The 13 Best Free WordPress Contact Form Plugins in 2026, Ranked by Data
Fluent Forms (95.4) and WPForms (94.9) tie as the best free WordPress contact form plugins on our data. Contact Form 7, the most installed, ranks 9th.
The best free WordPress contact form plugin on our data is a tie: Fluent Forms scores 95.4 out of 100 and WPForms 94.9. Forminator is third on 91.9. We ranked 13 free form builders on their WordPress.org record and on what each adds to a page with no form.
That second part decided the middle of the list. All three leaders add nothing to such a page. MetForm is third on WordPress.org data alone but loads +239.4 KB and +175.5 ms on every page and drops to 7th. Contact Form 7, the most installed form plugin with 10M+ sites, ranks 9th: its rating is 80% and only 29 of 78 recent support threads were resolved.
Short answer: For most sites, install Fluent Forms or WPForms; pick Fluent Forms if you want conditional logic free, WPForms if you want the plugin most people use. For polls, quizzes and Stripe or PayPal payments in the free version, use Forminator. To build forms as blocks in the block editor, try SureForms. If Contact Form 7 already works on your site, there is no emergency, but it loads its files on every page.
Last updated: 21 October 2026. We re-run the numbers every month.
The top 13 at a glance
| # | Plugin | Score | Installs | Rating | Weight | Server time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluent Forms | 95.4 | 800,000+ | 96% | 0 KB | +17.5 ms |
| 2 | WPForms | 94.9 | 5M+ | 96% | 0 KB | +14.5 ms |
| 3 | Forminator | 91.9 | 600,000+ | 96% | 0 KB | +3.0 ms |
| 4 | SureForms | 85.6 | 500,000+ | 98% | 0 KB | +13.7 ms |
| 5 | Formidable Forms | 84.7 | 300,000+ | 96% | +2.3 KB | +11.5 ms |
| 6 | Ninja Forms | 78.8 | 500,000+ | 88% | 0 KB | +54.4 ms |
| 7 | MetForm | 73.8 | 600,000+ | 94% | +239.4 KB | +175.5 ms |
| 8 | Everest Forms | 72.9 | 90,000+ | 98% | +50.4 KB | +9.7 ms |
| 9 | Contact Form 7 | 72.3 | 10M+ | 80% | +13.9 KB | +10.9 ms |
| 10 | Happyforms | 72.0 | 20,000+ | 88% | +0.1 KB | +7.2 ms |
| 11 | weForms | 70.4 | 10,000+ | 90% | 0 KB | +10.3 ms |
| 12 | Kali Forms | 64.6 | 10,000+ | 96% | +35.4 KB | +9.1 ms |
| 13 | Contact Form by BestWebSoft | 56.9 | 30,000+ | 80% | +1.2 KB | +51.3 ms |
How we scored them
A form usually sits on one or two pages, but the plugin is active on all of them, so we measured its idle cost: what it adds to a page where it does nothing. Our test post has no form on it. A plugin that adds 0 KB there loads its files only where a form appears; one that adds 30 KB loads them everywhere. We do not measure what a plugin costs on a page that shows its form.
- WordPress.org record, 80 points: our usual score out of 100, scaled to 80. Satisfaction 35 (rating blended with 25 imaginary votes at 80%), Adoption 25 (installs, log scale, 1,000 = 0 and 1,000,000 = full), Maintenance 20 (full within 30 days of an update, zero at 365), Support 20 (share of the last two months’ threads resolved; under 3 threads = half marks).
- Weight, 10 points: 0 KB added = 10, 40 KB or more = 0, in a straight line between.
- Server time, 10 points: 10 ms or less added = 10, 100 ms or more = 0.
Lab: a fresh WordPress 7.1.3 install, PHP 8.5, Twenty Twenty-Five and no other plugins. Each plugin was installed from WordPress.org on 21 October 2026, activated alone with default settings, and measured on a 1,500-word post for a logged-out visitor. Weight is gzipped HTML, CSS and JS minus the no-plugin page (19.8 KB); server time is the median of 15 requests minus the no-plugin median, in three separate runs.
Server time on this box drifts 15–40 ms between runs, so we do not compare gaps under about 15 ms. Weight does not drift. The full method is on how we rank.
1. Fluent Forms, 95.4
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder has a drag-and-drop builder, conditional logic, conversational forms (one question at a time), an AI form builder and 25+ input fields in the free version. Free users can take Stripe payments with a 1.9% transaction fee, which its page says Pro removes.
It has 800,000+ installs, a rating of 96% (806 ratings) and resolved all 12 of its recent support threads. It added 0 KB. Its median server time, +17.5 ms, came from runs of 17.5, 9.3 and 24.1 ms, so the 3 ms gap to WPForms is noise.
The limit: file uploads, multi-step forms and phone fields are in its Pro list.
2. WPForms, 94.9
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More is the Lite version of WPForms Pro. It has a drag-and-drop builder, AI forms, the 2100+ templates its page counts, Stripe payments and built-in spam protection.
It has 5M+ installs and 14,385 ratings at 96%, far more ratings than any other plugin here. It resolved 16 of 18 threads, added 0 KB, and its runs of 11.6, 14.5 and 17.8 ms were among the steadiest. Its two unresolved threads cost it 2.2 of 20 support points, more than the half-point gap to first place.
Its page names what Pro adds: email subscription forms, multi-page forms, file uploads, conditional logic and extra payment integrations. If you need conditional logic free, Fluent Forms has it.
3. Forminator, 91.9
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder does forms, polls with live results, quizzes and calculations. Its page says Stripe and PayPal are included with “No Pro upgrade required”, and its drag-and-drop blocks include file upload. An import wizard brings over Contact Form 7 forms.
It added 0 KB and a median +3.0 ms (runs of 0.9, 3.0 and 17.7 ms). On WordPress.org data alone it is 4th; MetForm’s idle cost moves it up to 3rd. It has the second busiest forum here: 54 of 70 threads resolved, worth 15.4 of 20.
It is the pick for free payments, polls or quizzes.
4. SureForms, 85.6
SureForms – Contact Form Builder, AI Forms, Payment Form, Survey & Quiz builds forms out of blocks inside the WordPress block editor, with no separate form screen. AI form generation is in the free plugin and, its page says, needs no external API key. Stripe payments are free; PayPal, surveys, quizzes, calculators and multi-step forms are SureForms Business.
It is rated 98%, but from only 98 ratings, so our blend pulls it to 94.3%. It had 2 support threads in two months, which earns half marks, and it is the youngest plugin here, listed on 1 April 2024. It added 0 KB and +13.7 ms.
It suits people who already build pages in the block editor.
5. Formidable Forms, 84.7
Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder has a visual style editor and free Stripe and PayPal payment forms; its page says a transaction fee applies without a Pro license. It also includes Model Context Protocol support free, so an AI client can create and edit forms. Multi-page forms, file uploads and conditional logic are Pro.
It is rated 96% (1,384 ratings) and was updated 16 October 2026. Only 1 support thread in two months earns half marks for support, which holds it at 5th. It added +2.3 KB, worth 9.4 of 10, and +11.5 ms.
6. Ninja Forms, 78.8
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder puts calculations, signatures, repeatable fieldsets, star ratings and 31 form fields in the free plugin, with submissions saved to your database and no entry limit. Conditional logic, file uploads, multi-step forms and payments are paid add-ons. It needs WordPress 6.9 or later.
It added 0 KB, but its server time was the noisiest in the list: 31.3, 54.4 and 70.0 ms across three runs. Even its fastest run was slower than any run of the plugins above it; the median scores 5.1 of 10. Its rating, 88% (1,397 ratings), and 7 of 11 threads resolved also cost it points.
7. MetForm, 73.8
MetForm – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Conditional Forms, Form Templates & Custom Form Builder for Elementor is, in its own words, “an addon for Elementor”, and its installation notes say: “This plugin requires an Elementor builder.” Each field is an Elementor widget. The free version has templates, saved entries, CSV export and a HubSpot integration; conditional forms are premium.
On WordPress.org data it is third, 92.3: 600,000+ installs, 94% (509 ratings), 3 of 3 threads resolved, updated 20 October 2026. On our test post it added +239.4 KB, taking the page from 19.8 KB to 259.2 KB and from 3 files to 18, and +175.5 ms. Its three runs (148.9, 178.5, 175.5 ms) agree. It scored 0 of 20 lab points.
We test every plugin alone, so Elementor was not installed. On a site already running Elementor the cost may differ, and we have not measured that. Compare your pages with it on and off.
8. Everest Forms, 72.9
Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder with AI lists file uploads, image uploads, unlimited entries, Stripe and PayPal payment forms and PDF submissions in its free version, along with an AI form builder and a style customizer.
Its rating, 98% (375 ratings), ties SureForms for the highest here on almost four times as many ratings, and it was updated 15 October 2026. Two numbers hold it back: 90,000+ installs earn 16.3 of 25, and it loads +50.4 KB on a page with no form, from 3 files to 6, worth 0 of 10. Server time was +9.7 ms.
9. Contact Form 7, 72.3
Contact Form 7 has been on WordPress.org since 2007 and is the most installed plugin here, 10M+. Its page is short on features. It says that with the default configuration the plugin does not write any user personal data to the database, track users, use cookies or send data to external servers.
It ranks 9th on WordPress.org data alone, before the lab. Its rating, 80% (2,184 ratings), earns 17.5 of 35, and 29 of 78 support threads resolved earns 7.4 of 20. On the test post it added +13.9 KB, from 3 files to 8, worth 6.5 of 10. Server time, +10.9 ms, is no concern.
It also has the highest requirements here: PHP 8.3 and WordPress 7.1. If it works on your site, there is no reason to rush a switch, but Fluent Forms and Forminator both import its forms.
10. Happyforms, 72.0
Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms has a drag-and-drop builder with live preview, unlimited forms and submissions, honeypot spam protection and 50+ style controls. Its free field list is short: text, long text, email, multiple and single choice, dropdown and number. File uploads, reCAPTCHA, redirects and managing submissions in the dashboard are upgrades.
It added +0.1 KB and +7.2 ms, full lab marks. Its 20,000+ installs (10.8 of 25) and 88% rating (433 ratings) are why it sits 10th.
11. weForms, 70.4
weForms – Easy Drag & Drop Contact Form Builder For WordPress offers a drag-and-drop builder with live preview, templates, form expiry dates, entry limits, AJAX submission and a block for the editor.
It is light, 0 KB and +10.3 ms, and rated 90% (111 ratings). With 10,000+ installs it earns 8.3 of 25 for adoption, the lowest here with Kali Forms.
12. Kali Forms, 64.6
Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder is built on React, its page says, and combines reCAPTCHA with a honeypot against spam. Two templates are free, 13 more are Pro, as are conditional logic and multi-page forms.
It is rated 96% (89 ratings) and added +9.1 ms, but loads +35.4 KB on a page with no form, from 3 files to 6, worth 1.2 of 10. It is tested only to WordPress 7.0.7.
13. Contact Form by BestWebSoft, 56.9
Contact Form by BestWebSoft – Advanced WP Contact Form Builder for WordPress adds a form through a shortcode or widget, with multiple file attachments, CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA, a two-column layout and a popup option.
It was last updated 16 May 2026, 158 days before our data pull, worth 12.4 of 20 for maintenance, and is tested to WordPress 7.0.7. It is rated 80% (292 ratings) and had no support threads in two months. Its server time was noisy, 25.2, 58.3 and 51.3 ms, for a median of +51.3 ms.
Every plugin we measured
| # | Plugin | Score | WordPress.org /100 | Weight /10 | Server time /10 | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluent Forms | 95.4 | 95.3 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| 2 | WPForms | 94.9 | 94.3 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 6 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | Forminator | 91.9 | 89.9 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | SureForms | 85.6 | 82.5 | 10.0 | 9.6 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 5 | Formidable Forms | 84.7 | 81.9 | 9.4 | 9.8 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| 6 | Ninja Forms | 78.8 | 79.6 | 10.0 | 5.1 | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 7 | MetForm | 73.8 | 92.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 8 | Everest Forms | 72.9 | 78.6 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 9 | Contact Form 7 | 72.3 | 69.9 | 6.5 | 9.9 | 11 Oct 2026 |
| 10 | Happyforms | 72.0 | 65.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| 11 | weForms | 70.4 | 63.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| 12 | Kali Forms | 64.6 | 66.8 | 1.2 | 10.0 | 7 Oct 2026 |
| 13 | Contact Form by BestWebSoft | 56.9 | 52.2 | 9.7 | 5.4 | 16 May 2026 |
| – | Caldera Forms | – | – | – | – | Closed 5 Apr 2022 |
What we left out, and why
Caldera Forms is closed on WordPress.org. Its page says it was closed as of 5 April 2022 and is not available for download, so it cannot be ranked. If a site still runs it, Fluent Forms lists Caldera Forms among the plugins it can migrate from.
We ranked only free plugins listed on WordPress.org.
How to choose a free WordPress form builder
- Decide what the form must do: plain contact, payments, polls or quizzes, or file uploads.
- Check the free list for that feature. Conditional logic is free in Fluent Forms but Pro in WPForms, Formidable Forms and Kali Forms, and a paid add-on in Ninja Forms. Everest Forms and Forminator list file uploads in their free versions.
- Check the idle cost. If your form lives on one page, prefer a plugin that added 0 KB here: Fluent Forms, WPForms, Forminator, SureForms, Ninja Forms or weForms.
- Check the requirements: Contact Form 7 needs PHP 8.3 and WordPress 7.1, Ninja Forms WordPress 6.9, and MetForm requires Elementor.
- Switching? Use an import tool. Fluent Forms migrates from WPForms, Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms and Caldera Forms; Forminator imports Contact Form 7.
- Send a test entry, confirm the email arrives, and compare a page without a form before and after.
Questions people ask
What is the best free WordPress contact form plugin?
On our data, Fluent Forms (95.4) and WPForms (94.9) are tied, half a point apart. Forminator is third on 91.9. All three added 0 KB to a page without a form.
Is Contact Form 7 still a good choice?
It runs on 10M+ sites and was updated 11 October 2026, but ranks 9th of 13: an 80% rating, 29 of 78 recent threads resolved and +13.9 KB on a page with no form. Existing sites can keep it or import its forms into Fluent Forms or Forminator.
Do form plugins slow down pages without a form?
Six of the 13 added nothing to the page and three added under 3 KB. Four loaded files everywhere: MetForm (+239.4 KB), Everest Forms (+50.4 KB), Kali Forms (+35.4 KB) and Contact Form 7 (+13.9 KB). Server time stayed under +18 ms for 10 of the 13; a cache plugin can hide server time, but not the extra files.
Which free form plugin takes payments?
Forminator includes Stripe and PayPal without an upgrade. Formidable Forms has free Stripe and PayPal forms with a transaction fee unless you buy Pro. Fluent Forms takes Stripe with a 1.9% fee that Pro removes. WPForms, SureForms and Everest Forms also list Stripe in their free versions.
What happened to Caldera Forms?
It was closed on WordPress.org on 5 April 2022 and cannot be downloaded there. Fluent Forms can migrate its forms.
