WordPress form builders like Form Maker and Fluent Forms are crucial in enhancing website functionality, from capturing leads to conducting transactions. Choosing the right form builder can be challenging. In this detailed comparison, we examine both plugins across several key features, helping you decide which form builder best suits your needs.
Getting Started: Installation and Setup
Form Maker and Fluent Forms are available via the WordPress plugin repository and offer a straightforward installation process.
- Form Maker: The installation process is user-friendly and straightforward. Users can immediately start building forms after activating the plugin from the WordPress dashboard. The setup wizard provides a basic overview but lacks in-depth guidance for first-time users.
- Fluent Forms: Similarly, Fluent Forms offers an easy installation. The setup process is seamless, guiding users through essential configurations right after activation. The user-friendly wizard helps users understand key features and start creating forms immediately.
Winner: Tie
Both plugins provide an equally user-friendly setup process, making them accessible for beginners.
Ease of Use: User Interface and Experience
A form builder should be easy to navigate and use, regardless of the user’s technical expertise.
- Form Maker: The interface, while functional, can be somewhat complex for beginners. Adding new fields involves multiple steps, which can be cumbersome. The layout, while intuitive, requires more clicks to perform basic actions, which can slow down the form-building process.
- Fluent Forms features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to add fields with a single click. The layout is designed to streamline form creation, making it significantly more user-friendly, especially for those unfamiliar with technical jargon. The dashboard is clean, and users can quickly navigate various form options without hassle.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms wins for its smoother, more intuitive user interface that caters well to beginners. The drag-and-drop feature and a clear dashboard enhance the overall user experience.
Pre-Built Templates
Access to pre-built templates can significantly accelerate the form-creation process.
- Form Maker: Offers 5 pre-built templates in its free version, which limits the variety and adaptability for different form types. The templates provided are basic, covering standard contact forms but lacking variety for more specialized needs.
- Fluent Forms: Comes with over 60 pre-built templates even in its free version, covering a wide range of form types and use cases. These templates cater to various industries and needs, including registration forms, feedback forms, and surveys, allowing users to quickly customize forms without starting from scratch.
Winner: Fluent Forms
With a significantly more extensive library of templates, Fluent Forms provides greater flexibility and ease of use. The wide range of templates ensures that users can find suitable options for diverse applications, saving time and effort.
Third-Party Integrations
The ability to integrate with other services enhances the functionality of forms.
- Form Maker: Supports basic integrations like MailChimp, Google Drive, Stripe, and PayPal, but these are available only in the paid version. The integration process is straightforward but somewhat limited, restricting advanced functionality to premium users.
- Fluent Forms: Offers a wide array of integrations including Slack, MailChimp, all major payment gateways, and CRM systems. Many of these integrations are available even in the free version. The plugin also offers integration with Zapier, which opens up over 3000 additional applications for users, significantly expanding potential functionality.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms offers a broader range of integrations, many of which are accessible without a premium subscription. These extensive integration options enhance the form’s capabilities, making Fluent Forms suitable for various business needs.
Spam Protection
Effective spam protection is essential for maintaining form security and integrity.
- Form Maker: This program includes basic spam protection features such as CAPTCHA. While effective, the options are limited, and advanced protection might require additional plugins.
- Fluent Forms: It also offers CAPTCHA and other advanced spam protection mechanisms. The plugin provides various options like reCAPTCHA, Honeypot, and built-in anti-spam features, ensuring robust protection against spam submissions.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Both plugins adequately address spam protection, but Fluent Forms offers more comprehensive options, providing superior form security. The availability of multiple anti-spam measures ensures that forms remain clean and secure.
Mobile Responsiveness
With the increasing use of mobile devices, forms must function well on all device types.
- Form Maker: Forms are responsive and adjust to different screen sizes. The layouts remain functional, but the responsiveness might require additional tweaking, especially for complex forms.
- Fluent Forms ensures that forms are fully responsive and look great on mobile devices. The plugin automatically optimizes the layout and field sizes, providing a seamless user experience across devices.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Both Form Maker and Fluent Forms create forms that perform well across various devices. However, Fluent Forms offers smoother and more consistent responsiveness, enhancing the mobile user experience.
File Upload
Allowing users to upload files through forms can be essential for many websites.
- Form Maker: Supports file uploads, but the interface and management can be less intuitive. The file upload feature is basic and might require additional configuration for optimal use.
- Fluent Forms: Offers a seamless file upload feature with enhanced management options in the dashboard. Users can easily manage uploaded files and set restrictions or permissions, enhancing the overall functionality.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms provides a more user-friendly approach to file uploads. The enhanced management options and intuitive interface make it easier for users to handle file submissions effectively.
Conversational Forms
Conversational forms enhance user engagement by simulating a conversation-like interaction.
- Form Maker: Does not offer conversational forms, focusing on traditional form layouts.
- Fluent Forms: Includes a feature for creating conversational forms, particularly useful for surveys and user feedback. The conversational mode enhances user experience, making the form-filling process more engaging and interactive.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms stands out with its conversational forms feature, enhancing user experience. The interactive format is ideal for engaging users and collecting valuable feedback.
Conditional Logic
Conditional logic allows forms to adapt based on user input dynamically.
- Form Maker: This program provides conditional logic but with a slightly more complex setup. The functional feature might confuse beginners or those unfamiliar with form logic.
- Fluent Forms: Offers robust conditional logic options that are easy to implement and customize. The intuitive interface and precise settings make it easy for users to create dynamic forms without advanced technical knowledge.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms offers more intuitive and powerful conditional logic capabilities. The easy-to-use interface and comprehensive options make it suitable for creating complex, dynamic forms.
Support and Documentation
Having accessible support and comprehensive documentation can significantly enhance the user experience.
- Form Maker: Offers solid support but lacks comprehensive online documentation. Users can contact support for assistance but might find the lack of detailed documentation challenging when troubleshooting issues independently.
- Fluent Forms: Provides extensive documentation, online resources, and a community support group, ensuring users have all the help they need. The plugin also offers dedicated customer support and active social channels, providing comprehensive assistance.
Winner: Fluent Forms
With more robust support and documentation, Fluent Forms ensures users have access to all necessary resources. The comprehensive assistance enhances the overall user experience, making resolving issues and learning about features easier.
Pricing and Licensing
Cost is a key consideration when choosing a form builder.
- Form Maker: Offers three pricing plans: Personal, Premium, and Agency, costing $10, $24, and $60 annually, respectively, for up to 10 hosted sites. Monthly plans are also available, but there are no lifetime licenses. The pricing is competitive but limited in terms of features and site licenses.
- Fluent Forms: Offers both annual and lifetime packages. Annual plans cost $79, $159, and $299 for single site, agency, and unlimited site licenses, respectively. Lifetime plans are available for $349, $599, and $899, offering better value for long-term use.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Although Form Maker’s initial monthly costs seem lower, Fluent Forms provides better value over time, especially for businesses needing forms on multiple sites. The lifetime licenses and comprehensive features offer superior long-term value.
Conclusion: Which Form Builder is Better?
Both Form Maker and Fluent Forms offer unique advantages, but Fluent Forms consistently provides more features, a more user-friendly interface, and better value for the price.
Winner: Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms excels across most critical features, including ease of use, pre-built templates, third-party integrations, file upload, conversational forms, conditional logic, and support. Form Maker performs well in areas like basic form creation and spam protection but falls short in delivering a comprehensive feature set and user experience.
Why Fluent Forms is the Better Choice
- Intuitive Interface: Fluent Forms offers a smooth, drag-and-drop interface that anyone can use.
- Extensive Features: From conversational forms to advanced third-party integrations, Fluent Forms provides more functionality.
- Robust Support: With comprehensive documentation, a supportive community, and accessible customer service, Fluent Forms ensures users have all the help they need.
- Better Value: Despite slightly higher initial costs, Fluent Forms offers better long-term value, especially with its lifetime licensing options.
When it comes to scaling your business or simply creating effective forms, Fluent Forms is the superior choice.
