Introduction
WPForms is one of the most widely used form builder plugins for WordPress, trusted by over 6 million websites. It offers two versions: WPForms Lite, a free option, and WPForms Pro, a premium version with advanced capabilities. Whether you’re building a simple contact form or a complex payment system, choosing between Lite and Pro depends on your website’s needs and budget. This article compares WPForms Lite and Pro in detail, covering features, pricing, use cases, and support to help you decide which version is right for you.
Overview of WPForms Lite
WPForms Lite is the free version of the plugin, available directly from the WordPress plugin repository. It features a user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder, making it accessible for beginners. Users can create unlimited forms with basic fields, including:
- Name, email, text, number
- Dropdown, multiple choice, checkbox
- Payment fields (Stripe only)
- GDPR agreement, reCAPTCHA/hCaptcha for spam protection
WPForms Lite also supports form notification emails and confirmation messages. It’s ideal for simple use cases like contact forms, newsletter signups, or basic feedback forms, making it a great choice for blogs, small businesses, or personal websites.
Overview of WPForms Pro
WPForms Pro is the premium version, building on Lite’s foundation with advanced features and integrations. It includes all Lite features plus additional form fields like phone, address, date/time, file upload, and calculations. Pro also supports specialized form types, such as conversational forms, landing page forms, and lead forms. Key integrations include payment gateways (PayPal, Square, Authorize.net) and email marketing services (Mailchimp, AWeber, etc.). Pricing starts at $49.50/year for the Basic plan (one site) and goes up to $299.50/year for the Elite plan (unlimited sites), with a 14-day money-back guarantee WPForms Pricing.
Detailed Feature Comparison
The following table compares the key features of WPForms Lite and Pro, based on official documentation WPForms Comparison:
| Feature | WPForms Lite | WPForms Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Forms | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basic Form Fields (Name, Email, Text, etc.) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Form Fields (Phone, File Upload, etc.) | ✓ | |
| Form Templates (2,000+) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional Logic | Basic | Advanced |
| Calculations | ✓ | |
| Form Notification Emails | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple Notifications | ✓ | |
| Form Abandonment Notifications | ✓ | |
| Payment Gateways | Stripe | Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net |
| Email Marketing Integrations | Constant Contact | Mailchimp, AWeber, GetResponse, etc. |
| Other Integrations (Zapier, etc.) | Uncanny Automator | Zapier, Uncanny Automator |
| Entry Storage in WordPress | ✓ | |
| Export to Google Sheets/CSV | ✓ | |
| Survey and Poll Reporting | ✓ | |
| Visitor Location Tracking | ✓ | |
| Support | WordPress.org Forum | Ticket Support (~1 day response) |
Form Building Features
Both versions offer a drag-and-drop builder and over 2,000 form templates. Lite includes basic fields suitable for simple forms, while Pro adds advanced fields like file uploads, signatures, and multi-column layouts. Pro’s advanced conditional logic and calculation features are particularly useful for dynamic forms, such as order forms or quizzes.
Notifications and Confirmations
Both versions support form notification emails and confirmation messages. However, Pro allows multiple notifications per form, conditional notifications (e.g., sending emails based on user input), and form abandonment notifications to capture partial submissions.
Integrations
WPForms Lite supports Stripe for payments and Constant Contact for email marketing. Pro expands this with PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, and a wide range of email marketing tools (Mailchimp, AWeber, etc.). Pro also integrates with Zapier for connecting to thousands of apps, enhancing automation.
Form Management and Analytics
Pro offers robust form management, including entry storage in WordPress, automatic exports to Google Sheets, and CSV/Excel exports. It also provides survey and poll reporting, visitor location tracking, and user journey analytics, which are absent in Lite.
Support and Resources
Lite users access support through the WordPress.org forum, with response times of 1-3 business days. Pro users benefit from ticket-based support with a typical response time of about 1 business day, along with access to premium documentation.
Use Cases
When to Use WPForms Lite
- Simple Forms: Ideal for contact forms, newsletter signups, or basic feedback forms.
- Budget Constraints: Free, making it perfect for startups or personal projects.
- Beginner Needs: Suitable for users new to WordPress or with minimal form requirements.
When to Use WPForms Pro
- Complex Forms: Necessary for forms with advanced fields, logic, or calculations.
- Payment Processing: Essential for e-commerce or donation forms with multiple gateways.
- Marketing and Automation: Best for integrating with email marketing or CRM tools.
- Professional Support: Preferred for businesses needing fast, direct support.
Pricing and Value
WPForms Pro offers four pricing plans, each tailored to different needs WPForms Pricing:
| Plan | Discounted Price | Sites | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $49.50/year | 1 | Essential features, file uploads, conditional logic |
| Plus | $99.50/year | 3 | Marketing integrations, form automation |
| Pro | $199.50/year | 5 | Payments, surveys, priority support |
| Elite | $299.50/year | Unlimited | Premium integrations, multisite support |
The value of Pro lies in its advanced features, integrations, and support. For small businesses or e-commerce sites, the Pro or Elite plans offer significant functionality, while the Basic plan is cost-effective for single-site owners needing more than Lite.
Support and Resources
WPForms Lite users rely on the WordPress.org support forum, which is community-driven and may take 1-3 business days for responses. WPForms Pro users access ticket-based support with faster responses (around 1 business day) and premium resources, including detailed guides for advanced features WPForms Comparison.
Conclusion
WPForms Lite is an excellent choice for users needing basic, cost-free form functionality. Its simplicity and free access make it ideal for beginners or small websites. WPForms Pro, however, offers a robust set of advanced features, integrations, and support, making it the better choice for businesses or websites with complex form needs, such as payment processing or marketing automation.
If you’re just starting out or have simple form requirements, WPForms Lite is sufficient. For those needing advanced functionality, integrations, or premium support, WPForms Pro is a worthwhile investment, with plans starting at $49.50/year and a 14-day money-back guarantee.