Gravity Forms alternative: a full comparison
Gravity Forms and Deoochform side by side: self hosted WordPress plugin vs. hosted SaaS, license pricing, and native AI/MCP vs. an unofficial add on.
By the Deoochform teamUpdated
Gravity Formsisn't really a competitor to a hosted form builder. It's a WordPress plugin, so the honest comparison depends on whether you already run WordPress. If you do, Gravity Forms is a mature, well supported choice with genuinely unlimited forms and submissions, because everything lives in your own database. If you don't run WordPress, Deoochform gets you a form live in minutes with no hosting, no plugin updates, and no site to secure.
License and plan pricing, side by side
| Gravity Forms Basic | Deoochform Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59/year (1 site) + your own hosting | Free |
| Forms / submissions | Unlimited (your own database) | 5 forms, 100 total submissions |
| Setup | WordPress install, hosting, plugin | Sign up, build, publish |
| Conditional logic | Included | Included |
| Payment fields | Not included (needs Pro, $159/yr) | Included |
| AI form builder | Not available | Included |
| MCP connector (Claude, ChatGPT) | Unofficial (GravityKit, third party) | Native, included |
Where Gravity Forms is the better fit
- You already run WordPress. Deep integration with your existing theme, users, and other plugins beats anything hosted elsewhere.
- You want data ownership and no submission cap, ever. Entries live in your own database. There's no monthly limit to hit because there's no external service metering it.
- A one time-feeling annual license.$59/year for one site is cheap if you're not paying for hosting separately already.
Where Deoochform is the better fit
- You don't have (or want) a WordPress site. No hosting, no plugin updates, no server to secure, just a form.
- Payment fields without a second license. Included free; Gravity Forms asks $159/year (Pro) for Stripe.
- Building forms from a prompt, and a native, supported MCP connector.Deooch ships and maintains its own; Gravity Forms' AI access depends on an unofficial community project.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Gravity Forms free?
- No. Gravity Forms is a paid WordPress plugin. The Basic license is $59/year for one site (currently discounted to $44/year) and doesn't include payment add ons. You also need your own WordPress installation and hosting; the license is only for the plugin.
- Does Gravity Forms have conditional logic?
- Yes, on every license including Basic. It's a core plugin feature, not a paid add on. That's not something Deoochform beats it on; both include conditional logic at the entry tier.
- Does Gravity Forms have an AI form builder or connect to Claude and ChatGPT?
- No first party AI builder or MCP server from Gravity Forms itself. GravityKit publishes an unofficial, free, open source MCP server that connects Claude or Cursor to a self hosted Gravity Forms site over its REST API. It works, but it's a third party project, not something Gravity Forms ships or maintains.