Joinchat vs Popup Maker (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Popup Maker: it is third in our ranking of popup and widget tools, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.2.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Popup Maker grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Joinchat
WhatsApp chat button and AI assistant for WordPress sites
Popup Maker
WordPress popup plugin with a free edition and yearly Pro licenses
Which one is for you
Pick Joinchat if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want customers to message you on WhatsApp
- Works for a site that is fine with just the free button
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your site is not on WordPress
- Pricey if you want the AI Assistant: 39 euros a month with 2,000 responses
- Watch out: Premium and Premium Plus cover updates and support for 1 year, then renew
- Watch out: all prices are in euros, with no dollar prices shown
Pick Popup Maker if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want a free popup plugin
- Works for site owners who pay yearly for exit-intent
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your site is not on WordPress, as it is not a hosted service
- Tight if you want exit-intent on the free edition, since that needs Pro
- Watch out: Pro is licensed per site, with 5 sites at $149 for the first year
- Watch out: after a license expires the plugin works but stops getting updates and support
- Pricey if you need Pro+ for ecommerce, at $249 a year for 1 site
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAJoinchatFair | 2.6GPAPopup MakerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C96 euros a year for one site is about 8 euros a month, around the cheapest quarter, and the paid tier adds ChatFunnel and agents. The page lists no dollar prices. | BPro is $99 a year, about $8.25 a month, inside the cheapest quarter ($9); the first year is $59.40. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free plugin adds the WhatsApp button, which covers the basic job. The AI Assistant has a 15-day trial. | BThe free plugin on WordPress.org has unlimited popups with page, post and taxonomy targeting, with a limited feature set. |
| Features | CThe button, ChatFunnel, support agents with country rules, lead capture and an AI assistant. It does a chat job, not the popup job, and lead capture and tracking start on Premium Plus. | CPopup types, triggers, targeting, analytics and split testing. Exit-intent and scroll triggers need Pro. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install a plugin and set up channels and funnels. | CNo rating on record; a plugin you install and configure on your site. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWordPress only, with WhatsApp, Google Ads, GA4, Tag Manager and webhooks named. | BWeb only, with five integrations listed. |
| Best for | a WhatsApp chat button for WordPress | popups on a WordPress site, free or with a yearly license |
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: Joinchat and Popup Maker. How we grade
Price against what you get
Joinchat starts at about $8.94 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Popup Maker starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Popup Maker scores higher and starts $0.69 a month lower. Of the other popup and widget tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Joinchat for less, and 3 score higher than Popup Maker 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
- Joinchat also covers whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- Popup Maker also covers forms, reports and a/B testing.
At a glance
| Joinchat | Popup Maker | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €96 per year for 1 site | $99 per year for 1 site ($59.40 for the first year) |
| Free plan | Free plugin from WordPress.org that adds a floating WhatsApp contact button to a site. | Free plugin on WordPress.org: unlimited popups with page, post and taxonomy targeting, but a limited feature set. |
| Free trial | 15-day trial on the AI Assistant subscription | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Joinchat | Code Atlantic LLC |
| Price read from | join.chat | wppopupmaker.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Joinchat
- It runs only inside WordPress.
- All prices on the pricing page are in euros, with no dollar prices shown.
- Premium and Premium Plus cover updates and support for 1 year, then renew.
- The AI Assistant is a separate monthly subscription with a cap of 2,000 responses a month.
Popup Maker
- Runs only inside WordPress; it is not a hosted service.
- Exit-intent and scroll triggers need the paid Pro license; the free edition lacks them.
- Pro is licensed per site count; the 5-site first-year price is $149 and larger packs are listed too.
- After a license expires, the plugin keeps working but stops getting updates and support.
Key features
Joinchat
- WhatsApp contact button
- A floating button on the site opens a WhatsApp conversation; the free plugin covers this.
- ChatFunnel
- Conversational forms that qualify and guide a lead before handing the chat to WhatsApp.
- Support agents and country rules
- Premium lets a site list several contact channels and agents, and show or hide the button by country.
- Lead capture and tracking
- Premium Plus saves leads in WordPress, sends webhooks, and sends Google Ads conversions and GA4 and GTM events.
- AI assistant
- An optional AI agent answers customer questions from a knowledge base; the site says it can handle up to 80% of inquiries.
Popup Maker
- Popup types
- Email opt-ins, exit-intent popups, contact form popups, announcement banners, cookie notices and content upgrades.
- Triggers
- Open automatically with a delay, on a click or on form submission in the free edition. Exit-intent and scroll triggers need Pro.
- Targeting conditions
- Free targeting by post, page, custom post type, category, tag and taxonomy; Pro adds user roles, scheduling and complex logic.
- Analytics and split testing
- Pro adds performance tracking with WordPress dashboard widgets and split testing; Pro+ adds popup-to-purchase revenue attribution.
- Ecommerce popups
- Pro+ covers cart-abandonment, upsell and cross-sell popups for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads, plus LifterLMS enrollment popups.
- No traffic limits
- All plans include unlimited popups, impressions and theming, so price does not rise with pageviews.
Plans
Joinchat
Free$0
Floating WhatsApp button so visitors can message you from the site.
Premium€96
per year for 1 site
ChatFunnel, handoff to WhatsApp, contact channels, support agents, country rules and 72-hour ticket support.
Premium Plus, 1 site€180
per year for 1 site
Premium plus lead capture, saved leads, webhooks, Google Ads and GA4/GTM events, and 24-hour ticket support.
Premium Plus, 5 sites€240
per year for 5 sites
The Premium Plus feature set licensed for up to 5 sites.
Premium Plus, 20 sites€480
per year for 20 sites
The Premium Plus feature set licensed for up to 20 sites.
AI Assistant€39
per month, 2,000 responses a month
Monthly add-on with a knowledge base, reports, AI actions and 40+ languages. Shown as €39, down from a crossed-out €49.
Popup Maker
Free$0
Free WordPress.org plugin with automatic and click triggers and basic targeting.
Pro$99
per year for 1 site
Exit-intent and scroll triggers, advanced targeting, analytics, split testing and FluentCRM tagging. First year $59.40.
Pro+$249
per year for 1 site
Pro plus revenue attribution and WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads and LifterLMS tools. First year $149.40.
Ways to pay less
Joinchat
- Other savings
14-day money-back guarantee
The pricing page promises a full refund within 14 days, no questions asked.
Popup Maker
- Other savings
40% off the first year
A launch special on the pricing page takes 40% off the first year for new customers only; renewal returns to the regular price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Joinchat or Popup Maker?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Popup Maker is cheaper to start with: $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against about $8.94 a month for Joinchat. Joinchat starts at €96 per year for 1 site, and Popup Maker starts at $99 per year for 1 site ($59.40 for the first year).
Which has a free plan, Joinchat or Popup Maker?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Joinchat and Popup Maker have a free plan.
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.