The Ultimate Popup Plugin Showdown

UPDATE: I now use a different WordPress plugin to create and display popup and other types of sign-up forms on my website, Thrive Leads. You can read about it here.

Having a popup form on your blog can increase your email signups. I have the numbers to prove this.

When you're ready to install a popup in your blog, the next question is: which popup plugin should you use?

Just Google “WordPress popup plugin” and you'll get many results. Your email provider may even have the ability to create popup forms. I know Aweber does.

To help you decide, I've tested three of the most popular WordPress popup plugins: Action Popup, Popup Domination and WPSubscribers. Judging by the price points of these plugins, they're competing with each other. Here are my test findings:

Action Popup

Action Popup was the very first popup plugin I ever used. It's affordable and easy to use. For a long time, it was the only popup I needed. I've even used it for some of my clients' sites. However, a recent update made it extremely difficult for me to get the popup form to look the way I wanted it to.

Ease of Use

After installing the plugin, I was able to set up my first popup form within 10 minutes.

Popup Templates

Yes, they're available. However, I can't get them to look nice right out of the box. The fonts are particularly unattractive, but I can't modify them.

Customization

Action Popup allows you to design your own popup forms from scratch. You do have to have programming know-how and probably other technical wizardry to get your opt-in form to look the way you want it.

You can also customize the size and exact location of the popup, relative to your web page.

Among the three popup plugins, Action Popup gives the most control of your form's colors.

Timing Controls

You can control when the popup appears, down to the second.

Post/Page Selection

By default, the plugin is active on all your blog's posts and pages. However, you can deactivate the plugin from the post/page editing interface.

Standalone Version

Available and easy to install. By that I mean I was able to install it on an HTML page without pulling my hair out. It was painless.

Bonuses

• Disappearing Opt-in Box. This script allows your sales page visitors to opt into your mailing list from an opt-in form. After they do so, the opt-in box disappears so they can continue reading the sales page, instead of being redirected to a thank-you page.
• Action Comments. This plugin gives your blog commenters the option of subscribing to your list by checking on a box under the comment interface.

Customer Support

When I first purchased Action Popup, developer Robert Plank was responsive either through email or the customers' blog. However, in the last few months, he seems to have disappeared. I received no response whatsoever to my questions about formatting the popup form. Sad.

Price

$47 for unlimited domains (Buy it here)

Bottom Line

Action Popup is the most affordable option if you want to install popup forms in many domains, including HTML sites. However, you need programming skills to create pretty forms as you're pretty much on you're own when using the plugin.

See Action Popup in action here. (To see the exit popup, you need to move your mouse out of the window, as if you're exiting the page.)  I had to disable Action Popup on this site, because it was conflicting with another plugin 🙁

Popup Domination

Many Internet marketers like Gideon Shalwick and Lynn Terry use and promote Popup Domination. When I couldn't get help with my Action Popup woes, I just had to try it.

Ease of Use

After installing the plugin, I was able to set up my first popup form within 10 minutes.

Popup Templates

Popup Domination provides several templates, and they're much more attractive than Action Popup's templates. You can modify the colors for the various elements of the popup templates and add your own graphics. However, you can't control the where your popup appears, relative to your page.

Customization

You can create your own opt-in form from scratch, but you have to know some HTML or other programming.

Timing Controls

You can control when the popup appears, down to the second.

Post/Page Selection

The plugin is active on all posts and pages, by default. You cannot deactivate it on specific posts; you can only do so for specific categories of posts. You can deactivate the plugin on specific pages.

Everything is done in the Popup Domination Settings, which can be cumbersome when your blog has many pages. You have to scroll down your list of pages and select which pages will have the plugin disabled.

Standalone Version

Included with the plugin. However, I've never installed it myself so I can't tell you how easy it is to do so. Judging from the instructions, it seems to be more complicated than Action Popup.

Bonuses

• Opt-in Domination. This plugin allows you to place your popups in your sidebar and anywhere on a post.

Customer Support

I haven't had to contact customer support, so I don't know. I did send an email about their affiliate program and haven't heard back after two hours.

Price

$47 for a personal license for one domain (Buy it here)

After purchasing the personal license, you can upgrade to a multi-site license. Unfortunately, I've forgotten how much this costs and I can't find the information anywhere on the sales page.

Bottom Line

Popup Domination is the most expensive option of the three, since the basic license lets you use it on only one site. However, you can get a professional-looking popup right out of the box and you won't sweat blood doing it.

See Popup Domination in action here. (To see the exit popup, you need to move your mouse out of the window, as if you're exiting the page.)

WPSubscribers

I can't remember how I discovered this new popup plugin, but when I read the sales page for WPSubscribers, I was blown away by all the features and functionalities it offers. In fact, I've paid for a separate Facebook opt-in plugin, but it's included in WPSubscribers. Even know I didn't need it, I purchased WPSubscribers so I could compare it with Action Popup and Popup Domination.

Ease of Use

After installing the plugin, it shouldn't take you longer than 15-20 minutes to set up your first popup form. But it will take longer if you think you know everything and not follow the step-by-step instructions. (Don't ask me how I know.)

Also, WPSubscribers lets you make so many different kinds of popups and opt-in forms, that you've got plenty of settings menus to look at. You could easily spend hours playing with configuring them all.

Popup Templates

WPSubscribers gives the most number of choices and best-looking templates of the three. You can modify the fonts for different part of your form, as well as embed your own graphics and even video. I do wish the templates came in more colors.

Customization

You can make your forms look pretty much any way you want, but you must upload your own CSS.

Timing Controls

You can control when the popups appear, down to the second and number of days since the reader's last visit. You can also prevent the popup from appearing again after your blog reader has already opted into your list.

Page Selection

You can deactivate the popup in specific posts while in post editing mode. You can also turn the plugin off for categories of posts.

However, to disable the popup in specific pages, you have to go to WPSubscriber settings interface and deselect each page. As with Popup Domination, this gets very cumbersome when your blog has tons of pages.

Standalone Version

None. If you want to have the same popups and opt-in forms on your HTML sites, you're out of luck.

Bonuses

None and you won't miss them, because WPSubscribers can do so many things.

Customer Support

I emailed customer support and got a reply within 25 minutes. And their response solved my problem.

Price

$47 for 3 domains, $97 for unlimited domains (Buy it here)

Bottom Line

WPSubscribers is the most feature-rich of the three, with competitive pricing. You can create different kinds of popups, including header and footer popups, and opt-in forms that are integrated with Facebook, comment opt-in and so much more. If you bought these plugins separately (and similar plugins are available for purchase separately), you'd pay much more than the cost of an unlimited license. This is the best option if you don't need a popup script for HTML sites and if you want to experiment with different types of popups and opt-in forms on your WordPress blog.

See WPSubscribers in action here. (To see the exit popup, you need to move your mouse out of the window, as if you're exiting the page. Please note that I messed around with the default fonts and made the form look not as pretty as it should.)

Which Popup Plugin Is The Best?

Which of these popup plugins is the best for you? What are you currently using and how are you liking it?

Let us know your experiences, or if you have questions about any of these plugins, shoot them below. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

PS: The product links in this post are affiliate links.