The Best WordPress Form Plugins – WPCAST008

Almost every website needs a form, but there are many options out there. Where do you start? We discuss some common form plugins and our recommendations.

The Changelog

* Doug:

* I’m hiring! If you’re interested, please see: http://podwp.com/apprentice

* Connect with me if you’re going to WordCamp NYC! @Doug_Yuen

* David:

* Thanks WP Tavern and WP Shout for the mentions!

* We’re now over 3,000 downloads!

* New logo

* Thanks OliDegreef, ruesss, 3rdeye fotos, jrockapp for the 5-star reviews!

* Question from Travis about WooCommerce reporting:

* Patrick from Speaking In Bytes: WooCommerce e-book

* The Perfect Google Analytics E-Commerce Dashboard

* fatcat apps: Building A Business Dashboard Using Google Spreadsheets

The Core

* Common WordPress form setups:

* Built into theme

* Themes should not include features (that’s what plugins are for)

* Not recommended, but if your needs are very basic, it might be enough

* Contact Form 7

* Works, but it has a weak user interface

* Doesn’t log entries in the site backend, it only emails you

* Our recommendation: pass on it, there are better free alternatives

* Ninja Forms (main website)

* Base plugin is free, with paid extensions

* Very developer friendly, easily extensible

* Gravity Forms (our affiliate link)

* Only premium, pricing tiers for more site licenses and extensions

* Well established, has been around for years

* Bottom line:

* Simple contact form

* Ninja Forms

* Complex requirements

* Either Ninja Forms or Gravity Forms, depending on extensions needed

* Further reading:

* Exact feature comparison on WP Scoop

* Another comparison, also with Formidable Pro, on Chris Lema’s website

* Ninja Forms yearly report (2013)

Tips & Tricks

* Doug