Formidable Forms vs Ninja Forms (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Formidable 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
Formidable Forms grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Formidable Forms
WordPress form builder that also displays entries as Views
Ninja Forms
WordPress form builder with a free core and paid add-ons
Which one is for you
Pick Formidable Forms if
- Fits if you want to show form entries back on a WordPress page
- Works for WordPress sites that take payments through forms
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't run WordPress, as there is no hosted version
- Watch out: the first-year price is a discount and renewals are at full price
- Pricey if you need surveys, quizzes or signatures, since they start on Business at $399 a year
- Watch out: if your license lapses you lose support, updates and editing of premium fields already used
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
| 2.8GPAFormidable FormsGood | 2.6GPANinja FormsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $79 a year for one site, about $6.60 a month, but surveys, quizzes, signatures and PDFs sit on Business at $399 a year, about $33 a month. | 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 plugin on WordPress.org builds forms from templates and takes Stripe and PayPal payments, with a transaction fee until you hold a Pro license. | BThe core plugin is free with unlimited submissions, spam protection and 28+ fields, though add-ons cost extra. |
| Features | BViews, payments, logic, calculations, multi-page forms and AI forms. 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 forms inside the WordPress admin. | CNo store rating on record. You build each form inside the WordPress admin. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Salesforce, HubSpot, WooCommerce and Authorize.net. | BWeb only, inside WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier and Slack. |
| Best for | WordPress forms that show entries as Views | 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: Formidable Forms and Ninja Forms. How we grade
Price against what you get
Formidable Forms starts at $6.58 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 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.
Formidable Forms scores higher and starts $1.67 a month lower. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, none scores higher than Formidable 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.
- Formidable Forms also covers databases and surveys.
- Ninja Forms also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Formidable Forms | Ninja Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $79 per year for 1 site, after a first year at $39.50 | $99 per year for 3 sites, after a first year at $59.40 |
| Free plan | Free plugin on WordPress.org with form building, templates and Stripe and PayPal payments (a transaction fee applies without a Pro license). | 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 | Strategy11, LLC | Saturday Drive, Inc. |
| Price read from | formidableforms.com | ninjaforms.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Formidable Forms
- It runs only inside WordPress and has no hosted version.
- Introductory prices are for the first year; the vendor says renewals are at full price.
- Surveys, quizzes, signatures and PDFs need the Business plan at $399 a year.
- A license that lapses loses support, updates and the ability to edit premium fields already used in forms.
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
Formidable Forms
- Views of entries
- Views show stored entries on the site as grids, tables, calendars or timelines, so a form can feed a directory or listing page. They start at the Plus plan.
- Payment forms
- Stripe and PayPal one-time and recurring payments, with ACH, Klarna and others through Stripe. A 3% fee applies on Basic and Plus and is removed on Business.
- Logic, calculations and multi-page forms
- Conditional logic, calculations, repeaters, file uploads and multi-page forms are on the paid plans, starting with Basic.
- Surveys, quizzes and signatures
- The Business plan adds survey fields such as NPS and Likert, scored quizzes, digital signatures and PDF generation.
- AI forms
- An AI form builder creates forms from a description. Paid plans include a monthly AI request allowance, from 1,000 on Business to 3,000 on Elite.
- Integrations
- Email marketing starts at Plus, and CRM connections such as Salesforce and HubSpot are on Elite.
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
Formidable Forms
Basic$79
per year for 1 site, full price after first year
100+ templates, file uploads, multi-page forms, repeaters, conditional logic and calculations. First year $39.50.
Plus$199
per year for 3 sites, full price after first year
Adds Views (grid, table, calendar), Mailchimp, AWeber and ConvertKit connections and graphs. First year $99.50.
Business$399
per year for 7 sites, full price after first year
Adds surveys, quizzes, digital signatures, forms to PDF, user registration and no payment fee. First year $199.50.
Elite$599
per year for unlimited sites, full price after first year
Adds Salesforce, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, WooCommerce, white labeling and multisite. First year $299.50.
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
Formidable Forms
- Other savings
50% off the first year of any paid plan
Introductory pricing shown on the pricing page takes 50% off the first year: Basic $39.50, Plus $99.50, Business $199.50, Elite $299.50. Renewals are at full price.
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, Formidable Forms or Ninja Forms?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Formidable 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. Formidable Forms starts at $79 per year for 1 site, after a first year at $39.50, and Ninja Forms starts at $99 per year for 3 sites, after a first year at $59.40.
Which has a free plan, Formidable Forms or Ninja Forms?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Formidable 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.