The original FormMail processed HTML forms and sent results via email. Today, form backends and services offer enhanced security and features.
Form Processing
A secure form-to-email script written from scratch with security in mind. Regular updates, extensive documentation.
Rewritten version of classic CGI scripts by London Perl Mongers. Security-focused, drop-in replacement for original FormMail.
The classic email creation and transfer library for PHP. SMTP support, attachments, HTML emails. Used by WordPress, Drupal, and millions of projects.
Modern PHP email library. Supports all transports (SMTP, sendmail, API). Built-in templating, async sending, high deliverability.
Basic PHP contact form tutorials and ready-to-use scripts. Good starting point for simple websites without frameworks.
Form backend for static sites. Just point your form action to Formspree and receive submissions via email. AJAX support, spam filtering.
Form backend platform with file uploads, integrations (Slack, Zapier), and analytics. Works with any frontend framework.
Form API for developers. Email notifications, file uploads, spam protection, webhooks. Free tier includes 100 submissions/month.
Free form API with unlimited submissions. No signup required, just use your access key. reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha support.
Most popular WordPress contact form plugin. Free, flexible, extensible.
Drag & drop form builder. Free lite version, premium features available.
Premium form builder with advanced features, conditional logic, payments.
User-friendly form builder with free core and paid add-ons.
| Feature | Original FormMail | Modern Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Vulnerable | Hardened |
| Spam protection | None | CAPTCHA/AI |
| File uploads | No | Yes |
| Validation | Basic | Advanced |
| AJAX submit | No | Yes |
| Integrations | Email only | Slack, CRM, etc. |
| Analytics | None | Submission tracking |
Drop-in replacement: Tectite FormMail
Static sites: Formspree or Web3Forms
PHP projects: PHPMailer
WordPress: Contact Form 7