Contact Form 7 vs FormLayer (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 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 FormLayer at #53. Contact Form 7 leads on 5 of the 6 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.
FormLayer
Build fast and powerful contact forms in WordPress with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder packed with smart features.
Who leads on what
Contact Form 7 leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Contact Form 7 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #53 in Contact Form Plugins.
Contact Form 7 has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 100,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Contact Form 7 has 2,184, FormLayer has 0. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Contact Form 7 has more reviews behind its score: 2,184 against 0.
Contact Form 7 was updated more recently, on October 21, 2026; FormLayer on September 22, 2026.
Contact Form 7 was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 4,224,704 times against 38,966.
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, you want the score backed by more reviews, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
FormLayer
FormLayer does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Contact Form 7 vs FormLayer side by side
| Contact Form 7 | FormLayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #1 | #53 |
| Rating | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Reviews | 2,184 | 0 |
| Active installs | 10 million+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 428,551,561 | 178,222 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 4,224,704 | 38,966 |
| Last updated | Oct 21, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 2, 2007 | May 26, 2026 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 8.3 | – |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Contact Form 7 ratings
FormLayer 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 FormLayer 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 FormLayer: common questions
Is Contact Form 7 better than FormLayer?
Contact Form 7 leads on 5 of the 6 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 #53 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, Contact Form 7 or FormLayer?
Contact Form 7 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #53 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Contact Form 7 or FormLayer?
Contact Form 7 has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are Contact Form 7 and FormLayer free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Contact Form 7 may also sell a paid version or add-ons. FormLayer may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Contact Form 7 and FormLayer
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.