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Cognito Forms

By Cognito Forms

Forms & Data Collection / Contact Forms

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Cognito Forms Review - In-Depth Analysis

Cognito Forms is an easy-to-use online form builder for creating responsive contact, order, and registration forms. It ensures compliance with PCI, CCPA, and HIPAA regulations.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4/5 (based on 19+ reviews)

Active Installations

2,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Cognito Forms is an easy-to-use online form builder that enables you to create everything from simple surveys to complex registration forms - no code required. Whether you’re using a pre-made template or starting from scratch, you can create forms to help your organization in just a matter of minutes.

New to Cognito Forms? Watch a quick tutorial to get acquainted with the form builder, and learn how to create your first form!

Cognito Forms offers features like data collection, where you can format numbers for calculations, capture electronic signatures, and collect file uploads using a drag-and-drop form builder. It also provides data management tools to sort and filter entries, create customized data sets, and perform multiple tasks at once.

Integration capabilities allow you to use Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, or Make to exchange data with thousands of applications. You can create workflows and automatically trigger tasks directly from your form entries.

With logic and automation features, you can set form behaviors and automate tasks using visual conditional logic. This enhances user experience by making forms more conversational and interactive.

Security and compliance features help you quickly create protections for fields and forms, manage access and account permissions, and ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations.

Additionally, Cognito Forms allows you to accept online payments directly through your forms using Square, Stripe, or PayPal, making it easy to collect payments for various transactions.

Comparing to Alternatives

Cognito Forms offers a robust form-building experience but faces competition from several well-established WordPress form plugins that provide diverse features and integrations.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Powerful form creation with conditional logic and payment integration
User-friendly interface with many customizable parameters
Free version offers substantial functionality
Good design options for forms
Supports embedding forms via seamless Publish Code snippet

Weaknesses

Plugin interface issues with Classic Editor compatibility
Limited integration with non-Gutenberg page builders
Customer support reported as slow and unhelpful
Known security vulnerability with no current fix

User Sentiment Analysis

With an 80% average rating and a majority of 5-star reviews, users appreciate the plugin's power and flexibility, though about a quarter of ratings are low, reflecting notable issues.

Positive highlights

"Really a very powerful and full featured plug... very simple to create forms" – mwage
"Excellent plugin and support... Support is speedy and helpful" – petebm
"REALLY considering switching from Jotform to Cognito" – victoriamar

Common complaints

Poor customer service with slow and unhelpful responses
Plugin does not function properly with Classic Editor, showing empty windows
Lack of visibility or management options within WordPress admin area outside Gutenberg

Weaknesses

Limited compatibility with non-Gutenberg editors
Customer service quality concerns
Security vulnerability with no current fix

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users comfortable with Gutenberg who want a powerful, free form builder with conditional logic and payment features.

Not ideal for

Users relying on Classic Editor or other page builders like Beaver Builder, or those needing prompt and responsive customer support, should consider alternatives.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes extensive form-building features such as conditional logic, payment integration, and customizable design options, providing strong value without cost.

Final Verdict

Cognito Forms is a feature-rich and powerful form builder that excels in conditional logic and payment integration, making it a strong choice for users comfortable with Gutenberg. The free version offers substantial functionality, appealing to many users seeking a no-cost solution.

However, the plugin suffers from compatibility issues with Classic Editor and other page builders, alongside reported poor customer support and a known security vulnerability without a fix. Users needing broader editor compatibility or reliable support may want to explore alternative plugins.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Cognito Forms plugin.

Cognito

Cognito Forms

Create Form

Form

Forms

Screenshots

FAQ

Cognito Forms is a subscription-based service and we host all of the forms and data collected securely on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, which is PCI (DSS) Level 1 and HIPAA compliant.