Are you undecided between Contact Form 7 and WPForms for your WordPress website? Choosing the wrong contact form plugin can lead to lost leads, frustrated visitors, and hours spent on setup.
While Contact Form 7 and WPForms are among the most popular choices, they cater to very different audiences.
Contact Form 7 offers complete customization through code, whereas WPForms simplifies form creation with a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and advanced AI features.
In this comparison, we will explore the main differences in features, user-friendliness, pricing, and performance, enabling you to select the ideal contact form plugin for your website.
Quick Comparison: Contact Form 7 vs. WPForms
Short on time? Here’s a brief comparison of the two WordPress form builders:
| Plugin | WPForms | Contact Form 7 |
| Ranking | 🥇 #1 | 🥈 #2 |
| Best for | Users looking to create various types of WordPress forms quickly and effortlessly | Users who only need a basic contact form and possess some HTML skills |
| Ease of Use | User-friendly for beginners Utilizes a visual editor with drag-and-drop capabilities | Requires some learning Employs a text editor |
| Form Templates | Over 1800 form templates available across various categories | One default template provided |
| Extensive customization options | Utilizes smart tags for notification management Provides three types of confirmation messages Enables form styling capabilities | Includes pre-designed confirmation messages for different scenarios |
| Additional features and integration options | Offers a vast library of one-click add-ons and third-party integrations | Limited options for third-party integrations |
| Pricing plans available | Free version accessible Premium plan starting at $49.50 annually | Completely free to use |
A Comprehensive Guide to Contact Form 7 vs. WPForms
Form plugins allow you to incorporate various types of forms into your WordPress site, such as contact forms, newsletter signups, booking forms, or quizzes.
Contact Form 7 and WPForms are widely used WordPress form plugins, each with unique advantages.
Contact Form 7 is the longest-standing contact form plugin in the official WordPress plugin directory. It is entirely free, making it an excellent choice for those on a tight budget.
During our research on Contact Form 7, we noticed that it offers pre-made confirmation messages for different scenarios, which can save you valuable time for other tasks.
However, this plugin only provides a single template, which is a basic contact form. This limitation can be frustrating if you need to create other types of forms, such as newsletter subscriptions, order forms, or user surveys.
Additionally, it utilizes a text editor, so having some HTML knowledge is necessary to fully leverage its capabilities.
In contrast, WPForms was introduced in 2016 by Syed Balkhi, the founder of CanadaCreate, and Jared Atchison.
This form builder has quickly become one of the leading WordPress form plugins available. Since its release, it has been installed on over 6 million WordPress sites worldwide.
WPForms features more than 2000 form templates across various categories, including business functions, customer support, and even calculators. Whatever type of form you wish to create, WPForms likely has the perfect template for you.
Moreover, WPForms includes a user-friendly drag-and-drop visual editor, allowing you to create forms effortlessly without needing to write any code.
At CanadaCreate, we primarily utilize WPForms for creating many of our forms, including our annual reader survey. For more information, check out our comprehensive WPForms review.
A drawback of WPForms is that you must upgrade to premium plans to access its advanced features.
Given their popularity, we conducted an in-depth comparison of Contact Form 7 and WPForms to determine which plugin truly excels. Our research evaluated these two leading form plugins based on the following criteria:
- User-Friendliness
- Form Templates
- Customization Options
- Additional Features and Integrations
- Pricing Plans
- Contact Form 7 vs. WPForms: Which One Is Superior?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Contact Form 7 and WPForms
- Discover More About WordPress Forms
Now, let’s take a closer look at the two WordPress form plugins to identify which one is best suited for your needs.
User-Friendliness
Selecting a user-friendly WordPress form plugin can significantly simplify the form-building process. A beginner-friendly plugin allows users to create and customize forms without needing to write any code.
Contact Form 7 – User-Friendliness
Contact Form 7 features a text-based editor, providing an experience similar to that of the WordPress classic editor.
The form fields are displayed as labels in the form editor.
For instance, this sample form includes fields for ‘Your Name’, ‘Your Email’, ‘Subject’, and ‘Your Message’.
Initially, we found this form builder to be somewhat intimidating. Although it uses HTML, you generally don’t need coding skills to create forms with this plugin.
Contact Form 7 provides a variety of field types, such as dropdown menus, checkboxes, and radio buttons.
When you click on a button like ‘Checkboxes’, a pop-up window will appear, allowing you to enter the details for that field.
We also observed that these pop-ups may include additional helpful notes.
Make sure to read all the notes and follow the provided instructions carefully. Failing to do so might result in errors when inserting the tag into the text editor.
However, we found the publishing process to be somewhat frustrating during our testing.
Firstly, the plugin’s dashboard lacks a publish button. To publish your form, you must navigate to the block editor of your page or post from the WordPress admin area.
Secondly, Contact Form 7 does not offer a live preview feature in the block editor.
As shown in the screenshot above, we have selected the ‘Contact Form 1’ that we just created.
Click the ‘Preview’ button to verify that the form and the checkbox field you added are displayed correctly.
At this stage, check how your form appears on the front end of your website.
If there are issues, return to the Contact Form 7 plugin interface to make adjustments. If everything looks good, here’s an example of how the form may appear on your live site:
WPForms – User-Friendly Design
Compared to Contact Form 7, WPForms offers a significantly more user-friendly experience.
This form builder features a visual editor with drag-and-drop capabilities, requiring no technical expertise, allowing you to create forms quickly and effortlessly.
The WPForms builder provides all customization options on the left side of the screen.
As you make adjustments, you can view them in the live preview on the right side. You can also drag and drop elements to ensure everything is visually appealing.
In the ‘Add Fields’ tab, you will find various field types, such as ‘Single Line Text,’ ‘Dropdown,’ and ‘Number Slider.’
☝ Important Note:All fields in the ‘Standard Fields’ section are available in WPForms Lite. To access the fields in the ‘Fancy Fields’ section, you will need to upgrade to the Basic plan or a higher tier.
To add a multiple-choice field to your form, simply click the ‘Multiple Choice’ button, and it will appear in the live preview.
By default, WPForms places the new field at the bottom of the form. We then tested the drag-and-drop functionality to rearrange the fields.
We found this feature extremely useful as it allows us to see how the form will look after rearranging its elements.
In the ‘Field Options’ tab, you can modify a field’s ‘Label,’ ‘Choices,’ and ‘Description.’
💡 Pro Tip:WPForms’ AI Choices can significantly reduce the time spent on form creation.
Instead of manually entering multiple options, use the ‘Generate Choices’ button to automatically fill fields like dropdowns, checkboxes, and multiple-choice with relevant suggestions.
This feature is particularly useful for creating surveys, quizzes, or registration forms with dynamic content.
Below the ‘Description’ field, you will find a ‘Required’ slider.
This feature allows you to designate whether a question is optional or mandatory. When enabled, a red asterisk (*) will appear next to the field’s label, indicating that users must complete this field to proceed.
Additionally, we discovered that integrating your WPForms form into your WordPress post or page is significantly simpler compared to Contact Form 7.
To begin with, they provide an ‘Embed’ button in the form builder interface, allowing you to publish your form without leaving the builder.
Clicking the ‘Embed’ button opens a pop-up window where you can choose to publish it on an existing page or create a new dedicated page.
Next, you’ll insert the form using the WPForms block in the block editor.
In contrast to Contact Form 7, which does not confirm if the form has been successfully added, WPForms provides a preview in the block editor. From our experience, this feature has saved us a lot of trouble.
☝ Note: You don’t need to publish your form immediately. You can use the ‘Save’ button and exit the editor to publish the form whenever you choose.
You can always utilize the form’s shortcode or add it using the WPForms block in the block editor of a post or page.
Once you’re satisfied with everything, publishing your form is incredibly easy. Here’s how it might appear on your WordPress website:
Are you looking to create a form from scratch but unsure about which fields to include?
WPForms AIstreamlines the process by allowing you to create a fully functional form with just a simple prompt.
You can begin with pre-existing templates for common forms or input your own ideas in the prompt field. After pressing ‘Enter’ or clicking the ‘Send’ icon, WPForms AI will generate a custom form for you.
In just seconds, you’ll see a preview of your form in the builder area.
Although you can’t edit directly in the preview, it’s an excellent way to verify that it meets your needs before making any changes. It’s quick, user-friendly, and extremely useful!
Winner – WPForms
WPForms is the top choice for ease of use, featuring a visual editor with drag-and-drop capabilities.
In contrast to Contact Form 7, which uses a text-based editor that can be daunting for newcomers, WPForms enables users to create and customize forms without any coding experience.
The live preview feature in WPForms further simplifies the form-building experience by eliminating the need to toggle between the form builder and the block editor.
Form Templates
Templates can enhance your form-building experience by making it faster and more efficient. You can either use a ready-made template immediately or quickly modify it to suit your requirements.
Let’s compare how these two WordPress form plugins perform regarding available templates.
Contact Form 7 – Available Form Templates
Contact Form 7 provides only a basic contact form template that you can customize further.
This means that whenever you navigate to Contact » Add New, you’ll encounter the same standard contact form in the editor.
The absence of diverse templates can make it challenging to use Contact Form 7 for creating various types of forms.
For instance, if you want to set up an email newsletter signup or a request-a-quote form, you’ll need to start from the same template and build it up, which can be a lengthy process.
WPForms – Available Form Templates
WPForms offers over 2,000 form templates and continues to grow. With this extensive selection, you can create and publish any form in just a few clicks.
In the template gallery, you’ll find categories such as ‘Business Operations’, ‘Customer Service’, and ‘Marketing.’ You can expand each category to explore subcategories of form templates.
For example, within the ‘Business Operations’ category, you’ll find subcategories like ‘Contact’, ‘Order’, ‘Payment’, and more.
In the ‘Health and Wellness’ category, you can find various template examples such as the ‘Diet Log Form’, ‘BMI Calculator Form’, and ‘Mental Health Support Form’.
Additionally, in the ‘Nonprofit’ category, there are form templates available for donations and volunteering, including ‘Sponsorship Request Form’, ‘Fundraiser Registration Form’, and ‘Donation Form’ templates.
The simplest way to discover the ideal form template is by utilizing the search bar.
If you’re looking to create a contact form, just enter ‘contact form’ in the search bar, and WPForms will display all the available contact form templates.
While browsing the templates, we noticed that some may require the installation of an add-on.
For these templates, an installation pop-up will appear after you click ‘Use Template.’
To access all form templates and add-ons, you will need WPForms Pro or a higher version.
If you’re on a budget, there’s no need to worry. WPForms Lite offers essential form templates, including contact and feedback forms.
Winner – WPForms
WPForms boasts an extensive library of over 2,000 pre-made templates that span a wide array of categories.
This extensive range allows users to easily locate and tailor the specific form they require, saving both time and effort compared to Contact Form 7, which offers only a single default contact form template that requires considerable adjustments for various applications.
Customization Features
Form customization generally involves setting up notification emails, configuring confirmation messages for form submissions, and adjusting the visual design of the form.
In the upcoming sections, we will explore the various customization features provided by both plugins.
Contact Form 7 – Customization Features
Customization features are not the strongest aspect of Contact Form 7. Although the plugin allows for adjustments to notifications and confirmation messages, it offers limited options for styling the form’s appearance.
During our evaluation, we found that Contact Form 7 enables users to modify its default email notification settings through the ‘Mail’ tab.
Keep in mind that you can only utilize your form’s label tags to modify the email template. There’s no need to switch back and forth between the ‘Form’ and ‘Mail’ tabs, as Contact Form 7 conveniently includes all the tags available in this section.
A notable feature of Contact Form 7’s notification customization is its Mail (2) option.
This feature is valuable as it allows you to set up an automatic reply once a user submits a form. An example of an auto-reply message could be, ‘Hello, we have received your contact form submission on our website. If you did not submit this, please disregard this message.’
In the ‘Messages’ tab, you can create confirmation messages for users.
There is an extensive list of pre-made confirmation messages available, but you can modify them or create your own custom messages tailored to specific situations.
You can add custom code in the ‘Additional Settings’ tab, where having some coding knowledge can be beneficial.
For instance, we included the ‘subscribers_only: true’ code snippet to restrict form submissions to logged-in users only.
Unfortunately, Contact Form 7 lacks options for customizing the form’s design or style, resulting in a uniform appearance across forms created with this plugin.
However, you can still enhance the look of your Contact Form 7 forms, depending on the theme you are using. Some WordPress themes integrate Contact Form 7 forms in a way that aligns with the overall design of the theme.
WPForms – Customization Features
WPForms provides a wider range of customization options.
In the NotificationsIn this section, you can view all the fields available for customizing your email notifications.
WPForms comes pre-filled with smart tags or ready-made text by default, so your email notifications are essentially set up. You have the option to keep it as is or personalize it according to your preferences.
Editing these fields may seem daunting if you’re unfamiliar with it. However, when working with fields containing smart tags, the ‘?’ button provides useful guidance.
For instance, here’s the information provided by the ‘?’ button for customizing the ‘Send To Email Address’ field.
You will find brief notes on how to set up multiple recipients, and it’s important to follow these instructions to avoid any errors.
Editing fields with pre-made text is also quite straightforward.
You can easily enter any text into the box. For example, we modified the default ‘Email Subject Line’ to ‘URGENT! New Submission for Medical Emergency Contact.’
When it comes to confirmation options, WPForms allows you to select from three types: ‘Message,’ ‘Show a page,’ and ‘Go to URL (redirect).’
The default setting is a confirmation message, which you can customize to align with your brand’s voice.
In addition to notifications and confirmations, WPForms allows you to personalize your form’s design directly from the WordPress block editor in the ‘Themes‘ section.
With a variety of themes to choose from, you’ll easily find one that aligns with your brand identity. You can preview each theme in the block editor as you browse.
We then explored further down the ‘Block’ panel and discovered additional options for theme customization.
These customization features enable you to modify ‘Field Styles,’ ‘Label Styles,’ ‘Button Styles,’ and ‘Container Styles,’ allowing for a more tailored form experience.
Conclusion –WPForms
WPForms provides a comprehensive array of versatile features, including customizable notification emails, confirmation messages, and extensive styling options for your forms.
Unlike Contact Form 7, which lacks design flexibility and requires coding for advanced customization, WPForms stands out with its user-friendly design capabilities.
Additional Features and Integrations
Enhanced features and third-party integrations significantly boost the functionality of a form plugin. They introduce new capabilities, streamline tasks, and optimize data management.
Now, let’s compare Contact Form 7 and WPForms in terms of available add-ons.
Contact Form 7 – Features and Integrations
Contact Form 7 allows you to connect with third-party tools to enhance your forms.
These tools include Brevo, Akismet, reCAPTCHA, and Stripe.
☝ Important Note:The integration with Constant Contact in Contact Form 7 is no longer supported. Existing users will continue to receive support until the end of 2024.
Although there are limited third-party tools available for integration, the process is straightforward. Simply click the ‘Setup Integration’ button, enter a few keys, and wait for the setup to finish.
WPForms – Features and Integrations
WPForms provides one-click add-ons and numerous third-party integrations, making it more versatile than Contact Form 7.
While the full suite of add-ons and third-party integrations is exclusive to WPForms Pro and higher, WPForms Lite still includes marketing and payment integrations.
In the ‘Marketing’ section, you can connect your free WPForms form with Constant Contact and Uncanny Automator. (Please note that add-ons marked in grey are not available in WPForms Lite.)
Next, we explored the ‘Payments’ section of WPForms Lite.
You can easily connect your free WPForms form to Stripe for payment processing.
With a premium WPForms plan, you gain access to additional features and the ability to integrate various third-party add-ons.
In the ‘Addons’ section,you can view the complete list of available tools for integration.
For instance, to track where users are submitting your forms from, you can install and activate the Geolocations add-on.
Just scroll down the page, find the add-on, and click ‘Install Addon.’ Then, wait for WPForms to finish the installation.
To monitor the user journey from their initial website visit to form submission, you can use the User Journey add-on. Additionally, to address and minimize form abandonment issues, the Form Abandonment add-on is available.
Winner – WPForms
Once again, WPForms takes the lead for its extensive features and integrations. It boasts a wide range of add-ons that enhance your forms’ capabilities, including marketing, payment processing, and user analytics.
Even in its free version, WPForms Lite, the plugin offers marketing and payment functionalities to enhance your form options.
Pricing Plans
When evaluating which plugin provides the best value, pricing is a significant factor.
Let’s compare the pricing of Contact Form 7 and WPForms.
Contact Form 7 – Pricing Overview
Contact Form 7 is a free WordPress plugin, making it an excellent option for users who want to add basic contact forms to their websites without any cost.
However, it’s essential to understand that Contact Form 7 lacks the premium features available in paid form plugins. As a result, you won’t have access to advanced options like conditional logic and file uploads.
Additionally, you may find fewer integration choices with popular third-party services, limited to basic options such as reCAPTCHA and Akismet.
Moreover, since Contact Form 7 is free, it does not offer dedicated support services. Users must rely on community forums and documentation for help, which may not always resolve specific or urgent issues promptly.
While Contact Form 7 is a reliable option for straightforward form requirements at no cost, its limitations may become apparent.
WPForms – Pricing Overview
WPForms operates on a freemium model, allowing you to begin with the free version, WPForms Lite, which offers basic features and functionality.
You can upgrade to a paid plan for access to advanced features and integrations.
The premium version of WPForms offers four pricing tiers designed to meet various needs.
The Basic plan is priced at $49.50 per year for the first year. This plan allows you to connect your WPForms account to one WordPress website, making it an excellent choice for new website owners.
This plan unlocks premium templates and provides access to features such as conditional logic, entry management, and file uploads.
The Plus plan costs $99.50 per year. In addition to all the features included in the Basic plan, it offers enhanced marketing integrations and form automation capabilities.
Next is the Pro plan, priced at $199.50 per year. This plan grants access to over 2,000 form templates and includes more extensive payment integrations, conversion tools, and advanced add-ons.
The highest-tier plan from WPForms is called Elite. It costs $299.50 per year and includes all the features available in the plugin. You can also use it on an unlimited number of WordPress websites.
Additionally, all WPForms premium plans come with dedicated support and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Winner – Tie
After careful consideration, we conclude that both options are equally priced.
WPForms offers tiered pricing plans that cater to a wide range of user requirements, from basic to advanced. It’s perfect for business owners who prioritize speed, user-friendliness, and the capability to create diverse forms with added features.
In contrast, Contact Form 7 is a free option that lacks customization features and dedicated support. It is best suited for personal websites or bloggers who are comfortable with coding and looking for a straightforward, cost-free form solution.
Contact Form 7 vs. WPForms: Which One is Superior?
In our comparison of Contact Form 7 and WPForms, we discovered that each plugin has its own advantages and disadvantages for various user types.
Nonetheless, we consider WPForms to be the superior choice overall. It is a feature-rich form builder that offers excellent customization options and dedicated customer support.
WPForms excels with its intuitive interface. The drag-and-drop feature allows anyone to easily create and customize forms, even if they are using it for the first time.
The WPForms form builder is particularly well-suited for business websites that require advanced features such as payment integrations, comprehensive form analytics, and a wide range of third-party integrations.
Contact Form 7 is a great option for users who need simple contact forms without any expenses. It is particularly suitable for hobbyists, personal bloggers, and small websites that require a straightforward contact solution.
While Contact Form 7 lacks advanced features such as conditional logic and file uploads, it effectively meets basic form requirements. However, users may need some coding knowledge to fully utilize its capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Contact Form 7 and WPForms
In this section, we will address some of the most common questions regarding Contact Form 7 and WPForms.
Is Contact Form 7 a good option?
Contact Form 7 meets certain needs but is not entirely beginner-friendly. Its limited customization options can also make it challenging to personalize your forms.
Which is the superior choice, Contact Form 7 or WPForms?
Overall, WPForms is the better choice for beginners. It offers over 1800 templates and features a user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder, allowing you to create various forms in just a few minutes.
What is the best contact form plugin for WordPress?
In our expert opinion, WPForms is the top choice for a WordPress contact form plugin. It excels in user-friendliness, a wide range of features, customization options, customer support, and overall value.
Discover More About WordPress Forms
We hope this comparison of WPForms and Contact Form 7 has been informative. If you found this useful, consider exploring our other guides on:
- How to Display a Floating Contact Form in WordPress
- How to Create a WordPress Form with a Date Picker
- How to Implement Autocomplete for Address Fields in WordPress
- How to Easily Create a Volunteer Application Form in WordPress
- How to Limit Your WordPress Forms to Logged-in Users Only
- How to Create GDPR Compliant Forms in WordPress
- Troubleshooting Tips for WordPress Forms That Don’t Work
- Comparing WPForms, Gravity Forms, and Formidable Forms
- The Ultimate Guide to Using WordPress Forms
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