Most visitors will leave your website quietly without signing up, purchasing, or even giving it a second thought.
Exit-intent popups change that by catching people right before they close the tab and offering a compelling reason to stay. When used well, they can help you recover lost leads, grow your email list, and boost sales.
But to get those results, you need a plugin that’s easy to use and effective at the right moment. With so many options in the WordPress ecosystem, figuring out which tools actually help can feel overwhelming.
I tested 9 popular plugins across blogs, eCommerce stores, and business websites to see how they perform in real-world scenarios. Based on this testing, I identified the 5 exit-intent popup plugins that stood out for performance, usability, and effectiveness.
These tools help you engage visitors at just the right moment, turning potential bounces into leads and sales.🚀
My Verdict: The Best Exit-Intent Popup Plugins for WordPress
Why Use Exit-Intent Popups in WordPress?
Exit-intent popups help you turn abandoning visitors into subscribers, customers, or engaged readers.
They detect when someone’s about to leave and give you one last chance to grab attention—whether that’s offering a discount, promoting a free guide, or growing your email list.
I like using them because they convert passive readers into active participants without disrupting the browsing experience.
And if you’re using WordPress, setting them up is easier than you might think. Exit-intent popup plugins give you everything you need to make these popups work effectively, including:
Full ownership – Control your data, design, and how often popups appear.
Flexible targeting – Show personalized popups based on page, device, or visitor behavior.
Simple setup – Most can be installed in minutes with no coding required.
Deep integrations – Instantly connect popups to your email service, customer relationship management software (CRM), or analytics.
Overall, they make it simple to capture leads just before visitors leave your site.
How I Tested Popup Plugins for This Review
I didn’t just install these plugins and look at their settings. I wanted to see how they perform when someone’s actually trying to leave a page.
That’s why I tested each plugin on real WordPress sites — a content blog, an online store, and a business landing page. My goal was to see which ones caught attention without being annoying, and which ones made setup simple enough for beginners.
Here’s what I focused on during testing:
Exit detection accuracy: I checked how well each plugin detected exit behavior.
Ease of setup: I timed how long it took to go from install to a live, working popup.
Customization options: I tested how much control I had over design, timing, and targeting rules.
Mobile performance: I triggered popups on phones and tablets to see if they worked smoothly.
Integrations: I connected each plugin to email marketing tools and tracked how seamlessly data synced.
Analytics and testing: I looked for built-in A/B testing and conversion tracking to optimize results.
Pricing transparency: I compared free plans, paid tiers, and which features were locked behind upgrades.
This process helped me find plugins that balance power with simplicity, so you can recover leads without frustrating visitors.
Why Trust WPBeginner?
At WPBeginner, we’ve spent over 15 years helping WordPress users build websites that convert visitors into subscribers and customers.
Our team tests every plugin on real WordPress sites that serve millions of readers. We install, configure, and measure performance based on real user behavior — not marketing claims.
When we recommend exit-intent popup tools, it’s because we’ve tested them on live sites and seen how they perform under real traffic.
We only recommend plugins that meet our standards for usability, reliability, and value. You can read more about our process in our editorial guidelines.
Now, let’s take a look at my top picks for the best WordPress exit-intent popup plugins.
1. OptinMonster — Best Overall Exit-Intent Popup Plugin
OptinMonster isn’t just the best exit-intent popup plugin — it’s a complete lead generation powerhouse trusted by top brands.
With its signature Exit-Intent® Technology, it detects exactly when someone is about to leave your website and shows the perfect offer to turn them into subscribers or customers.
You can easily build eye-catching popups, floating bars, and slide-ins using its drag-and-drop campaign builder, no coding required.
What really sets it apart is the smart targeting and personalization. It lets you customize campaigns based on pages visited, referral sources, location, and user behavior to drive higher conversions.
My Experience
At WPBeginner, we’ve used OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® technology for multiple popups aimed at converting visitors who were about to leave our website. You can learn more about our hands-on experience in our detailed OptinMonster review.
When I tried it out on my own website, the setup process was straightforward. I logged into the dashboard, selected a template, and customized the design using the drag-and-drop builder. After that, I simply activated Exit-Intent in the display rules settings.
This technology is where OptinMonster really shines. On desktop, it tracks mouse movement and triggers the popup the moment a visitor moves toward the browser’s back button or address bar.
On mobile, it uses scroll-up detection to catch visitors before they leave. Both methods worked reliably during my tests.
Smart targeting rules also let me show different messages to different visitors. I set up one popup for visitors from Google and another for people who came from Facebook. I also created a special offer for visitors viewing specific product pages.
The campaign builder includes dozens of campaign types beyond popups—slide-ins, floating bars, and coupon wheels all worked well.
Plus, the built-in A/B testing made it easy to test different headlines and button colors. Conversion analytics showed me exactly which version performed better.
The plugin even integrates with all major email marketing platforms, including Mailchimp, HubSpot, and ConvertKit, so new leads could flow directly into my email list.
Why I recommend OptinMonster: It is ideal for marketers and eCommerce stores that want the most accurate exit detection and powerful targeting options. If you’re serious about converting abandoning visitors into leads or customers, OptinMonster delivers the best results.
2. Thrive Leads – Best for Advanced Lead Capture Control
Thrive Leads stands out if you want granular control over when and how your lead capture forms appear. It’s built specifically for WordPress, so everything stays on your site without needing a separate account somewhere else.
I particularly appreciate how SmartLinks and SmartExit+ work together to show exit-intent forms at the right moment without annoying visitors who have already seen them. The built-in testing makes it easy to compare different designs and find what actually converts.
Thrive Leads is part of the Thrive Themes ecosystem. Our team has tested all their tools, and you can check out our Thrive Themes Suite review to discover how each one works in action.
My Experience
I experimented with Thrive Leads on a blog and tested SmartExit+ triggers to see how accurately they detected visitors leaving. The triggers worked smoothly on both desktop and mobile.
I also set up different form types—popups, slide-ins, and sticky ribbons—to test which placement worked best on each page.
Each form type gave me a different way to capture attention without feeling pushy.
The advanced targeting rules let me show specific forms based on page categories, tags, and user behavior. I used this to display product-related offers only on product pages, which felt more relevant to visitors.
I even ran A/B tests on two different exit-intent popup designs to see which one got more signups. The built-in analytics made it simple to track performance without installing extra tools.
SmartLinks prevented the same form from showing up repeatedly to returning visitors. This helped me keep the experience cleaner and reduced the chance of annoying people who’ hadalready subscribed.
The mobile-responsive designs also looked good on phones and tablets without extra adjustments. Device-specific triggers let me customize when forms appeared based on whether someone was on mobile or desktop.
The only downside I noticed was the learning curve. With so many settings and options, it took time to figure out which features I actually needed versus which ones I could ignore.
Why I Recommend Thrive Leads: It gives you full control over your lead-capture strategy. With SmartLinks and SmartExit+, you can display forms at exactly the right moment—engaging visitors without annoying them and boosting conversions.
3. HubSpot Marketing Hub – Best for All-in-One CRM Integration
HubSpot Marketing Hub stands out if you want exit-intent popups that connect directly to the HubSpot CRM marketing system.
Instead of just capturing emails, it tracks behavior, triggers workflows, and automatically moves leads through your sales funnel.
I tested it on blog pages and product pages to see how well the CRM integration worked in practice. The difference became clear once I started seeing how visitor data flowed into the Smart CRM without extra setup.
My Experience
I started by setting up exit-intent popups on a few blog posts. The trigger options let me choose time on page, scroll depth, or exit intent.
Once I selected exit intent, the popup appeared just as visitors moved their cursor toward the browser tab. The timing felt natural and caught people right before they left.
I also tested time-based triggers on product pages. Setting a 30-second delay gave visitors enough time to browse before seeing the offer.
The popup editor made it easy to write custom messages and adjust form fields. I added a simple email signup and changed the button text to match the page content.
After a visitor submitted their email, HubSpot’s Smart CRM automatically saved their contact info and tagged them based on the page they visited. I didn’t have to export lists or manually update spreadsheets.
From there, I built a simple workflow that sent a welcome email within five minutes of signup. The automation started immediately after the popup form was submitted.
Plus, the built-in analytics gave me insights into visitor behavior, form submissions, and conversion rates. I could see exactly how many people saw the popup and how many took action.
The only thing that annoyed me a bit was that advanced targeting and automation features require paid plans, which adds cost if you’re only looking for basic exit-intent popups.
Why I Recommend HubSpot Marketing Hub: It takes exit-intent popups beyond simple lead capture by integrating them into a complete marketing system. Leads are not only captured—they’re automatically nurtured with personalized email sequences and segmentation.
4. Poptin – Best for eCommerce Stores
Poptin combines exit-intent technology with smart automation to help you capture visitors who are about to leave and immediately engage them.
It’s particularly effective for eCommerce sites that want to reduce cart abandonment and boost conversions.
I specifically used exit-intent triggers on product and checkout pages, as well as blog landing pages, to capture leaving visitors. The setup was quick, and the results showed up fast.
My Experience
When I first installed Poptin, the exit-intent trigger setup was straightforward. I targeted product pages and checkout flows to catch visitors before they left.
The drag-and-drop editor made it easy to customize popups without touching any code. I built lightbox popups, floating bars, and slide-ins in minutes.
Smart targeting rules let me show different popups based on visitor behavior. I created separate campaigns for first-time visitors versus returning customers.
The autoresponder feature stood out immediately. After someone entered their email, Poptin automatically sent a welcome message or discount code.
I tested exit-intent popups on blog landing pages, too. When readers scrolled up to leave, the popup appeared and offered a content upgrade.
Behavior-based display rules also gave me control over when popups appeared. I set triggers based on scroll depth, time on page, and exit intent together.
Next, A/B testing helped me optimize popup design and messaging. I ran tests on different headlines and saw which versions converted better.
Plus, I loved the analytics dashboard that showed me which popups performed best. I tracked views, conversions, and drop-off points for each campaign.
What I didn’t like was that the free plan limits monthly popups and campaigns. Full analytics and some integrations require upgrading to a paid plan.
Why I Recommend Poptin: For eCommerce stores, Poptin is a powerful tool to capture abandoning shoppers with exit-intent popups and automatically send follow-up emails to bring them back. It’s highly effective for reducing cart abandonment and recovering lost sales.
5. Popup Maker – Best for WordPress Developers & Advanced Users
Popup Maker stands out because it gives you complete control over when and how your exit-intent popups appear. It’s built specifically for WordPress, so it works seamlessly with the plugins you already use.
During testing, I found it especially useful for creating targeted popups that fit different scenarios. The variety of trigger options meant I could match each popup to how visitors actually behave.
My Experience
I started by installing the free core plugin to test basic popups. Setup was quick, and I could create simple popups right away.
Once I added the premium Exit Intent Trigger extension, things got interesting. I had access to multiple detection methods that worked across different devices.
For desktop visitors, I used the Mouse Leave trigger. It detected when someone moved their cursor toward the browser’s close button or address bar.
I also tested the Lost Browser Focus trigger. This worked on both desktop and mobile when visitors switched tabs or apps.
The Back Button trigger caught visitors trying to leave by clicking the browser’s back button. This worked well on product pages where people were comparing options.
For mobile users, I experimented with the Mobile Scroll-Up trigger. It displayed popups when someone scrolled up quickly, which often signals they’re about to leave.
Additionally, the cookie management tools helped me avoid annoying repeat visitors. I set cookies to prevent showing the same popup multiple times within a set period.
I also used the advanced targeting rules to show different popups based on pages, categories, and products.
Other than that, the integration with WordPress form builders like WPForms and Gravity Forms was seamless. I built popups with embedded forms without needing extra setup.
What I didn’t like about the plugin was its interface, which wasn’t as visual as drag-and-drop builders. You’ll spend more time in settings panels than dragging elements around.
Why I Recommend Popup Maker: It gives you precise control over popup behavior. Plus, Popup Maker integrates deeply with WordPress tools you already use.
Other WordPress Exit-Intent Plugins I Tested
If you’re looking for a few more options, there are additional popup plugins that didn’t make the top 5 but can still be useful for certain websites.
I’ve tested these myself, and while they’re not as feature-packed as the top picks, they can still be a good fit depending on your site’s needs:
6. OptiMonk – Best for Multi-Format, Behavior-Driven Popups
The good: Advanced personalization, multiple popup types (slide-ins, interstitials, lucky wheel), and behavioral triggers.
The bad: Limited integrations with niche marketing tools; advanced targeting rules have a learning curve.
Best for: Highly targeted, multi-format exit-intent popups that reduce cart abandonment and recover leaving visitors.
7. Popupsmart – Best for Multi-Step, Gamified Popups
The good: Multi-step popups to collect extra visitor information, inactivity sensors, advanced targeting, and detailed analytics to optimize campaigns.
The bad: Limited animation options; some templates might require a few tweaks to look good on mobile.
Best for: eCommerce stores or websites that want engaging, multi-step popups.
8. Elementor Pro – Best For Dynamic, Personalized Popups
The good: Popups can pull dynamic content directly from your site, advanced targeting rules, trigger-based animations, and a wide variety of templates.
The bad: No built-in analytics—requires third-party tools; advanced features can take time to master.
Best for: Store owners, bloggers, or membership sites that want exit-intent popups showing personalized product recommendations, posts, or membership info.
Alternative: Bloom – Best for Elegant Email Optins (No Exit Intent)
The good: Highly responsive popups and optin forms, seamless email marketing integrations, and content-locked opt-ins to capture leads.
The bad: No exit intent technology.
Best for: Bloggers and eCommerce stores who want visually appealing exit-intent popups.
What Is the Best Exit-Intent Popup Plugin for WordPress?
After extensive testing, I have concluded that OptinMonster is the best exit-intent popup plugin for most users. It offers the most accurate exit detection, powerful targeting options, and detailed analytics that help you convert abandoning visitors into leads and customers.
If you want advanced control within WordPress, Thrive Leads is ideal. For businesses needing a complete CRM-driven marketing platform, HubSpot Marketing Hub is excellent.
To get started quickly, try OptinMonster and create your first exit-intent popup today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Exit-Intent Popup Plugins
What is an exit-intent popup?
An exit-intent popup detects when someone is about to leave your site and displays a targeted message to capture their attention before they go.
Do exit-intent popups work on mobile devices?
Yes. Modern plugins like OptinMonster and Popup Maker use scroll-up detection and other mobile-specific triggers to catch visitors on phones and tablets.
Which exit-intent popup plugin is easiest for beginners?
OptinMonster offers the easiest setup with a drag-and-drop builder and hundreds of templates, making it simple for beginners to create effective popups.
Can exit-intent popups reduce cart abandonment?
Yes, they are specifically designed to reduce cart abandonment by showing targeted offers or discounts when visitors are about to leave checkout pages.
Do I need a paid plan to use exit-intent features?
Most plugins require a paid plan for full exit-intent functionality. OptinMonster requires the Pro plan, Popup Maker requires a premium extension, and Poptin’s free plan has limited popups.
Which exit-intent plugin works best with WooCommerce?
Popup Maker integrates deeply with WooCommerce and lets you target specific product categories. Poptin and OptinMonster also work well with eCommerce stores.
More Resources for Creating Popups in WordPress
If you found this guide helpful, you might also enjoy these related WPBeginner articles:
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