Fluent Forms 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: Fluent Forms at #4 and FormLayer at #53. Fluent Forms leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder
Get a fast contact form plugin. Create advanced forms using drag and drop form builder with all smart features.
FormLayer
Build fast and powerful contact forms in WordPress with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder packed with smart features.
Who leads on what
Fluent Forms leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Fluent Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #53 in Contact Form Plugins.
Fluent Forms has more users: 800,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Fluent Forms has 806, FormLayer has 0. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Fluent Forms has more reviews behind its score: 806 against 0.
Fluent Forms was updated more recently, on October 16, 2026; FormLayer on September 22, 2026.
Fluent Forms was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 664,245 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.
Fluent Forms
Pick Fluent Forms 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.
Fluent Forms vs FormLayer side by side
| Fluent Forms | FormLayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #4 | #53 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 0.0 |
| Reviews | 806 | 0 |
| Active installs | 800,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 20,129,874 | 178,222 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 664,245 | 38,966 |
| Last updated | Oct 16, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 |
| First published | Dec 29, 2017 | May 26, 2026 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | – |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Fluent Forms 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 Fluent Forms nor FormLayer can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Contact Form Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Fluent Forms vs FormLayer: common questions
Is Fluent Forms better than FormLayer?
Fluent Forms leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Fluent Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #53 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, Fluent Forms or FormLayer?
Fluent Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #53 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Fluent Forms or FormLayer?
Fluent Forms has more users: 800,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are Fluent Forms and FormLayer free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Fluent Forms is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. FormLayer may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Fluent Forms and FormLayer
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
WPForms
5 million+ installs · 4.8 from 14,385 reviews
-
Forminator Forms
600,000+ installs · 4.8 from 2,139 reviews
-
Formidable Forms
300,000+ installs · 4.8 from 1,384 reviews
-
Ninja Forms
500,000+ installs · 4.4 from 1,397 reviews
-
Ultra Addons for Contact Form 7
60,000+ installs · 4.8 from 107 reviews
More Contact Form Plugins comparisons
- Akismet Anti-spam vs Fluent Forms
- Akismet Anti-spam vs FormLayer
- Calculated Fields Form vs Fluent Forms
- Conditional Fields for Contact Form 7 vs Fluent Forms
- Contact Form 7 vs Fluent Forms
- Contact Form 7 vs FormLayer
- Fluent Forms vs Formidable Forms
- Fluent Forms vs Forminator Forms
- Fluent Forms vs MetForm
- Fluent Forms vs Ninja Forms
- Fluent Forms vs SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle
- Fluent Forms vs SureForms
Weekly · free
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.