Contact Form 7 vs Formidable Forms (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Contact Form Plugins top 10: Contact Form 7 at #1 and Formidable Forms at #8. Contact Form 7 leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Contact Form 7
Just another contact form plugin. Simple but flexible.
Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms – WordPress Form Builder for Contact Forms, Calculators, Quizzes & More
The most powerful drag and drop WordPress form builder for contact forms, payment forms, calculators, quizzes, surveys, and data-driven applications.
Who leads on what
Contact Form 7 leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Contact Form 7 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Contact Form Plugins.
Contact Form 7 has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 300,000+.
Formidable Forms is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 1,381 reviews, against 4.0 from 2,179 reviews.
Contact Form 7 has more reviews behind its score: 2,179 against 1,381.
Formidable Forms was updated more recently, on August 27, 2026; Contact Form 7 on August 17, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Contact Form 7
Pick Contact Form 7 if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or you want the score backed by more reviews.
Formidable Forms
Pick Formidable Forms if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Contact Form 7 vs Formidable Forms side by side
| Contact Form 7 | Formidable Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #1 | #8 |
| Rating | 4.0 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 2,179 | 1,381 |
| Active installs | 10 million+ | 300,000+ |
| Total downloads | 423,631,075 | 27,699,606 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 17, 2026 | Aug 27, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 2, 2007 | Dec 12, 2009 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Contact Form 7 ratings
Formidable Forms ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Contact Form 7 nor Formidable Forms can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Contact Form Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Contact Form 7 vs Formidable Forms: common questions
Is Contact Form 7 better than Formidable Forms?
Contact Form 7 leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Contact Form 7 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, Contact Form 7 or Formidable Forms?
Contact Form 7 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Contact Form 7 or Formidable Forms?
Contact Form 7 has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 300,000+.
Are Contact Form 7 and Formidable Forms free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Contact Form 7 may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Formidable Forms is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to Contact Form 7 and Formidable Forms
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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