### [Radio Button vs Checkbox: Which One to Use (And Why)](https://wpforms.com/radio-button-vs-checkbox/) **Published:** July 29, 2022 **Author:** Hamza Shahid **Excerpt:** Are you comparing radio button vs checkbox fields for your forms? Radio buttons and checkboxes are both elements for making selections in online forms. As a common practice, they are used interchangeably, but pick the wrong field and your form either stops people from selecting everything they need, or it lets them choose options that should be one answer only. In this article, I'll compare radio buttons vs checkboxes so your forms always use fields that make the most sense, and how to add both to your WordPress forms. **Content:** Are you comparing radio button vs checkbox fields for your forms? Radio buttons and checkboxes are both elements for making selections in online forms. As a common practice, they are used interchangeably, but pick the wrong field and your form either stops people from selecting everything they need, or it lets them choose options that should be one answer only. In this article, I’ll compare radio buttons vs checkboxes so your forms always use fields that make the most sense, and how to add both to your WordPress forms. - [What Is a Radio Button?](#aioseo-what-is-a-radio-button-8) - [What Is a Checkbox?](#aioseo-what-is-a-checkbox-14) - [When Should You Use Radio Buttons vs Checkboxes?](#when-should-you-use-radio-buttons-vs-checkboxes) - [Can You Use Checkboxes as Radio Buttons?](#aioseo-can-you-use-checkboxes-as-radio-buttons-33) - [How to Add Radio Buttons (Multiple Choice) in WPForms.](#aioseo-how-to-add-radio-buttons-multiple-choice-in-wpforms-38) - [How to Add a Checkboxes Field to Your Forms With WPForms](#aioseo-how-to-add-a-checkboxes-field-to-your-forms-with-wpforms-58) ### Radio Button vs Checkbox: What’s the Difference? Radio buttons and checkboxes are both selection tools in forms, but they serve different purposes. Checkboxes allow users to select multiple options from a set of choices. Radio buttons restrict users to choosing only one option from a predefined list. Use checkboxes when multiple selections are permitted, and radio buttons when only a single choice is allowed. Radio buttonsCheckboxesSelections allowedOne onlyAny number (zero, one, or many)Visual styleRound button with a filled centerSquare box with a checkmarkBest forMutually exclusive choicesIndependent choicesExampleT-shirt size, yes or no, ratingPizza toppings, interests, add-onsDefault statePick a sensible default when you canUsually start uncheckedField name in WPFormsMultiple ChoiceCheckboxes### What Is a Radio Button? Radio buttons are the round selection buttons you’ve seen on order forms and surveys. Each option shows an empty circle, and the one you pick fills in with a solid dot. In WPForms, you add them using the Multiple Choice field. ![Multiple choice example](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/multiple-choice-example.jpg)Radio buttons are clickable selection items, usually represented by a circle. The selected item will show a filled circle, like in the image above. You can add radio buttons to your forms in WPForms using the Multiple Choice and Likert scale fields. The Multiple Choice or radio button field is mutually exclusive, meaning users can select only one of the available options. Radio buttons are very common. You can often see them in surveys or order forms where users can only make one selection at a time, such as when [choosing a t-shirt size](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-t-shirt-order-form-in-wordpress-step-by-step/). ### What Is a Checkbox? Checkboxes are square boxes that fill with a checkmark when selected. Unlike radio buttons, each box is independent, so ticking one does nothing to the others. ![The WPForms Checkboxes field](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/checkboxes.png "Checkboxes Field Example")Checkboxes are selection fields where each item is represented by a small square box. When a user chooses an option, it’s identified by a checkmark in the box. The Checkboxes field is mutually inclusive. It lets users select multiple answers from the available choices. This is perfect when you want respondents to be able to select multiple options from a predefined set of choices. ### When Should You Use Radio Buttons vs Checkboxes? When you’re deciding between the two, I find it helps to ask one question. How many options do you want someone to be able to pick from the list? If the answer is exactly one, use radio buttons. If the answer is one or more, use checkboxes. Say you run a restaurant and want feedback on your service, hygiene, and food quality. You want one clear answer per question, so radio buttons are the natural fit. ![](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/required-multiple-choice-field.png)Now picture an order form for that same restaurant. Customers will often want more than one dish, so checkboxes let them add everything to a single order. ![Restaurant Order Form checkboxes](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/take-away-order-form.png)Getting the field type right is only half the job. Usability researchers, including the Nielsen Norman Group, have studied how people read forms for years, and a few habits consistently make these fields easier to fill out: - **Set a default for radio buttons when it makes sense:** Since someone can only pick one, pre-selecting the most common choice saves them a tap. - **Leave checkboxes unchecked by default:** A box that someone didn’t tick themselves is easy to miss, and for things like consent that can cause real problems. - **Stack options vertically:** A single column, one option per line, is the easiest layout to scan. WPForms lets you switch the choice layout to one, two, or three columns. - **Use radio buttons instead of a dropdown for short lists:** When you have only a handful of options and the room to show them, radio buttons let people see every choice at once. - **Keep your options distinct, and add an “Other” choice if the list might not cover everyone:** Overlapping options confuse people and muddy your data. ### Can You Use Checkboxes as Radio Buttons? No, you can’t use checkboxes as radio buttons or vice versa. The decision of whether you should use checkboxes or radio buttons depends on the number of items you want the respondent to be able to select in a field. - Use radio buttons when you want the user to be able to select only one option from the available choices. - If you’re giving multiple selection choices to your users, you should use the checkboxes field. ### How to Add Radio Buttons (Multiple Choice) in WPForms. WPForms is the most popular form builder for WordPress, with 6+ million active installs and 13+ thousand five-star reviews on WordPress.org. Both fields are simple to add in WPForms, and you don’t need a paid plan to use them. The Multiple Choice (radio button) and Checkboxes fields are part of the free WPForms Lite plugin. Start by downloading and installing the WPForms plugin on your WordPress website. You can follow this step-by-step guide to learn [how to install a plugin in WordPress](https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-for-beginners/). After you’ve installed the WPForms plugin, go to **WPForms » Add New** to create a new form. ![Adding a new form in WPForms](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wpforms-add-new.png "Add New Form")You can start from one of the [2,100+ ready-made form templates](https://wpforms.com/templates/ "2,100+ ready-made form templates") or pick a blank form and build from scratch. For this example, we will create a blank form and name it the **Restaurant Review Form** (you’re free to give your form any name you want). ![Creating a blank restaurant review form](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/create-blank-form.png)**Note** If you want a [Restaurant Review Form template](https://wpforms.com/templates/restaurant-review-form-template/), there’s a ready-to-use form available in the WPForms template library. To add radio buttons to your form, drag and drop the **Multiple Choice** field from the left of your screen onto your form. Next, click on the Multiple Choice field in your form preview. ![Adding a Multiple Choice field to a blank form](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/add-multiple-choice-field.png)When you click on it, you’ll see the Field Options for the field open on the left of your screen. Enter your question in the text box below the **Label** section and button text in the **Choices** sections. These labels will appear next to the radio buttons. ![Customizing the radio buttons in a form](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/customize-radio-buttons.png)If you want something more visual, you can switch on [image or icon choices](https://wpforms.com/add-image-to-wordpress-form/) so people pick a picture instead of plain text. ![Icon Choice Radio Buttons](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/use-icon-choices.png)For now, we’ll use text in our example. After you’ve customized your Multiple Choice field, click **Save**. ![Saving your WPForms radio buttons](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/save-radio-buttons.png)You’ve successfully added radio buttons to your form in WPForms. Now, let’s take a look at adding a Checkboxes field. ### How to Add a Checkboxes Field to Your Forms With WPForms Adding the Checkboxes field is very similar to adding radio buttons in WPForms. To start, drag and drop the Checkboxes field onto your form. ![Adding a Checkboxes field to a blank form](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/add-checkboxes-field.png)Next, click on the **Checkboxes** field that you just added to your form. As before, this will open the Field Options panel where you can customize the settings for this field. Enter your field text below the **Label** and options text in the **Choices** sections. ![Customizing the checkboxes in your form](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/customize-checkboxes.png)You can add image or icon choices or even conditional logic to customize your form. Finally, click **Save** to keep the changes. ![Saving your WPForms checkboxes](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/save-checkboxes.png)That’s all on the radio button vs. checkbox explanation for today. I hope you have understood the difference between them and can confidently use the right field in your next form. Pro Tip I recommend testing your form before you publish it to make sure it works as expected. See our [complete form testing checklist](https://wpforms.com/form-testing-checklist/) for a step-by-step guide. ### FAQs About Radio Buttons vs Checkboxes Radio buttons and checkboxes come up a lot when people are building WordPress forms. Here are answers to the questions we hear most about using the two fields. #### Why are radio buttons called Multiple Choice in WPForms? In the WPForms builder, the field that creates radio buttons is labeled Multiple Choice. The name points to the fact that you’re offering several options to choose from, even though people can only select one. Once you drop the field on your form, it behaves exactly like standard radio buttons. #### Is a Likert Scale a multiple choice field? Yes. A [Likert Scale](https://wpforms.com/beginners-guide-what-is-a-likert-scale-and-how-to-use-it/) is a special multiple choice field that combines several questions in one block and lets people pick one option per row. Likert scales show up all over surveys when you want to measure how someone feels between two extremes. They’re sometimes called [matrix questions](https://wpforms.com/matrix-question-surveys-polls/), and you can browse more [examples of Likert Scale questions](https://wpforms.com/sample-likert-scale-questions-for-wordpress-survey-forms/) if you want ideas. #### What are common use cases for radio buttons vs checkboxes? Use checkboxes when you want to allow several selections, like pizza toppings, interests, or past purchases. Use radio buttons when you want a single answer, like gender, a preferred contact method, a salary range, or a simple yes or no. #### Should I use a checkbox or radio buttons for a yes or no question? Both can work, and the right pick depends on the question. A single checkbox is best for an optional agreement, like “Yes, add me to the newsletter.” Two radio buttons labeled Yes and No are clearer when the answer is required and you want people to make a conscious choice, since an unchecked box is easy to skip past. #### Are radio buttons or a dropdown better? When you have only a few options and room to show them, radio buttons are usually easier because every choice is visible at once. A dropdown is the better pick when the list is long, like choosing a country, where showing every option would take up too much space. #### Can I pre-select a radio button or checkbox by default? Yes. In the field settings, you can mark any choice as the default so it’s already selected when the form loads. For radio buttons, a sensible default is often a nice touch. For checkboxes, it’s best to leave them unchecked unless there’s a clear reason not to. #### Can I change how my checkboxes and radio buttons look? You can. With WPForms, you can style them from the block editor after you embed the form, with no CSS needed. On other form builders, you usually have to write custom CSS to change the look. #### Can I change the layout of my radio buttons and checkboxes? Yes. In the field settings you can display your choices in one, two, or three columns, or in a single horizontal row. For longer lists, a single vertical column is the easiest to read. ### Next, Add Images Next to Your Radio Buttons With WPForms, you can show a picture or icon above each option, which works great for product pickers, plan selectors, and visual surveys. Here’s how to [add an image next to radio buttons in WordPress forms](https://wpforms.com/how-to-add-an-image-next-to-radio-buttons-in-wordpress-forms/). If you’re building something more transactional, you might also like our guide on [how to create an order form in WordPress](https://wpforms.com/how-to-create-a-simple-order-form-in-wordpress/), which puts both field types to work. [Create Your WordPress Form Now](https://wpforms.com/pricing/) Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. [WPForms Pro](https://wpforms.com/pricing) includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. If this article helped you out, please follow us on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/wpforms) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/easywpforms) for more free WordPress tutorials and guides. **Categories:** WordPress Tutorials **Tags:** multiple choice, Radio Button vs Checkbox ---