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A cloud workflow platform versus a WordPress plugin. One runs anywhere, the other runs your WordPress site. Here is where each one wins.
Gravity Forms wins if you live inside WordPress and need unlimited submissions, deep WP integration, and developer-level extensibility. Jotform wins if you need HIPAA, work outside WordPress, or want a platform that does more than forms.
Gravity Forms is a WordPress plugin. It installs on your self-hosted WordPress site, stores data in your database, and gives you unlimited submissions with no monthly caps. For agencies managing many WordPress sites, the Elite license at $259/yr for unlimited sites is a serious value.
Jotform is a cloud platform. No WordPress required, no server to maintain, no plugin updates to manage. It runs anywhere and comes with payments, approvals, e-signatures, HIPAA, Tables, Apps, and 150+ integrations out of the box.
The honest split: if WordPress is your home and you need deep site integration, Gravity Forms. If you need a form that works everywhere, takes payments, routes approvals, or handles PHI, Jotform.
| Dimension | Jotform | Gravity Forms | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for 5 forms and 100 submissions/mo; Bronze from $34/mo ($408/yr) | Basic $59/yr (1 site), Pro $159/yr (3 sites), Elite $259/yr (unlimited sites). No free plan. | Competitor |
| Platform | Cloud SaaS. Works on any website, any platform, or standalone. Zero server management. | WordPress plugin only. Requires self-hosted WordPress. No Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or static site support. | Jotform |
| Submission limits | Capped per plan: 100/mo on Free, 1K on Bronze, 10K on Silver, 100K on Gold. | Unlimited on all plans. Limited only by your server. | Competitor |
| Payments | 40+ gateways: Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, ACH. | 5 gateways on Pro+: Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mollie. No Apple Pay, Authorize.net, or Venmo native. | Jotform |
| HIPAA / compliance | HIPAA on Gold ($79/mo). Signed BAA included. End-to-end encryption. | No native HIPAA. Requires third-party add-on plus compliant hosting. No BAA from Gravity Forms. | Jotform |
| Integrations | 150+ native integrations on all paid plans. Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Teams. | ~40 add-ons, tiered by license. Salesforce locked to Elite. Zapier locked to Pro+. | Jotform |
| Workflow automation | Jotform Workflows built in: approvals, routing, assignments, PDFs, e-signatures. | Requires Gravity Flow ($59+/yr) for approvals. Basic email routing only without it. | Jotform |
| WordPress integration | Embed via iframe or script. No access to WordPress user roles, post types, or custom fields. | Deep integration: user registration, post creation, custom post types, WooCommerce hooks. 500+ WP actions/filters. | Competitor |
| Reporting | Visual report builder, Jotform Tables (spreadsheet/database), charts, analytics. | Entries view in WordPress admin. No visual reports. Export to CSV and build your own. | Jotform |
| Developer extensibility | REST API, webhooks, Zapier. Limited compared to plugin-level access. | Full add-on framework, 500+ WordPress hooks, REST API, direct database access. Maximum developer control. | Competitor |
I built inside Jotform for nearly five years. The WordPress vs SaaS question is the real decision, not feature checklists. If WordPress is your stack and you have a developer who can maintain it, Gravity Forms at $259/yr for unlimited sites is hard to beat on price.
But I have seen too many projects where the WordPress plugin ecosystem becomes a liability. Plugin conflicts, PHP updates breaking forms, hosting downtime during peak submission windows. Jotform absorbs all of that. You pay more, but you ship faster and sleep better.
HIPAA is the dealbreaker. Gravity Forms has no native HIPAA compliance. You need a third-party add-on, compliant hosting, and you still will not get a BAA from Gravity Forms itself. Jotform Gold at $79/mo gives you HIPAA with a signed BAA on day one. For healthcare practices, this is not optional.
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View kitFor most use cases outside WordPress, yes. Jotform works everywhere, offers HIPAA, built-in workflows, 40+ payment gateways, and visual reporting. Gravity Forms is better if WordPress is your only platform and you need deep WP integration, unlimited submissions, and developer extensibility.
Not natively. There is a third-party add-on, but Gravity Forms itself does not provide a BAA or guarantee HIPAA compliance. You also need compliant WordPress hosting. Jotform Gold includes HIPAA with a signed BAA at $79/mo.
At the entry level, yes. Gravity Forms Basic is $59/yr for one site. Jotform Bronze is $408/yr. But for agencies, Gravity Forms Elite at $259/yr for unlimited sites is dramatically cheaper per site than Jotform. The tradeoff is features: Jotform includes workflows, e-signatures, Tables, Apps, and 150+ integrations that Gravity Forms does not.
No. Gravity Forms is a WordPress plugin. It requires a self-hosted WordPress installation. If your site is on Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or a static site, Gravity Forms will not work. Jotform runs anywhere.
Not built in. You need Gravity Flow, a separate product at $59+/yr, for approval workflows, task routing, and conditional notifications. Jotform includes workflows on all paid plans.
Gravity Forms stores everything on your server, which gives you full data ownership. Jotform stores data on Google Cloud/AWS, and you can export anytime. For some organizations, on-premise data is a hard requirement, and that favors Gravity Forms.
Free 20-minute call. Describe what you're trying to do and I'll tell you straight which tool is the right choice - even when it isn't Jotform.