Last updated on September 29, 2025 by Formidable Team

The Best Relational Database Plugin for WordPress

Looking for the best database plugin for WordPress? This WordPress relational database plugin has everything you need to search and manage data easily!

searchable database plugin for WordPress

Approximate read time: 6 minutes

Want the best WordPress relational database plugin? 

A WordPress relational database management system can improve your website performance and help you avoid messy schema and structure coding. The best WordPress database plugin for relational databases goes way beyond the basics. This plugin can do much more than create a searchable database in WordPress.

Of course, we're referring to the WordPress searchable database plugin and WordPress form plugin, Formidable Forms. 

Werenโ€™t expecting a form plugin? Then, it's time to raise your expectations!

Too long; Didn't read

  • Formidable Forms is the best WordPress relational database plugin. It's a versatile form builder that goes beyond basic database functionality.
  • It simplifies data management. It allows for easy uploading, importing, searching, filtering, and displaying of data.
  • Formidable Forms offers advanced relational database features. It enables you to create dynamic field relationships and build custom databases using its powerful Views add-on.

Why is a form-builder the best WordPress database plugin?

A form-builder plugin creates relational databases that allow you to gather information.

For example, here are some things you can do with an all-in-one plugin like Formidable:

All this is to collect user emails and information from your WordPress dashboard.

Why download a plugin for one purpose when you can use a plugin that does far more than manage databases? And if you donโ€™t have to fiddle around with database schema, which can lead to WordPress errors, why would you?

A plugin can handle it for you!

So, let's talk about what a relational database plugin should do:

  1. Provide tools for defining fields and uploading and importing data
  2. Include database tools to display data from the database in various ways
  3. Give you tools to perform database cleanup or database optimization

Formidable Forms is more than capable of handling those basics. What's more, it can help you manage and build the data from your forms and build them!

Today's post will show how our plugin boosts every WordPress website's database. And in case you're confused:

Formidable doesn't replace the default WordPress database. It extends it. 

You'll have the power to import data and search it with ease.

Formidable Forms makes advanced site building simple. Launch forms, directories, dashboards, and custom WordPress apps faster than ever before.

Uploading & importing data

Import and Export WordPress files with Formidable Forms database plugin

You can create a WordPress contact form with file uploads using Formidable Forms.

But that's not all. 

You can upload data to your WordPress site in a few ways:

  1. Input the data yourself
  2. Using CSV files & XML files
  3. Form submission on the front end of your site

We often take this ability to import and export files for granted, and you should, too! Because Formidable Forms comes with functional data tables in the backend of WordPress, you can manually input data into your WordPress plugin database with a user-friendly UI.

add new entries manually

As you can see in the image above, there's a button for importing entries, too. 

This feature allows you to import and export CSV and XML files. Simply ensure your form has the custom form fields you need, and you'll be set!

And if you want users to upload data to your site but don't want them poking around the backend, that's possible, too! Create a form with front-end editing enabled, and users will be able to upload whatever data you want them to.

There are tons of possibilities here. 

For example, users can upload images to the WordPress document library. And with Formidable's Views add-on, display submitted data in real-time on your website. 

This is ideal for real estate listings, reviews, polling results, and more!

Searching, filtering & displaying data

But we all know an excellent database doesn't only collect information.

You need to be able to search and use the data, too! This is why Formidable is an excellent option. Here are a few features Formidable Forms allows in its WordPress relational databases:

  1. Backend user interface
  2. Lookup fields, chained select, dynamic fields
  3. Advanced views to display data

Once you have uploaded your data, you need a way to access it. The built-in Formidable UI has you covered!

There are a ton of options ready to go:

searchable database user interface

You can also take things further with this powerful search tool:

search the database

And, of course, you can sort your database, too:

filtering database entries

You can even edit entire entries from the backend:

entry options

These are all standard features built into the core Formidable plugin (even our free version).

But there are even more features that can take your WordPress plugin form to database abilities even further.

Build powerful relational database features

Formidable Forms has advanced tools to create dynamic field relationships inside a database.

This is the ultimate feature if you want the best WordPress frontend database plugin. For example, you can create chained selects (cascading fields) with Lookup Fields:

Car make lookup fields

Here's an example of a dynamic data relationship in action:

And don't forget about Formidable's powerful Views feature. 

Views helps you create custom databases with data displayed how you want it every time.

Formidableโ€™s relational database builder pulls from one or many forms to build the database relationships for your desired results.

For example, you can add a file upload field to a frontend form, collect audio files, and add them to an audio library. 

Views gives you the tools to define the layout and how you will display the data within your WordPress theme.

When you use Views, you can create almost anything imaginable online. Create a small personal database or a powerful web application to rival top CRMs!

And itโ€™s all possible with you using the best WordPress forms plugin with a database.

What else can a relational database plugin for WordPress do?

Still not convinced? 

You can do anything with Formidable Forms as your database optimizer plugin, Views, and a form builder.

Whether you need a database reset or an advanced database cleaner (like WP Sweep or WP Optimize), Formidable covers you with a single click and WordPress installation.

If youโ€™re unsure, check out these features:

  • Optimize database after deleting revisions
  • Filter out expired transients
  • Organize database tables how you want
  • Clean and optimize user information with ease
  • Display data in appealing charts and tables
  • Use Formidable as a backup plugin to create a backup
  • And more!

No matter what you want to do, from creating database backups to managing post revisions and spam comments โ€” a WordPress database plugin helps you manage it all.

What are you waiting for? Get your relational database plugin!

Managing a database is a lot of work.

Luckily, Formidable Forms is much more than the best WordPress database management plugin (although it has the best WordPress database). It has many other key features to help manage a website.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started with our form maker now!



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