A WordPress popup plugin shows a box over or beside your content, such as an email sign-up, an offer or an exit-intent message. Some are pure popup builders, while others are email marketing tools that include popups. Ten free plugins follow in no particular order, with directory numbers as of Oct 2026.
Popups have a bad name because so many are set up badly: they cover the page the moment it loads and make you hunt for the close button. Set up with care, they're one of the simplest ways to grow an email list from a WordPress site.
The ten plugins below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, each described from its own WordPress.org directory page. A popup works best with something worth signing up for, and my guide on what a lead magnet is and how to create one helps with that part.
Popup plugins compared at a glance
Every plugin here is free in the WordPress.org plugin directory, as of Oct 2026, so the free plan column reads Yes. Some of the email platforms behind these plugins sell their own plans, so check before you build your list on one.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brave | WordPress plugin | Drag-and-drop popups and optins | Yes |
| Hustle | WordPress plugin | Popups, optins and email lists | Yes |
| OptinMonster | WordPress plugin | Popups and optin forms for subscribers | Yes |
| Poptin | WordPress plugin | Exit-intent popups plus email automation | Yes |
| Popup Box | WordPress plugin | Responsive customizable popups | Yes |
| Popup Box by AYS | WordPress plugin | Countdown and coupon popups | Yes |
| Popup Builder | WordPress plugin | Lead generation popups | Yes |
| Popup Maker | WordPress plugin | Popups from the form builder you already use | Yes |
| Themify Popup | WordPress plugin | Popups for conversions | Yes |
| WP Popups | WordPress plugin | An easy popup maker | Yes |
Ten popup plugins, one line each
Brave
Best for: Designing your own drag-and-drop popups, exit-intent popups, slide-ins and lead generation forms, WooCommerce popups included.
Hustle
Best for: Email optin forms, popups, newsletter forms and subscription forms for collecting email leads in one place.
OptinMonster
Best for: Growing your email newsletter list with popups and optin forms aimed at subscribers, leads and sales.
Poptin
Best for: Exit-intent and gamified popups, spin the wheel included, alongside email automation, campaigns and contact forms.
Popup Box
Best for: Responsive, customizable popups with live preview, flexible triggers and smart targeting to boost engagement.
Popup Box by AYS
Best for: Countdown and coupon popups, modal windows and multiple popup types with triggers and display controls.
Popup Builder
Best for: Lead generation popups aimed at more sales, conversions and calls to action on a WordPress site.
Popup Maker
Best for: Building unlimited popups with the forms and builder you already use, while keeping your data on your site.
Themify Popup
Best for: Showing newsletter forms, promotions or lightbox content in a popup to turn more visitors into subscribers.
WP Popups
Best for: An easy popup maker with display filters, scroll-triggered popups and support for the Gutenberg block editor.
Popup tool or email platform?
Several of these are email platforms wearing a popup plugin's name. Hustle's directory title leads with Email Marketing and Lead Generation, Poptin's with email automation, and OptinMonster's description is about getting email newsletter subscribers.
That matters because of where your list ends up. A pure popup builder shows the form and hands sign-ups to the form or email tool you already use. An email platform with popups wants to be that email tool. Neither is wrong, but decide which you want before your first sign-up lands.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Google's line on popups
Google Search Central's guidance on interstitials and dialogs lists common mistakes, and one is plain: don't obscure the entire page with interstitials. A popup plugin is a tool. The way you set it up is what matters, so cover part of the page, not all of it.
- Use a slide-in or a smaller box rather than a full-screen takeover.
- Trigger it on scroll or exit intent, not the moment the page opens.
- Make the close button easy to find and easy to tap.
- Show it on the pages where the offer fits, not across the whole site.
Triggers and targeting to look for
Most of the difference between a popup people put up with and one they hate is in the triggers. These are the ones the plugins here name in their descriptions:
- Exit intent: shows the popup when someone's about to leave.
- Scroll triggers: waits until a visitor has read part of the page.
- Countdowns and coupons: for offers that end on a set date.
- Smart targeting: shows the popup only on the pages where it fits.
- Gamified popups: such as spin the wheel, for shops that want a bit of fun.
Popups that collect email addresses only work if your emails get delivered, which is where SMTP plugins come in.
Big rating counts and tiny ones
Popup Maker is the biggest rated plugin at scale, with 600,000+ installs and 98/100 from 4,514 ratings, as of Oct 2026. Popup Box (6,000+ installs) is 100/100, but from just 11 ratings. A perfect score from a handful of reviews is a reason to look closer, not proof.
Do you make a WordPress popup plugin? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on popup plugins
Decide whether you want a popup builder that feeds your current email tool or an email platform that does both, then pick from the right half of the list. Set the popup to cover part of the page, show it after someone's had a chance to read, and give people an obvious way to close it.
For ways to grow your list beyond popups, my guide on growing an email list without ads has more ideas.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's a WordPress popup plugin?
It's a plugin that shows a box over or beside your content, usually to collect email sign-ups, share an offer or catch people before they leave.
Do popups hurt SEO?
They can if they get in the way. Google's guidance on interstitials and dialogs says not to obscure the entire page, so cover part of it and keep the close button clear.
What's an exit-intent popup?
It's a popup that appears when a visitor looks like they're about to leave the page. Several plugins here name exit intent in their descriptions.
Should I use a popup builder or an email marketing tool?
If you already have an email platform, a popup builder that feeds it keeps things simple. If you don't, an email tool with popups built in covers both jobs.
Are WordPress popup plugins free?
All ten here are free plugins in the WordPress.org plugin directory, as of Oct 2026.
