- A quick checklist for your form needs
- Where the features sit in each plugin
- Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms in a table
- Approvals, automation and email delivery
- Taking payments through a form
- Agency builds versus DIY site owners
- The advice I'd give a site owner
- Four other form plugins to compare
- Frequently asked questions
Pick Ninja Forms if you'd like to start with a free core plugin and add only what you need later, such as CRM or email marketing connections. Pick Gravity Forms if you build custom forms and workflows for clients and want conditional logic, multi-page forms and a separate workflow product all in one place. Check your must-have features against each plugin before you commit.
Most people searching this pair already know they need a WordPress form plugin. What they don't know yet is whether they want everything in one box from day one, or a small free plugin they can grow into. That's the real fork, and the rest of this page follows from it.
I'll call the first plugin the all-in-one builder and the second the free-core plugin, since that's how each one is put together.
A quick checklist for your form needs
- Will your forms show or hide fields based on earlier answers? That's conditional logic.
- Do you need multi-page or multi-step forms, or file uploads?
- Will forms take payments, and through which gateway?
- Do submissions need to move through an approval or workflow after they arrive?
- Are you building for clients, or for your own site?
If most of your answers are yes, the all-in-one builder lists those capabilities as built-in features. If most are no, the free-core plugin could cover you for a long time before you need anything extra.
Where the features sit in each plugin
Here's the thing that trips people up. The free-core plugin is easy to install, and its vendor says the free version isn't the kind that nags you to upgrade. It comes with 28+ form fields and unlimited submissions, plus GDPR and CCPA tools in the core. But conditional logic, multi-step forms and file uploads aren't in that free core. They arrive as extensions on top. So the free plugin is a starting point, not the whole builder.
The all-in-one builder lists conditional logic and paginated, multi-page forms as built-in features. It offers a demo and free templates, but it doesn't describe a free edition of the plugin itself. So the comparison isn't free against not free. It's a small core you extend, against one builder that ships with more from the start.
Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms in a table
| Area | Gravity Forms | Ninja Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Model | One form builder, with a demo and free templates | Free core plugin, extended with add-ons |
| Conditional logic and multi-page | Listed as built-in features | Added through extensions, not the free core |
| Workflows | Gravity Flow, a separate workflow product | Automation add-ons such as Zapier, Slack and Trello |
| Payments | Stripe and PayPal integrations | PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net and Elavon each arrive as separate extensions |
| Audience | Agencies, education, nonprofits and WordPress professionals | People who want to be up and running in minutes; cites over 50 million downloads |
| Extras | Certified and community add-ons, plus Gravity SMTP | Add-ons grouped by CRM, email marketing, payment and automation; GDPR and CCPA tools in core |
Approvals, automation and email delivery
If a form submission has to go somewhere after it lands, such as a manager approving a request or a nonprofit reviewing an application, the all-in-one builder has Gravity Flow, a separate workflow product built for exactly that. It also offers Gravity SMTP, which helps the emails your forms send reach the inbox.
The free-core plugin goes a different way. Instead of its own workflow product, it connects to tools you might already use, with automation add-ons for Zapier, Slack and Trello. For a small business that already runs on those apps, that's often simpler than learning a new workflow tool.
Taking payments through a form
Both plugins handle payments. The all-in-one builder puts Stripe and PayPal integrations on its main menu. The free-core plugin offers its gateways as separate extensions. If you already know which gateway your business uses, check which extension carries it before you set up a single form.
Agency builds versus DIY site owners
The all-in-one builder speaks to agencies, education, nonprofits and WordPress professionals. That fits its feature set: if you're building complex forms for clients, having logic, multi-page forms and workflows in one product saves you hunting for extras on every project.
The free-core plugin speaks to people who want to be up and running in minutes, and cites over 50 million downloads. It suits a site owner who needs a contact form today and might want a CRM connection later on. If simple contact forms are all you need, our guide to the best WordPress contact form plugins lists lighter options too.
The advice I'd give a site owner
Choose Ninja Forms if you want to start with a free core, keep things simple, and add only the connections you need, such as a CRM or email marketing tool. Choose Gravity Forms if you build custom forms and workflows for clients and want conditional logic, multi-page forms and Gravity Flow available in one product. Whichever way you lean, match your checklist answers against each plugin's feature list before you build anything.
Four other form plugins to compare
WPForms
Best for: Drag and drop form building with 2,000+ templates, payments, conversion tools and its own AI helper.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Formidable Forms
Best for: Builders who want forms plus views and web apps such as directories, listings, calendars and calculators.
Fluent Forms
Best for: Contact, payment, conversational, calculator and quiz forms, from a plugin the vendor calls the fastest form plugin.
Forminator
Best for: A WordPress.org plugin for contact, payment and custom forms.
For a wider shortlist, see our page on alternatives to Gravity Forms.
Do you make a WordPress form plugin? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this page.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ninja Forms free?
Its core plugin is free, with 28+ form fields and unlimited submissions. Features such as conditional logic, multi-step forms and file uploads arrive as extensions.
Does Gravity Forms have conditional logic built in?
Yes. It lists conditional logic and paginated, multi-page forms as built-in features.
Which plugin is better for approval workflows?
The all-in-one builder offers Gravity Flow, a separate workflow product. The free-core plugin relies on automation add-ons for Zapier, Slack and Trello.
Which payment gateways does each one support?
The all-in-one builder features Stripe and PayPal. The free-core plugin offers PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net and Elavon as separate extensions.
Which one suits agencies better?
The all-in-one builder targets agencies and WordPress professionals building custom forms and workflows. The free-core plugin is aimed at site owners who want to start quickly.
