The 12 Best Free WordPress Popup Plugins in 2026, Ranked by Data
Popup Maker is the best free WordPress popup plugin on our data (94.2/100), ahead of Poptin (86.8) and Depicter (84.2).
The best free WordPress popup plugin on our data is Popup Maker, with 94.2 out of 100. Poptin is second on 86.8, and Depicter third on 84.2. We scored 12 free popup plugins on their WordPress.org record and on what each one added to a page that shows no popup.
Popup Maker won on its WordPress.org record: the most ratings here, 98% (4,512 ratings), 600,000+ installs and 6 of 7 recent support threads resolved. The lab mostly brought good news. Nine of the 12 added next to nothing (0–0.1 KB) to a page without a popup, but three, WP Popups, Popup Box and Advanced Popups, load 39–50 KB of files on every page, and that cost each of them its weight points.
Short answer: For most sites, install Popup Maker. For a visual builder that also makes sliders, use Depicter. For opt-in forms tied to your email service, Hustle gives you 3 free popups. If you want small, scroll-triggered boxes, try Boxzilla. Poptin and OptinMonster connect WordPress to their own services and need an account.
Last updated: 21 October 2026. We re-run the numbers every month.
The top 12 at a glance
| # | Plugin | Score | Installs | Rating | Weight | Server time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Popup Maker | 94.2 | 600,000+ | 98% | 0 KB | +11.1 ms |
| 2 | Poptin | 86.8 | 20,000+ | 98% | 0 KB | +0.7 ms |
| 3 | Depicter | 84.2 | 80,000+ | 92% | 0 KB | +3.2 ms |
| 4 | Hustle | 81.3 | 80,000+ | 88% | 0 KB | +36.2 ms |
| 5 | OptinMonster | 80.2 | 1M+ | 86% | 0 KB | -1.2 ms |
| 6 | Popup Builder | 75.0 | 200,000+ | 94% | 0 KB | +7.6 ms |
| 7 | Boxzilla | 74.6 | 20,000+ | 96% | +0.1 KB | +1.4 ms |
| 8 | PopupKit | 69.2 | 70,000+ | 100% | 0 KB | +48.2 ms |
| 9 | WP Popups | 66.2 | 30,000+ | 98% | +49.7 KB | +14.0 ms |
| 10 | Popup Box | 65.8 | 50,000+ | 92% | +48.4 KB | +2.2 ms |
| 11 | Icegram Engage | 61.0 | 10,000+ | 94% | +0.1 KB | +53.1 ms |
| 12 | Advanced Popups | 56.6 | 60,000+ | 80% | +39.4 KB | +2.0 ms |
How we scored them
Our test post does not show a popup. So every lab number here is the plugin’s idle cost: what it adds to the pages where it does nothing, which on most sites is almost every page. A plugin that adds 0 KB loads its files only where a popup appears; one that adds 40 KB loads them everywhere. We did not measure a page that shows a popup. The score:
- WordPress.org record, 80 points: our usual score out of 100, scaled to 80. Satisfaction 35 (rating blended with 25 imaginary votes at 80%), Adoption 25 (installs, log scale, 1,000 = 0 and 1,000,000 = full), Maintenance 20 (full within 30 days of an update, zero at 365), Support 20 (share of the last two months’ threads resolved; under 3 threads = half marks).
- Weight, 10 points: 0 KB added = 10, 40 KB or more = 0, in a straight line between.
- Server time, 10 points: 10 ms or less added = 10, 100 ms or more = 0, in a straight line between.
Lab: fresh WordPress 7.1.3, PHP 8.5, Twenty Twenty-Five. Each plugin was installed from WordPress.org on 21 October 2026, activated alone with default settings and loaded by a logged-out visitor on a 1,500-word post. Weight is the HTML plus every CSS and JS file, gzipped, minus the same page with no plugin (19.9 KB). Server time is the median of 15 requests minus the no-plugin median, measured in three separate runs; we use the median of the three.
The no-plugin page took between 61.2 and 68.9 ms across the three runs, so we never read anything into a server-time gap under about 15 ms. Weight does not drift. The full method is on how we rank.
1. Popup Maker, 94.2
Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder builds popups, modals, slide-ins and banners. The free version opens a popup automatically (with an optional delay), on a click or when a form is submitted, and targets posts, pages, post types, categories and tags. It works with form plugins such as Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, and you can paste in forms made in Mailchimp, AWeber or ConvertKit.
Its WordPress.org score, 92.9, is 9.4 points clear of the next plugin. It added 0 KB and a median +11.1 ms (runs of +14.1 ms, +9.7 ms, +11.1 ms), which is within noise. The limit: exit-intent and scroll triggers need Popup Maker Pro.
2. Poptin, 86.8
Poptin – Email Marketing Automation, Newsletter & Exit Pop Ups, Email Popups connects WordPress to Poptin, which its page calls an all-in-one web application for popups, forms, email campaigns and automation. You build popups in a Poptin account. The page says the free plan covers 1,000 visitors of popups and forms per month and 250 email contacts, with exit intent included.
It resolved all 9 recent support threads and is rated 98% (700 ratings). Its 20,000+ installs earn 10.8 of 25 for adoption. It added 0 KB; server time ran -10.3 ms, +0.7 ms, +6.3 ms, all within noise. We measured the plugin as installed, with no Poptin account connected.
3. Depicter, 84.2
Depicter — Popup & Slider Builder makes popups, notification bars, sliders and carousels in one visual builder. Its popup side lists exit-intent, scroll, time-on-page and inactivity triggers, multi-step popups, a form builder, and display rules by page, device, referrer, location and cookies.
It resolved 7 of 8 threads, was updated 14 October 2026 and is rated 92% (235 ratings). It added 0 KB. Server time ran -0.6 ms, +3.2 ms, +14.2 ms, all within noise. It lists WordPress 7.0.7 as tested, behind the 7.1.3 we ran. Its page notes that some features contact Depicter’s website.
4. Hustle, 81.3
Hustle – Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Optins, Popups, from WPMU DEV, is the plugin once called WordPress PopUp. It makes popups, slide-ins, embeds and social sharing bars, with time-on-page, scroll and exit-intent triggers, scheduling, and connections to email services such as Mailchimp, Brevo and MailerLite. The free version allows 3 of each type; Pro removes the cap.
It resolved 5 of 5 threads and added 0 KB. Its server time is the noisiest here: -0.7 ms, +36.2 ms, +41.6 ms. The median, +36.2 ms, earns 7.1 of 10. With full server marks it would still be fourth, a fraction behind Depicter. Its rating, 88% (859 ratings), is lower than the three above it.
5. OptinMonster, 80.2
Popup Builder & Popup Maker for WordPress – OptinMonster Email Marketing and Lead Generation connects WordPress to OptinMonster. Its page says plainly: “OptinMonster is a SaaS service and requires an OptinMonster account.” The free account includes 3 campaigns and up to 500 campaign impression credits; the page says that if you use them all, your account will be upgraded so your campaigns keep showing, and that you control this in your account. Exit-Intent, scheduling and countdown timers are Pro.
It has the most installs, 1M+, for full adoption marks. It is rated 86% (819 ratings), had 1 recent thread (unresolved, half marks), was last updated 14 August 2026 and lists WordPress 7.0.7. It added 0 KB; server time ran -1.2 ms, -2.0 ms, +10.1 ms, within noise, with no account connected.
6. Popup Builder, 75.0
Popup Builder – Create highly converting, mobile friendly marketing popups offers Image, HTML, Facebook and Subscription popups for free, with no limit on how many you create. Video, exit-intent, Mailchimp, WooCommerce and login popups are paid. It lists integrations with WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, WPML, Polylang and Gravity Forms.
Users rate it 94% (2,215 ratings) and it was updated 19 October 2026, but 0 of 4 recent threads were resolved, which scores 0 of 20 for support. On WordPress.org data alone it is eighth; a clean lab result (0 KB, median +7.6 ms, runs of +7.6 ms, -1.5 ms, +19.3 ms) lifts it to sixth.
7. Boxzilla, 74.6
Boxzilla – WordPress Popup Builder adds popups, slide-ins and call-to-action boxes that open after a scroll percentage, on reaching a page element, after a set time, after several pageviews, or from a link. A box can hold any WordPress content, including form shortcodes. Exit-intent and time-on-site triggers are paid add-ons.
Its page says the front-end script is 6 kB. On our page with no box it added +0.1 KB and +1.4 ms. It is rated 96% (133 ratings); 20,000+ installs and one unresolved thread hold the score down.
8. PopupKit, 69.2
Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers, which its page calls PopupKit by Wpmet, builds popups in the block editor with any Gutenberg block. It lists page-load, inactivity, scroll, exit-intent and click triggers, inline popups, templates, and include and exclude display conditions.
It is the youngest plugin here, added to WordPress.org in October 2024. Its 100% (7 ratings) is blended down to 84.4%. Server time ran +29.2 ms, +48.4 ms, +48.2 ms, above +25 ms in every run, so the median earns 5.8 of 10. It added 0 KB.
9. WP Popups, 66.2
WP Popups – WordPress Popup builder uses a template builder based on WPForms and works with WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Contact Form 7 and MailPoet. Its display filters cover pages, referrers, user roles, logged-in status, device, bots and query strings; popups open after a delay or a scroll. Exit intent, scheduling and geolocation are premium.
On WordPress.org data alone it is sixth, with 98% (112 ratings). Weight moved it: on a page with no popup it added +49.7 KB, the most here, in 5 extra files, for 0 of 10. Server time, +14.0 ms, is within noise.
10. Popup Box, 65.8
Popup Box – Create Countdown, Coupon, Video, Contact Form Popups has free shortcode, custom content, video, image, Facebook and notification popups, with click triggers, page and post type targeting, show-once and hide-on-mobile options. Subscription, contact form, countdown and coupon popups are Pro.
It is the most recently updated plugin here, 20 October 2026. Like WP Popups, it loads its files on every page: +48.4 KB in 5 extra files, for 0 of 10. Server time was within noise (+2.2 ms). It is rated 92% (82 ratings).
11. Icegram Engage, 61.0
Icegram Engage – Popups, Optins, CTAs & Lead Generation makes popups, header and footer bars, slide-ins, inline messages and overlays, shown by page, delay, scroll or user action. It connects to email providers including Mailchimp, AWeber and ActiveCampaign, and accepts pasted HTML forms.
It had the slowest server time: +31.0 ms, +53.3 ms, +53.1 ms, a median of +53.1 ms, worth 5.2 of 10. It has the fewest installs, 10,000+, and 0 of 3 threads resolved, though users rate it 94% (370 ratings).
12. Advanced Popups, 56.6
Advanced Popups offers a content box, notification box and notification bar, with time-delay, page-viewed, exit-intent, scroll, click and accept-agreement triggers, page and taxonomy targeting, and frequency limits.
Its page calls it lightweight. On our page with no popup it added +39.4 KB in 4 extra files, worth 0.2 of 10. Its rating, 80% (9 ratings), is the lowest here, and it was last updated 11 July 2026, 102 days before our data pull, with WordPress 7.0.7 tested.
Every plugin we measured
| # | Plugin | Score | WordPress.org /100 | Weight /10 | Server time /10 | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Popup Maker | 94.2 | 92.9 | 10.0 | 9.9 | 11 Sep 2026 |
| 2 | Poptin | 86.8 | 83.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 12 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | Depicter | 84.2 | 80.3 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | Hustle | 81.3 | 80.2 | 10.0 | 7.1 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| 5 | OptinMonster | 80.2 | 75.3 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 14 Aug 2026 |
| 6 | Popup Builder | 75.0 | 68.8 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 19 Oct 2026 |
| 7 | Boxzilla | 74.6 | 68.2 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 20 Aug 2026 |
| 8 | PopupKit | 69.2 | 66.7 | 10.0 | 5.8 | 7 Oct 2026 |
| 9 | WP Popups | 66.2 | 70.7 | 0.0 | 9.6 | 19 Aug 2026 |
| 10 | Popup Box | 65.8 | 69.7 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 11 | Icegram Engage | 61.0 | 57.3 | 10.0 | 5.2 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| 12 | Advanced Popups | 56.6 | 58.0 | 0.2 | 10.0 | 11 Jul 2026 |
| – | Popup Anything | Closed | – | – | – | Closed 7 Apr 2026 |
| – | Popups – WordPress Popup | Closed | – | – | – | Closed 5 Jul 2022 |
What we left out, and why
Two plugins on our list are closed on WordPress.org and cannot be downloaded, so they cannot be ranked. Popup Anything, listed as “Popup Maker and Popup Anything – Popup for opt-ins and Lead Generation Conversions”, was closed on 7 April 2026. Despite the name, it is a different plugin from Popup Maker, which ranks first.
Popups – WordPress Popup was closed on 5 July 2022. If either is still installed on your site, it will not receive updates from WordPress.org.
How to choose a free WordPress popup plugin
- Decide where you want to build popups. Poptin and OptinMonster need an account with their service; the other ten do not say they need one.
- Check the trigger you need. Exit intent is listed for free by Depicter, Hustle, PopupKit and Advanced Popups, and on Poptin’s free plan. Popup Maker, OptinMonster, Popup Builder, WP Popups and Boxzilla charge for it.
- If the popup holds a form, check the integration first. Popup Maker can open or close a popup when a form is submitted; our contact form plugin ranking covers the forms side.
- Look at the idle cost. If you show one popup on one page, avoid loading 39–50 KB on every other page: WP Popups, Popup Box and Advanced Popups did that in our lab.
- Read the free limits: Hustle allows 3 popups, OptinMonster 3 campaigns and 500 impression credits, Poptin 1,000 visitors a month.
- After setup, time a logged-out page with the plugin on and off, and check the popup on a phone.
Questions people ask
Which is the best free WordPress popup plugin?
On our data, Popup Maker, with 94.2 out of 100. Poptin (86.8) is second but needs a Poptin account; Depicter (84.2) is third and also builds sliders.
Do popup plugins slow down WordPress?
Mostly not on pages without a popup. Nine of the 12 added 0–0.1 KB there. WP Popups (+49.7 KB), Popup Box (+48.4 KB) and Advanced Popups (+39.4 KB) loaded their files on every page. Nine had median server times under +15 ms; Icegram Engage (+53.1 ms), PopupKit (+48.2 ms) and Hustle (+36.2 ms, with noisy runs) were higher. We did not measure pages that show a popup.
Which free popup plugins have exit intent?
Depicter, Hustle, PopupKit and Advanced Popups list exit-intent triggers on their WordPress.org pages without marking them paid, and Poptin includes exit intent on its free plan. In Popup Maker, OptinMonster, Popup Builder, WP Popups and Boxzilla it is a paid feature.
Do I need an account to use a popup plugin?
For two of the 12. OptinMonster’s page says it is a SaaS service that requires an OptinMonster account, and Poptin’s popups are built in a Poptin account. The other ten do not say they need one.
Is Popup Anything the same as Popup Maker?
No. Popup Anything’s WordPress.org name includes “Popup Maker”, but it is a separate plugin, closed on WordPress.org on 7 April 2026. Popup Maker is open, was last updated 11 September 2026 and ranks first here.
