Free version = GREAT! Paid version = HORRIBLE!

Long-time user of the free VFB plugin here – which is awesome. If you don’t have needs for any of the “features” of the Pro version, like being able to use the Payments add-on, then by all means use the free version and have fun.

A while ago I found a need for a couple of my sites to just do some basic processing through PayPal…which you can do with the Pro version and that add-on. I was so freaking happy with the free version that I didn’t even think twice – I just threw my money at VFB Pro and went about my stuff.

Then I discovered that the “pro” version is considerably behind the free version in many respects. Things that are easy to do in the free version are difficult or flat-out impossible in the pro version. The pro version is buggy and glitchy – the free version, as far as I can tell, is perfect. And there’s blindingly-obvious functionality missing from the “pro” version too. For example, you can’t do math. At all. Not even with the payments add-on. The “rules” bit allows you to ONLY make rules about hiding or showing something…nothing else. And if you want to apply such a hide/show rule to a group of ten fields, guess what? YOU CAN’T! Why? Well, because there are no such things as groups in the pro version, even though there is in the free version!

In fairness, I did get some help one some issues I raised. But on the whole I can’t possibly imagine providing a paid-for product that is worse than the free version. I am flabbergasted at the lack of functionality of the paid product. Oh, and they have apparently deleted all the content from the support forums too – which you couldn’t even see unless you paid for the product and logged in. Nor can you create new posts in the support forums.

So…as noted above, if you needs are suited to the free version, be my guest. It’s a great product. If you think you need the Pro version, my advice to you is to RUN LIKE HELL.