Gravity Forms vs Ninja Forms: A Detailed Comparison for WordPress Users

Posted by Josh Blackburn, in Contact Form Plugins

Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms Overview

When exploring form builders for WordPress, two notable plugins frequently emerge at the forefront: Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms. As two of the most robust solutions available, they share foundational functions that cater to creating and managing forms on a WordPress website.

Gravity Forms is a premium plugin, known for its powerful tools and add-ons. It facilitates intricate form creation, offering functionalities such as conditional logic, advanced fields, and form calculations. Developers find Gravity Forms’ extensive API and hook system to be instrumental for customization.

Ninja Forms stands out with its user-friendly interface and flexibility. The core plugin is free, with premium extensions that enhance its capabilities. It excels with features like drag-and-drop form building, conditional logic, and various integrations. While being accessible to beginners, Ninja Forms can still meet complex needs through its add-ons.

Our comparison is rooted in objective assessments, helping users understand which plugin may suit their needs more closely. Both form builders offer admirable capabilities, yet their distinctions align with different user requirements and levels of expertise.

Key Features Comparison

In this section, we’ll compare the specific features of Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms to help you understand which form builder might best suit your needs.

Form Creation and Field Types

Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms both offer a variety of form field types. We find that Gravity Forms provides a set of advanced fields out-of-the-box, such as website, file uploads, and address fields which complements the standard text, drop-down, checkboxes, and radio buttons. Ninja Forms, on the other hand, includes a base set of fields with the option to extend functionality through add-ons.

• Standard Fields: Both include text fields, radio buttons, checkboxes, and drop-down menus.
• Advanced Fields: Gravity Forms offers advanced fields without additional cost, while Ninja Forms requires extensions for some advanced fields.

Conditional Logic and Functionality

We have found both form builders powerful when it comes to conditional logic and functionality. Gravity Forms allows conditional logic on notifications, allowing for dynamic responses based on user input. Ninja Forms also supports conditional logic but might need premium plans or add-ons to match the depth of functionality.

• Conditional Logic: Both offer the ability to show or hide fields based on user input.
• Notifications: Email notifications can be customized with conditional logic in both plugins.

Integrations with Other Services

Integration possibilities with email marketing services, CRMs, and payment gateways are crucial aspects of both plugins. Gravity Forms seamlessly integrates with a broad spectrum of services like MailChimp, AWeber, PayPal, Stripe, and Zapier right from its premium versions. Ninja Forms offers a wide range of integrations as well, but often as separate add-ons that can be mixed and matched depending on your needs.

• Email Marketing Services: MailChimp, AWeber, and others can be integrated.
• Payment Gateways: Both form builders support integrations with PayPal, Stripe, etc.
• CRMs and Miscellaneous: Zapier integration allows connecting with numerous other services.

User Experience and Interface Design

For user experience and interface design, our evaluation reveals that Gravity Forms boasts a user-friendly dashboard with a drag-and-drop interface, making it straightforward to create multi-page forms. Ninja Forms also presents a drag-and-drop builder and prides itself on a responsive design that works well on mobile devices.

• Dashboard: User-friendly interfaces with drag-and-drop in both.
• Responsive Design: Both cater to mobile-friendly forms, ensuring user accessibility.

Spam Protection Features

To keep forms secure from spam, both Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms offer functionalities like CAPTCHA and integration with spam protection services like Akismet. These features are vital in preventing unwanted spam submissions and maintaining the integrity of the data collected.

• CAPTCHA: Available in both, including Google reCAPTCHA.
• Akismet: Both plugins can integrate with Akismet for enhanced spam protection.

Form Types and Applications

In our examination of Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, we’re specifically looking at the form types and applications that each plugin offers. Both form builders excel in providing a robust platform for a variety of form-related needs, each with their own sets of advanced functionalities and integrations.

Contact Forms and Surveys

Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms enable us to create contact forms and surveys with ease. With Gravity Forms, we can use standard and advanced fields to tailor our contact forms, integrating with various third-party services for enhanced functionality. Ninja Forms, offering a user-friendly interface, allows us to construct comprehensive surveys that can include multi-part forms and conditional logic to gather the information we need.

Gravity Forms Contact and Survey Features:

• Multi-page forms with progress bars.
• Conditional logic to show/hide fields based on user input.
• Integration with email marketing services.

Ninja Forms Contact and Survey Features:

• Drag-and-drop form building.
• Conditional logic and multi-part forms.
• Easy to embed forms via shortcodes.

Payment Forms and E-commerce

Both plugins support payment forms which are essential for e-commerce activities. Gravity Forms provides payment fields that integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce, allowing us to sell products and services directly. Ninja Forms also offers WooCommerce integration, making it simple to create payment forms for a variety of transactions, such as donations and recurring payments.

Gravity Forms Payment and E-commerce Features:

• Integration with payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Square.
• Product and pricing fields to add e-commerce functionality.
• Capabilities to calculate costs and apply discounts.

Ninja Forms Payment and E-commerce Features:

• Basic free payment form options.
• Integration with PayPal Express and Stripe for simple payment solutions.
• Flexibility to adapt forms for donations, product sales, and more.

User Registration Forms and Membership

Creating user registration forms and managing membership sites is straightforward with both Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms. With Gravity Forms, we gain access to a variety of user registration options, suitable for complex membership sites. Ninja Forms simplifies the process with user-friendly layouts that make setting up registration flows a breeze.

Gravity Forms User Registration and Membership Features:

• Automated user registration upon form submission.
• Integration with membership plugins to manage users.

Ninja Forms User Registration and Membership Features:

• Free user registration forms with the basic plugin.
• Easy to link with membership tools for complete site management.

Polls and Voting Systems

We can set up polls and voting systems to engage our audience and gather their opinions. Gravity Forms provides add-ons specifically for polls, allowing the creation of interactive voting forms. Ninja Forms, while not having a dedicated poll add-on, still offers the flexibility to create basic polls using its standard form fields.

Gravity Forms Polls and Voting System Features:

• Add-ons to create and manage polls with real-time results.
• Advanced fields to capture a wide range of data.

Ninja Forms Polls and Voting System Features:

• Utilization of standard fields to compile simple polls.
• Easy-to-embed forms for quick polling on any post or page.

Customization and Flexibility

When it comes to customization and flexibility, both Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms shine with their array of options, allowing users to tailor the form’s appearance and functionality to their specific needs.

Layouts and Styles Customization

Gravity Forms offers robust customization capabilities for layouts and styles, with a particular emphasis on CSS styling. Users can take advantage of advanced styling options to align forms to their branding, by adjusting colors, fonts, and spacing using custom CSS. Furthermore, layout options can be modified through CSS classes to manage the form elements’ arrangements.

Ninja Forms provides an easier-to-use interface for beginners, where layout and style changes can be applied without extensive knowledge of CSS. Through their drag-and-drop builder, adjustments to the form’s layout can be made smoothly, and users can select from preset styles or create their own to give their forms a unique look.

Advanced Form Options

In the realm of advanced form options, both form builders deliver numerous features:

• Multi-step Forms: Both platforms enable the creation of multi-step forms, simplifying complex data collection by breaking it down into more manageable parts.

  Feature	Gravity Forms	Ninja Forms
  Progress Bar	Yes	Yes
  Save and Continue	Yes	Yes

• Protected Forms: Users can set up protected forms that are only accessible to registered users or by password protection.

• Standard Fields: They both bring a wide variety of standard fields, such as text inputs and checkboxes.

  Field Types	Gravity Forms	Ninja Forms
  Text	Yes	Yes
  Radio Buttons	Yes	Yes

• Address Field: Both builders include an address field, which is customizable to gather detailed location information.

For users who require advanced features, Gravity Forms might edge out with more extensive functionality. These advanced options include conditional logic, which can be employed extensively within the forms to show or hide fields based on user input. For users looking for simple implementation, Ninja Forms often requires fewer steps to access and deploy similar features.

Support and Documentation

When choosing between Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, it’s important to consider the support and documentation each provider offers. Reliable customer support and comprehensive documentation can greatly enhance your experience and ensure you get the most out of your form builder.

Customer Support Services

Gravity Forms offers extensive customer support services. If you encounter an issue, you have access to a range of options, which include:

• Ticketing System: You can submit support tickets through their website once you’re logged in.
• FAQs: A section of frequently asked questions to help you solve common issues.
• 30-Day Money Back Guarantee: They provide a 30-day refund period if the product doesn’t meet your expectations.

For Ninja Forms, customer support includes:

• Support Tickets: Users can submit detailed inquiries through the Ninja Forms website.
• Extensive Documentation: Although not a direct line to support, the documentation can be very helpful.
• Demos: Ninja Forms offers live demo options, allowing potential users to test features before committing.

Online Guides and Tutorials

We believe in empowering users with knowledge. Both Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms offer a robust library of online resources.

Gravity Forms Documentation is known for being:

• Comprehensive: Covering a broad range of topics, from basic form creation to advanced customization.
• Searchable: Easily find the answers you need with a well-organized search function.

Ninja Forms Documentation aims to:

• Educate Users: From simple forms to complex applications, tutorials guide you through every step.
• Community Support: Users can also get assistance from the community forums, which can be a valuable resource for troubleshooting.

Plugin Extensions and Add-Ons

In our experience, both Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms are enhanced significantly through their range of extensions and add-ons. These additional features enable users to tailor the form builders to their specific needs, ranging from integrating productivity tools to syncing with email marketing platforms.

Available Add-Ons

Gravity Forms:

• Basic Add-Ons: Includes capabilities like Mailchimp, PayPal, and Stripe.
• Advanced Add-Ons: Offers connections with tools like Zapier, allowing interaction with many other apps.

Ninja Forms:

• Offers a similar range with extensions that connect to popular services.
• Ninja Forms Extensions: Includes options for Conditional Logic, Multi-Part Forms, and Front-End Posting among others.

Integration with Productivity Tools

Both form builders offer extensions for integrating with leading productivity tools:

Gravity Forms:

• Integrations with Dropbox, Trello, and Slack via their respective add-ons.
• Extends functionality to manage tasks and files across different platforms seamlessly.

Ninja Forms:

• Also offers connections with project management and communication tools.
• Slack Integration: Enables form submissions to post directly to specified Slack channels.

Email Marketing and CRM Integrations

To leverage form data for marketing and customer relationship management, both plugins offer a suite of relevant integrations.

Gravity Forms:

• Supports a variety of email marketing services such as Constant Contact.
• Connects to numerous CRMs, enhancing lead capture and tracking.

Ninja Forms:

• Features extensions for email platforms including Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and others.
• Allows CRM integration to help manage leads and customer interactions effectively.

Pricing and Plans

When we compare Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, one of the most important considerations is their pricing and plans. Both offer different tiers to cater to various needs, from basic functionalities to advanced integrations.

Free vs Paid Versions

Gravity Forms does not have a free version; it is exclusively a premium plugin. On the other hand, Ninja Forms offers a free version with essential features, providing an accessible entry point for users to create simple forms.

Detailed Pricing Plans

Gravity Forms Pricing

• Basic License: $59 per year; offers unlimited forms and entries, basic add-ons, and is suitable for one site.
• Pro License: $159 per year; includes everything in the Basic License plus more advanced add-ons and is usable on up to 3 sites.
• Elite License: $259 per year; encompasses all Pro features, priority support, and unlimited sites, along with all add-ons including the premium ones.

Ninja Forms Pricing

• Personal Plan: Basic functionality with standard support and updates for a single site.
• Professional Plan: More advanced features, suitable for up to 20 sites.
• Agency Plan: Aimed at developers and agencies, providing the full suite of add-ons and features for unlimited sites.

Each tier offers a deliberate selection of features designed to meet the specific needs of different users, from solo entrepreneurs to larger enterprises. Pricing may vary and should be confirmed on their respective websites for the most current information.

Technical Aspects and Data Management

In our comparison between Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, we place significant emphasis on how each plugin handles technical aspects like data management, ensuring security, and providing export capabilities.

Data Handling and Security

For handling data, both Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms have secure mechanisms in place. We ensure that form entries are stored in your WordPress database with a high level of care to protect sensitive information.

• Gravity Forms: It uses WordPress’ built-in roles and capabilities for form entry handling, offering granular access control. Security measures like entry encryption using third-party plugins are supported for added data protection.
• Ninja Forms: With Ninja Forms, data handling includes options for limiting user access to form entries. It also supports integration with services that help in securing submissions, although it mainly relies on WordPress’ security practices.

Export and File Uploads

It’s important for our users to have flexibility in exporting data and managing file uploads, whether it’s for analyzing form submissions, sharing data, or storing backups.

• Gravity Forms: Offers robust export options, providing the ability to export entries to a CSV file, facilitating easy integration with applications like Excel. Advanced functionality also allows generating PDF documents based on form data.

  File Format	Supported
  CSV	Yes
  PDF	Yes (via addon)
  Excel	Yes (via CSV export)

• Ninja Forms: Simplifies the file upload process, making it easier for users to attach files to their form submissions. You can export form entries to CSV, but Ninja Forms does not natively export to PDF or Excel—it requires third-party extensions.

  Feature	Gravity Forms	Ninja Forms
  CSV Export	Yes	Yes
  PDF Export	Yes (with addon)	With Third-Party Addon
  Excel Export	Via CSV	Via CSV
  File Upload Fields	Yes	Yes

For shortcodes, Gravity Forms provides a range of shortcodes that allow for form data to be dynamically populated and displayed throughout a site. Ninja Forms also offers shortcode functionality, but with different implementations concerning form data presentation and manipulation.

User Feedback and Community

When reviewing user feedback, we note that customers value the ease of use and administration of Ninja Forms. Our analysis shows that Ninja Forms tends to attract predominantly small businesses, with users appreciating its:

• User-Friendly Interface: Great for those just starting out.
• Cost-Effectiveness: The core plugin is free, which appeals to businesses with limited budgets.

On the other hand, Gravity Forms also garners a significant portion of its reviews from small businesses. Key community highlights are:

• Rich Integrations: A wider array of integrations compared to Ninja Forms.
• Robust Features: Advanced capabilities like calculations and conditional logic.

When it comes to customer support, our findings suggest both form builders provide adequate assistance, but the level of support might vary according to the specific plan purchased.

Our community’s feedback underscores the importance of considering your business’s specific needs when choosing between Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms. Each offers unique strengths and our research ensures a clear, unbiased comparison for informed decision-making.

Comparative Summary

When comparing Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, we find ourselves evaluating two of the most capable form-building plugins available for WordPress. Each has its own strengths and user base, catering to different needs and preferences.

Features:
In terms of features, both offer a range of functionalities. Gravity Forms excels with its robust set of advanced features, making it particularly well-suited for users who need complex form capabilities. Ninja Forms, on the other hand, presents a user-friendly interface that is approachable for beginners while still providing a wide array of features.

• Gravity Forms:
  • Conditional logic
  • Multi-page forms
  • File uploads
  • Entry management
• Ninja Forms:
  • Drag-and-drop form builder
  • Conditional logic
  • Email marketing integration
  • Basic file uploads

Pricing:
Pricing structures differ between the two. Gravity Forms typically requires a yearly subscription that includes support and updates. Ninja Forms operates on a freemium model, offering a free version alongside premium add-ons for advanced functionality.

Usability:
Regarding user experience, Gravity Forms offers a comprehensive toolset for WordPress developers and site builders who need intricate form structures. Ninja Forms is particularly advantageous for beginners or for those who prefer simplicity without compromising on the essential features.

Support:
Both plugins are well known for providing quality support, which is crucial, considering the important roles forms play in website interaction and data collection.

By considering these aspects in our comparison, we are better equipped to choose a plugin that aligns with our project requirements. Whether we prioritize advanced features or user-friendliness can greatly influence our decision between Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms.