Quick Verdict
Choose Formello if...
Developers who need a simple, lightweight Gutenberg-native form for projects where long-term plugin support is not a concern.
Choose Formidable Forms if...
Developers and agencies who need to turn form submissions into data-driven front-end applications — directories, job boards, real estate listings, etc.
Choose Ninja Forms if...
WordPress users who want a free core and only need to pay for specific features as they grow.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Formello | Formidable Forms | Ninja Forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag & Drop Builder | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional Logic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Step Forms | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| File Uploads | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Payment Forms | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Calculated Fields | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| User Registration | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Frontend Post Submission | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conversational Forms | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Gutenberg Block | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gutenberg-Native | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI Form Builder | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Digital Signatures | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Surveys & Polls | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quizzes | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling / Date Limits | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Entry Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export Entries | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Partial Entries | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geolocation | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom CSS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Responsive Design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ajax Submission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Anti-Spam | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| reCAPTCHA | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| hCaptcha | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cloudflare Turnstile | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Honeypot | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Formello | Formidable Forms | Ninja Forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Version | ✓Free | ✓Free | ✓Free |
| Starting Price | $49/year | $39.5/year | $99/year |
| Top Tier | Pro: $49/year | Elite: $299.5/year | Elite: $499/year |
Integrations
Email Marketing
| activecampaign | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| aweber | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| campaign monitor | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| constant contact | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| convertkit | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| getresponse | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| mailchimp | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| mailerlite | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| mailpoet | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Payment
| paypal | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| stripe | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| woocommerce | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
CRM
| hubspot | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| salesforce | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| zoho | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automation
| make | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| uncanny automator | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| webhooks | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| zapier | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Other
| google sheets | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| slack | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| twilio | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Pros & Cons
Formello
Pros
- ✓True Gutenberg-native experience
- ✓Lightweight and developer-friendly
- ✓Webhooks and basic integrations
- ✓Entry management included
Cons
- ✗Slow update cadence — last updated May 2025, raises maintenance concerns
- ✗No multi-step forms, file uploads, payments, calculated fields, surveys, or user registration
- ✗Pricing page may be broken — unclear if Pro version is still actively sold
- ✗Very small install base (500+)
- ✗No Turnstile support
Formidable Forms
Pros
- ✓Unique Formidable Views feature turns entries into directories, calendars, and front-end apps
- ✓Calculated fields and complex formula support
- ✓Swiss Army Knife versatility — handles everything from simple forms to full web apps
- ✓Free version available on WordPress.org
- ✓Built-in survey tools rivaling SurveyMonkey
Cons
- ✗Most advanced features locked behind Business ($199.50/yr)
- ✗Steeper learning curve for the Views/app-builder features
- ✗CSS customization can be tricky without developer knowledge
- ✗No Gutenberg-native experience
- ✗Support quality can be inconsistent per user reviews
Ninja Forms
Pros
- ✓Free core plugin with genuinely useful features (calculated fields included free)
- ✓Calculated fields available in the free version — unlike most competitors
- ✓Modular add-on model lets you pay only for what you need
- ✓Good developer extensibility with hooks and filters
- ✓Easy drag-and-drop interface suitable for beginners
Cons
- ✗Add-on model gets expensive quickly if you need multiple features
- ✗Not Gutenberg-native (uses its own drag-and-drop builder)
- ✗No conversational forms or signatures
- ✗Heavy first-party scripts compared to Fluent Forms
- ✗Renewal pricing after first-year discount is a common complaint