPress site?
In the ever-evolving world of WordPress, form builder plugins are indispensable tools for creating interactive and functional websites. Among the many available options, WPForms and Fluent Forms stand out with their unique and comprehensive features. In this article we’ll dig deep into the intricacies of these two formidable plugins, guiding you to make an informed choice based on your specific needs and experience level.
WordPress form plugins are more than just a means to create contact forms; they are versatile tools that cater to a wide range of applications, suitable for users of varying expertise. While the WordPress plugin market is brimming with alternatives like Gravity Forms, Caldera Forms, Ninja Forms, and Contact Form 7, not all plugins are created equal. The true value of a form builder lies in its ability to offer essential features that simplify form creation for any user.
Through this WPForms vs Fluent Forms comparison, we will highlight the distinct characteristics of each, providing clarity on what sets them apart. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced WordPress user, this article will assist you in determining which form plugin is the most beneficial for your WordPress journey. Join us as we explore these two awesome plugins, helping you to reach a verdict that aligns with your website’s goals and your personal preferences.
Fluent Forms vs WPForms: Features Comparison
When comparing WPForms and Fluent Forms, two of the most popular WordPress form plugins, it’s essential to consider various aspects to understand which might best suit your needs.
Form Builder User Interface
- WPForms: Offers a full-screen interface, isolating you from the rest of your WordPress dashboard. This can be immersive but might also be seen as a drawback if you want to multitask.
- Fluent Forms: Integrates with the core WordPress UI, providing a more seamless experience as it blends with the existing admin dashboard. This approach is less intrusive and may feel more natural for WordPress users.
Input Fields
- WPForms: Provides 10 fields in its standard version and 23 in the Pro version.
- Fluent Forms: Outshines with 45+ total fields, offering 27 for free. The Pro Pack Addon unlocks additional advanced fields. A unique feature is its layout fields for creating multi-column forms, not commonly found in other plugins.
Advanced Input Fields and Flexibility
- WPForms: Lacks several crucial fields.
- Fluent Forms: Offers a broader range of advanced fields, such as checkable grids, action hooks, two and three-column layouts, repeat fields, mask input, country list, and shortcode fields, many of which are not available in WPForms.
Entry Management
- Fluent Forms: Stands out with a Vue.js-powered backend for efficient entry management, displaying metadata, and offering export options without needing to reload the page.
- WPForms: Requires the Pro version for entry management, and even then, it offers fewer features and a less dynamic UI compared to Fluent Forms.
Layout Features
- Fluent Forms: Offers an accessible and user-friendly layout system with customizable label alignments and asterisk positions, enhancing user experience in form creation.
- WPForms: Has a different layout system that might pose challenges for beginners, limiting the extent of customization possible.
3rd Party Integrations
Both plugins offer various integrations, but Fluent Forms generally provides more, including Slack, PDF export, ConvertKit, Twilio, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, iContact, Webhook, and Trello, which are not available in WPForms. However, WPForms does offer some unique integrations like Form Locker and Offline Forms.
Conditional Responses and Integration Triggers
- Fluent Forms: Provides extensive capabilities for conditional confirmations and integration triggers, allowing for diverse scenarios and user feedback management.
- WPForms: Includes Smart Conditional Logic, but it is less versatile than Fluent Forms, especially in the free version.
Pre-Built Templates
- WPForms: Offers an impressive range of 700+ template demos, providing a vast array of options for various form types.
- Fluent Forms: Provides 70+ pre-built templates, which, while fewer than WPForms, are easy to deploy and integrate with frequent updates and new features.
User Interface
- Fluent Forms: Adopts the core WordPress UI, making it blend smoothly with the WordPress dashboard, offering a familiar experience for WordPress users.
- WPForms: Utilizes a full-screen interface, isolating the user from the rest of the WordPress dashboard, which can be immersive but may limit multitasking.
Conditional Logic
- Fluent Forms: Allows setting conditional logic in both free and pro versions, offering flexibility in form customization based on user input.
- WPForms: Restricts this feature to the pro version, limiting its utility in the free offering.
Layout Features
- Fluent Forms: Boasts superior layout features, allowing for more customization and user-friendly form creation.
- WPForms: Provides a different layout system that might be challenging for entry-level users, offering less flexibility without coding.
Conversational Forms
- Fluent Forms: Considered a strong alternative for conversational forms, including these features even in the free version.
- WPForms: Limits conversational forms to its higher-tier Pro and Elite packages, making it less accessible.
Spam Protection
- Fluent Forms: Offers comprehensive spam protection tools, including reCAPTCHA v1 and v2, hCaptcha, Akismet, Honeypot, advanced form validation, form scheduling, and restrictions.
- WPForms: Provides smart CAPTCHA and Honeypot methods, but lacks some of the additional tools available in Fluent Forms.
WPForms Vs Fluent Forms Pricing Comparison
The next part in our WPForms vs Fluent Forms comparison is pricing. When comparing the pricing of these two form plugins, it’s important to note their distinct offerings and how they can suit different user needs. Here’s a simplified and convincing breakdown of their pricing structures.
Fluent Forms Pricing
- Free Version: Available with limited features, with no time limitation.
- Single License: Priced at $63 per year for a single site.
- Agency License: Costs $127 per year, suitable for up to 5 sites.
- Unlimited License: Offered at $239 per year for unlimited sites.
- Lifetime Licenses:
- Single-site: $279 (one-time payment)
- 5-site: $479 (one-time payment)
- Unlimited sites: $719 (one-time payment)
Fluent Forms provides both free and premium users with support, ensuring that pro license holders receive premium, priority support 24/7. This includes comprehensive documentation, phone conversations, video tutorials, and even custom code solutions when necessary.
WPForms Pricing
- Free Version: Limited to 28 fields, with no time limitation.
- Basic: $39.60 per year, suitable for basic needs.
- Plus: Priced at $79.60 per year, offering more features.
- Pro: Costs $159.60 per year, tailored for professional use.
- Elite: Offered at $239.60 per year, the most comprehensive plan for advanced needs.
Each WPForms license is every year and caters to different user requirements, from Basic to Elite.
Comparative Analysis:
- Price Range: Fluent Forms generally offers more affordable options than WPForms, especially noticeable in their higher-tier plans.
- Free Version Limitations: Both plugins offer free versions, but Fluent Forms seems less restrictive compared to the WPForms free version.
- Support and Assistance: Fluent Forms emphasizes comprehensive support even for free users, including various forms of assistance like phone and video support.
So if you’re looking for a cost-effective solution with robust support, Fluent Forms might be the better choice. However, if your focus is on specific features offered in the higher-tier plans, WPForms could be more suitable, albeit at a higher price.
Currently, Fluent Forms is offering a special 20% discount, which makes it a great time to get this plugin for your site.
FAQs on Fluent Forms vs WPForms Comparison
What is the difference between WPForms and WP Fluent Forms?
WPForms focuses on providing a user-friendly interface with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, while Fluent Forms offers extensive features such as conditional logic, multi-step forms, and integrations.
What is the best free form for WordPress?
Among the free options, Contact Form 7 remains a popular choice due to its simplicity and wide usage. However, for more advanced features and functionality, Fluent Forms offers a compelling option even in its free version.
Which plugin offers better customization options: WPForms or Fluent Forms?
Fluent Forms tends to offer more extensive customization options with features like conditional logic, multi-step forms, and customizable templates, making it a preferred choice for users seeking advanced customization.
WPForms vs Fluent Forms: Which plugin provides better support and documentation?
Both WPForms and Fluent Forms offer comprehensive support and documentation. However, Fluent Forms often receives praise for its dedicated support team and extensive documentation, ensuring users receive timely assistance and guidance.
Can I integrate payment gateways with both WPForms and Fluent Forms?
Yes, both WPForms and Fluent Forms support integration with various payment gateways. However, Fluent Forms may offer more flexibility and options in terms of supported payment gateways, catering to different user requirements.
Final Verdict on Fluent Forms vs WPForms
So who wins the WPForms vs Fluent Forms battle? When it comes to choosing the right WordPress form plugin, the decision is clear: Fluent Forms outshines WPForms in several significant ways. Here’s why Fluent Forms is the superior choice:
- Richer Feature Set: Fluent Forms boasts a wider array of fields and features in both its free and paid versions. This extensive range ensures that users have more tools at their disposal to create diverse and complex forms.
- Exclusive Fields and Layouts: Key features like the Checkable Grid, Repeat field, Columns layout, and Shortcode field, which are absent in WPForms, give Fluent Forms an edge. These elements allow for more dynamic and flexible form creation.
- More Integration Options: The availability of more integration platforms with Fluent Forms means you can seamlessly connect your forms with various services and applications, enhancing functionality and user experience.
- Superior Layout System: Fluent Forms offers a more intuitive and user-friendly layout system compared to WPForms. This makes the form-creation process more streamlined and accessible, even for those with minimal technical expertise.
- Flexible Licensing Plans: Fluent Forms provides more flexible and accommodating license plans, making it a more budget-friendly and adaptable option for a wider range of users.
- Stronger Support: With better support services, Fluent Forms ensures that users have reliable assistance whenever needed, enhancing the overall user experience.
In conclusion, Fluent Forms is not only a feature-rich and versatile WordPress form builder plugin, but it’s also tailored to meet the needs of users at all levels – from beginners to advanced professionals. Its combination of functionality, ease of use, and supportive infrastructure makes it an undoubtedly better choice than WPForms for anyone looking to create effective and efficient forms on their WordPress site. Try Fluent Forms 20% off today!