“The money is in the list” is still true in 2026. Your email list is the one audience no algorithm can take away, and popups remain one of the most effective ways to grow it, because readers cannot ignore them the way they ignore sidebar forms.
You do not need any coding skills. These are the 9 best email subscription popup plugins for WordPress, free and paid, with what each does best. Updated October 2026: Ninja Popups is no longer sold and was removed, and prices and plan details were updated.
Popup Plugins Compared
| Plugin | Price | Exit Intent | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| OptinMonster | From $9/mo (billed yearly) | Yes | Advanced targeting |
| Thrive Leads | Paid (Thrive Suite) | Yes | Best value in WordPress |
| Convert Pro | Paid | Yes | Astra users |
| Elementor Pro Popups | Elementor Pro (Advanced plan+) | Yes | Elementor users |
| Bloom | Elegant Themes membership | No | Divi users |
| MailOptin | Free, Pro paid | Pro | Lightweight forms |
| Icegram Engage | Free, Pro paid | Pro | Free popups and bars |
| Popup Maker | Free, add-ons paid | Add-on | Free, flexible popups |
| Hustle | Free, Pro paid | Yes (free) | Best free all-rounder |
1. OptinMonster
OptinMonster is a cloud-based lead generation tool that connects to WordPress with a plugin. It offers lightbox popups, floating bars, fullscreen welcome mats, slide-ins, inline forms, content lockers, and gamified spin-to-win wheels, all built with a drag-and-drop editor and ready-made templates. Its real strength is targeting: exit intent (which it popularized), scroll and time triggers, page-level, referral, location, and device targeting, plus A/B testing and detailed reports.
Key features:
- Exit intent and advanced triggers
- Precise targeting rules
- A/B testing and analytics
- Works with all major email services
Price: Basic $9/month, Plus $27, Pro $37, Growth $67 (billed yearly, first-year prices; renewals are higher).
2. Thrive Leads
Thrive Leads is my favorite list building plugin and what I use. It runs inside WordPress and creates lightbox popups, sticky ribbons, inline forms, two-step opt-ins, slide-ins, screen fillers, and scroll mats. SmartLinks hide forms from people who already subscribed and can show them a different offer instead. A/B testing and reporting are built in.
Key features:
- Every form type
- SmartLinks for existing subscribers
- Built-in A/B testing
- Advanced triggers and targeting
Price: Available as part of the Thrive Suite membership.
3. Convert Pro
Convert Pro comes from Brainstorm Force, the team behind the Astra theme. It creates standard, multi-step (yes/no), and on-click popups with a drag-and-drop editor and a cloud template library. Triggers include exit intent, inactivity, scroll depth, welcome, and after-content, with targeting by page, referral, device, and new or returning visitors, plus A/B testing.
Key features:
- Multi-step and on-click popups
- Exit intent and inactivity triggers
- A/B testing
- Google Analytics integration
Price: Premium only.
4. Elementor Pro Popup Builder
If you already design your site with Elementor, its Popup Builder lets you create fullscreen popups, hello bars, slide-ins, and fly-ins with the same editor. Display conditions cover posts, categories, archives, and WooCommerce pages, with triggers for page load, click, scroll, element, and inactivity, and rules like page views and referral source.
Key features:
- Uses the Elementor editor
- Many templates
- Detailed conditions and triggers
Price: Included with Elementor Pro on the Advanced plan and higher; the cheapest Essential plan no longer includes Popup Builder.
5. Bloom
Bloom from Elegant Themes comes with their membership (alongside the Divi theme). It offers popups, fly-ins, inline forms, below-content forms, widget forms, and content locking, with triggers such as time delay, scroll, after commenting, after purchasing, and inactivity. It has 100+ templates and A/B testing.
Key features:
- Six display types
- Unique after-comment trigger
- 100+ templates and A/B testing
Price: Included with the Elegant Themes membership.
6. MailOptin
MailOptin builds lightbox popups, notification bars, slide-ins, and inline forms with the WordPress Customizer. It has a LeadBank that stores every lead with its referrer and conversion time, A/B testing, Google Analytics reports, and display rules such as scroll, click, time, page views, AdBlock detection, and device targeting. It can also send automated newsletters of your new posts.
Key features:
- Lightweight
- LeadBank lead storage
- Email automation for new posts
Price: Free version; Pro plans are paid.
7. Icegram Engage
Icegram Engage (formerly Icegram) is free and lets you create unlimited popups, header and footer action bars, toast notifications, and slide-ins. Targeting works by page, user, time, and device. Exit intent and A/B testing require the paid version.
Key features:
- Unlimited free popups and bars
- Page, device, and time targeting
- Integrates with major email services
Price: Free; Pro adds exit intent and split testing.
8. Popup Maker
Popup Maker is the most popular free popup plugin, with more than 600,000 active installs. It creates slide-ins, sticky popups, notification popups, and video lightboxes, works with form plugins like WPForms and Gravity Forms, and has flexible display conditions. Exit intent, analytics, and advanced targeting are paid extensions.
Key features:
- Free and very flexible
- Works with popular form plugins
- Detailed display conditions
Price: Free; paid extensions for exit intent and analytics.
9. Hustle
Hustle by WPMU DEV is the best free all-rounder. It creates popups, slide-ins, embeds, and social share bars, with full control of colors, layouts, and animations, scroll and click triggers, reCAPTCHA spam protection, and a performance dashboard. Unusually, exit intent is included free.
Key features:
- Free exit intent
- Popups, slide-ins, and share bars
- Many email integrations
Price: Free; Pro is paid.
Popup Best Practices (Without Annoying Readers)
- Offer something useful: a checklist, template, or mini course converts far better than “Join my newsletter.”
- Use exit intent or scroll triggers instead of popping up the moment someone arrives.
- Be careful on mobile. Google may rank pages lower if a popup covers the main content right after a visitor arrives from search. Use small banners or slide-ins on phones.
- Hide popups from subscribers and show each visitor a popup only once every few days.
- Test: A/B test headlines and offers, and keep only what converts.
You also need an email service to send your emails. Compare the best email marketing services, or see more exit intent popup plugins.
Which Popup Plugin Should You Choose?
- Best free: Hustle or Popup Maker.
- Best value paid: Thrive Leads.
- Most advanced targeting: OptinMonster.
- Using Elementor, Astra, or Divi: Elementor Pro, Convert Pro, or Bloom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do popups hurt SEO?
Not if used sensibly. Google targets intrusive interstitials on mobile that block content as soon as a visitor arrives from search. Exit-intent popups, slide-ins, and small banners are generally fine.
What is a good popup conversion rate?
It varies by niche and offer, but many sites see a few percent of visitors subscribe. A strong, relevant offer is the biggest lever.
Can I create popups without a plugin?
Some email services, such as Kit and Mailchimp, offer embeddable popup forms, but WordPress plugins give you much better targeting and testing.
Which popup plugin do you use? Tell us in the comments.
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