Happyforms vs Ninja Forms (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ninja Forms grades higher than Happyforms: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Ninja Forms grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Happyforms
WordPress form builder with a live preview in the customizer
Ninja Forms
WordPress form builder with a free core and paid add-ons
Which one is for you
Pick Happyforms if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want to see the form as you build it
- Works for sites that want signatures or payments in a form
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use WordPress, as it runs only inside it
- Watch out: without an active subscription you are locked out of the plugin in the dashboard, though entries can be exported
- Watch out: Starter covers 1 site and Pro 3, and Starter has only some paid features
- Watch out: the page doesn't list what the free edition includes
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
| 2.2GPAHappyformsFair | 2.6GPANinja FormsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $89 a year for 1 website, about $7.40 a month, with Pro at $99 for 3 sites shown on a sale with no end date. | 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 | CA free edition is listed on WordPress.org, but the plans page names conditional logic and signatures as paid-only and doesn't list what the free one has. | BThe core plugin is free with unlimited submissions, spam protection and 28+ fields, though add-ons cost extra. |
| Features | CLive builder, conditional logic, multi-page forms, payments, signatures and uploads. Starter has only a subset of the paid features, and the free edition's features aren't listed. | 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, and it is a plugin you install and configure inside WordPress, so it sits at C. | CNo store rating on record. You build each form inside the WordPress admin. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWordPress only, with eight listed features including email marketing connections. | BWeb only, inside WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier and Slack. |
| Best for | a WordPress form builder with a live preview | 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: Happyforms and Ninja Forms. How we grade
Price against what you get
Happyforms starts at $7.42 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 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.
Ninja Forms scores higher, and starts $0.83 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other form and survey tools on the chart, 19 score higher than Happyforms for less, and 7 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.
- Happyforms also covers no-code and surveys.
At a glance
| Happyforms | Ninja Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $89 per year for 1 website | $99 per year for 3 sites, after a first year at $59.40 |
| Free plan | A free edition of the plugin is listed on WordPress.org; the plans page describes paid-only features such as conditional logic and signatures. | 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 | Jestro LLC (trading as Happyforms) | Saturday Drive, Inc. |
| Price read from | happyforms.io | ninjaforms.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Happyforms
- It runs only inside WordPress.
- Without an active subscription you are locked out of the plugin in the WordPress dashboard, though submissions can still be exported.
- Starter covers 1 website and Pro 3 websites; going beyond a limit is not billed automatically.
- The plans page does not list which features are in the free edition.
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
Happyforms
- Live form builder
- Preview the form as you build it, directly in the WordPress customizer.
- Conditional logic and multi-page forms
- Show or hide parts of a form, split long forms over pages and let people resume partial submissions.
- Payments
- PayPal and Stripe order, donation and payment forms with coupon codes and no transaction fees from the plugin.
- Signatures and file uploads
- Collect hand-drawn signatures and file uploads, with over 20 advanced fields.
- Email marketing integrations
- Connects to Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, MailerLite and others.
- Spam protection and data control
- reCAPTCHA, a submission blocklist and IP logging; submissions stay in your own WordPress database.
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
Happyforms
Free$0
The WordPress.org edition, installed on your own site, with fewer features than the paid plans.
Starter$89
per year for 1 website
Priority support and a subset of the paid features, marked as Starter-only on the plans page.
Pro$99
per year for up to 3 websites
All features; shown on sale at $99 with $159 crossed out and a '$60 off today' label, with no end date given.
Unlimited$399
per year for unlimited websites
All features on unlimited websites.
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
Happyforms
- Other savings
14-day refund guarantee
The plans page says a payment is refunded in full if Happyforms is not right for you within 14 days.
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, Happyforms or Ninja Forms?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Happyforms is cheaper to start with: $7.42 a month when paid by the year, against $8.25 a month when paid by the year for Ninja Forms. Happyforms starts at $89 per year for 1 website, and Ninja Forms starts at $99 per year for 3 sites, after a first year at $59.40.
Which has a free plan, Happyforms or Ninja Forms?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Happyforms 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.