Gravity Forms vs Contact Form 7: A Detailed Comparison
Key takeaways
- Gravity Forms is a premium, all-in-one form builder that offers advanced features, official integrations, and a beginner-friendly drag-and-drop interface.
- Contact Form 7 is a free, lightweight plugin best suited for simple contact forms and for users who are comfortable working with basic markup.
- If you need complex forms, built-in integrations, payment processing, or automation, Gravity Forms offers a more reliable and scalable solution.
- The best choice depends on your priorities: choose Contact Form 7 for minimal cost and simplicity, or Gravity Forms for ease of use, support, and long-term flexibility.
Almost every website has a form feature, from checkout forms to surveys and everything in between. It’s a feature that simply can’t be ignored!
In this article, we’ll be looking at the two most well-known plugins for WordPress: Gravity Forms and Contact Form 7. Both plugins can help create a range of forms, from basic contact forms to lead-gen forms, polls, and more.
Despite their similarities, they also differ in important ways that may make one a more reliable option for you than the other, depending on the situation. In this comparison, we’ll highlight these differences to help you make the right choice. So, let’s get into our list!
Introduction: Gravity Forms and Contact Form 7
Before we get into the comparison, let’s look at why both plugins are considered the most popular form builders.
Gravity Forms: The All-in-one form plugin
Gravity Forms is a contact form plugin created by RocketGenius specifically for WordPress. It is user-friendly and offers plenty of advanced tools that developers can start using without prior knowledge.
The plugin supports a wide range of field types, from simple text inputs to file uploads. This makes it easy to build forms for any use case, whether it’s for payments, surveys, or simple data capture. Gravity Forms is highly flexible, with hundreds of add-ons available that integrate it with a wide range of other plugins and third-party apps.
Contact Form 7: The simple solution form plugin
Contact Form 7 is one of the most-downloaded plugins for WordPress, with over 5 million installs on the WordPress plugin repository.
The plugin lets you create simple contact forms using basic markup without any visual builder or advanced field support. You can add it to a page or post after configuring your form. However, Contact Form 7 doesn’t offer any feature more complicated than that.
The ultimate comparison: Gravity Forms vs Contact Form 7
It’s important that you understand how these plugins differ in how they help build your forms.
Gravity Forms lets you access all the important features you need in a single package, including multi-page forms, calculations, and more. You can then access official add-ons to add more features, such as payment integrations.
Contact Form 7 works differently. The plugin only includes basic form functionality; if you want to add anything beyond that, you must rely on third-party add-ons. The plugin’s reliance on third-party developers isn’t “bad,” but it does add some complexity during the initial setup.
The good news is that these third-party add-ons mostly have free versions. This makes Contact Form 7 a flexible platform for free functionality, though it comes with a slight drawback: added complexity.
Now that you’ve had a glimpse of both platforms, let’s go through the rest of the comparison and see their differences across key areas.
1. Form creation
Are you looking for a plugin that offers a wide variety of features? Then look no further than Gravity Forms. Besides the features for building forms for any use case, it also offers “post fields,” which let you turn form submissions into WordPress posts. Additionally, Gravity Forms lets you show or hide form fields based on user input, letting you build personalized forms.
These are only two of the various features that Gravity Forms supports. When you consider the hundreds of integrations and add-ons available, there are almost endless features to try out.
On the other hand, Contact Form 7 is light on features as the plugin is designed specifically for creating efficient contact forms. If that is all you need, then this plugin is worth considering. However, if you want the all-in-one experience, Gravity Forms offers a more robust option.
2. Form builder experience
Next, we’ll look at the experience of building a form with each plugin, as usability is a crucial factor in your decision.
Even though people may have different opinions on their user experience, we think that most will find Gravity Form’s builder to be much more beginner-friendly and intuitive.
Contact Form 7 Experience
The form-building experience from Contact Form 7 feels a little dated compared to other popular form plugins. Instead of providing a visual, drag-and-drop interface, users must set up their forms using a simple text editor.
This plugin doesn’t offer any templates besides the basic contact form placeholder that’s available for all new forms. Setting up forms requires text-based form tags, and to customize them, you’ll mostly rely on adding parameters to the tags.
The only code-free way to set up basic options, such as multi-step or multi-column forms, is to install third-party add-ons.
Gravity Forms Experience
In contrast to Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms’ building experience focuses on its drag-and-drop features. You can choose to start with either a blank or one of the plugin’s form templates.
You’ll then be launched into the visual, drag-and-drop builder, which lets you add, edit, rearrange, and delete fields as required. You can also get a good idea of how your form will look with the visual preview.
In general, Gravity Forms offers much more control over a form’s individual settings compared to Contact Form 7. You can easily set up multi-page/multi-step forms by adding the Page field to break the form into a new page or by dragging a field next to another to create multi-column form layouts.
3. Add-ons and integrations
If you want to go beyond basic contact forms, you’ll likely want to integrate them with other services you already use.
For example, when creating an email opt-in form, it would be convenient to automatically add people to your preferred marketing service after they submit it.
Comparing the two plugins in terms of integrations is tricky, as Contact Form 7 relies solely on third-party plugins. Contact Form 7 currently has built-in integrations for services including:
- Brevo
- Stripe (for one-time payments)
In contrast, Gravity Forms offers a wide range of add-ons, starting from their “basic” to “elite” plans. These add-ons let you enhance forms with additional features and integrate the plugin with other apps and plugins, including an official Zapier integration and full webhooks support for custom integrations. Other integrations include:
- Email marketing platforms (MailChimp, Drip, Active Campaign, and others)
- Payment gateways (such as PayPal, and Stripe)
- CRM software (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and others)
- eCommerce tools
- And more
Unfortunately, Contact Form 7 does not provide any built-in support for Zapier. However, there are third-party plugins that add webhook support for Contact Form 7, which lets you connect to Zapier. However, doing this will require you to have a paid Zapier plan, meaning that there will be added costs compared to using Gravity Forms’ built-in Zapier integration.
4. Automation options
Automations can make your forms even more effective. Even though the integrations above provide some form of automation, you may want to build multi-step workflows that go beyond simply connecting your form to another platform.
With Gravity Forms, utilizing the Gravity Flow add-on lets you easily build multi-step workflows. You can set up your automations by choosing from over 40 different actions, including:
- Sending messages via email, Slack, SMS, and others.
- Requesting approval from members of your team.
- Making a repayment.
- Registering a user.
For Contact Form 7, the plugin doesn’t offer a core way to build multi-step automations, nor are there any third-party add-ons that provide this functionality. If any of these multi-step automations seem useful for your business, then Gravity Forms is worth considering.
5. Pricing
We know that choosing a form builder all depends on your budget. So, let’s look at the pricing structures for both Gravity Forms and Contact Form 7.
Gravity Forms offers a simple pricing structure with three tiers:
- The Basic licence: $59/year – includes basic add-ons for a single website.
- The Pro licence: $159/year – includes Pro add-ons for unlimited websites.
- The Elite licence: $259/year – includes all add-ons for unlimited websites.
Contact Form 7 is a free plugin that you can download from WordPress! So, if you’re not looking to spend much on forms, Contact Form 7 is the way to go.
6. Support
Every plugin may run into a problem once in a while, and you will need a helping hand.
For Contact Form 7, you will mainly rely on WordPress.org support forums as there is no direct support channel to the developer. There’s also a self-help option through documentation, but it doesn’t offer a detailed procedure. This is one of the cons of a free plugin.
On the other hand, Gravity Forms offers direct ticket support on all licenses. This means you’ll have access to one-on-one support from the developer. In addition, Gravity Forms provides detailed documentation for developers and users, making it easy to find answers to your questions if you prefer a more self-service approach.
You can also get support from the community via the official Gravity Forms forum and Facebook community.
Quick comparison table
Here’s an easy-to-understand table to summarize our comparison above.
| Feature | Gravity Forms | Contact Form 7 |
| Pricing | Paid (from $59/year) | Free |
| Ease of use | Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop builder | Requires markup and shortcodes |
| Form templates | Multiple built-in templates | No templates (basic placeholder only) |
| Advanced fields & logic | Yes (conditional logic, calculations, post fields) | Very limited |
| Multi-step / multi-page forms | Built-in | Requires third-party add-ons |
| Integrations | Official add-ons for email, payments, CRM, Zapier, webhooks | Mostly third-party plugins |
| Automation workflows | Yes (via Gravity Flow add-on) | Not supported |
| Payment forms | Built-in support | Limited (Stripe one-time payments) |
| Entry management | Built-in entry storage | Requires additional plugin |
| Support | Direct ticket support + documentation | Community forums only |
| Best for | Businesses, marketers, and growing websites | Simple contact forms, tight budgets |
FAQs on Gravity Forms vs Contact Form 7
Before we get into our final thoughts, let’s look at the answers to some quick questions you may have.
Can I migrate from Contact Form 7 to Gravity Forms later?
Yes. Several third-party tools and services let you import Contact Form 7 forms into Gravity Forms. Simple forms migrate easily, but more complex setups may require manual adjustments, especially if you rely on custom scripts or extensions.
Which plugin should I choose if I expect my needs to grow?
If you anticipate needing advanced features, integrations, or workflows in the future, Gravity Forms is the safer long-term choice. Contact Form 7 works well for basic needs but may require frequent plugin updates as requirements grow.
Can Contact Form 7 accept payments?
Contact Form 7 does not offer built-in payment functionality. It can accept payments only through third-party add-ons, such as integrations for Stripe. These solutions are typically limited to basic, one-time payments and may require additional configuration and ongoing maintenance.
Which form plugin offers the best ROI for SaaS or any businesses?
The best return on investment depends on the complexity of your form needs. Contact Form 7 can offer a good ROI for small businesses that need only a simple contact form and want to avoid upfront costs. However, for businesses that rely on lead generation, payments, integrations, or automation, Gravity Forms often delivers better long-term ROI by reducing setup time and offering built-in features.
Will paying for Gravity Forms save time compared to using Contact Form 7 with add-ons?
In most cases, yes. Gravity Forms includes many advanced features, such as conditional logic, multi-step forms, and integrations, out of the box. With Contact Form 7, achieving similar functionality typically requires multiple third-party add-ons, manual configuration, and troubleshooting compatibility issues. Paying for Gravity Forms can significantly reduce the time spent on setup, maintenance, and support.
Final thoughts: Gravity Forms vs Contact Form 7
Choosing between Contact Form 7 and Gravity Forms ultimately comes down to your needs and budget; there’s no one-size-fits-all winner.
Contact Form 7 stands out for being completely free. When paired with third-party add-ons, it can deliver impressive functionality at no cost, making it a solid option for users on a tight budget. That said, the trade-off is usability. Its interface isn’t very beginner-friendly, styling forms often require technical know-how, and support is limited to community forums. You also need to be cautious when choosing third-party extensions, as quality and compatibility can vary.
Gravity Forms, while a paid solution, removes many of these pain points. It offers a polished drag-and-drop builder, powerful built-in features like conditional logic and calculations, native support for advanced form types, and a wide range of official integrations. You also get direct support from the Gravity Forms team. Developers benefit from extensive customization options through APIs, actions, and filters.
If ease of use, reliability, and built-in functionality matter more than upfront cost, Gravity Forms is the stronger choice. You can purchase a license to get started or test everything first with a free, fully functional demo site.
Need help improving your SaaS site or product? Get in touch! We can help.
Hey there! I’m Dewa, the Tech Team Lead at SDB Agency, and I’ve been at SDB since the very beginning. I create clean, fully functional websites through WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify, with the help of messy brainstorming sessions and plenty of caffeine. Outside of work, I hit the gym, watch football, and never miss a Real Madrid match.
