FormLayer 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: FormLayer at #50 and Ninja Forms at #5. Ninja Forms leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
FormLayer
Build fast and powerful contact forms in WordPress with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder packed with smart features.
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
Ninja Forms leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Ninja Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #50 in Contact Form Plugins.
Ninja Forms has more users: 600,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: FormLayer has 0, Ninja Forms has 1,395. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Ninja Forms has more reviews behind its score: 1,395 against 0.
Ninja Forms was updated more recently, on August 31, 2026; FormLayer on August 25, 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.
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.
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 shipping releases most recently.
FormLayer vs Ninja Forms side by side
| FormLayer | Ninja Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #50 | #5 |
| Rating | 0.0 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 0 | 1,395 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 600,000+ |
| Total downloads | 116,215 | 62,947,466 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 25, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| First published | May 26, 2026 | Dec 21, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | – | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
FormLayer 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 FormLayer nor Ninja Forms can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Contact Form Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
FormLayer vs Ninja Forms: common questions
Is FormLayer better than Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Ninja Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #50 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, FormLayer or Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #50 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, FormLayer or Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms has more users: 600,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are FormLayer and Ninja Forms free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. FormLayer may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Ninja Forms may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to FormLayer and Ninja Forms
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.