How do WordPress contact form plugins compare?

Facilitating contact is often a primary goal when planning the user experience for a website. One of the most direct ways to do so is through a contact form. For WordPress sites, there are now countless form plugins that let you create a WordPress contact form easily. But what features should the plugin offer, and which WordPress form plugins are currently the best?

What features should a WordPress form plugin have?

Depending on your needs, different features are required for a WordPress contact form. The most important and commonly used ones include:

• Different field types: In addition to standard fields like text input and email address, special field types such as file uploads are often needed. A wide selection of field types gives you more flexibility to collect all the necessary information via your contact form.
• Conditional fields: Sometimes it’s necessary to show a field only under specific conditions. For example, should the form display an additional field only when a certain value is selected in another field? In this case, the field needs conditional logic.
• Email notifications: When users submit the form, the plugin sends a notification with the submitted data to designated recipients.
• Drag-and-drop editor: If you don’t have coding skills, a drag-and-drop or WYSIWYG editor is a big advantage. You can simply drag and position the fields where you want them. Most editors also allow you to adjust colors and layout.
• Spam protection: Opening your inbox to hundreds of spam messages can be frustrating and time-consuming. That’s why it’s essential to configure your WordPress contact form with reliable spam protection to block bots effectively.

Data protection and WordPress form plugins

When using WordPress contact form plugins, data protection plays a crucial role. Since contact forms often collect personal data such as names, email addresses, and message content, it’s important that both website operators and users are aware of their responsibilities under data protection law. Compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is essential in this context.

This includes not only the secure storage and processing of collected data, but also providing users with transparent information about what data is being collected and for what purpose. A well-implemented contact form plugin should therefore include an option for obtaining the user’s explicit consent—typically via a checkbox indicating that their data will be processed. In addition, all transmitted data should be encrypted to protect it from unauthorized access.

Top WordPress contact form plugins at a glance

If you want to create a contact form in WordPress, you’ll quickly find yourself faced with a huge selection of WordPress form plugins in the official repository. But which plugins are best suited for building a form in WordPress? In this section, we take a closer look at four of the most popular contact form plugins.

Contact Form 7

Contact Form 7 is the most popular contact form plugin and for many reasons. For one, the plugin is completely free. In addition, the developers of Contact Form 7 provide extensive documentation, a FAQ page, a dedicated support forum, and an official website to assist users. On top of that, the plugin is included by default in many premium WordPress themes.

The interface of Contact Form 7 is very simple, yet it offers extensive functionality.

Key features of Contact Form 7

• Unlimited forms
• Supports various field types: quiz, file upload, dropdowns, checkboxes, etc.
• Shortcode generation for easy embedding
• Customizable email notifications, including confirmation emails
• Customizable success/error messages
• Spam protection via quiz or Honeypot plugin

Pros and cons of Contact Form 7

WPForms

WPForms offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making it especially easy for beginners to create a contact form in WordPress. The free version already includes several useful features that are more than enough for basic forms. For those who need more advanced functionality, WPForms offers four pricing plans with additional features.

Key features of WPForms

• Unlimited number of forms
• Wide selection of field types – including dropdowns, checkboxes, multiple choice, and a checkbox for Mailchimp newsletter signup
• The Pro version of WPForms includes additional field types and payment integrations
• Forms can be easily embedded using a shortcode
• Intuitive drag-and-drop builder for customizing layout, colors, and field sizes
• Customizable email notifications to specific recipients (Pro version required for additional emails)
• Custom confirmation email for the sender
• Multi-page forms available starting with the Pro version
• Prebuilt templates included in the free version; more templates available in the Pro version
• The contact form is responsive, adapting to all screen sizes
• Spam protection with reCAPTCHA and the Custom Captcha Addon

Pros and cons of WPForms

Ninja Forms

Ninja Forms also uses a drag-and-drop editor. You can add or reorder fields by dragging and dropping. The free version already includes many fields and some features. For more flexibility, there are three plans available as well as the option to purchase add-ons individually.

Key features of Ninja Forms

• Unlimited number of forms
• Many field types available even in the free version, including dropdown menus, date fields, checkboxes, and star ratings
• Customizable emails to recipients and senders
• Individually customizable error messages
• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor – with the “Layout & Styles” add-on, you can split fields into multiple columns
• Shortcode for easy embedding anywhere on the website
• More than 40 add-ons extend functionality, including multi-page forms, conditional logic, file uploads, Zapier integration, multi-column forms, and payment processing with PayPal Express, Elavon, and Stripe
• Honeypot is included as spam protection, and bots can additionally be blocked using reCAPTCHA

Pros and cons of Ninja Forms

Gravity Forms

Gravity Forms is a paid WordPress form plugin. However, its pricing is quite reasonable considering the features offered.

Key features of Gravity Forms

• Unlimited number of forms
• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor that allows you to create forms quickly and easily
• Multi-page forms
• Conditional logic for fields
• Special field types such as file uploads and quizzes in addition to standard fields
• Many available add-ons including Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, and more
• You can flexibly embed the WordPress contact form anywhere on your site using a shortcode
• Spam protection through quiz questions or reCAPTCHA to protect you from unwanted spam emails

Pros and cons of Gravity Forms

The four WordPress form plugins compared

After introducing various WordPress contact form plugins, the following table provides a clear comparison of the plugins mentioned above:

All information is current as of February 2025.