Formidable Forms vs Ninja Forms (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: Formidable Forms at #10 and Ninja Forms at #6. Ninja Forms leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder
The drag and drop WordPress form builder for contact forms, payment forms, calculators, quizzes, surveys, and AI-built web applications.
Ninja Forms
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder
Free WordPress form builder with calculations, signatures, star ratings, unlimited submissions stored on your site, and an AI form builder.
Who leads on what
Ninja Forms leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Ninja Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #10 in Contact Form Plugins.
Ninja Forms has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 300,000+.
Formidable Forms is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 1,384 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,397 reviews.
Ninja Forms has more reviews behind its score: 1,397 against 1,384.
Formidable Forms was updated more recently, on October 16, 2026; Ninja Forms on October 15, 2026.
Ninja Forms was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 882,773 times against 200,417.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Formidable Forms
Pick Formidable Forms if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Ninja Forms
Pick Ninja 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 or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Formidable Forms vs Ninja Forms side by side
| Formidable Forms | Ninja Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #10 | #6 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 1,384 | 1,397 |
| Active installs | 300,000+ | 500,000+ |
| Total downloads | 28,073,273 | 64,161,165 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 200,417 | 882,773 |
| Last updated | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 |
| First published | Dec 12, 2009 | Dec 21, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Formidable Forms 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 Formidable Forms nor Ninja Forms can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Contact Form Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Formidable Forms vs Ninja Forms: common questions
Is Formidable Forms better than Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Ninja Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #10 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, Formidable Forms or Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #10 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Formidable Forms or Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 300,000+.
Are Formidable Forms and Ninja Forms free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Formidable Forms is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Ninja Forms may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Formidable Forms and Ninja Forms
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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