Honest comparison
Gravity Tables vs wpDataTables.
wpDataTables ships tables from any data source, MySQL, CSV, Excel, JSON, Google Sheets. Gravity Tables ships tables from Gravity Forms entries, with deep GF-aware editing and operations. The right pick depends on where your data actually lives.
Pick wpDataTables for arbitrary external data. Pick Gravity Tables when the data lives in Gravity Forms.
Pick Gravity Tables when
- Your data is already in Gravity Forms entries
- You need inline editing that respects GF validation rules and conditional logic
- You want role-based per-column permissions out of the box
- You want a live totals row that recalculates as filters change
- You need bulk operations (approve, delete, export thousands in one click)
- You want a shortcode-first workflow, every feature mirrors a shortcode parameter
Pick wpDataTables when
Generic data-table plugin for WordPress
- Your data sits in a separate MySQL table (legacy app, custom schema)
- You're tabling uploaded CSVs or Excel files as the primary data source
- You need server-side processing for tables with millions of rows from a non-WP database
- You're committed to wpDataTables' chart engine (Highcharts integration)
- You're displaying pure WooCommerce / WordPress posts without any GF involvement
Feature-by-feature
No marketing checkmarks. Real differences.
Some features only one of us has. Some are present in both but implemented differently. We tell you which.
| Feature | Gravity Tables | wpDataTables |
|---|---|---|
| Read from Gravity Forms entries | Native, primary use case | Possible, requires GF add-on or custom MySQL |
| Read from CSV / Excel / Sheets | Use TableCrafter (sibling) | Yes |
| Read from arbitrary MySQL | Yes | |
| Inline editing | Click any cell, GF validation | Editable mode with custom UI |
| Edits respect GF conditional logic Requires custom dev with wpDT | Yes | |
| Per-column edit permissions by role | Yes | Per-table only |
| Server-rendered for SEO | Yes | Optional via setting |
| Totals row with live recalc | Yes | Footer totals (static) |
| Bulk operations | Yes | Limited; via Premium |
| CSV / Excel / PDF export | All three native | All three (Premium) |
| Mobile card layout | Yes | Responsive table only |
| Auto-refresh / live polling | Yes | |
| Highcharts integration for graphs | Use ChartCrafter | Yes |
| Number of WP installs | Newer, growing | 70k+ active |
| Pricing (Pro tier) | $95.88/yr | $59 lifetime / $99 with addons |
| Code architecture | PHP 8 strict types, vanilla JS | Older codebase, jQuery-based |
The bottom line
wpDataTables is excellent at being source-agnostic. Gravity Tables is excellent at being Gravity-Forms-native. If your data lives in GF entries and you want depth, frontend editing, bulk ops, role-aware columns, Gravity Tables is the more focused tool.
Compiled by someone who has shipped Gravity Forms projects for 7+ years and uses both tools where appropriate. If you want a second opinion on which fits your specific case, email me, I'll tell you straight.
Common use cases
If you're evaluating wpDataTables for…
…here's how Gravity Tables fits each of these jobs.
- 📊 Business dashboards Surface your KPIs and form-based metrics on a private page. Totals row + filters mean every team gets the slice they need.
- 🤝 Team collaboration A shared, editable table everyone updates from the front-end. No more "who has the latest version of the spreadsheet?"
- 📦 Inventory tracking A live inventory table that field staff edit from their phones. Stock levels stay accurate without an ERP.
- 👥 HR & onboarding Employee dashboards, application status tracking, document checklists, driven by the forms you already use.
- 🏠 Real estate Property listings with editable status, pricing, and availability. Agents update from their phones in the field.
- 🩺 Healthcare Appointment management, patient intake forms, referral tracking, with role-aware access and an audit trail.
- 🎓 Schools & education Student records, parent intake, club rosters, attendance, kept in your district's WordPress install, with role-aware access and an audit trail per change.
How to actually build it
Step-by-step guides for the common patterns.
If you've decided Gravity Tables is the right fit, these guides cover the patterns most people pick it for. Each has copy-ready shortcodes and the PHP for the custom bits.
Guide
Build an analytics dashboard from your Gravity Forms entries
A 10-minute pattern for turning the data your Gravity Forms already collect into a chart-and-table dashboard. Bar charts, donut charts, totals, and a filtered detail table, all from the same form, no separate BI tool, no JavaScript framework.
Guide
Build a CRM lead dashboard with Gravity Forms and Gravity Tables
Turn the leads landing in Gravity Forms into a real, tabular CRM. Status pipeline, owner assignment, follow-up dates, inline editing, and role-aware exports, without a separate CRM subscription.
Guide
How to set up role-based permissions for Gravity Tables
Restrict who can view, edit, and export a Gravity Tables view based on WordPress roles and capabilities. Server-side enforced, with edge-case handling and recipes.
Guide
How to add inline editing to Gravity Forms entries
Step-by-step guide to enabling click-to-edit cells on a Gravity Tables view, with validation, role gates, audit trail, and the gotchas that come up in production.
Or browse all guides.
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