Contact Form 7 vs Ninja 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 Ninja Forms at #5. 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.
Ninja Forms
Ninja Forms – The Contact Form Builder That Grows With You
The 100% beginner friendly WordPress form builder. Drag & drop form fields to build beautiful, professional contact forms in minutes.
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 #5 in Contact Form Plugins.
Contact Form 7 has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 600,000+.
Ninja Forms is rated higher: 4.4 out of 5 from 1,395 reviews, against 4.0 from 2,179 reviews.
Contact Form 7 has more reviews behind its score: 2,179 against 1,395.
Ninja Forms was updated more recently, on August 31, 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.
Ninja Forms
Pick Ninja Forms if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Contact Form 7 vs Ninja Forms side by side
| Contact Form 7 | Ninja Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #1 | #5 |
| Rating | 4.0 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 2,179 | 1,395 |
| Active installs | 10 million+ | 600,000+ |
| Total downloads | 423,631,075 | 62,947,466 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 17, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 2, 2007 | Dec 21, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Contact Form 7 ratings
Ninja 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 Ninja 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 Ninja Forms: common questions
Is Contact Form 7 better than Ninja 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 #5 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, Contact Form 7 or Ninja Forms?
Contact Form 7 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Contact Form 7 or Ninja Forms?
Contact Form 7 has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 600,000+.
Are Contact Form 7 and Ninja Forms free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Contact Form 7 may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Ninja Forms may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Contact Form 7 and Ninja Forms
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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