Thrive Leads vs WP Popups (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, WP Popups grades higher than Thrive Leads: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Thrive Leads grades higher on features and platforms. WP Popups grades higher on value for money and the free plan. 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.
Thrive Leads
WordPress opt-in form builder with popups, ribbons and A/B tests
WP Popups
WordPress popup plugin with a free edition and paid licenses
Which one is for you
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
Pick WP Popups if
- Fits if you run one WordPress site and want a plugin, not a hosted tool
- Works for a site that wants popups tied to a form plugin it already uses
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your site is not on WordPress
- Not for you if you want exit intent for free: it is paid
- Pricey if you need several sites, since 5 sites is $199 a year and 10 is $399
- Watch out: the page calls prices introductory and mentions renewal at a different price, so what you pay in year two is unclear
- Watch out: Zapier, geolocation and scheduler add-ons start on Pro at $399
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAThrive LeadsWeak | 2.2GPAWP PopupsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | B$70 a year for one site, about $5.83 a month, which is inside the cheapest quarter of popup tools. Five-site, ten-site and unlimited tiers jump to $199, $399 and $599 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record, so nothing can be tried without paying. | CThe free edition has templates and display filters, but exit intent, premium triggers and positions are paid. There is no trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| Features | 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. | CDisplay filters, exit intent, form-plugin support and an A/B testing add-on. The listing shows gaps: most email integrations are add-ons tied to the higher plans. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record; a WordPress plugin you install, then build forms in an editor. | CNo store rating on record. You install a plugin, build a popup and set rules. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with eight integrations listed. | COnly works inside WordPress. It lists WPForms, Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7, Mailchimp and Zapier. |
| Best for | opt-in forms and popups on a WordPress site | WordPress popups with a free edition |
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: Thrive Leads and WP Popups. How we grade
Price against what you get
Thrive Leads starts at $49.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WP Popups starts at $5.83 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
Thrive Leads scores higher, and starts $44.09 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other popup and widget tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Thrive Leads for less, and 10 score higher than WP Popups 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
- Thrive Leads also covers reports.
At a glance
| Thrive Leads | WP Popups | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $599 per year at renewal, after a first year for $240 | $70 per year for 1 site |
| Free plan | None | Free edition on WordPress.org with popup templates and display filters; premium rules, triggers, positions and exit intent are paid. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Thrive Themes | Linsila LLC |
| Price read from | thrivethemes.com | wppopups.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
WP Popups
- Runs only inside WordPress.
- The page calls the listed prices introductory (50% off) and says renewals are the regular price minus 30%, but also shows 'then $599/yr'; renewal is unclear.
- Most email integrations are add-ons tied to higher plans, though add-ons can also be bought separately.
- There is no free trial; the vendor offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Key features
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.
WP Popups
- Display filters
- Show popups on chosen pages, templates or posts, by user role, referrer, device type or logged-in status.
- Exit intent and triggers
- Premium triggers and exit-intent popups are in the paid licenses.
- Form plugin support
- Works with form plugins such as WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms and Contact Form 7.
- Email add-ons
- Add-ons connect Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, GetResponse and MailerLite, with higher plans covering more of them.
- A/B tests add-on
- Split testing of popups, included from the Basic plan.
Plans
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.
WP Popups
Free$0
Free edition from WordPress.org. Add-ons can be bought separately and used with it.
Basic$70
per year for 1 site
Unlimited popups, premium rules, triggers and positions, exit intent, A/B tests add-on, Mailchimp and Constant Contact add-ons.
Plus$199
per year for 5 sites
Everything in Basic plus add-ons for MailPoet, Newsletter, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, GetResponse and MailerLite.
Pro$399
per year for 10 sites
Everything in Plus plus Zapier, login, leaving notice, geolocation and scheduler add-ons, and premium support.
Agency$599
per year for unlimited sites
Everything in Pro, unlimited sites and a pass for all future add-ons.
Ways to pay less
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.
WP Popups
- Other savings
Introductory 50% off the first year
The pricing page shows each license at half its regular price, for example Basic at $35 instead of $70, as special introductory pricing. The renewal price is not stated consistently on the page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Thrive Leads or WP Popups?
As of Nov 13, 2026, WP Popups is cheaper to start with: $5.83 a month when paid by the year, against $49.92 a month when paid by the year for Thrive Leads. Thrive Leads starts at $599 per year at renewal, after a first year for $240, and WP Popups starts at $70 per year for 1 site.
Which has a free plan, Thrive Leads or WP Popups?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WP Popups 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.