9 Best WordPress Popup Plugins for 2026 (Free & Paid Options Tested)

Looking for the best WordPress popup plugins to grow your email list and boost conversions?

Popups get a bad rap, but when used correctly, they’re one of the most effective tools for turning casual visitors into subscribers and customers.

The trick is choosing a popup plugin that looks professional, doesn’t annoy users, and gives you control over when and where popups appear.

In this article, I’ll walk you through 9+ proven WordPress popup plugins with honest assessments to get more subscribers and sales on your website.

Best WordPress Popup Plugins Compared

Before getting into detailed reviews, here’s a side-by-side comparison of the best WordPress popup plugins:

Plugin 🎯	Best For ⚡	Free Version?	Pricing 💰
OptinMonster	Advanced targeting & exit-intent technology	❌ No (free impressions available)	$7-$49/month
TrustPulse	Social proof & FOMO notifications	❌ No	$5-$39/month
Thrive Leads	A/B testing & advanced analytics	❌ No	$99/year
HubSpot	All-in-one marketing with CRM	✅ Yes	Free or paid bundles
Icegram Engage	Budget-friendly with no traffic limits	✅ Yes	Free or $129/year
Ninja Popups	Animated popups with email integrations	❌ No	$24 one-time
Bloom	Divi users wanting bundled popup tools	❌ No	$89/year (with Divi)
Elementor Pro	Elementor users needing popup builder	❌ No	$84/year
BDOW (Sumo)	Free solution with social sharing tools	✅ Yes	Free or $19-$49/month
Popup Maker (Bonus)	Free WordPress-native popup plugin	✅ Yes	Free or $99/year

Note: Prices listed are current as of March 2026. Some tools offer introductory discounts that may change.

Best WordPress Popup Plugins

Now that you have a general idea of the available popup plugins for WordPress, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of each, as well as how much they cost.

1. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the most powerful WordPress popup plugin available, and it’s used by millions of websites to convert visitors into subscribers and customers.

The tool goes beyond basic popups and lets you create inline forms, floating notification bars, slide-ins, fullscreen overlays, and even gamified coupon wheel campaigns. If you need advanced popup functionality with professional templates, OptinMonster is the top choice.

My Experience

I’ve tested OptinMonster extensively over the years, and what stands out most is how quickly you can create professional popups. The template library includes over 700 pre-built designs, so you rarely need to start from scratch.

The drag-and-drop builder is intuitive. When I tested creating a popup campaign, I selected a template, customized the text and colors, added my email service integration, and had a working popup published in under 10 minutes.

OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® technology is its standout feature. During testing, I set up an exit-intent popup that triggered when visitors moved their mouse toward the browser’s back button.

This captured visitors who were about to leave without subscribing, and the conversion rate was significantly higher than standard time-delayed popups.

The targeting rules are detailed without being complicated. I could show different popups based on:

• Which page someone visited
• How long they stayed on the site
• Whether they scrolled down the page
• Their geographic location
• Whether they were new or returning visitors

During testing, I created separate popups for first-time visitors (offering a welcome discount) and returning visitors (promoting a loyalty program). Both campaigns ran simultaneously without conflicts.

OptinMonster also integrates with WPForms, which means you can use WPForms to build your signup form and OptinMonster to display it in a popup with advanced triggering rules.

What I Liked

OptinMonster delivers features that actually impact conversion rates:

• Exit-Intent® Technology – Capture visitors before they leave your site
• 700+ templates – Professional designs for every goal and industry
• Advanced targeting – Show popups based on geolocation, referrer, device, user behavior, and more
• Multiple campaign types – Lightbox popups, floating bars, slide-ins, fullscreen overlays, coupon wheels
• A/B testing – Test different popup variations to see which converts better
• MonsterLeads™ – Built-in lead storage if you don’t have an email service yet
• Analytics – Track views, conversions, and revenue attribution
• No traffic penalties – Pricing based on campaign impressions, not total site traffic
• WooCommerce integration – Reduce cart abandonment and increase average order value
• GDPR compliant – Respect privacy regulations while growing your list

The template library can feel overwhelming at first with 700+ options. OptinMonster addresses this with filters by goal, industry, and campaign type, but expect to spend time browsing when you first start.

Pricing

OptinMonster pricing ranges from $7 to $49 per month (billed annually). Current introductory pricing offers 60% off for the first year:

• Basic: $7/month (normally $17.50/month) – 1 site, 2,500 impressions/month
• Plus: $19/month (normally $47.50/month) – 2 sites, 10,000 impressions/month, A/B testing
• Pro: $29/month (normally $72.50/month) – 3 sites, 25,000 impressions/month, Exit-Intent®
• Growth: $49/month (normally $122.50/month) – 5 sites, 100,000 impressions/month, revenue attribution

All plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Get started with OptinMonster today! 🙂

2. TrustPulse

TrustPulse takes a different approach to popups by focusing on social proof notifications instead of traditional email optin forms.

The plugin displays small notification popups showing real-time activity on your site—recent purchases, signups, downloads, or any other action.

When visitors see that other people are actively using your site, they’re more likely to trust you and take action themselves.

My Experience

I tested TrustPulse on an eCommerce site that was struggling with trust issues. New visitors weren’t sure if the business was legitimate, which hurt conversion rates.

After installing TrustPulse, small notifications appeared in the bottom corner showing recent purchases: “John from New York just purchased the Premium Course.”

These weren’t fake notifications! TrustPulse automatically tracked real WooCommerce orders and displayed them to other visitors.

The conversion rate improvement was noticeable within the first week. Visitors who saw social proof notifications were more likely to complete purchases than those who didn’t.

The interface is also clean and focused. You choose what activity to track (purchases, signups, downloads), customize the notification message and design, and set display rules for when notifications should appear.

One feature I appreciated was the geolocation display. Each notification showed a map pin indicating where the customer was from, which added authenticity.

If someone in California saw that another California resident just made a purchase, that social proof felt more relevant. TrustPulse also works across multiple platforms, not just WordPress. I tested it on a Shopify store and a Squarespace site, and the setup process was identical.

What I Liked

TrustPulse excels at leveraging social proof psychology:

• FOMO marketing – Creates urgency through real-time activity notifications
• Multi-platform support – Works on WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce, and more
• Activity tracking – Monitor purchases, downloads, form submissions, registrations
• Geolocation maps – Show where customers are located to increase authenticity
• Customizable notifications – Control message, design, position, and timing
• “On-Fire” notifications – Display cumulative stats like “43 people purchased today”
• No coding required – Set up campaigns through a visual interface

The main limitation is that TrustPulse serves one specific purpose—social proof. If you need traditional email optin popups, you’ll need a different tool. But for eCommerce sites or high-ticket services where trust is a barrier, TrustPulse addresses that problem directly.

Pricing

TrustPulse pricing starts at $5 to $39 per month (billed annually) with introductory pricing:

• Basic: $5/month – 1 site, 1,500 visitors/month
• Plus: $10/month – 2 sites, 10,000 visitors/month, analytics notifications
• Pro: $19/month – 5 sites, 25,000 visitors/month, WooCommerce integration, remove branding
• Growth: $39/month – 10 sites, 100,000 visitors/month, unlimited sub-accounts

Brand new sites with under 500 monthly sessions can start completely free. All plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee.

You can see detailed info on features and pricing in our TrustPulse review, or get started with TrustPulse today!

Get started with TrustPulse today! 🙂

3. Thrive Leads

Thrive Leads is a WordPress popup plugin that works entirely inside your WordPress dashboard, unlike OptinMonster which is a SaaS platform.

If you prefer keeping everything on your own site and want detailed A/B testing capabilities, Thrive Leads delivers professional popup campaigns without relying on external services.

My Experience

I tested Thrive Leads for a client who wanted complete control over their popup data and didn’t want to rely on third-party services. Since Thrive Leads installs directly on WordPress, all campaign data stays on your server.

The drag-and-drop editor is flexible. I could customize background images, text styling, form field layouts, CTA buttons, and more. The live preview showed exactly how the popup would look on desktop, tablet, and mobile as I built it.

One feature I used constantly was the A/B testing. I created two versions of the same popup—one with a discount offer and one with a free guide.

Thrive Leads split traffic between them automatically and tracked which version generated more signups. After a week, I could see clear data showing which offer resonated better with visitors.

The campaign types cover most popup needs: lightbox popups, slide-ins, sticky ribbons, in-content forms, and more. I ran multiple campaigns simultaneously. A popup for new visitors, a slide-in for returning visitors, and a ribbon for mobile users.

Thrive Leads also lets you disable popups on mobile devices entirely. During testing, I found that popups performed better on desktop, so I kept them desktop-only and used less intrusive slide-ins for mobile traffic.

Despite being a full-featured plugin, Thrive Leads didn’t noticeably slow down the test site. Page load times stayed consistent before and after installation.

What I Liked

Thrive Leads offers professional features at a one-time annual price:

• WordPress-native – Everything runs on your own site, no external dependencies
• Drag-and-drop builder – Visual customization with live preview
• Extensive templates – Pre-built campaigns for various industries and goals
• Advanced A/B testing – Run split tests and automatically select winners based on performance
• Detailed analytics – Track conversion rates, views, and list growth inside WordPress
• Multiple campaign types – Lightbox popups, slide-ins, ribbons, in-content forms, widget areas
• Device control – Show or hide popups on desktop, tablet, or mobile
• No ongoing SaaS fees – One annual payment, no monthly charges

The main limitation is the learning curve. Thrive Leads offers extensive features, which means more settings to configure. It’s not difficult, but it takes longer to master than simpler plugins.

Pricing

Thrive Leads is priced at $99/year as part of Thrive Suite. This includes access to other Thrive tools like Thrive Architect (page builder), Thrive Quiz Builder, and more. There’s no free version or free trial, but Thrive offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Get started with Thrive Leads today! 🙂

4. HubSpot

The HubSpot WordPress plugin includes popup functionality as part of its all-in-one marketing suite for WordPress. Unlike dedicated popup plugins, HubSpot combines popups with CRM, live chat, email marketing, and analytics in a single platform.

My Experience

I tested HubSpot on a client site that needed lead capture forms connected to their sales pipeline. The popup builder is straightforward, you select a template, customize the fields and design, and set display rules for when the popup should appear.

What made HubSpot useful for this particular client was the CRM integration. When someone filled out a popup form, their information automatically created a contact record in HubSpot CRM with all form data attached. The sales team could see which popup the lead came from, what page they were on, and their full browsing history.

The popup templates look modern and professional. I customized colors, fonts, and form fields without any design skills. The editor isn’t as flexible as OptinMonster’s drag-and-drop builder, but it covers most customization needs.

HubSpot’s analytics showed popup performance alongside other marketing metrics. I could see form views, submission rates, and which popups generated the most qualified leads.

One limitation I noticed during testing was the follow-up email restrictions on the free plan. You can send initial form confirmations, but automated nurture sequences require upgrading to paid HubSpot plans.

What I Liked

HubSpot works well if you need popups integrated with broader marketing tools:

• Free to use – No cost for basic popup, form, and CRM features
• All-in-one platform – Popups, forms, CRM, live chat, email marketing in one place
• CRM integration – Popup submissions automatically create contact records
• Customizable templates – Pre-built popup designs that match your brand
• Built-in analytics – Track popup performance alongside other marketing metrics
• WPForms integration – Connect existing WPForms forms to HubSpot CRM
• No coding required – Visual editor for popup creation

The free plan is genuinely useful, not just a limited trial. You get full popup functionality, unlimited contacts in the CRM, and basic email marketing tools.

Pricing

The HubSpot WordPress plugin is free and includes popups, forms, CRM, live chat, and email marketing. Paid HubSpot plans vary by bundle:

• Marketing Hub Starter: $20/month – Removes HubSpot branding, advanced email automation
• Marketing Hub Professional: $890/month – Full marketing automation, advanced analytics

Most small businesses use the free plan for popups and only upgrade if they need advanced marketing automation.

5. Icegram Engage

Icegram Engage (formerly just Icegram) is a freemium WordPress popup plugin that focuses on affordability and ease of use.

The main advantage of Icegram is that it has no traffic limits, even on the free plan. If your site gets high traffic, most popup plugins charge more as your pageviews increase. Icegram doesn’t penalize you for growth.

My Experience

I tested Icegram Engage on a high-traffic blog that was getting 50,000+ monthly visitors. With most popup plugins, that traffic volume would require an expensive plan.

Icegram’s free version handled the traffic without limitations or upgrade prompts. Setting up a basic popup worked fine. I created a simple email signup form, chose when to display it (time delay or scroll trigger), and published it to the site.

The interface feels dated compared to OptinMonster or Thrive Leads. There’s no drag-and-drop builder, you select a template and customize using form fields. This works for simple popups but becomes limiting for custom designs.

The targeting options are basic. I could show popups based on time on page, scroll depth, and which pages visitors viewed. Advanced targeting like geolocation, device type, or referrer detection isn’t available in the free version.

The pre-built templates look functional but not particularly modern. For internal campaigns or simple email signups, they work fine. For customer-facing marketing campaigns, you might want more polished designs.

What I Liked

Icegram Engage works well for specific situations:

• No traffic limits – Handle unlimited pageviews without paying more
• Free version available – Actually usable for basic popups, not just a trial
• Time-based triggers – Display popups after X seconds or on scroll
• Multiple campaign types – Popups, notification bars, inline forms, action bars
• WordPress-native – Runs entirely on your WordPress site
• Email service integrations – Connect to major email marketing platforms

The lack of a modern interface and limited targeting hurt the overall experience. Creating professional-looking popups takes more work than with premium plugins.

Pricing

Icegram Engage is free with premium plans starting at $129/year for advanced features like:

• Advanced targeting (geolocation, device, behavior)
• Premium templates
• Exit-intent triggers
• A/B testing
• Priority support

The free version works indefinitely without forced upgrades.

6. Ninja Popups

Ninja Popups is a WordPress popup plugin available through CodeCanyon that focuses on animated popup effects and email marketing integrations.

The plugin offers a one-time payment model instead of recurring subscriptions, which appeals to users who prefer to pay once and own the software.

My Experience

I tested Ninja Popups on a project where the client wanted animated, eye-catching popups without monthly fees. The one-time $24 purchase made it an easy sell budget-wise.

The animation effects are extensive. I tested popups with fade-ins, slide-ins, bounces, and other effects. For marketing campaigns where you want popups to grab attention, the animation options deliver that.

The drag-and-drop builder works well for basic customization. I could adjust colors, text, images, and form fields without touching code. The interface isn’t as polished as OptinMonster, but it’s functional.

Email marketing integrations cover major platforms like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, and others. During testing, popup signups flowed directly into email lists without manual exports.

Where Ninja Popups falls short is targeting. The display rules are basic, you can set time delays and page-specific triggers, but there’s no geolocation targeting, device-specific rules, or behavior-based triggers like OptinMonster offers.

The built-in A/B testing exists but is limited. You can test different popup variations, but the analytics aren’t as detailed as dedicated tools.

What I Liked

Ninja Popups offers solid features at a low one-time cost:

• One-time payment – Pay $24 once, no recurring fees
• Active development – Regular updates to fix bugs and maintain WordPress compatibility
• Drag-and-drop builder – Visual popup creation without code
• Animation effects – Dozens of entrance and exit animations
• Email integrations – Connect to major email marketing services
• A/B testing – Test popup variations (basic implementation)
• Mobile responsive – Popups work on all devices

The targeting limitations mean you can’t create sophisticated campaigns based on user behavior, location, or referral source. For simple popups, that’s fine. For advanced marketing, you’ll hit limitations.

Pricing

Ninja Popups costs $24 for a regular license with 6 months of support. Extended support (12 months) costs an additional $7.50. This is a one-time payment, not a subscription. You own the plugin permanently and can use it on one site.

7. Bloom

Bloom is a WordPress popup plugin created by Elegant Themes, the company behind the popular Divi theme. If you’re already using Divi or planning to use it, Bloom comes bundled with your Elegant Themes membership. You’re not paying separately for popup functionality. It’s included alongside the theme and other Elegant Themes plugins.

My Experience

I tested Bloom on several client sites that were already using Divi. Since they had Elegant Themes memberships, Bloom was available at no additional cost.

The template library includes over 100 pre-designed popup templates. I found templates for most common use cases like email signups, discount offers, content upgrades, and more. Each template is customizable through Bloom’s settings panel.

The dashboard gives you a custom analytics panel inside WordPress showing conversion rates, impressions, and subscriber growth. This data lives in your WordPress admin, not a separate platform, which some clients preferred.

A/B testing in Bloom worked well during my testing. I created two popup variations, and Bloom split traffic between them automatically. After running the test for a week, I could see which version converted better and make that the default.

The six display types cover standard popup needs: lightbox popups, fly-ins, below content, inline forms, widget area forms, and unlock content popups. During testing, I used different display types for different pages like lightbox popups on blog posts and fly-ins on product pages.

Where Bloom struggled was site performance. On one test site, adding Bloom noticeably increased page load time. This didn’t happen on all sites, but it’s something to monitor if site speed is critical.

The customization options are limited compared to visual builders like OptinMonster. You can’t drag elements around—you select from predefined layouts and customize using form fields.

What I Liked

Bloom offers solid features for Divi users:

• 100+ templates – Pre-built designs for various popup goals
• WordPress dashboard – Analytics and management inside WordPress admin
• A/B testing – Compare popup performance and select winners
• 6 display types – Lightbox, fly-in, below content, inline, widget, content lock
• Bundled with Divi – No additional cost if you already have Elegant Themes membership
• Trigger options – Time delay, scroll trigger, exit intent (basic), after comment, after purchase

The lack of a visual customizer means you need to preview changes instead of seeing them live. This slows down the design process compared to drag-and-drop builders.

Pricing

Bloom is priced at $89/year as part of Elegant Themes membership, which includes Divi theme, Bloom popup plugin, and other Elegant Themes products.

Lifetime access costs $249 (one-time payment). There’s no option to purchase Bloom separately. You must buy an Elegant Themes membership.

8. Elementor Pro

Elementor Pro is a popular page builder for WordPress that includes popup creation as one of its many features. If you’re already using Elementor to build pages, the popup builder gives you the same drag-and-drop interface you’re familiar with.

My Experience

I tested Elementor Pro’s popup builder on multiple sites that were already using Elementor for page design. The learning curve was minimal because the popup builder uses the same interface as the page builder.

Creating popups felt natural if you already know Elementor. I dragged widgets into the popup canvas, adjusted styling using the left sidebar, and previewed the popup in real-time.

The popup triggers include common options: page load, scroll percentage, exit intent, click triggers, and more. During testing, I set up a popup that appeared when visitors scrolled 50% down a blog post, offering a related content download.

Elementor Pro also lets you add conditions for where popups appear. I created rules like “show this popup on blog posts in the Marketing category, but only to visitors who haven’t seen it before.” This level of control worked well for targeted campaigns.

The main limitation is that Elementor Pro doesn’t include dedicated popup analytics. You can track views and conversions through Google Analytics, but there’s no built-in popup performance dashboard like OptinMonster or Thrive Leads provide.

A/B testing isn’t built in either. If you want to test popup variations, you need to create multiple popups manually and compare results through external analytics tools.

What I Liked

Elementor Pro’s popup builder offers strong features for existing Elementor users:

• Visual drag-and-drop builder – Design popups the same way you build pages
• Complete design freedom – Build custom popup layouts without templates if needed
• Advanced triggers – Exit intent, scroll, time delay, click, inactivity
• Conditional display – Control where popups appear based on page, category, user role, device
• Template library – Pre-built popup templates for common use cases
• Email service integrations – Connect to Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and others
• Mobile responsive – Popups adapt to different screen sizes automatically

The lack of built-in analytics and A/B testing means you need external tools to optimize popup performance.

Pricing

Elementor Pro popup builder is included in these plans:

• Essential: $60/year (1 site) – No popup builder included
• Advanced Solo: $84/year (1 site) – Popup builder included
• Advanced: $99/year (3 sites) – Popup builder included
• Expert: $204/year (25 sites) – Popup builder included

Note: You need at least the Advanced Solo plan ($84/year) to access the popup builder. The Essential plan doesn’t include popup functionality.

9. BDOW (formerly Sumo)

BDOW (formerly known as Sumo) is a multi-purpose marketing plugin that includes popup functionality alongside social sharing buttons, heat maps, and analytics tools.

The free plan is actually usable for basic popups, making BDOW one of the few legitimate free options for WordPress popup creation.

My Experience

I tested BDOW’s free plan first to see what you actually get without paying. The free version lets you create popups and includes 100 conversions per month. For small sites or blogs just starting out, this covers basic email list building.

The popup builder is visual and relatively easy to use. I selected a template, customized the text and colors, and connected it to my email service. The interface isn’t as refined as premium tools, but it works.

One feature that sets BDOW apart is traffic source customization. I created different popups for visitors coming from Google, Facebook, or direct traffic. This let me tailor messaging based on how people found the site.

The pre-built templates are decent but limited in the free version. Paid plans unlock more design options and remove BDOW branding from popups.

The heat map feature (included in paid plans) showed where visitors clicked on pages. This data helped me understand user behavior and optimize popup placement.

Where BDOW becomes expensive is at higher traffic volumes. The pricing scales with your traffic, and once you exceed certain thresholds, costs increase. Sites with 50,000+ monthly visitors end up paying significantly more than they would with fixed-price alternatives.

The free version displays a blue notification bar across your site advertising BDOW. Some clients found this unprofessional, which pushed them toward paid plans or different tools.

What I Liked

• Free plan available – 100 conversions per month at no cost
• Traffic source targeting – Show different popups to Google vs. Facebook traffic
• Multi-purpose tool – Popups, social sharing, heat maps, analytics in one plugin
• Pre-built templates – Design options for common popup goals
• Email integrations – Connect to major email marketing platforms
• Welcome mat popups – Fullscreen takeover popups for maximum impact

The main drawbacks are the branding on free plans and the traffic-based pricing that gets expensive as your site grows.

Pricing

BDOW pricing ranges from free to $49/month (billed annually):

• Free: 100 conversions/month, basic features, includes BDOW branding
• Plus: $19/month (billed annually at $228/year) – 1 site, removes branding, advanced targeting
• Pro: $39/month (billed annually at $468/year) – 3 sites, advanced analytics, eCommerce features

All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

Bonus: Popup Maker

Popup Maker is one of the most popular free WordPress popup plugins with over 780,000 active installations.

The free version is genuinely functional, not just a limited trial. You can create unlimited popups with various trigger options and targeting rules without paying anything.

My Experience

I’ve used Popup Maker on multiple client projects where budget was tight but popup functionality was still needed. The free version handles basic popup creation reliably.

Setting up a popup is straightforward. You create the popup content using the WordPress editor (same interface you use for posts and pages), then configure when and where it should appear using Popup Maker’s settings panel.

The trigger options in the free version include time delays, scroll triggers, click triggers, and auto-open on page load. I tested click-triggered popups on navigation menu items and buttons, both worked smoothly.

Popup Maker integrates directly with popular form plugins including WPForms, Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7, and Ninja Forms. During testing, I embedded a WPForms signup form inside a Popup Maker popup, and the combination worked perfectly.

The free version lacks exit-intent triggers, which is a significant limitation. Exit-intent is one of the highest-converting popup triggers, and it’s locked behind the paid version.

Analytics are also limited in the free version. You can see basic popup view counts, but conversion tracking and detailed analytics require upgrading.

The paid extensions (now consolidated into Pro and Pro+ plans) add features like advanced targeting, exit-intent, revenue attribution for eCommerce, and detailed analytics dashboards.

What I Liked

• Free and unlimited – Create unlimited popups at no cost
• Multiple triggers – Time delay, scroll, click, auto-open
• Form builder integration – Works with WPForms, Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7, Ninja Forms
• Conditional targeting – Control where popups appear based on page, post type, category
• WordPress-native – Runs entirely on your WordPress site
• No traffic limits – Handle unlimited pageviews without paying more
• Active development – Regular updates and strong community support

The free version limitations (no exit-intent, limited analytics) are reasonable given that core popup functionality works without payment.

Pricing

The free version works indefinitely. Paid plans include 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Free version – Unlimited popups, basic triggers, available forever.
• Pro: $99/year (currently $59.40 with 40% intro discount) – 1 site, advanced analytics, exit-intent, FluentCRM integration.
• Pro+: $249/year (currently $149.40 with 40% intro discount) – Revenue attribution, eCommerce integration, LMS integration.

What Is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin?

After testing more than 12 WordPress popup plugins, the best choice depends on what you need from your popups.

• If you want the most powerful features and highest conversions, OptinMonster is the clear winner. The Exit-Intent® technology, advanced targeting, and 700+ templates consistently deliver better results than simpler plugins.
• If you need social proof notifications specifically, TrustPulse excels at displaying real-time activity to build trust and urgency. It’s particularly effective for eCommerce stores and high-ticket services.
• If you want a completely free solution, Popup Maker offers the most functional free popup plugin. You get unlimited popups, basic triggers, and form builder integration without paying anything.
• If you’re already using Elementor, the popup builder in Elementor Pro (Advanced Solo plan at $84/year) gives you design flexibility that matches your page building workflow.
• If you use Divi, Bloom is already included in your Elegant Themes membership at no extra cost.

For most WordPress site owners focused on email list growth, OptinMonster offers the best combination of features, templates, and conversion optimization tools. The free version of Popup Maker is excellent if budget is your main constraint.

WordPress Popup Plugin FAQs

When it comes to finding the best WordPress popup plugin, there are a lot of questions you’ll want to ask yourself. Here are the most important ones to consider.

Which WordPress popup plugin is the best?

OptinMonster is the best WordPress popup plugin for most users. It offers advanced targeting, exit-intent technology, 700+ templates, and detailed analytics that help you convert more visitors into subscribers and customers. For specific situations:

• Best free option: Popup Maker
• Best for social proof: TrustPulse
• Best for Elementor users: Elementor Pro popup builder
• Best for Divi users: Bloom
• Best for A/B testing: Thrive Leads

The right choice depends on your budget, technical needs, and which other tools you already use.

Do I need a WordPress popup plugin?

Popup plugins are the easiest way to create beautiful, high-converting popups for your WordPress site. If you want to add a popup to your site, we recommend using a plugin to do it.

Most email marketing services do let you create a simple popup form. But the biggest con to using a generic and simple popup form on your WordPress website is that it can be unattractive and fail to grab your visitors’ attention.

So if you really want to boost the growth of your email list, you’ll need to create visually appealing popup forms that are targeted to your unique visitors.

A simple and popular way to do this is by using a website popup plugin. Alternatively, you can also create floating bars with some of the best WordPress notification bar plugins.

Will popup plugins slow down my WordPress site?

Well-coded popup plugins shouldn’t significantly slow down your site. Here’s what I found during performance testing:

Minimal impact:

• OptinMonster – Loads asynchronously, no noticeable slowdown
• TrustPulse – Lightweight script, minimal performance impact
• Popup Maker – WordPress-native, efficient code

Moderate impact:

• Bloom – Some users report speed issues, monitor page load times
• BDOW – Additional features (heat maps, social sharing) add overhead

Depends on implementation:

• Elementor Pro – Performance depends on your overall Elementor usage
• Thrive Leads – Generally efficient but adds CSS/JS files

To minimize performance impact:

• Only display popups where needed (don’t show sitewide if unnecessary)
• Use scroll or time triggers instead of immediate display
• Limit the number of active popup campaigns
• Choose plugins known for clean code

OptinMonster specifically loads in a non-blocking, asynchronous way that prevents popup scripts from delaying page rendering.

During testing, I measured page load times before and after OptinMonster installation and saw no meaningful difference.

Can I use popup plugins with WPForms?

Yes, most WordPress popup plugins integrate well with WPForms. The typical setup is:

• Create your signup form in WPForms
• Use a popup plugin to display that form in a popup
• Configure when and where the popup appears

Confirmed integrations:

• OptinMonster – Direct WPForms integration available
• Popup Maker – Works seamlessly with WPForms
• Elementor Pro – Embed WPForms forms in Elementor popups
• HubSpot – Can integrate WPForms with HubSpot CRM
• Thrive Leads – Compatible with WPForms forms

This combination gives you WPForms’ powerful form builder with the popup plugin’s advanced display and targeting features.

Can I use popup plugins with WPForms?Are popup plugins GDPR compliant?

Most reputable WordPress popup plugins are GDPR compliant, but you need to configure them correctly.

GDPR-compliant popup plugins:

• OptinMonster – Includes GDPR features and compliance tools
• TrustPulse – GDPR compliant with proper consent handling
• Popup Maker – GDPR-ready when configured correctly
• HubSpot – GDPR compliance built into platform

To ensure GDPR compliance:

• Add clear consent checkboxes to signup forms
• Include links to your privacy policy
• Don’t pre-check consent boxes
• Store consent records with form submissions
• Provide easy unsubscribe options

Most popup plugins handle the technical side of GDPR compliance. You’re responsible for the legal side. For more details, check out our guide to GDPR WordPress plugins.

Next, Supercharge Your Site With More WordPress Tools

Looking for more tools to grow your WordPress site? Check out these helpful resources:

• Best Free WordPress Plugins – Essential plugins for every site
• Top Lead Generation Tools – Grow your email list faster
• Best WordPress Social Media Plugins – Increase social engagement
• Best WooCommerce Affiliate Plugins – Create affiliate programs
• Top Online Form Builders – Compare form building options

Build Your WordPress Form Now

Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. WPForms Pro includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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