There’s no free version of Gravity Forms: you get the plugin by buying a license and downloading it from your Gravity Forms account. Once it’s installed, though, it keeps working without an active license. Your forms, entries and notifications all carry on. What you lose without a license is updates (including security fixes), the add-ons that come with each license level, and support.
Is There a Free Version or Free Trial?
No. Gravity Forms is paid only, with no free tier and no trial. Two things come close:
- The free online demo on the Gravity Forms website gives you a temporary WordPress site with Gravity Forms Elite installed, so you can build real forms before you buy.
- Refunds: you can request a refund within 30 days of a purchase, renewal or upgrade (approved at Gravity Forms’ discretion), so you can try it on your own site.
The cheapest license is Basic at $59 a year for one site. See Gravity Forms pricing: Basic vs Pro vs Elite for what each license includes.
What About “Free Download” Sites?
You’ll find sites offering Gravity Forms for free or for a few dollars. Gravity Forms is released under the GPL license, so passing the code around isn’t necessarily illegal, but those copies are a bad deal:
- They don’t get updates from Gravity Forms, so you miss security and compatibility fixes, or you depend on the reseller to keep up.
- You can’t be sure what’s been changed. “Nulled” plugins are a common way malware and spam links get onto WordPress sites.
- There’s no support, and most add-ons need a license key to download or update.
For a site that collects customer data or payments, the $59 is cheap insurance. If you need a free form plugin, use a free one rather than a modified copy of a paid one (see Gravity Forms alternatives).
Can You Use Gravity Forms Without a License Key?
Yes. After you install the plugin, the setup wizard asks for your license key, but you can skip that step and Gravity Forms works normally. It shows a reminder to register your copy, and here’s what you’re missing until you do:
| Without an active license | With an active license |
|---|---|
| Forms, entries, notifications and confirmations work | Same |
| No automatic updates | Updates, including security fixes, from your dashboard |
| Can’t install add-ons from the Add-On browser | All add-ons included with your license (Stripe from Pro, Webhooks and User Registration on Elite, and so on) |
| No support | Support tickets (priority support on Elite) |
What happens when a license expires?
The same as running without one: your forms keep working and your entries stay, but updates, add-on downloads and support stop until you renew. Running an old version for a long time is the real risk, so renew before you fall far behind, especially if you take payments.
Where to Download Gravity Forms After You Buy
- Log in to your account at account.gravity.com.
- Open your downloads and download the Gravity Forms plugin .zip. Your license key is in the same account.
- In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the .zip, install and activate it.
- Enter your license key in the setup wizard (or later under Forms → Settings). Add-ons can then be installed from Forms → Add-Ons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gravity Forms free?
No. Gravity Forms has no free version or trial. Licenses start at $59 a year, and there’s a free online demo and a 30-day refund policy.
Does Gravity Forms stop working when the license expires?
No. Your forms and entries keep working. You stop getting updates, add-on downloads and support until you renew.
Is it safe to download Gravity Forms from a GPL or nulled site?
It’s risky. Those copies don’t get official updates, can be modified to include malware or spam links, and come without support or add-on access.
Can I use one Gravity Forms license on several sites?
Basic covers 1 site, Pro covers 3 and Elite covers unlimited sites.
Need More Help?
If you still need help, use the chat or leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you.
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