FormCraft vs Formidable Forms: A Detailed Comparison Review

Posted by Josh Blackburn, in Contact Form Plugins

Overview of FormCraft and Formidable Forms

When evaluating WordPress form plugins, it’s crucial to assess their capabilities and suitability for various tasks. We find that both FormCraft and Formidable Forms offer distinct features catering to a diverse range of needs.

FormCraft is a plugin designed for ease of use, offering a straightforward interface suitable for those who might not have extensive technical skills. It enables users to quickly create forms using a drag-and-drop system. With a focus on simplicity, FormCraft provides a functional set of features for basic form creation without overwhelming the user.

In contrast, Formidable Forms boasts a comprehensive suite of options for form creation and management. Characterized by its flexibility, this plugin supports complex form-related tasks. Its drag-and-drop interface simplifies form construction, while still offering advanced capabilities for developers, such as customizations and integrations with other tools. Formidable Forms also provides a wide array of pre-built templates to accelerate the form creation process.

Feature Comparison:

• FormFields: Formidable Forms supports a higher number of advanced form fields.
• Templates: Both plugins offer templates, with Formidable boasting a greater selection.

While FormCraft may appeal due to its simplicity and ease of use, Formidable Forms is a strong competitor for users requiring detailed, advanced functionality in their forms. Our assessment leads us to consider the specifics of user needs when recommending one plugin over the other.

Core Features Comparison

In this section, we’ll break down the essential functionalities of FormCraft and Formidable Forms, focusing on their capability to deliver a robust and user-friendly form-building experience.

Drag-and-Drop Capabilities

FormCraft and Formidable Forms both offer drag-and-drop interfaces, facilitating easy form creation. Formidable Forms stands out with its intuitive design for quick learning and use. In contrast, FormCraft also provides a smooth experience but with fewer features than its counterpart.

Form Templates and Customization

Both builders come with a variety of form templates that serve as starting points for creating custom forms. Formidable Forms is noted for its extensive range of templates and greater customization options, allowing for more intricate designs and layouts. FormCraft offers an elegant aesthetic with a focus on beautifully designed templates.

Form Fields and Data Input

Formidable Forms boasts over 50 available form fields, including file uploads and datepickers, ensuring a comprehensive range. FormCraft, with over 30 form fields, offers a more streamlined selection but covers the most commonly used input types.

Conditional Logic and Calculations

Both plugins support conditional logic, which is an ability to show or hide fields based on user selections. Formidable Forms has a robust system for complex calculations that can be essential for pricing forms and detailed surveys, while FormCraft includes basic conditional logic suitable for simpler forms.

Multi-Page Forms and User Navigation

Creating multi-page forms with progress indicators enhances user navigation, an aspect where Formidable Forms excels. Its user-friendly approach helps in building intricate forms without overwhelming the user. FormCraft also supports multi-page forms, though with less emphasis on navigational elements.

Submission Features

Formidable Forms provides a comprehensive suite of submission features, including email notifications, captcha, and spam protection. It also offers various integration options for data management. FormCraft delivers reliable submission functionality with reCaptcha support to protect against spam, ensuring secure and verifiable entries.

Advanced Functionality

In the realm of WordPress plugins, both FormCraft and Formidable Forms elevate the user experience through their diverse array of advanced functionalities. These plugins are designed to empower businesses, developers, and website owners with tools that extend far beyond basic form-building.

User Registration and Management

Formidable Forms equips users with robust user registration and profile management features, allowing for easy integration into a WordPress website. This is pivotal for businesses that require user accounts, memberships, or restricted access content. On the other hand, FormCraft provides a more straightforward approach to user registration, which might require additional customization or supplementary plugins for similar depth.

Payment processing and E-commerce

When it comes to integrating payment gateways, both plugins support popular choices like PayPal and Stripe. Formidable Forms, in particular, offers an advanced suite for e-commerce solutions by easily pairing with WooCommerce, thereby enhancing the ability to create complex online stores. On the other hand, FormCraft ensures secure payment collection, a key component for any e-commerce business, with support for gateway add-ons.

Marketing and CRM Integration

Marketing efforts and CRM integrations are simplified with these plugins. Formidable Forms offers seamless connections with solutions like MailChimp, AWeber, and Salesforce, allowing for easy syncing of data for email campaigns and customer management. FormCraft also has integrations for various email marketing platforms, however, it might require the use of additional services like Zapier for a wider CRM integration.

Surveys and Feedback Forms

For gathering customer insights, both plugins provide comprehensive tools to create surveys and feedback forms. Formidable Forms allows for the creation of complex, data-driven survey forms and integrates with MonsterInsights for in-depth analysis. FormCraft ensures simplicity in crafting effective surveys, making the collection of feedback straightforward.

Automation and Workflow Optimization

Formidable Forms stands out with automation capabilities linking forms to automated workflows, a necessity for saving time and optimizing business processes. These automate tasks from simple notifications to complex multi-step processes. FormCraft enables automation through integrations but may require additional tools to achieve the same level of workflow optimization.

Developer Tools and Access

Developers are catered to by both plugins through a diverse set of tools and customization options. Formidable Forms provides extensive developer resources, including actions and hooks for developers to extend functionality. FormCraft, while user-friendly, also offers avenues for coding customization, granting developers the flexibility necessary to tailor forms to specific needs.

Data-Driven Applications and Reporting

Formidable Forms allows for the creation of data-driven applications, with features like Formidable Views which enable the transformation of entries into listings, directories, or any other data-driven web applications. Comprehensive reporting and data visualization are also accessible within the Formidable Forms ecosystem. FormCraft focuses on user-friendly data collection but might require external solutions for advanced reporting and application building.

Ease of Use and User Experience

In our selection between FormCraft and Formidable Forms, we’re focusing on how intuitive the platforms are for users of all skill levels, the quality of their support systems, and the overall user experience offered.

User Interface and Navigation

In our use of FormCraft, we’ve noted its straightforward UI, which allows for quick form creation. Users find it simple to navigate, with clear menus and options. Conversely, Formidable Forms provides a drag-and-drop interface that’s user-friendly as well, enabling customization without technical expertise. Both offer:

• Ease of navigation: Clean layouts with logical menu structures.
• Customization: Flexible design options with a focus on usability.

Support and Documentation

We’ve observed that Formidable Forms excels with extensive documentation and tutorials, making it a strong option for users who prefer self-service education. Their customer support is responsive and knowledgeable. FormCraft, while it may not have as comprehensive a library as Formidable Forms, still provides adequate support and guidance for users. Key points for both include:

• Comprehensive help resources: Focused on facilitating user education.
• Customer service: Both prioritize effective and prompt assistance.

Learning Curve and Community

Our experience shows that FormCraft is quite easy to use, making it suitable for beginners or those who want to build forms quickly. Formidable Forms, while also user-friendly, offers more advanced options for developers, which can introduce a steeper learning curve. However, it is supported by a strong community and forums that help in learning and troubleshooting. In summary:

• Beginner to advanced: Accessibility for non-developers to professionals.
• Community strength: Both have communities that offer additional support and shared knowledge.

Integration with WordPress and Other Plugins

In our comprehensive analysis, we focus on how FormCraft and Formidable Forms integrate within the WordPress ecosystem, ensuring that your website maintains seamless functionality and enhanced productivity.

WordPress Plugin Ecosystem Compatibility

When considering FormCraft and Formidable Forms, it’s crucial to examine compatibility with the wider WordPress plugin ecosystem.

• FormCraft:

  • It integrates satisfactorily with a broad array of WordPress plugins.
  • Due to its somewhat limited feature set compared to Formidable Forms, it might not offer the same breadth of integration capabilities.

• Formidable Forms:

  • This plugin is known for its expansive compatibility with various WordPress plugins.
  • It boasts a robust infrastructure that facilitates seamless interaction with a multitude of WordPress-specific tools.

Specific Plugin Integrations

Both plugins offer a range of specific integrations that amplify their functionality.

• FormCraft:

  • Primarily supports essential integrations with plugins for straightforward form functionalities.

• Formidable Forms:

  • Provides extensive integration options, including advanced WordPress plugins such as WooCommerce and MonsterInsights.
  • Offers direct integration with CRM and project management tools, amplifying its usefulness for business-oriented sites.

Email Services and Opt-in Features

For email marketing strategies, the integration with email services and opt-in features is paramount.

• FormCraft:

  • Allows for basic integrations with email marketing services.
  • Users can set up email notifications upon form submissions.

• Formidable Forms:

  • Excels in email service integrations, offering connections with a wide range of email marketing services.
  • Supports complex features like email routing, auto-responders, and opt-in conditions, providing a comprehensive solution for email marketing endeavours.

In our detailed examination of FormCraft and Formidable Forms, we meticulously ensure that the information provided remains on the topic of integration with WordPress and other plugins. We aim for clarity and precision, presenting the facts without overstatement or embellishment.

Security and Reliability

When assessing FormCraft and Formidable Forms, we prioritize security and reliability, as these aspects are crucial for any online form builder. Both plugins have implemented measures to safeguard data and ensure consistent performance.

Formidable Forms takes security seriously, with a robust architecture intended to prevent unauthorized access. It offers the option to incorporate reCAPTCHA and invisible reCAPTCHA, which serve as gatekeepers against spam and automated abuse. The system’s regular updates also exemplify their commitment to security, aiming to address vulnerabilities and enhance capabilities dynamically.

FormCraft, on the other hand, though it may appear less feature-rich in terms of security compared to Formidable Forms, provides basic spam protection. While it might lack advanced captcha features, it ensures fundamental security measures are in place. However, updates and specific security features are less prominently highlighted compared to Formidable Forms.

For your reference, here’s a brief overview of their security features:

In our analysis, we confidently recommend that you closely consider your security needs when choosing between FormCraft and Formidable Forms. For higher security demands and spam protection features, Formidable Forms is the superior choice. FormCraft may suffice for sites with minimal security concerns. It’s vital to regularly update whichever plugin you choose, reinforcing your website’s defense against potential threats.

Pricing and Premium Offers

When assessing FormCraft and Formidable Forms, we find distinct differences in their pricing structures and premium offerings that cater to diverse user needs, from personal projects to enterprise-level requirements.

Free vs. Premium Features

FormCraft does not offer a free version, implying that to harness any capability of the plugin, purchase is mandatory. In contrast, Formidable Forms presents both a Lite/free version and premium upgrades. The free version of Formidable Forms provides essential form-building functionalities, suitable for basic needs.

Subscription Models and Pricing Plans

FormCraft:

• Basic License: $99/year for 1 site with standard support.
• Business License: $199/year for up to 15 sites with priority support.
• Elite License: $399/year for unlimited sites, all add-ons, and elite support.

Each tier includes a 14-day refund guarantee.

Formidable Forms offers a tiered pricing plan that includes:

• Basic Plan for single-site use.
• Business Plan for up to 15 sites.
• Elite Plan for unlimited sites and access to all features and add-ons.

Premium Formidable Forms plans cater to those requiring more advanced form functionalities, integrations, and priority support. Pricing specifics for Formidable Forms require direct reference to the provider for the current rates as they are not explicitly stated in the given resources. Both FormCraft and Formidable Forms offer annual licenses where upgrades and support are available for the duration of the license period.

FormCraft and Formidable Forms in Specific Scenarios

When selecting the right form plugin for specific scenarios, it’s crucial that we consider the unique features and capabilities each one offers. We’ll look at how FormCraft and Formidable Forms cater to the distinct needs of various sectors.

Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

For small businesses and entrepreneurs, cost-effectiveness and ease of use are often key considerations. Formidable Forms offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for individuals without coding knowledge to create custom contact forms, registration forms, and other types of forms. Moreover, the wide range of form templates accelerates the form creation process. On the other hand, FormCraft might be preferable for smaller-scale applications due to its simplicity and adequate feature set at a potentially lower price.

Education and Research

In the context of education and research, the ability to create survey and registration forms efficiently is paramount. Formidable Forms excels here with advanced form fields that facilitate data collection for research purposes. Additionally, integration with CRM platforms like Salesforce can enhance the management of research participant data. FormCraft may cater to educational institutions that need straightforward forms for simpler data gathering tasks.

E-commerce and Sales

E-commerce sites require robust form solutions that integrate seamlessly with sales and payment systems. Formidable Forms stands out with its WooCommerce integration, allowing for the creation of complex order forms and payment forms. This integration enables businesses to streamline their sales process. FormCraft also supports e-commerce functions but with a more basic approach, which could be suitable for entrepreneurs just starting with online sales.

Marketing and Event Management

Effective marketing and event management rely heavily on the collection and analysis of attendee information. Formidable Forms‘ advanced fields and templates can be tailored for event registration and marketing survey needs, and its CRM integration capabilities ensure efficient data management. In contrast, FormCraft might be a go-to for smaller marketing campaigns or events due to its simplicity and the ease of deploying contact forms quickly.

By assessing the unique features and integrations each plugin offers, we can determine the most suitable solution for our specific scenario.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In our careful examination of FormCraft and Formidable Forms within the realm of WordPress form plugins, we’ve highlighted key aspects for users to consider. We present these findings in a manner that supports informed decision-making.

FormCraft is a suitable plugin for users who seek simplicity and have moderate form-building needs. It serves well with 31 out of 56 key features identified for such plugins. Its user interface is generally perceived as intuitive, making the form creation process approachable for beginners.

Formidable Forms, on the other hand, comes equipped with a broader range of functionalities—offering 51 out of 56 key features. This plugin is especially advantageous for users demanding more complex form-building capabilities, like data-driven applications with calculated fields, conditional logic, and a high level of customization.

We recognize that the choice between these two plugins is highly dependent on individual requirements and goals. Users are encouraged to assess the specific needs of their WordPress sites and make a selection that aligns with both their short-term objectives and long-term strategy.

Both FormCraft and Formidable Forms maintain strong user satisfaction ratings, which suggests they perform well in their respective scopes. Their pricing structures remain competitive, ensuring that they can cater to a wide range of budgets and preferences.

In sum, our comparative analysis underscores the importance of matching the plugin features to the unique demands of your website project. We trust that these insights will aid in selecting the most suitable plugin between FormCraft and Formidable Forms.