- Popup builders side by side
- Eleven popup builders to compare
- Where to start for your situation
- What Google says about popups that get in the way
- Exit-intent popups versus timed and scroll popups
- Questions to ask before you add popups to your site
- Signs your site is losing sign-ups
- My plain advice on choosing a popup builder
- Frequently asked questions
The best popup builders help you show the right offer to the right visitor at the right moment, to grow your email list and sales from traffic you already have. Some are WordPress plugins, while others are hosted tools that work on any site or shop. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
Most of the people who visit your website leave without a trace. A well-timed popup, offering something useful as they're about to go, is one of the simplest ways to turn some of those visitors into subscribers and customers.
The eleven popup builders below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the tool's own website, read this week. If you're also building pages for those offers, my roundup of landing page builders for small business pairs well with this list.
Popup builders side by side
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free tier or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start for free, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claspo | AI popup builder | AI-personalised popups | Not stated |
| Convert Pro | Lead generation plugin for WordPress | Popups for WordPress sites | Not stated |
| Hustle | WordPress pop-up and lead generation plugin | No-code pop-ups on WordPress | Not stated |
| Justuno | Email and SMS list growth platform | Email and SMS sign-ups for shops | Trial only |
| Mailmunch | Lead generation and email marketing platform | Forms, popups and emails together | Not stated |
| OptiMonk | Popup builder with a large template library | Ready-made popup designs | Not stated |
| OptinMonster | Lead generation software for marketers | Advanced targeting for marketers | Not stated |
| Poptin | Exit-intent popups and email marketing | Exit-intent offers and newsletters | Not stated |
| Popup Maker | WordPress popup plugin | A free popup plugin for WordPress | Yes |
| Thrive Leads | WordPress lead generation plugin | Opt-in forms for course creators | Not stated |
| Wisepops | Onsite marketing platform with popups | Feeds, web push and popups together | Not stated |
Eleven popup builders to compare
Claspo
Best for: Online shops that want an AI popup builder with templates, gamification and personalised offers for each visitor.
Convert Pro
Best for: WordPress site owners who want a drag-and-drop popup and opt-in plugin from the team behind a popular theme.
Hustle
Best for: WordPress users who want no-code pop-ups and opt-ins from a plugin maker that also offers hosting and site tools.
Justuno
Best for: Ecommerce brands that want AI-powered popups to grow both email and text message lists, with a free trial.
Mailmunch
Best for: Small businesses that want popups, forms, landing pages and email marketing in one platform.
OptiMonk
Best for: Shop owners without a designer who want to pick from a large library of ready-made popups and launch quickly.
OptinMonster
Best for: Marketers who want detailed targeting rules and many campaign types to turn more visitors into leads.
Poptin
Best for: Small online businesses that want exit-intent popups and newsletters managed from the same dashboard.
Popup Maker
Best for: Bloggers on WordPress who want a popup plugin with a free version that doesn't charge per impression.
Thrive Leads
Best for: Course creators and coaches on WordPress who want opt-in forms inside a wider suite of site and course tools.
Wisepops
Best for: Growing shops that want popups alongside onsite feeds, product recommendations and web push in one platform.
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Where to start for your situation
- A free popup plugin for WordPress: Popup Maker.
- Email and text sign-ups for an online shop: Justuno.
- Ready-made designs without a designer: OptiMonk.
- Popups, forms and email in one platform: Mailmunch.
- Opt-ins for course creators on WordPress: Thrive Leads.
What Google says about popups that get in the way
Google Search Central says intrusive interstitials and dialogs obstruct users' view of the content, usually for promotional purposes, and its guidance advises avoiding them in favour of less intrusive options.
That doesn't mean popups are off limits. It means timing and size matter: a small banner or a popup after someone has read for a while is very different from a full-screen box that hides the page the moment it loads on a phone.
Exit-intent popups versus timed and scroll popups
Exit-intent popups appear when a visitor looks like they're leaving, which makes them a polite last offer. On desktop they usually react to the mouse moving towards the top of the window.
Timed and scroll popups appear after a set time or once someone has read part of the page. They work well for content sites, because the offer arrives when the reader has already shown interest.
Questions to ask before you add popups to your site
- Does it work with my website builder or shop platform?
- Can I control when and where each popup appears?
- Does it connect to my email marketing tool?
- Can I show different offers on different pages?
- Can I test two versions against each other?
- Will it slow my pages down?
Signs your site is losing sign-ups
- Visitors read and leave. Offer something useful first.
- Your sign-up form sits in the footer. Bring it forward.
- Every page shows the same offer. Match offers to pages.
- Mobile visitors close popups at once. Make them smaller.
Do you make a popup builder or lead capture tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing a popup builder
Start with one popup, one offer and one rule: show it to people who've read for a while or are about to leave. Measure sign-ups for a month before adding more, because three popups competing on one page usually annoy people more than they convert.
Make the offer worth the interruption, too. A useful checklist, guide or discount beats a plain join my newsletter box every time. My guide on how to generate email subscribers has more ideas for offers that work.
Frequently asked questions
What is a popup builder?
A popup builder is a tool that lets you design and show popups, banners and slide-ins on your website, usually to collect email addresses or promote offers.
Are popups bad for SEO?
Google advises against intrusive interstitials that obstruct content. Popups that are well timed, sized sensibly and easy to close are a different matter.
Are there free popup builders?
Some offer free versions or plugins, and others offer trials. The free plan column above shows what each tool's own site says.
What is an exit-intent popup?
An exit-intent popup appears when a visitor looks like they're about to leave the page, giving you one last chance to make an offer.
Do popups work on mobile?
They can, but keep them small and easy to close on phones, because full-screen popups are especially frustrating on small screens.
Can I use popups on a WordPress site?
Yes. Several popup builders are WordPress plugins, and hosted tools usually work on WordPress with a short code snippet.
