Choosing the right form builder for your WordPress website can be tricky. Whether you want to collect customer feedback, create surveys, or handle registrations, you need a plugin that is efficient, user-friendly, and packed with features. Fluent Forms and HappyForms are two popular plugins in this space, but which one should you choose?
This comparison breaks down the features of both Fluent Forms and HappyForms, explaining each plugin’s strengths and weaknesses. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of which plugin better suits your needs.
HappyForms Vs Fluent Forms: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Fluent Forms | HappyForms |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Drag-and-drop builder with live preview | Simple interface, no drag-and-drop |
| Pre-Built Templates | 60+ industry-specific templates | No pre-built templates |
| Layout Options | Multi-column layouts, flexible design | Limited layout customization |
| Input Fields | 40+ fields (most in free version) | 20+ fields (fewer in free version) |
| Conversational Forms | Available, enhances engagement | Not available |
| Conditional Logic | Included in the free version | Only in the paid version |
| Third-Party Integrations | 45+ native integrations + Zapier (4,000+) | 17 native integrations |
| Calculated Fields | Available | Not available |
| Quiz Module | Available | Not available |
| Spam Protection | reCAPTCHA, Honeypot, Akismet | reCAPTCHA, Honeypot |
| Pricing | Free version + affordable premium plans (lifetime options available) | Free version + pricier annual plans (no lifetime) |
HappyForms Vs Fluent Forms: Detailed Comparison
Fluent Forms wins in almost every category, making it the best choice for most users. HappyForms may work for beginners with basic needs, but it lacks the depth and versatility of Fluent Forms.
Ease of Use
Fluent Forms: Fluent Forms provides a highly intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality. The live preview feature in the center of the screen allows you to see changes instantly, while all customization options are neatly arranged on the right. Even beginners can quickly create and modify forms without any technical knowledge. Fluent Forms also includes detailed tooltips and guides to assist new users.
HappyForms: HappyForms integrates directly into the WordPress Customizer, which makes it familiar for WordPress users. However, it lacks drag-and-drop functionality. Instead, you select fields from the left-hand menu and customize them manually. While the interface is simple, the lack of instant usability and the need to configure labels and placeholders manually can feel cumbersome.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for its seamless and beginner-friendly design. Its drag-and-drop feature and live preview make it much more accessible, especially for non-technical users.
Pre-Built Form Templates
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms includes over 60 pre-built form templates catering to diverse industries and use cases, such as marketing, education, and non-profits. These templates allow users to start quickly and customize as needed, saving time and effort.
HappyForms:
HappyForms does not offer pre-built templates. Users must start from scratch and manually configure each form, which can be time-consuming.
Winner: Fluent Forms clearly outshines HappyForms in this category. With its extensive library of templates, Fluent Forms offers a faster and more efficient form-building experience.
Layout Flexibility
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms supports multi-column layouts, allowing users to create forms with up to six columns. Fields can be dragged and dropped into specific containers, offering complete design freedom. This flexibility makes it easy to create visually appealing and functional forms.
HappyForms:
HappyForms allows limited layout customization. Users must manually adjust the width of individual fields to create space for others. Additionally, it only supports up to four fields side by side, which restricts creativity and functionality.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for its advanced layout customization, which gives users more control over their forms’ appearance.
Input Fields
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms provides over 40 input fields, most of which are available in the free version. These fields are designed to be ready-to-use, ensuring smooth functionality without additional configuration.
HappyForms:
HappyForms offers only 20 input fields, with many essential ones locked behind a premium plan. Even in the paid version, the range of input fields is significantly narrower than Fluent Forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms takes the lead with its extensive range of input fields, offering more options even in its free version.
Conversational Forms
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms includes a feature called conversational forms, which presents questions one at a time in a conversational style. This makes the process feel less like filling out a form and more like having a dialogue, reducing abandonment rates and improving user experience.
HappyForms:
HappyForms does not have conversational forms. Users are limited to traditional form layouts, which might not engage users as effectively.
Winner: Fluent Forms dominates this category by offering an innovative feature that boosts user engagement and reduces form fatigue.
Conditional Logic
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms provides conditional logic in its free version. This feature allows users to show or hide specific fields based on user inputs, creating a more dynamic and tailored form experience.
HappyForms:
Conditional logic is only available in the premium version of HappyForms. Even then, its functionality is limited compared to Fluent Forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for offering this advanced feature in the free version, making it accessible to all users.
Third-Party Integration
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms supports over 45 native integrations and an additional 4,000+ through Zapier. These integrations make it highly versatile, allowing users to connect their forms with CRMs, email marketing platforms, and more.
HappyForms:
HappyForms supports only 17 native integrations, which limits its usability for businesses that rely on external tools.
Winner: Fluent Forms is the clear winner, offering significantly more integrations to enhance functionality.
Calculated Fields
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms includes calculated fields, allowing users to perform real-time calculations based on user inputs. This is ideal for price estimations, score calculations, or other numerical outputs.
HappyForms:
HappyForms does not support calculated fields, limiting its use for more advanced scenarios.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins again for providing this feature, which adds valuable functionality for businesses.
Quiz Module
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms includes a quiz module, enabling users to create interactive quizzes and display scores. This feature is perfect for educational sites or marketing campaigns.
HappyForms:
HappyForms does not have a quiz module, making it less suitable for users who need this functionality.
Winner: Fluent Forms excels with its quiz module, catering to a broader range of use cases.
Pricing and Licensing
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms offers flexible pricing plans, including both annual and lifetime options. Its lifetime plans provide excellent value for money, especially for users managing multiple websites.
HappyForms:
HappyForms offers only annual plans, which are more expensive for unlimited domain usage. The lack of a lifetime plan makes it less appealing for long-term users.
Winner: Fluent Forms is more cost-effective and versatile, offering better pricing options for all types of users.
Spam Protection
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms includes built-in spam protection features such as reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, Honeypot, and Akismet integration. These tools work seamlessly to prevent bots and spammers from submitting fake entries on your forms.
HappyForms:
HappyForms also offers Honeypot spam protection and reCAPTCHA integration. However, it doesn’t provide as many options as Fluent Forms. Its spam protection is effective but limited compared to Fluent Forms’ robust toolkit.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for offering more comprehensive spam protection options.
Multi-Step Forms
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms supports multi-step forms, which allow users to break down long forms into manageable sections. This improves user experience and helps reduce form abandonment rates, particularly for surveys or detailed registrations.
HappyForms:
HappyForms does not support multi-step forms. Users are restricted to single-page forms, which can feel overwhelming for longer forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms is the clear winner with its support for multi-step forms.
Visual Data Reporting
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms provides visual data reporting, allowing users to view form submissions through graphs, charts, and other visual tools. This feature is particularly useful for tracking trends or analyzing form performance at a glance.
HappyForms:
HappyForms lacks visual data reporting. Users must manually export form submissions for analysis, which can be time-consuming and less intuitive.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for its built-in visual data reporting capabilities.
Mobile Responsiveness
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms is fully responsive, ensuring your forms look great and function well across all devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. It also provides customization options for mobile-specific layouts.
HappyForms:
HappyForms forms are also mobile-friendly and responsive by default. However, customization options for mobile layouts are more limited compared to Fluent Forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms offers better flexibility for mobile layout adjustments, making it the winner.
Gutenberg Compatibility
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms is fully compatible with the Gutenberg editor. It includes a dedicated Gutenberg block, allowing users to easily add forms to posts and pages without needing to copy and paste shortcodes.
HappyForms:
HappyForms is also Gutenberg-friendly and offers seamless integration with the block editor. However, its features within the editor are less extensive than those of Fluent Forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms takes the edge here with its more advanced Gutenberg integration.
Form Export/Import
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms allows users to export and import forms with ease. This is especially useful for migrating forms between sites or creating backups. The exported forms retain all settings and customizations.
HappyForms:
HappyForms supports form export and import, but the process is slightly less user-friendly compared to Fluent Forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for its streamlined and intuitive export/import functionality.
Custom CSS and Styling
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms offers extensive customization options, including support for custom CSS. This allows users to fully control the form’s design and integrate it seamlessly with their website’s branding.
HappyForms:
HappyForms also supports basic styling and customization, but it does not offer the same level of flexibility for advanced customizations like Fluent Forms.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins for its advanced customization options.
Notifications and Auto-Responders
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms supports unlimited email notifications and auto-responders. You can customize messages for both the admin and users, enabling better communication and follow-up.
HappyForms:
HappyForms also provides email notifications and auto-responders, but its functionality is more limited, especially in the free version.
Winner: Fluent Forms offers more robust and flexible notification features.
User Access Controls
Fluent Forms:
Fluent Forms includes user role-based access controls, allowing site admins to restrict who can view, edit, or manage forms. This is a great feature for websites with multiple contributors.
HappyForms:
HappyForms lacks user access controls, which might be a drawback for sites managed by teams.
Winner: Fluent Forms wins with its advanced access control capabilities.
Conclusion: Fluent Forms or HappyForms – Which Should You Choose?
Fluent Forms is the clear winner in this comparison, thanks to its comprehensive feature set, user-friendly design, and scalability. It stands out in areas such as ease of use, pre-built templates, advanced conditional logic, and third-party integrations. Whether you need simple contact forms or complex workflows, Fluent Forms offers the tools to create professional, efficient forms. Its free version is robust, and its premium plans are highly cost-effective for those seeking advanced functionalities.
HappyForms is better suited for users with basic form-building needs. Its integration with the WordPress Customizer and straightforward interface makes it ideal for beginners or small websites. However, the lack of templates, fewer input fields, and limited features like conversational forms restrict its capabilities for advanced use.
- Choose Fluent Forms if:
- You need advanced features like conversational forms, multi-step forms, and calculated fields.
- You want flexibility with third-party integrations and extensive input fields.
- You manage professional websites with varied and scalable form requirements.
- Choose HappyForms if:
- You are a beginner or have minimal form-building needs.
- You want a lightweight plugin for basic forms without advanced features.
- You prefer a plugin integrated with the WordPress Customizer for simplicity.
Ultimately, for most users, Fluent Forms is the superior choice.
