Apply Online vs Forminator
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| Feature | Apply Online v2.7.1.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.1/5 Visit Details | Forminator v1.58.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.8/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 2,000+ | 600,000+ |
| Last updated | September 28, 2026 | October 14, 2026 |
| Editions | ApplyOnline · ApplyOnline add-ons ($) | Forminator · Forminator Pro ($) |
| 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 | Many form types, including polls and quizzes, in the free version; Stripe and PayPal payments included without Pro; Conditional logic, multi-step pages and uploads in the free version |
| Cons | Applicant tracking, conditional fields and captcha need paid add-ons; Email notifications rely on the host mail server | E-signatures and Stripe subscriptions need Pro; Premium integrations need a WPMU DEV membership; Pro upgrade prompts appear in the admin |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | — |
| Features (Form plugins checklist) | ||
| Drag-and-drop builder | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional logic | No | Yes |
| Multi-step forms | No | Yes |
| Payments | No | Yes |
| File upload | Yes | Yes |
| Calculations | No | Yes |
| 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 ($) | Polls with live results, Scored quizzes, Export of form entries, Abandoned form tracking, Form reports |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | — | Stripe, PayPal |
| CRM | — | HubSpot ($) |
| Marketing | — | Mailchimp ($) |
| Plugins | Polylang | — |
| Other | ApplyOnline add-on update server ($) | Google reCAPTCHA, Akismet |
| 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 | — | wpmudev.com, slack.com, mandrillapp.com, api.telegram.org, maker.ifttt.com, api.sendgrid.com, www.googleapis.com, www.gstatic.com, cloud.google.com, iamcredentials.googleapis.com, iamcredentials.universe, cloudresourcemanager.universe, app.hubspot.com, fonts.bunny.net, api.stripe.com |
| Shortcodes | 7 | — |