{"id":184555,"date":"2020-02-12T01:27:59","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T01:27:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/premium.wpmudev.org\/blog\/?p=184555"},"modified":"2020-02-10T22:08:26","modified_gmt":"2020-02-10T22:08:26","slug":"installing-a-free-wordpress-calculator-plugin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/installing-a-free-wordpress-calculator-plugin\/","title":{"rendered":"Installing A Free WordPress Calculator Plugin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you&#8217;re looking to create sophisticated calculations for your visitors, or simply work out the cost of an order &#8211; a calculator plugin can be worth its weight in gold. In this post, we\u2019re putting some of WP\u2019s best number crunchers to the test.<\/p>\n<p>If your website needs to provide calculations, you can bet there\u2019s a free WordPress plugin out there to help you do it.<\/p>\n<p>Many calculation plugins can also be used in combination with third-party apps, giving you access to thousands of extra features and options.<\/p>\n<p>All adding up to\u2026 (adding machine noises)&#8230; an amazing website!<\/p>\n<p>Today I\u2019m showing you several free calculator plugins and how they can all help in different circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of this article, you should hopefully have enough data to crunch the numbers for yourself and work out what\u2019s best for you.<\/p>\n<p>Just please be gentle when punching the numbers in (unlike Dev Man below).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184534 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Dev-Man-punching-calculator-nate-fakes.jpeg\" alt=\"Dev Man with a calculator, about to punch it, because of WordPress Calculator Plugin.\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This calculator\u2019s numbers might be up.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We\u2019ll look at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you need a calculator plugin?<\/li>\n<li>Several specific options (and their uses)<\/li>\n<li>Using Forminator for calculations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Speaking of <a href=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/forminator-1-7-release\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forminator<\/a>, it\u2019s our own form plugin (with calculations) here at WPMU DEV and later on in the article we\u2019ll take you through a complete tutorial, showing you how to set up basic calculations for your site-forms.<\/p>\n<h3>Would it make a nice addition (or subtraction) to my website?<\/h3>\n<p>It depends on what users want to calculate on your website. You can solve this problem by factoring in your market needs.<\/p>\n<p>Chances are you\u2019ll need one, or could benefit from one if you have a website for any of these categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mortgages<\/li>\n<li>Financial loans<\/li>\n<li>Debt Reduction<\/li>\n<li>Student Loans<\/li>\n<li>Weight-loss<\/li>\n<li>Math<\/li>\n<li>Travel<\/li>\n<li>Statistics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even websites for a Zodiac, love calculator, or \u2013 if you\u2019re a doomsday prepper &#8212; countdown clock until the end of the world (<em>yikes!<\/em>), could all benefit from having a calculation plugin.<\/p>\n<h2>Adding Up Your Options<\/h2>\n<p>WordPress has some very specific plugins for various calculations.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you have a mortgage company, and your visitors need to calculate a mortgage payment, a good option is the<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/responsive-mortgage-calculator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Responsive Mortgage Calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184548 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/responsive-mortgage-calculator-homepage.png\" alt=\"Responsive Mortgage Calculator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"303\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Need to allow visitors to calculate their mortgage payments? This calculator plugin is a great choice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s a free jQuery widget and shortcode that\u2019s made to easily fit into any theme, on any device, at any size. It\u2019s made for any real estate agent that is constantly on the move showing properties.<\/p>\n<p>The plugin relies on<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlcalc.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> www.mlcalc.com<\/a> service to show the calculation results and you must agree to its terms of use.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the features that are included in this are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Price of the home<\/li>\n<li>Interest rate (fixed rate)<\/li>\n<li>Selectable payment period<\/li>\n<li>Amortization period<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184611\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184611 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Example-of-responsive-mortgage-calculator.png\" alt=\"Example of responsive mortgage calculator wordpress plugin.\" width=\"600\" height=\"493\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An example of the mortgage calculator.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can also select the interest rate compounding period for your region, set a fixed payment period, and add your CSS classes.<\/p>\n<p>Get the Responsive<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/responsive-mortgage-calculator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Mortgage Calculator here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Doing some (number) crunches?<\/h3>\n<p>Are you a personal trainer? Have a weight-loss service? Well, a BMI calculator might be a perfect inclusion on your website to do the heavy lifting.<\/p>\n<p>A simple, free option is the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/bmi-calculator-shortcode\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">BMI Calculator Plugin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184528 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/BMI-calculator-plugin-homepage.png\" alt=\"BMI calculator homepage.\" width=\"600\" height=\"327\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The BMI Calculator plugin helps with all of your heavy (number) crunching.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was created so you can include a body mass index calculator to your blog by using [bmi] shortcode.<\/p>\n<p>It has three built-in styles:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Material Design<\/li>\n<li>Bootstrap<\/li>\n<li>Default (your own theme\u2019s style)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"image-grid cgrid-row\">\n<div class=\"cgrid-col cgrid-col-span-full\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_184612\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184612 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Example-of-BMI-Calculator-plugin.png\" alt=\"BMI calculator example.\" width=\"600\" height=\"265\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Example of the BMI calculator.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Overall, it\u2019s simple to implement\/ install, and enables BMI calculations as advertised.<\/p>\n<p>Get the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/bmi-calculator-shortcode\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">BMI Calculator Plugin here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And then there\u2019s also the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/cc-bmi-calculator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CC BMI Calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184530\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184530\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/CC-BMI-Calcualator.png\" alt=\"CC BMI Calculator homepage.\" width=\"600\" height=\"302\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CC BMI Calculator homepage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This free plugin can calculate in imperial or metric units.<\/p>\n<p>The calculator itself is also highly customizable. There are options to change the color of the background, borders, and text. This is nice so that you can adjust accordingly to match your website\u2019s theme.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184613\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184613 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Example-of-cc-bmi-calculator.png\" alt=\"Example of the CC BMI Calculator wordpress plugin.\" width=\"600\" height=\"475\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Example of the CC BMI Calculator.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It can be placed on the sidebar as a widget or incorporated into any post or page with its shortcode.<\/p>\n<p>Get the<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/cc-bmi-calculator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> CC BMI Calculator Plugin here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Because I\u2019m Free. Free Formin\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Another great option for a free calculator plugin is our very own four-eyed friend, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/forminator\/\" target=\"_blank\">Forminator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184539\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184539\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/forminator-image.png\" alt=\"Forminator image.\" width=\"600\" height=\"502\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Hi.&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wordpress-form-plugin-forminator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We have to talk about him<\/a>, because a lot of calculations, forms, checkout processes, and more can be all achieved with his help, all in one place. And he\u2019s an all-around nice guy, too.<\/p>\n<h3>What exactly is Forminator (and what does it have to do with a WordPress calculator)?<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s a completely expandable form builder plugin. You can create service estimators, registration forms, and it comes with payment options for customers, such as PayPal and Stripe.<\/p>\n<p>Forminator also makes it easy by including drag and drop blocks. You can rearrange and adjust however you\u2019d like by simply moving the blocks around in Forminator\u2019s dashboard.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s really great is integration. You can integrate your calculator, and form, with 1000-plus apps, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/zapier.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zapier<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/trello.com\/en-US\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trello<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchimp.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MailChimp<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hubspot<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/sheets\/about\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Google Sheets<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/slack.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Slack<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n<h3>He can get the calculations done.<\/h3>\n<p>There are thousands of combinations for adding value to your site with Forminator. For example, you can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sell a tee shirt with size, color, prices, and tax variations<\/li>\n<li>Add a BMI and\/or calorie intake calculator<\/li>\n<li>Create a loan calculator and embed it on your site<\/li>\n<li>Include a quote or service<\/li>\n<li>Add registration forms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Computing Whether To Use Or Not?<\/h3>\n<p>To help you decide Forminator is the way to go for your calculator plugin. Here\u2019s a small step-by-step example of what he can do&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say you want to sell a new <strong>comic book<\/strong>. It\u2019s an action-packed comic that features all of our superheroes here on WPMU DEV.<\/p>\n<p>First off, as avid superhero fans, we love that idea! Second of all, you need to have a calculation of the different books.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s the <strong>regular one<\/strong> that is priced at $3.99, the <strong>deluxe edition<\/strong>, priced at $5.99, and then the <strong>autographed version <\/strong>(signed by Dev Man himself), priced at $10.99.<\/p>\n<p>The first step is to install<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/forminator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Forminator for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184538\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/forminator-landing-page.png\" alt=\"Landing page for Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Forminator dashboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Once you have it installed and activated, go to the Forminator dashboard. You\u2019ll notice that you have three options:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Forms<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Polls<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Quizzes<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184550\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184550\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/options-for-forminator.png\" alt=\"Forminator dashboard.\" width=\"600\" height=\"326\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Forminator dashboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since you need a calculating form for sales, you\u2019d want to go with a regular form. Go to Forms and hit \u2018<strong>Create<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>This will then take you to a template option. You\u2019ll create one from scratch, so hit the \u2018<strong>Blank<\/strong>\u2019 option. From there, hit \u2018<strong>Continue<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184531\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184531\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/choose-a-template-forminator.png\" alt=\"Choose a template.\" width=\"600\" height=\"638\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some temp(late)ting choices.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Next, you\u2019ll be prompted to name the form.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184537\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184537\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/enter-name-forminator.png\" alt=\"Enter a name in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"640\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fitting name for this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After hitting \u2018<strong>Create<\/strong>\u2019, you\u2019ll be in the Edit Form dashboard.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184536\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184536\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/edit-form-forminator.png\" alt=\"Edit form in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Edit Form dashboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is where you can add all the information needed and create a form for anyone that would love to order a comic book.<\/p>\n<p>Say you\u2019re going to charge them on the spot and <a href=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/ecommerce-shipping-plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ship it to them<\/a>. If that\u2019s the case, you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Name<\/li>\n<li>Address<\/li>\n<li>Email<\/li>\n<li>Phone number<\/li>\n<li>Comic book options<\/li>\n<li>Payment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A great thing about Forminator is you can choose to have the customer purchase right there on the spot with PayPal or Stripe at no cost. (When we mentioned this was a free plugin, that means for everything.)<\/p>\n<p>Click the \u2018<strong>Insert Fields<\/strong>\u2019 to get all of the information in one place.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184547\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184547\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/insert-fields-forminator.png\" alt=\"Insert fields area in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"353\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click the purple button.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll see that most of the field types are already ready to go!<\/p>\n<p>Pick and choose the options by clicking on them. Once you do, they\u2019ll turn blue and have a little checkmark on the upper-right hand side of them. You can click several at once.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184546\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184546\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/insert-field-options-highlighted-forminator.png\" alt=\"Insert fields options in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"660\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">All of the boxes in blue are the selected ones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now, click \u2018<strong>Insert Fields<\/strong>\u2019 and then you\u2019ll see that it\u2019s all compiled for you under the WPMU DEV Comic Book.<\/p>\n<p>You can rearrange these blocks however you\u2019d like. It\u2019s a simple drag-and-drop method. For this example, we\u2019ll have it as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Name<\/li>\n<li>Address<\/li>\n<li>Phone<\/li>\n<li>Email Address<\/li>\n<li>Select<\/li>\n<li>Credit\/Debit Card<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-184553 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/showing-all-fields-in-form-forminator.png\" alt=\"Showing all fields in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"391\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can see all of your preferences on this screen. You can drag-and-drop here and arrange any way you want.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>What you\u2019ll do now is edit the \u2018<strong>Select\u2019 <\/strong>box. You can see that, if you wanted to, you could duplicate or delete it here, too.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184535\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/edit-field-forminator.png\" alt=\"Edit field in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"393\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The drop-down occurs when clicking on the block.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Click \u2018<strong>Edit Field<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Once here, you\u2019ll choose what type you\u2019ll want for this form,<strong> Single<\/strong> or <strong>Multiple<\/strong>. Go with <strong>Single<\/strong>. We\u2019ll also add a label, description, and then below that, you\u2019ll see <strong>Options<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-grid cgrid-row\">\n<div class=\"cgrid-col cgrid-col-span-full\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_184549\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184549\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/options-forminator.png\" alt=\"Option area in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"693\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Options area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There are only two options by default. We need three (remember, we have that amazing signed edition that will be available).<\/p>\n<p>Just click the \u2018Add Option\u2019 button below and it will add a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> option.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll notice a <strong>Calculations<\/strong> tab. Here is where, if you\u2019d like, you can add calculations to each option.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184529\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/calculations-forminator.png\" alt=\"Calculations value page for Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"694\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can specify the exact calculations needed here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The calculations must be a numeric value only.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184603\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184603\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/calculations-field-forminator.png\" alt=\"Calculations field in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"633\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An example of adding numeric values to the calculations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To get the calculations to function, add <strong>Calculations<\/strong> to your form.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184605\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/calculations-tab-forminator.png\" alt=\"Calculations tab in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"623\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Calculations option.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then, you can go into it and add formulas for specific needs. In this example, we&#8217;ll add one for a sum. You can also use &#8211; \/ * etc.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184606\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184606\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/calculations-sum-forminator.png\" alt=\"Sum formula example.\" width=\"600\" height=\"610\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Example of a sum formula.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The calculations will then work with your Fields.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-grid cgrid-row\">\n<div class=\"cgrid-col cgrid-col-span-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-184607\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/calculations-example.png\" alt=\"Post image\" aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"600\" height=\"633\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Calculations can be adjusted accordingly to your use. You can add sales tax, discounts, and more.<\/p>\n<p>You can also adjust the <strong>Settings<\/strong>, <strong>Styling<\/strong>, and <strong>Visibility<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have everything set up the way you want, you\u2019ll need to connect a payment option with Forminator, since something is being sold. Let\u2019s go with <strong>Stripe<\/strong>. If you don\u2019t have a Stripe account, it\u2019s easy to set up and you can <a href=\"https:\/\/stripe.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You do this in the <strong>Settings<\/strong> area.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184532\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184532\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/connect-to-stripe-or-paypal-forminator.png\" alt=\"Settings area for Stripe and PayPal in Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"394\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Settings option for Stripe and PayPal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184551\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184551\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/not-connected-to-stripe-forminator.png\" alt=\"Not connected to Stripe settings screen.\" width=\"600\" height=\"734\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">It will tell you if you\u2019re connected to Stripe or not.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll simply log in to Stripe, and copy and paste your <strong>Publishable Key<\/strong> and <strong>Secret Key<\/strong> into Forminator.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184554\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184554\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/stripe-publishable-key.png\" alt=\"Stripe Publisher Key.\" width=\"600\" height=\"321\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Stripe Publisher key inside Stripe. You&#8217;ll copy and paste this into Forminator.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Stripe has a <strong>Test<\/strong> and a <strong>Live<\/strong> mode. When you are setting this up, it&#8217;s best to stay in Test. In Test mode, no purchases can be made. When it&#8217;s published on your website, you&#8217;ll switch it to Live and will be able to start taking customers&#8217; orders.<\/p>\n<p>Now, you\u2019re all set to go! You can always hit \u2018<strong>Save Draft<\/strong>\u2019 if you don\u2019t want to have it published yet. Also, be sure to preview it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184545\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184545\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Forminator-preview.png\" alt=\"Preview of the Forminator form.\" width=\"600\" height=\"891\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Preview of the form.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the preview, you can see that the dropdown has options for the comic book in it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184540\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184540\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Forminator-dropdown.png\" alt=\"Forminator dropdown with comic books.\" width=\"600\" height=\"173\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The different comic book options.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#8217;re happy with everything, hit \u2018<strong>Publish<\/strong>\u2019 and you\u2019ll be good to go!<\/p>\n<p>Just don&#8217;t forget to go back to your Stripe settings and change it from Test to Live.<\/p>\n<p>Forminator keeps track of all of your forms in one spot, so it\u2019s easy to get back to at any time. Not only that, you can keep track of your stats for it, edit, and more.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019d like to add the form to a page or post, simply copy the shortcode for it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-grid cgrid-row\">\n<div class=\"cgrid-col cgrid-col-span-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-184542\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/forminator-copy-shortcode.png\" alt=\"Copy the shortcode from Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"632\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at what it will look like if pasted in the middle of a random post on WordPress.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184544\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/forminator-paste-shortcode.png\" alt=\"Forminator shortcode pasted.\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What the Forminator code that you\u2019ll paste into WordPress pages or posts will look like.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And here\u2019s the form in action.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_184543\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" data-caption=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-184543\" src=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/forminator-live-preview-on-wordpress.png\" alt=\"Live preview of Forminator.\" width=\"600\" height=\"701\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What the form looks like live.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can do a TON of customization on it, so get as creative as you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Change fonts<\/li>\n<li>Add sales tax<\/li>\n<li>Change colors<\/li>\n<li>Add images<\/li>\n<li>Resize<\/li>\n<li>Create bold boxes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And lots more&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Forminator, again, is a great go-to option for creating calculations. Any calculation can probably be created with this plugin and tweaked however you wish. This comic book example is one of many, many options.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to watch a demo of setting up an ordering form, be sure to check out the video below.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube-lazy-id dev-hidden\">Yrq88IJa2VM<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>We all at WPMU DEV love it not just because we\u2019re biased. The fact that it\u2019s so customizable, easy to use, and FREE, you can\u2019t go wrong. Plus, if you want to use the <a href=\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/project\/forminator-pro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pro version<\/a>, it comes with<strong> 24\/7 support<\/strong> if you do have any questions or need help.<\/p>\n<h2>It&#8217;s All a Numbers Game<\/h2>\n<p>When it comes down to it, a calculator plugin is either&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Mandatory for your site (for example, you need to know the amount of something with tax).<\/p>\n<p>Or a useful feature that adds value to a website, but not mandatory (e.g. a loan calculator to give potential customers estimates before reaching out).<\/p>\n<p>There are many options when it comes to adding a calculator plugin. With a little bit of searching, you can find one that\u2019s perfect for your website.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, calculator plugins can be beneficial as a lead magnet, sales page, estimator, and more. As long as the numbers work in your favor.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind, if you\u2019d like to give our recommended Forminator a try, we have a <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/forminator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">free trial<\/a> membership option that comes with support, and additional plugins for your site.<\/p>\n<p>With all that being said, I hope this added-up into providing you with a calculated decision on your next plugin for WordPress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you&#8217;re looking to create sophisticated calculations for your visitors, or simply work out the cost of an order &#8211; a calculator plugin can be worth its weight in gold. In this post, we\u2019re putting some of WP\u2019s best number crunchers to the test. If your website needs to provide calculations, you can bet there\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":811449,"featured_media":184576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"blog_reading_time":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_tutorials_categories":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,263,11260],"tags":[],"tutorials_categories":[],"class_list":["post-184555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plugins","category-tutorials","category-wpmu-dev-products"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/811449"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184555"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202650,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184555\/revisions\/202650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184555"},{"taxonomy":"tutorials_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tutorials_categories?post=184555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}