Popup Maker vs Thrive Leads (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 1.8.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Popup Maker grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Thrive Leads grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
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
Thrive Leads
WordPress opt-in form builder with popups, ribbons and A/B tests
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.6GPAPopup MakerGood | 1.8GPAThrive LeadsWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $99 a year, about $8.25 a month, inside the cheapest quarter ($9); the first year is $59.40. | 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 | BThe free plugin on WordPress.org has unlimited popups with page, post and taxonomy targeting, with a limited feature set. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so nothing can be tried without paying. |
| Features | CPopup types, triggers, targeting, analytics and split testing. Exit-intent and scroll triggers need Pro. | 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 | BWeb only, with five integrations listed. | BWeb only, with eight integrations listed. |
| Best for | popups on a WordPress site, free or with a yearly license | 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: Popup Maker and Thrive Leads. How we grade
Price against what you get
Popup Maker starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 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, none scores higher than Popup Maker 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
At a glance
| Popup Maker | Thrive Leads | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $99 per year for 1 site ($59.40 for the first year) | $599 per year at renewal, after a first year for $240 |
| Free plan | Free plugin on WordPress.org: unlimited popups with page, post and taxonomy targeting, but a limited feature set. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Code Atlantic LLC | Thrive Themes |
| Price read from | wppopupmaker.com | thrivethemes.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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, Popup Maker or Thrive Leads?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Popup Maker 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. Popup Maker starts at $99 per year for 1 site ($59.40 for the first year), and Thrive Leads starts at $599 per year at renewal, after a first year for $240.
Which has a free plan, Popup Maker or Thrive Leads?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Popup Maker 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.