GF Live Summary and GP Preview Submission stand out as two remarkable third-party add-ons that enhance the capabilities of the already powerful and renowned WordPress form builder, Gravity Forms.
Of course, while both plugins boast excellent submission preview capabilities, through their unique differences, they also accommodate distinct use cases.
In this article, we’ll delve into a detailed comparison of these plugins, exploring their features, functionality, pricing, and more. Continue reading to discover which preview submission plugin best suits your Gravity Forms project.
A Side-by-side Comparison
In the following quick side-by-side comparison, we’ll mention the key features of both plugins, highlighting their respective strengths and functionalities in a table to help you in determining which option best suits your needs.
| Key Features | Live Summary | Preview Submission |
|---|---|---|
| Add real time submission preview to your gravity forms | ✅ | ❌ |
| Has a user interface to configure your preview | ✅ | ❌ |
| Display a cart like summary next to your form | ✅ | ❌ |
| Use mergetags in HTML fields of multi step forms | ✅ | ✅ |
| Use mergetags in HTML fields of single step forms | ❌ | ✅ |
| Use mergetags as default values for fields | ❌ | ✅ |
| Use the same summary after submission | ✅ | ❌ |
| Gravity Forms ecosystem integration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Display Images in the summary | ❌ | ✅ |
| Display Jetsloth choice images in summary | ✅ | ❌ |
Live Summary Plugin – Key Features
The Live Summary for Gravity Forms Plugin aims to improve the GF user experience by providing users with real-time confirmation and review as they complete a form.
It generates live summaries dynamically, displaying inputted values in a responsive grid next to, or inside the form. As a result, this helps users confirm their entries and make sure that they achieve accuracy in form submissions.
Preview Submission Plugin – Key Features
The Preview Submission Plugin by Gravity Wiz is another brilliant Gravity Forms plugin focused on enabling users to preview their form entries before the final submission.
It is a great solution that provides a simple submission preview, allowing customers to confirm the information is correct before submitting the form.
User Interface and ease of usage
Throughout this section, we’ll explore the UI and customization capabilities of each plugin in detail, highlighting their unique features and functionalities to assist you in the GF form-building experience.
Live Summary UI
The live summary plugin adds a settings page to every form containing an extensive array of customization options conveniently accessible within the familiar Gravity Forms interface, you can configure all parts of your live form previews, all without the need for any coding skills whatsoever.
You can rearrange fields with a simple drag-and-drop interface, making sure that the summary flows logically and is easy to follow. It is that simple.
Other notable customizations include
- Dynamic Sidebar Summary: Configure a dynamic live summary layout directly next to your form using an intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
- Select Fields to Show: Tailor the information displayed in the summary to match the customers’ specific needs.
- Sticky on Scroll: Keep the summary visible and accessible for users during long scrolls as they complete the form.
- Customization Options: Control the appearance of the sidebar summary and adjust its position with a preferred width, personalizing it to your website’s design.
- Tailored Summary Views: Create multiple summaries within a single form and configure them to display specific sets of fields, ideally for complex forms.
- Conditional Logic Mastery: Use conditional logic to control the live summary content, allowing you to showcase relevant information based on user selections.
- Perfect for Multi-Page Forms: Streamline the user journey by embedding live summaries at the end of each page of multiple-section forms.
- Confirmation and Notification Integration: Use the {live_summary} merge tag to embed side or field summaries into your confirmation and notification emails.
Preview Submission UI
The Preview Submission addon takes a slightly different approach when it comes to UI and customization, replacing the traditional drag-and-drop customization features in favor of utilizing HTML fields with mergetags.
The example above shows a merge tag {all_fields} being used in an HTML field. On the frontend this will display an overview of the entered values of the user.
NOTE: This functionality is also present in the Live Summary plugin, but with a slight twist. In the Live Summary plugin, HTML fields are limited to multi-step forms, whereas the Preview Submission plugin accommodates both single and multi-step forms.
Submission Preview Placement / Location
When it comes to displaying submission previews, the Preview Submission and Live Summary plugins for Gravity Forms take distinct approaches. Let’s delve into their placement options and see which plugin best suits your needs.
Live Summary Placement
The Live Summary for Gravity Forms plugin allows you to configure and display live summaries anywhere on your page, next to the form, as a field within the form, as well as in confirmation and notification emails.
Option 1: next to form
Say you want to create a seamless seamless shopping cart experience for your customers. With the Live summary plugin this is just a matter of a few clicks. This eliminates any potential checkout confusions, leading to increased conversions, reduced customer frustration, and fewer returns as a result.
Option 2: Anywhere in the form
Use the Live Summary field and add it to your form, as many times as you like. In a multistep form you could create a preview at the bottom of that step so the user can confirm before proceeding to the next step of the form.
Option 3: In confirmations and notifications
Use the {live_summary} merge tag to embed side summaries into your confirmation and notification emails. Each summary field also has its own mergetag and these can be used like any other field mergetag.
Key Features:
- Effortless Product Display: The products and their options are displayed directly within the order form, creating a clear and cohesive shopping experience.
- Real-time Subtotal Calculation: The subtotal for orders is automatically calculated, reflecting any changes before reaching the final checkout stage.
- Comprehensive Summary Calculations: Calculating the total cost for each summary, ensuring precise pricing information for complex orders.
- Pricing Field Compatibility: Integrating with every Gravity Forms pricing field, creating compatibility with your current setup.
- Global Currency Support: Supporting all currencies within Gravity Forms, allowing you to offer products to a broader audience.
- Organized Product Table: Presenting products in a clear and concise format within a single table, providing a clean and easy-to-read order overview.
Preview Submission Placement
Through its HTML fields and mergetags capabilities, the Preview Submission plugin uses the fields as containers for displaying information, with the HTML field displaying the information it’s programmed to show at the time of form submission preview.
Key Features:
- Personalized Summaries: Leverage the power of entry-based merge tags within the content of your HTML fields, you can dynamically populate summaries with specific user-entered data, creating a personalized and informative preview.
- Flexible Data Display: Utilize various merge tags to showcase different aspects of submitted information. This could include individual field values, section summaries, or even the entire form data using the {all_fields} tag.
- Effortless Data Flow: For multi-page forms, this plugin allows you to seamlessly populate fields on later pages with data entered on previous pages.
Mergetags Support
Mergetags play a crucial role in customizing and enhancing form previews, allowing users to see dynamic data representations before submitting their entries. While both plugins provide support for mergetags on the front-end of the form, they differ in their capabilities and functionalities.
Live Summary Mergetags Support
We’ve already established that both the Live Summary and Preview Submission plugins support the display of mergetag values on the frontend of the form.
However, the key difference here is that the Live Summary plugin, with its built-in custom mergetags only supports this in multi-step forms whereas the preview submission can handle both single and multi-step forms. The {all_fields} merge tag is also supported, and you can simply add it to a HTML field and save the form.
Current Limitations:
- The merge tags refresh only upon page transition, making them ideal for the final page of a multi-page form. We’re actively developing an enhanced iteration that updates them in real-time as users input data on the same page.
- Please note, this feature doesn’t align with the live merge tags functionality of the Gravity Wizz Populate Anything add-on. If you intend to utilize live merge tags from GW, you’ll need to deactivate the merge tag support of this plugin.
Preview Submission Mergetags Support
As we’ve already mentioned above, The Preview Submission add-on for Gravity Forms breaks the mold when it comes to customizing form previews, embracing the power of HTML fields and mergetags to provide you with a granular control over what users see before submitting.
The HTML fields act as canvases, and merge tags are your paintbrush. This merge tag dynamically pulls data and populates the default value in the preview field. This means you can create dynamic previews regardless of your form’s structure.
Current Limitations
When using Gravity Forms Preview Submission alongside Page Transitions, submission previews won’t function properly if Soft Validation is activated.
Integrations
Both the Live Summary and Preview Submission plugins boast a strong track record, having been around for years and facing the real-world test alongside a multitude of Gravity Forms add-ons. This brings peace of mind, knowing they’ll play nicely with the tools you already use.
Shared Compatibility
Both plugins integrate seamlessly with a range of popular Gravity Forms extensions, including:
- GP Populate Anything: Effortlessly pre-populate form fields with dynamic data using this powerful add-on.
- GP eCommerce Fields: Craft a smooth e-commerce experience with these specialized fields.
- GS Product Configurator: Elevate your product offerings with the ability to configure products directly within your forms.
- Coupons: Implement enticing coupon functionalities to boost conversions.
These integrations ensure a cohesive workflow within your Gravity Forms environment, regardless of which plugin you choose.
Unique Integrations
While there’s a significant overlap of integrations, there are some integrations that are unique only for the Live Summary plugin:
- EU VAT: Streamline VAT calculations specifically for users in the European Union.
- Jetsloth Image Choices: Enhance your forms with interactive image selection options.
Pricing
The Live Summary Plugin has a Free and a Pro version. The free version can be found on the wordpress.org repository and supports a limited number of field types.
The Pro Live Summary plugin comes with flexible Annual and Lifetime pricing options starting from $49/year and $135 respectively, to cater to your specific needs.
The GP Preview Submission add-on is part of the Gravity Perks suite by Gravity Wiz. It has no free version and a single website license will set you back about $59. Only annual licenses are offered.
The Developers and Support
When it comes to plugin support, both Live Summary and Preview Submission are backed by experienced Gravity Forms developers. This ensures you have access to a wealth of knowledge and assistance should you encounter any bumps along the road.
Whichever plugin you choose, you can rest assured that exceptional support is just a ticket away. Both developer teams are dedicated to user satisfaction and go the extra mile to ensure your GF success.
Geek on the Road: Top-Notch Support with Extended Hours
The Live Summary plugin is crafted by the team behind Geek on the Road. We offer excellent support, with a typical response time of 24 hours or less for your inquiries.
We provide assistance 7 days a week, which can be a lifesaver if you encounter an issue outside of traditional business hours.
Gravity Wiz: Renowned Expertise at Your Fingertips
The Preview Submission add-on is proudly developed by Gravity Wiz, a household name in the Gravity Forms community. Their Perks Suite houses a collection of powerful tools, and Preview Submission is just one of the gems you’ll find there.
Gravity Wiz is renowned for its exceptional support. Their team of experts typically responds to support tickets within 24 hours, ensuring you get the help you need swiftly.
While weekdays are their primary support window, they do offer occasional weekend support depending on availability. For the latest updates on support hours, you can visit their website.
Conclusion
When we compare the Live Summary for Gravity Forms and Preview Submission, it is evident that both plugins offer compelling features to enhance the user experience and accuracy of form submissions.
If you’re looking for a plugin that provides real-time confirmation and review for users as they complete a form, Live Summary for Gravity Forms is the way to go.
Its dynamic sidebar summary, customizable field selection, sticky scroll feature, and integration with confirmation and notification emails make it a powerful tool for creating engaging and accurate form experiences.
On the other hand, if you prioritize dynamic HTML field content and pre-population features designed to improve accuracy and confidence in form submissions, then Preview Submission could be more convenient for you.
Ultimately, the key is to select the plugin that aligns most closely with your specific requirements and objectives, maximizing the potential of your Gravity Forms.