Fluent Forms vs Ninja Forms (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Fluent Forms grades higher than Ninja Forms: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fluent Forms grades higher on value for money and features. Ninja Forms grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fluent Forms
WordPress form plugin with annual and lifetime licenses
Ninja Forms
WordPress form builder with a free core and paid add-ons
Which one is for you
Pick Fluent Forms if
- Fits if you run a WordPress site and want one payment for lifetime use
- Works for agencies that need licenses for 5 or unlimited sites
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use WordPress, as there is no hosted version
- Watch out: the annual prices carry a first-year discount of up to 40% and the page gives no renewal figure
- Watch out: lifetime prices are shown as discounts off higher crossed-out prices, with no end date
- Not for you if you want a free trial, because the page offers only a 14-day refund
Pick Ninja Forms if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want to start free and add only what you need
- Works for agencies that manage 3, 20 or unlimited sites
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use WordPress, as there is no hosted version
- Watch out: the first-year discount is for the first year only, and licenses auto-renew at full price
- Tight if you want payments or CRM links on Plus, because they need Pro at $199 a year
- Watch out: add-ons have no demo or trial, only a 14-day money-back guarantee
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFluent FormsGood | 2.6GPANinja FormsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$79 a year for one site is about $6.60 a month, under the $8.40 mark for 60% of the cheapest quarter. Lifetime is $244 for one site. | BPlus is $99 a year for 3 sites, about $8.25 a month, but payments and CRM connections sit on Pro at $199 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free edition covers form building, email notifications, Stripe payments, entry management and an AI form builder, which one site can live on. | BThe core plugin is free with unlimited submissions, spam protection and 28+ fields, though add-ons cost extra. |
| Features | B65+ fields, quizzes, surveys, payments and page-builder support cover the job. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | CConditional logic, multi-step forms, payment gateways and email add-ons exist, but payments, CRM and automation are gated to higher plans. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build each form inside the WordPress admin. | CNo store rating on record. You build each form inside the WordPress admin. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWordPress only, with four named connections: Stripe, Elementor, Oxygen and Gutenberg. | BWeb only, inside WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier and Slack. |
| Best for | a WordPress form plugin with a lifetime option | a free WordPress form core with paid add-ons |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fluent Forms and Ninja Forms. How we grade
Price against what you get
Fluent Forms starts at $6.58 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ninja Forms starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Fluent Forms starts $1.67 a month lower. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Fluent Forms for less, and 4 score higher than Ninja Forms for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Ninja Forms is open source, according to its own site.
- Fluent Forms also covers surveys.
At a glance
| Fluent Forms | Ninja Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $79 per year for 1 site, after a first year at $47 | $99 per year for 3 sites, after a first year at $59.40 |
| Free plan | Free edition on WordPress.org: form building, essential fields, email notifications, Stripe payments, entry management and an AI form builder. | Core plugin is free: unlimited submissions, spam protection and 28+ form fields; add-ons are optional. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | WPManageNinja | Saturday Drive, Inc. |
| Price read from | fluentforms.com | ninjaforms.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Fluent Forms
- It runs only inside WordPress and has no hosted version.
- The annual prices are shown with a first-year discount of up to 40%; the page does not state the renewal price.
- Lifetime prices are shown as discounts from higher crossed-out prices, with no end date given.
- The vendor offers a refund if asked for within 14 days of purchase.
Ninja Forms
- It runs only inside WordPress; there is no hosted version.
- The first-year discount is for the first year only; licenses renew at full price each year unless cancelled.
- Add-ons have no demo or trial, though each purchase has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Payments, CRM and automation connections need Pro or Elite.
Key features
Fluent Forms
- Builder with 65+ fields
- A drag-and-drop builder with more than 65 input fields, ready-made templates, multi-step forms and conversational forms.
- Quizzes and surveys
- Quiz and survey forms, including personality quizzes, are part of Pro; numeric calculation and conditional confirmation are also Pro features.
- AI form builder
- Describe the form needed and the AI builder generates the fields. The vendor lists it as available in the free version.
- Payments
- Stripe payments are in the free edition, and Pro extends what is available in the free version with more fields and integrations.
- Page builder support
- Forms embed through the block editor and the vendor lists deep integrations with Elementor and Oxygen.
- License choices
- Every paid license includes all features. Annual licenses include one year of updates and support; lifetime licenses include unlimited updates and support.
Ninja Forms
- Free open-source core
- The plugin on WordPress.org is the complete free form builder, with unlimited forms and submissions and 28+ form fields.
- Add-on based plans
- Plus, Pro and Elite bundle add-ons; buyers on lower plans can add others at 20% or 40% off the list price.
- Conditional logic and multi-step forms
- Conditional Logic, File Uploads, Multi Step Forms, Layout and Styles and Conversational Forms come with the Plus plan.
- Payment gateways
- PayPal is included from Plus, and Stripe, Authorize.net and Elavon from Pro.
- CRM and automation connections
- Pro lists HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho CRM, plus Zapier, Slack and Trello add-ons.
- Email marketing add-ons
- Plus lists ActiveCampaign, AWeber, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, MailPoet and other email service add-ons.
Plans
Fluent Forms
Single Site (annual)$79
per year for 1 site, full price after first year
All Pro features, 1 year of updates and priority support. First year $47.
Agency (annual)$159
per year for 5 sites, full price after first year
All Pro features for 5 domains, 1 year of updates and support. First year $95.
Unlimited (annual)$299
per year for unlimited sites, full price after first year
All Pro features for unlimited domains, 1 year of updates and support. First year $179.
Single Site (lifetime)$244
one-time, for 1 site
Shown at $244 against a crossed-out $349 with no end date. Unlimited updates and priority support.
Agency (lifetime)$419
one-time, for 5 sites
Shown at $419 against a crossed-out $599 with no end date. Unlimited updates and priority support.
Unlimited (lifetime)$629
one-time, for unlimited sites
Shown at $629 against a crossed-out $899 with no end date, or $96 a month for 8 months.
Ninja Forms
Core$0
Free plugin with unlimited submissions, spam protection, submission restrictions and free support.
Plus$99
per year for 3 sites
16 add-ons: conditional logic, file uploads, multi-step forms, PayPal, email marketing. First year $59.40.
Pro$199
per year for 20 sites
28 add-ons, adding Stripe, Authorize.net, CRMs, Zapier and Slack. First year $119.40.
Elite$499
per year for unlimited sites
Every add-on, including future releases, with priority support. First year $299.40.
Ways to pay less
Fluent Forms
- Other savings
Up to 40% off the first year of an annual license
The pricing page shows up to 40% off the first-year license: $47, $95 and $179 for the single, agency and unlimited annual plans.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license
Pay once for unlimited updates and priority support: $244 for 1 site, $419 for 5 sites or $629 for unlimited sites.
Ninja Forms
- Other savings
40% off the first year of a paid plan
A first-time discount takes 40% off the first year: Plus $59.40, Pro $119.40, Elite $299.40. The subscription then renews at full price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fluent Forms or Ninja Forms?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Fluent Forms is cheaper to start with: $6.58 a month when paid by the year, against $8.25 a month when paid by the year for Ninja Forms. Fluent Forms starts at $79 per year for 1 site, after a first year at $47, and Ninja Forms starts at $99 per year for 3 sites, after a first year at $59.40.
Which has a free plan, Fluent Forms or Ninja Forms?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Fluent Forms and Ninja Forms have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.