MailOptin 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.
Popup Maker
WordPress popup plugin with a free edition and yearly Pro licenses
Free plan · from $99/yr
Which one is for you
Pick MailOptin if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want popups and newsletters from one plugin
- Works for a small list that can live on the free Lite edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your site is not on WordPress
- Watch out: premium prices could not be read, so check them before you plan around Pro
- Not for you if you want spam protection with reCAPTCHA or Turnstile for free: it is premium
- Watch out: some broadcast audiences, such as membership or course plugin users, need the Pro version
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
| 2.2GPAMailOptinFair | 2.6GPAPopup MakerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo paid price could be read, since the vendor's pricing page was behind a bot check, so we have nothing to grade against and it sits at the ordinary C. | 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 | BMailOptin Lite is free on WordPress.org with popups, before and after post opt-ins, sidebar forms, page-level targeting and new-post emails. One person could run a small list on it. | BThe free plugin on WordPress.org has unlimited popups with page, post and taxonomy targeting, with a limited feature set. |
| Features | CPopups, forms, targeting, broadcasts and mail-service integrations in one plugin. The WordPress.org listing says reCAPTCHA or Turnstile spam protection and several conversion actions are premium, and some broadcast audiences need Pro. | CPopup types, triggers, targeting, analytics and split testing. Exit-intent and scroll triggers need Pro. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a plugin you install and wire to an email service, with forms to build. | CNo rating on record; a plugin you install and configure on your site. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWordPress only. It lists Mailchimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Brevo and Kit, but there is no app outside the site. | BWeb only, with five integrations listed. |
| Best for | a free WordPress popup and newsletter plugin | 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: MailOptin and Popup Maker. How we grade
Where they differ
- MailOptin also covers email campaigns.
- Popup Maker also covers reports and a/B testing.
In commonFree planWebFormsPopups
At a glance
| MailOptin | Popup Maker | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $99 per year for 1 site ($59.40 for the first year) |
| Free plan | MailOptin Lite is free on WordPress.org, with popups, before and after post opt-ins, sidebar forms, page-level targeting and new-post notification emails. | Free plugin on WordPress.org: unlimited popups with page, post and taxonomy targeting, but a limited feature set. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MailOptin | Code Atlantic LLC |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | wppopupmaker.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MailOptin
- Premium prices could not be read: the vendor's site answered with a bot check, so pricing is unverified.
- Runs only inside WordPress.
- Spam protection with reCAPTCHA or Turnstile and several conversion actions are premium-only, per the WordPress.org listing.
- The listing says some broadcast audiences, such as membership and course plugin users, need the Pro version.
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
MailOptin
- Popups and opt-in forms
- Lightbox popups, before and after post opt-ins, sidebar widget forms, notification bars and slide-ins.
- Page-level targeting
- Show a form on chosen posts and pages.
- New-post notification emails
- Automatic newsletters when a post is published, limited by category or tag, sent to registered users or chosen roles.
- Broadcasts and scheduling
- One-off emails to registered users with scheduling.
- Email platform integrations
- Connects with services including Mailchimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot and Brevo.
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
MailOptin
Pricing could not be confirmed. See mailoptin.io.
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
MailOptin
No public discounts listed.
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, MailOptin or Popup Maker?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MailOptin has no price we could confirm, and Popup Maker starts at $99 per year for 1 site ($59.40 for the first year).
Which has a free plan, MailOptin or Popup Maker?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MailOptin 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.