Icegram vs Thrive Leads (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Icegram grades higher than Thrive Leads: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Icegram grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Thrive Leads grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Icegram
WordPress plugins for popups, action bars and email capture
Thrive Leads
WordPress opt-in form builder with popups, ribbons and A/B tests
Which one is for you
Pick Icegram if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want a free popup plugin
- Works for people with up to 3 WordPress sites on one license
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your site is not on WordPress, because only Max has the remote option
- Tight if you need A/B tests or geographic targeting, since they are not in Starter
- Watch out: Max covers 3 sites, and other sites need more licenses
- Watch out: renewal after the first year is at whatever price is then in force
Pick Thrive Leads if
- Fits if you run self-hosted WordPress and want one bundle of Thrive tools
- Works for site owners who build opt-in forms with A/B tests
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you only want Leads, since the page sells Thrive Suite as a bundle
- Watch out: $240 is an introductory first year, and renewals are $599
- Skip it if your blog is on WordPress.com, because it needs self-hosted WordPress.org
- Not for you if you want to try before paying, as no free plan or trial is listed
- Watch out: a standalone Thrive Leads subscription is mentioned but shows no price
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAIcegramFair | 1.8GPAThrive LeadsWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BMax is $99 a year, about $8.25 a month, inside the cheapest quarter ($9); Starter is free but without A/B testing and geographic targeting. | DThrive Suite renews at $599 a year, about $50 a month, in the dearest tenth of popup tools ($55 and up is the dearest tenth; the middle is $19); the first year is $240. |
| Free plan and trial | BStarter is free forever for 1 site, with popups, action bars, toasts and basic targeting rules. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so nothing can be tried without paying. |
| Features | CSeveral message types, targeting rules, designs and A/B testing in Max. WordPress only unless you use Max's remote display. | BMany opt-in form types, a drag-and-drop editor, targeting, A/B testing, reporting and email connections. The listing shows no gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record; a plugin you install and configure on your site. | CNo rating on record; a WordPress plugin you install, then build forms in an editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with a WordPress-based product and two integrations listed. | BWeb only, with eight integrations listed. |
| Best for | popups and action bars on a WordPress site | opt-in forms and popups on a WordPress site |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Icegram and Thrive Leads. How we grade
Price against what you get
Icegram starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Thrive Leads starts at $49.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Thrive Leads scores higher, and starts $41.67 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other popup and widget tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Icegram for less, and 1 scores higher than Thrive Leads for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Icegram also covers email campaigns.
- Thrive Leads also covers reports.
At a glance
| Icegram | Thrive Leads | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $99 per year for up to 3 sites | $599 per year at renewal, after a first year for $240 |
| Free plan | Starter plan, free forever: 1 site, popups, action bars, toasts, messengers, basic targeting rules and two-step opt-in. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Icegram | Thrive Themes |
| Price read from | icegram.com | thrivethemes.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Icegram
- Runs inside WordPress; non-WordPress sites need the Max plan's remote option.
- The Max plan covers up to 3 sites; other sites need more licenses, one per site.
- A/B testing and geographic targeting are not in the free Starter plan.
- Renewal after the first year is at the price then in force, which the vendor says may change.
Thrive Leads
- Needs a self-hosted WordPress.org site; it does not work on WordPress.com blogs.
- The pricing page sells Thrive Suite only, so Leads comes bundled with the other Thrive plugins and themes.
- The $240 first-year price is introductory; annual renewals are at the full $599.
- A standalone Thrive Leads subscription is mentioned on its page, but no price was visible there.
Key features
Icegram
- Several message types
- Popups, action bars, toasts and messengers on Starter; interstitial, overlay, tab and sidebar messages on Max.
- Campaign designs
- The site cites 120+ designs and ready-made campaigns, with essential themes free and premium themes on Max.
- Targeting rules
- Basic targeting rules are free; Max adds geographic targeting and show or hide animation effects.
- A/B split testing
- Compare campaign versions to see which collects more subscribers. Listed as a Max-only feature.
- Remote display
- On Max, set up a campaign in the WordPress install that hosts Icegram and show it on a third-party or non-WordPress site.
- Data stays on your site
- Leads are stored in your own WordPress database, and the vendor says there is no pricing by form count or number of leads.
Thrive Leads
- Many opt-in form types
- ThriveBox lightbox popup, sticky ribbon, slide-in, inline form, 2-step opt-in, sidebar widget, screen filler, scroll mat and content lock.
- Drag-and-drop editor and templates
- Design forms visually from a library of pre-designed templates, with separate show-or-hide and editing options for mobile.
- Targeting
- Show forms by post, category, tag and more, and trigger them on exit intent, scroll, delay or click.
- A/B testing and reporting
- Test form variations and read stats on which forms and which pages and posts produce the most leads.
- SmartLinks and SmartExit
- Hide forms from, or show different offers to, existing subscribers, and use SmartExit to tailor exit offers.
- Email service connections
- Direct API connections to services such as ActiveCampaign, AWeber, Mailchimp and ConvertKit, or any HTML signup form.
Plans
Icegram
Starter$0
Single site with popups, action bars, toasts, messengers, basic targeting and essential themes.
Max$99
per year for up to 3 sites
Adds A/B split testing, geographic targeting, animations, more message types, premium themes and remote display.
Thrive Leads
Thrive Suite Yearly$599
per year at renewal, after a first year of $240
All 8 Thrive plugins including Leads, Theme Builder, 24/5 support, use on up to 5 websites. First year is $240.
Thrive Suite Quarterly$149
per quarter, for up to 5 websites
The same bundle, billed every quarter instead of yearly.
Ways to pay less
Icegram
No public discounts listed.
Thrive Leads
- Other savings
First-year Thrive Suite price of $240
The pricing page shows Thrive Suite yearly at $240 as special introductory pricing against $599; annual renewals are at the full price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Icegram or Thrive Leads?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Icegram is cheaper to start with: $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against $49.92 a month when paid by the year for Thrive Leads. Icegram starts at $99 per year for up to 3 sites, and Thrive Leads starts at $599 per year at renewal, after a first year for $240.
Which has a free plan, Icegram or Thrive Leads?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Icegram has a free plan. Thrive Leads does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.