Apply Online vs Fluent Forms
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Apply Online v2.7.1.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.1/5 Visit Details | Fluent Forms v6.2.16 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.8/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 2,000+ | 800,000+ |
| Last updated | September 28, 2026 | October 16, 2026 |
| Editions | ApplyOnline · ApplyOnline add-ons ($) | Fluent Forms · Fluent Forms Pro ($) |
| Pros | Drag-and-drop application form builder with file attachment fields; Several ad types, each with its own shortcode; Dedicated manager role for reviewing applications | Conditional fields in the free version; reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha and Turnstile spam protection; Entries and reports kept in wp-admin |
| Cons | Applicant tracking, conditional fields and captcha need paid add-ons; Email notifications rely on the host mail server | Payments need the Pro add-on; Calculation fields are shown as Pro features; Tracking is an opt-in notice on first use |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | — |
| Features (Form plugins checklist) | ||
| Drag-and-drop builder | Yes | — |
| Conditional logic | No | Yes |
| Multi-step forms | No | — |
| Payments | No | Paid |
| File upload | Yes | — |
| Calculations | No | Paid |
| Entries in admin | Yes | Yes |
| Spam protection | No | Yes |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Multiple ad types with their own filters, Shortcodes for ad archive, single ad and form, Email notification to recipients on new application, Application manager capability set, Security nonce on application forms, Attachment links on applications, Paid add-on updates through a licence key ($) | Conditional field logic, Entries list in wp-admin, Form reports page, reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha and Turnstile modules, Payment module (Pro) ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | — | Stripe ($) |
| — | Mailchimp | |
| Plugins | Polylang | — |
| Other | ApplyOnline add-on update server ($) | Google reCAPTCHA, Cloudflare Turnstile, hCaptcha |
| Requires WordPress | 5.0 | 6.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | Only if you agree |
| External services | — | hooks.slack.com, challenges.cloudflare.com, www.google.com, js.hcaptcha.com, ipinfo.io, apip.cc, api.cleantalk.org, moderate.cleantalk.org, fluentform.com |
| Blocks | — | 1 |
| Shortcodes | 7 | 2 |