In today’s blog post, we will take a closer look at the differences between free and paid Ninja Forms and answer a couple of questions related to our plugin. Some of the common questions are:
- Can I use the free Ninja Forms plugin with paid add-ons?
- Do I need a premium plan to make the free core plugin work?
- What does the paid version of Ninja Forms include that the free version does not?
The list goes on, but there is no need to worry. We’re here to guide you and make everything crystal clear. Let’s explore Ninja Forms together!
Table of contents
1. Ninja Forms Free Version (Core Plugin)
What does it mean if you are using free Ninja Forms? You downloaded our free core plugin from our pricing page or on the WordPress repository. You did not purchase any Ninja Forms membership plan or Ninja Forms add-ons, and you don’t need any premium plan (membership or add-on) to use the free Ninja Forms core plugin.
What is included in the free version of Ninja Forms?
As a free Ninja Forms user, you will receive free professional support from our customer team. What else is available in our core plugin? Plenty of free features, you can’t find anywhere among other form builders on the market. Some of the top ones are free calculations, free submission access and export, unlimited submissions, unlimited forms, spam protection, GDPR compliance, 27+ form fields, and so much more!
For the full list of features, check the following blog posts: Is Ninja Forms free? & Top 10 Ninja Forms Free Features You’ll Love.
How to identify if you are using a free version of Ninja Forms?
If you download the Ninja Forms core plugin, you will see the “Ninja Forms” plugin listed under the list of installed plugins. You will not see any other Ninja Forms products such as Ninja Forms – Advanced Datepicker. Seeing any other Ninja Forms products means you have a premium version of Ninja Forms.
How does the free Ninja Forms core plugin work with paid add-ons from Ninja Forms?
If you choose to upgrade from the free core plugin to use third-party integrations, you can easily pair Ninja Forms with our add-ons. How do they work together you might ask?
Depending on the add-on, you’ll find an extra tab, button, field, or action within the Ninja Forms form builder. For example, with the File Uploads add-on installed, you will get a File Upload field within a form builder called Select Files which works as an upload button.
Additionally, you can access the File Uploads setting on the navigation menu of Ninja Forms within your WordPress website.
If you are using the Layout & Styles add-on, you will get access to the Styles tab for each form field you add to your form.
You can also access Styles settings within the form builder under the Advanced tab or in the WordPress navigation menu under Ninja Forms > Styling.
With the Multi-Step Forms add-on installed, you will see a plus sign button that allows you to add a page/next step to your form.
To use CRM, email marketing, registration add-ons, or payment add-ons with our free core plugin, you’ll adjust the settings by adding an action under the Emails & Actions tab within the form builder.
Now that you know how to use the free Ninja Forms with our add-ons—or hopefully, you get an idea of how they complement each other—let’s look at the paid version of Ninja Forms.
2. Ninja Forms Premium Version (Paid)
Before using the paid version of Ninja Forms (add-ons or membership plan), you need to install our core plugin first. You can access our free plugin from the WordPress repository or download it from our pricing page.
Using the premium version of Ninja Forms means you purchased any membership plan or individual add-ons from Ninja Forms. Unlike our competitors, you have the flexibility to choose which add-ons you need for your forms and purchase them individually if you don’t need a membership plan.
Even though we don’t offer a demo or trial version for Ninja Forms premium (add-ons or membership plans), we offer a 14-day money-back guarantee no questions asked. If you purchase one of our membership plans or add-ons and realize it is not what you need, or you want to stick with our already awesome free version, we give you a full refund.
Additionally, we offer 50% discounts on membership and individual add-on license purchases and renewals for registered nonprofits. Make sure you apply for a discount using the Nonprofit Verification Form.
How to identify if you are using a paid version of Ninja Forms?
Are you already using Ninja Forms but you are not sure if you are a paid user or a free user? You can easily identify it by navigating to Ninja Forms > Settings > Licenses tab. If there is a license key, this means you are using a paid version of Ninja Forms.
Another way to find out if you are using the paid Ninja Forms is by checking the Plugins page on your WordPress website. If you see any other Ninja Forms products listed under the plugins aside from Ninja Forms, you have a paid version.
In our screenshot below, the user has a paid version of Ninja Forms because he has ActiveCampaign add-on and Conditional Logic add-on from Ninja Forms.
What is included in the paid version of Ninja Forms?
The Ninja Forms paid version unlocks more sophisticated features, including conditional logic, uploading files, breaking long forms into multiple steps, event scheduling, advanced customization options for the appearance of your form & more.
Add-ons & membership discounts
While you can do a lot with our free core plugin, we offer over 40 add-ons that help you integrate with third-party services like email marketing tools, payment processors, CRM systems, and much more.
If you have a membership plan, we offer membership discounts for additional add-on purchases not included in your membership bundle. The Plus membership gives you a 20% discount on additional add-ons, the Pro membership gives you a 40% discount, and the Elite membership offers 100% off any future add-on we release.
Priority support
Paid Ninja Forms users receive priority support services from 9 am – 4 pm EST Monday through Friday. Our support team strives to answer requests in less than 8 operating business hours.
License with regular updates & improved code quality
Each Ninja Forms purchase comes with a license that can be used on the development and staging site at the same time. This license guarantees regular updates, new add-on features as they are developed, and improved code quality through ongoing maintenance, making the software more efficient, stable, and user-friendly.
Additionally, we fix any bugs or issues right away to keep everything running smoothly, and we make sure security updates are done on time to protect your data and systems.
Using add-ons with an expired license
You can use the add-ons on your WordPress forms with an expired license, however you will not be able to receive updates or support for the add-ons. As with any software, the longer it goes without an update, it increases the chances of running into functionality, compatibility, and security issues.
That’s it! We hope you understand the differences between using the free core Ninja Forms plugin and the paid version of Ninja Forms. If you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment below or contact our support team to get the clarification you need!
Free or paid, Ninja Forms always have your back!
Did you know? Before launching the Ninja Forms plugin in 2011, we struggled to find a form builder that met all our needs and supported the nonprofit we were working with. This challenge inspired us to create Ninja Forms, prioritizing people over profit.
We built Ninja Forms with users in mind, not for financial gain. That’s why, more than a decade later, we still offer support to free users and our free core plugin includes all the essential features you need to get started— or succeed in the long run. Download it for free here!
