Gravity Forms vs Formidable Forms: Advanced Forms, Views & Pricing (2026)

Gravity Forms and Formidable Forms both target advanced WordPress form workflows, but they approach complex projects differently. Gravity Forms centers on a mature core form engine with a tiered add-on ecosystem. Formidable Forms combines forms with front-end data display, calculators, directories, tables, calendars, and application-style workflows.

The most useful way to compare them is not by counting fields. It is to look at how each handles advanced data collection, payments, entry management, integrations, front-end data output, and licensing. Pricing and feature availability below were rechecked from the official sources on September 25, 2026.

Gravity Forms vs Formidable Forms at a glance

Compare	Gravity Forms$59/year Remove	Formidable Forms$39.50/year introductory; $79/year renewal Remove
Pricing model	Premium	Freemium
Starting price	$59/year	$39.50/year introductory; $79/year renewal
Free version	No	Yes
Sites included	1 site (Basic)	1 site (Basic); 3 sites (Plus); 7 sites (Business); unlimited (Elite)
Lifetime option	No	No
Refund policy	30-day refund window	14-day money-back guarantee
Setup level	Intermediate	Intermediate
WordPress.org rating	Not available	4.8/5 (1,384)
Active installs	Not available	300K+
Best for	Businesses, agencies, developers, nonprofits, and operational teams that need advanced forms, reliable entry management, conditional workflows, payments, or integrations inside WordPress.	WordPress projects that need forms plus calculations, front-end data displays, directories, dashboards, or application-style workflows.
Not ideal for	Sites that only need a simple free contact form or teams that prefer form hosting and data management outside WordPress.	Sites that only need a simple contact form or projects better served by a dedicated application/database outside WordPress.
Tested version	3.1.1	6.35
Last reviewed	2026-09-25	2026-09-25
Features
Drag-and-drop builder	Yes Drag-and-drop builder is included in the core plugin.	Yes Drag-and-drop form building is available in Formidable Forms Lite and paid plans.
Conditional logic	Yes Conditional logic is included in the core plugin on every license.	Paid plan Conditional logic is included from the Basic paid plan.
Multi-step forms	Yes Multi-page forms are included in the core plugin on every license.	Paid plan Multi-page forms are included from the Basic paid plan.
Calculations	Yes Calculations are available in the core plugin.	Paid plan Form field calculations are a paid feature; Business and Elite emphasize calculator workflows.
File uploads	Yes File Upload is included in the core plugin.	Paid plan File Uploads are included from the Basic paid plan.
Entry management	Yes Entries are stored and managed inside WordPress in the core plugin.	Yes Formidable Forms Lite stores entries in WordPress and provides entry management in the dashboard.
Payments	Paid plan Stripe, Square, PayPal Checkout, Mollie and related payment add-ons are available on Pro or Elite depending on the integration.	Limited Stripe payment forms are available in Lite, Basic and Plus with an extra 3% Formidable fee; Business and Elite remove the Formidable transaction fee.
Recurring payments	Paid plan Subscription and recurring-payment workflows are available through supported payment add-ons, generally on Pro or Elite.	Limited Stripe recurring payments are available, but advanced subscription and payment workflows are positioned in higher paid tiers; Lite/Basic/Plus carry the extra 3% Formidable fee.
User registration	Paid plan The User Registration Add-On is included with Elite.	Paid plan User Registration is included on Business and Elite.
Post submissions	Paid plan Advanced Post Creation is included with Elite.	Paid plan Front-end post and application-style workflows are available through paid Formidable features and higher-tier tools.
Conversational forms	Paid plan Conversational Forms is included with Elite.	Paid plan Conversational Forms are included on Business and Elite.
Webhooks	Paid plan The Webhooks Add-On is included with Elite.	Paid plan The Formidable Forms API/webhook tooling is included on Business and Elite.
Signatures	Paid plan The Signature Add-On is included with Elite.	Paid plan Digital Signatures are included on Business and Elite.
Surveys / quizzes	Paid plan Survey, Polls, and Quiz add-ons are included with Elite.	Paid plan Surveys, polls, and quizzes are included on Business and Elite.
Spam protection	Yes Core spam protection is included, with integrations such as Akismet, reCAPTCHA and Cloudflare Turnstile available.	Yes Spam protection is included across paid plans, and the free plugin includes built-in anti-spam protections and CAPTCHA integrations.

The biggest difference is what happens after someone submits a form

Gravity Forms is built primarily around collecting, routing, integrating, and automating form data. It has a strong developer API, REST API, hooks, filters, webhooks, conditional logic, notifications, exports, and a large official add-on ecosystem.

Formidable Forms also handles advanced data collection, but its standout capability is displaying submitted data back on the front end. Formidable Views can turn entries into tables, grids, calendars, timelines, directories, listings, dashboards, and other application-style layouts. That changes the type of project each product naturally fits.

Core form features: both are capable, but the packaging differs

Gravity Forms Basic includes the core builder, conditional logic, multi-page forms, calculations, file uploads, entry management, notifications, confirmations, imports/exports, and developer APIs. Those capabilities do not require Pro or Elite.

Formidable Forms also supports advanced forms, but many of its strongest capabilities are distributed across paid tiers. Basic includes conditional logic, multi-page forms, file uploads, repeaters, scheduling, advanced fields, and entry management. Plus adds Views and front-end data display. Business adds calculators, user registration, surveys, quizzes, signatures, conversational forms, and broader payment/integration features.

Views and front-end applications are Formidable Forms’ clearest differentiator

If you only need to collect and process data, both products are relevant. If users need to submit data and then see that data rendered on the site, Formidable Forms has a more direct built-in path.

Formidable Views can display entries as grids, tables, calendars, timelines, and custom layouts. This is useful for member directories, job boards, real-estate listings, searchable databases, event directories, front-end dashboards, and other small application-like projects built inside WordPress.

Gravity Forms can participate in similar projects, but you will usually rely more heavily on custom development, third-party display tools, templates, or additional plugins to turn entries into a polished front-end application.

Calculations and data-heavy workflows

Gravity Forms includes calculation fields in the core plugin, so even the Basic license can support quotes, order totals, estimators, scoring, and numeric formulas.

Formidable Forms supports calculations too, but its pricing page positions full calculator workflows in Business and Elite. Formidable also combines calculations with Views and saved entries, which can be useful when the result needs to be displayed later in a dashboard, directory, report, or application.

Payments and recurring billing

Gravity Forms payment add-ons are primarily a Pro-or-higher feature. Pro includes processors and automation tools such as Stripe, Square, PayPal, Zapier, Slack, and Trello, while Elite includes the full add-on library.

Formidable Forms Lite can accept Stripe payments, including recurring payments, but Lite, expired, Basic, and Plus licenses add a 3% Formidable transaction fee on top of Stripe fees. Business and Elite remove the Formidable platform fee and add broader payment features and gateways.

Integrations, APIs, and developer workflows

Gravity Forms has a mature developer surface with hooks, filters, a REST API, webhooks, and official integrations. Its Webhooks Add-On supports multiple HTTP methods, JSON or form payloads, custom headers, and conditional triggers. The Webhooks Add-On is included with Elite.

Formidable Forms also exposes API and automation functionality. Its pricing table currently places Formidable Forms API, Zapier, ChatGPT integration, and several advanced automation tools in Business and Elite, with some additional automation reserved for Elite.

Pricing and licensing checked in September 2026

Gravity Forms does not have a permanent free version. Its current annual licenses are $59 Basic for 1 site, $159 Pro for 3 sites, and $259 Elite for unlimited sites. Gravity Forms also offers a free 14-day Elite-level demo and a 30-day refund window.

Formidable Forms has a free Lite version. Current introductory pricing is $39.50 Basic for 1 site, $99.50 Plus for 3 sites, $199.50 Business for 7 sites, and $299.50 Elite for unlimited sites. The official pricing page states that renewals return to the full prices of $79, $199, $399, and $599 respectively.

That means the starting price alone does not tell the full story. Gravity Forms Basic includes a strong advanced core, while Formidable Forms’ most distinctive features—Views, calculators, registration, surveys, signatures, and application tools—appear on higher tiers.

Strengths and limitations in this comparison

Gravity Forms strengths

• Advanced form core is available on every paid license.
• Strong developer tooling, REST API, hooks, filters, and integration ecosystem.
• Core calculations, conditional logic, multi-page forms, uploads, and entry management do not require higher tiers.

Gravity Forms limitations

• No permanent free version.
• Payments, webhooks, surveys, signatures, conversational forms, and several specialist workflows require Pro or Elite.
• Front-end display of submitted data is less central to the product than it is in Formidable Forms.

Formidable Forms strengths

• Free Lite version with local entry management.
• Views can turn form submissions into tables, grids, calendars, directories, dashboards, and application-style pages.
• Strong fit for calculators and data-driven WordPress applications.

Formidable Forms limitations

• Many of its most distinctive capabilities require Plus, Business, or Elite.
• Introductory prices rise substantially at renewal.
• Stripe users on Lite, Basic, or Plus pay an extra 3% Formidable fee.

Which workflow fits each product?

Gravity Forms is worth considering when you need a mature advanced form engine, developer extensibility, reliable entry workflows, integrations, and a predictable core feature set across every paid license.

Formidable Forms is worth considering when form submissions need to become front-end content, directories, calculators, dashboards, reports, or small WordPress applications. The more your project depends on Views and reusable submitted data, the more important Formidable’s application layer becomes.

Before purchasing either product, verify the exact payment gateway, CRM, automation service, and license tier your workflow requires. The key decision is not simply which form builder has more features, but where those features live and how your data will be used after submission.

Related PluginSuggest guides

You can also compare the wider market in our Gravity Forms alternatives and Formidable Forms alternatives guides.

Frequently Asked Questions