Best Shopify Popup Apps in 2026 [191,742-Store Study]

TL;DR:

• 95% of Shopify stores have no popup app installed. That's 182,180 stores in our database with zero email capture popups on their storefront.
• Privy dominates with 7,880 detected installs (4.1% of all stores). OptiMonk is a distant second at 1,207 stores (0.63%), and Justuno third at 656 (0.34%).
• Stores running popup apps have 25% higher lead scores (78 vs 62.4), install twice as many total apps (3.3 vs 1.6), and are 2.3x more likely to be on Shopify Plus (28.8% vs 12.6%).
• Beauty stores lead popup adoption at 6.5%. Electronics and Hobby stores trail at 3.5%.
• The 50K to 200K monthly visitor tier shows the highest adoption at 7.0%, suggesting mid-market stores invest more in conversion optimization.
• Every competing "best popup apps" article is written by a popup vendor ranking themselves #1. This is the first study backed by real store data.

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Every "best Shopify popup apps" article you'll find is written by a popup company. Wisepops ranks Wisepops #1. OptiMonk ranks OptiMonk #1. Alia ranks Alia #1. The pattern is obvious, and it makes every recommendation suspect.

We took a different approach. Instead of reviewing apps and declaring a winner based on opinions, we scanned 191,742 Shopify stores and recorded which popup apps they actually have installed. This is the largest public dataset on Shopify popup app adoption, and it tells a very different story from what the vendor-written listicles suggest.

The headline finding: 95% of Shopify stores run zero popup apps. If you sell CRO services, email marketing setup, or conversion optimization to Shopify stores, that number represents an enormous opportunity.

How We Collected This Data

We detect installed apps by scanning each store's public-facing code: JavaScript globals, script URLs, DOM elements, and inline scripts. Our scanner identifies 72+ apps across categories like email marketing, reviews, loyalty, support, popups, and more.

What we can detect: Any popup app that loads client-side scripts, injects DOM elements, or embeds inline code on the storefront. This includes Privy, OptiMonk, and Justuno, which are the three major popup apps with detectable frontend footprints.

What we cannot detect: Popup apps that render entirely server-side, apps installed but not active, and native Shopify Forms. Apps like Wisepops, Alia, Poptin, and WooHoo may have frontend footprints we don't yet track. Our numbers are therefore conservative. Actual popup adoption is likely higher than 5%, though the overall trend (most stores skip popups entirely) holds.

We also reference external benchmarks from Recart (10,000-store study) and Wisepops (1 billion popup displays) to provide context on conversion rates and best practices.

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The State of Popup Apps on Shopify

The data is stark. Out of 191,742 stores, only 9,562 (5.0%) have a detectable popup app running on their storefront.

Compare this to email marketing apps (38% adoption) or review apps (27% adoption). Popups are among the least-adopted conversion tools on Shopify, despite being one of the highest-ROI investments a store can make.

External research backs this up: Wisepops reports that the average popup conversion rate across Shopify stores is 6.97%, significantly above the cross-platform average of 4.82%. If your store gets 10,000 monthly visitors and you're not running a popup, you're potentially missing 697 email subscribers per month.

Popup App Rankings: What 191,742 Stores Actually Use

Here's what the data shows about which popup apps Shopify stores actually install:

Privy's dominance is overwhelming. Among stores that use a dedicated popup app, 82% choose Privy. OptiMonk holds a distant 12.6% share, and Justuno captures 6.9%.

This is a more concentrated market than most Shopify app categories. For comparison, Klaviyo holds 63% share among email marketing apps, and Judge.me holds about 46% among review apps. Privy's 82% share of the popup category is remarkably dominant.

Why Privy Leads

Privy has been in the Shopify ecosystem since 2013 and has accumulated over 24,800 reviews on the Shopify App Store (4.6 stars). Its free plan covers basic email capture popups, and its deep Klaviyo integration makes it the default choice for stores already running Klaviyo for email.

Key reasons for Privy's lead:

• First-mover advantage: Longest-running major popup app on Shopify
• Free plan: Functional email capture popups at no cost for small stores
• Klaviyo integration: Seamless sync with the most popular email marketing platform on Shopify
• 24,800+ reviews: Social proof compounds over time

Where OptiMonk and Justuno Compete

OptiMonk positions itself as the advanced alternative, offering 300+ templates, AI-powered A/B testing, and CDN-based delivery for faster loading. Its 838 core installs plus additional detection variants put it firmly in second place.

Justuno targets mid-market and enterprise stores with AI-driven product recommendations, advanced segmentation, and commerce-specific triggers. Its $399/month AI tier prices out smaller stores but appeals to growing brands doing serious CRO work.

Popup Adoption by Traffic Tier

Store traffic correlates with popup adoption, but not linearly:

The 50K to 200K tier shows the highest adoption at 7.0%. This makes sense: stores at this traffic level are past the initial launch phase and actively investing in conversion optimization. They have enough traffic to make popup testing worthwhile but aren't yet at the enterprise level where custom-built solutions replace third-party apps.

The drop at the 200K+ tier (5.5%) and zero at 1M+ likely reflects two things: enterprise stores building custom popup solutions rather than using off-the-shelf apps, and our detection capturing third-party installs but not custom implementations.

Which Apps Win at Each Traffic Level

At the under 50K tier, Privy captures 3.6% of all stores, with OptiMonk at 0.4% and Justuno at 0.3%.

At 50K to 200K, Privy rises to 5.0%, OptiMonk to 0.7%, and Justuno to 0.5%. The gap between Privy and competitors narrows slightly as stores grow, suggesting more sophisticated stores evaluate alternatives before committing.

At the 200K to 1M tier, Privy (2.5%) and Justuno (0.4%) maintain presence while OptiMonk (0.5%) holds steady. Enterprise-leaning Justuno starts competing more effectively at scale.

Popup Adoption by Store Category

Some niches invest more in email capture than others:

Beauty leads at 6.5%. Beauty brands depend heavily on email lists for product launches, replenishment reminders, and loyalty programs. The high repeat-purchase rate in beauty creates strong economic justification for email capture.

Electronics trails at 3.5%. Electronics purchases tend to be higher-consideration, lower-frequency transactions. Customers research across multiple sites, making a popup discount less compelling than in impulse-driven categories like beauty or fashion.

Prospecting angle: If you're an agency selling email marketing or CRO services, the niches with the lowest popup adoption represent the biggest opportunity. With 96.5% of electronics stores and 96.4% of hobby stores running no popup app, there's a massive addressable market. You can filter stores by category and app usage in StoreInspect to find these prospects.

Stores With Popup Apps vs. Without: A Profile Comparison

The difference between popup adopters and non-adopters is substantial:

Higher lead scores. Stores with popup apps score 78 vs. 62.4 on our lead fit scoring system. This makes sense: popup adoption correlates with broader marketing sophistication. These stores invest in their tech stack across multiple categories, not just popups.

Twice as many apps. Popup users average 3.3 installed apps vs. 1.6 for non-users. Popups don't exist in isolation. They pair with email platforms, review tools, and upsell apps as part of a broader conversion strategy.

More tracking pixels. Popup stores track 5.5 pixels on average (vs. 4.3). More tracking means more retargeting, more attribution, more data-driven decision-making. These are stores that take analytics seriously.

Fewer products, higher value. Popup stores carry 45% fewer products. This suggests curated catalogs rather than massive inventories, and aligns with DTC brands that rely on email lists to drive repeat purchases.

2.3x more likely Shopify Plus. Nearly 29% of popup-using stores are on Shopify Plus, compared to 12.6% of non-users. Enterprise stores invest more in conversion tools, and they have the traffic to justify the investment.

Shopify Plus vs. Standard: Popup Adoption

The Shopify Plus divide is striking:

Shopify Plus stores adopt popup apps at 2.6x the rate of standard stores. This tracks with the broader pattern: Plus stores are more established, have larger marketing budgets, and are more likely to invest in CRO tools.

For agencies: Shopify Plus stores without popup apps represent premium prospects. They have budget, they have traffic, and they're missing a basic conversion tool. That's 23,017 Plus stores in our database running no popup app.

The Full Popup App Landscape: Beyond Our Detection Data

Our scanner detects three popup apps with high confidence (Privy, OptiMonk, Justuno), but the market includes many more options. Here's how the full market breaks down, combining our data with Shopify App Store research, community sentiment, and independent reviews.

Tier 1: Market Leaders (Established, Widely Adopted)

Privy (Our data: 7,880 stores, 82% market share)

• Pricing: Free plan, then $30/mo (Starter), $45/mo (Growth)
• Ratings: 4.6 stars, 24,800+ reviews
• Best for: Stores already using Klaviyo for email. The integration is seamless and well-documented.
• Limitations: Only 7 popup templates. Design flexibility is limited compared to newer competitors. Pricing scales with contacts, which can get expensive as your list grows.
• Our verdict: Privy's dominance in the data is earned through ecosystem integration and a generous free plan. It's not the most innovative popup tool, but it's the safest choice for most stores.

OptiMonk (Our data: 1,207 stores, 13% market share)

• Pricing: Free plan, then $39/mo (Essential), $99/mo (Growth), $249/mo (Premium)
• Ratings: 4.8 stars, 800+ reviews
• Best for: Stores wanting more design control and A/B testing. OptiMonk offers 300+ templates and CDN-based delivery for faster loading.
• Limitations: Higher learning curve. The Essential plan limits to 30,000 pageviews per month.
• Our verdict: The data shows OptiMonk gaining share in the 50K to 200K traffic tier, suggesting it appeals to stores actively optimizing. A strong second choice, especially for stores outgrowing Privy's templates.

Justuno (Our data: 656 stores, 7% market share)

• Pricing: Free plan (up to 5,000 sessions), then $29/mo (Basic), $99/mo (Pro), $399/mo (AI)
• Ratings: 4.6 stars, 200+ reviews
• Best for: Mid-market stores with CRO teams. Justuno's AI-driven product recommendations and advanced segmentation justify the higher price for stores doing six figures or more in monthly revenue.
• Limitations: The AI tier ($399/mo) prices out most SMBs. The interface can be complex for beginners.
• Our verdict: Our data shows Justuno holding steady across traffic tiers, consistent with its positioning as a serious CRO tool rather than a simple email capture popup.

Tier 2: Strong Contenders (Not in Our Detection Data)

These apps don't yet appear in our detection data, but they have significant Shopify App Store presence and community adoption.

Wisepops ($99/mo starting, 4.8 stars) Wisepops publishes the most transparent popup performance data in the industry. Their study of 1 billion popup displays reports average Shopify popup CVRs of 6.97%. The tool focuses on AI-powered targeting, onsite notifications, and Shopify-native integrations. Best for growing brands that want sophisticated targeting without enterprise pricing.

Alia (Free plan, then $19/mo, 5.0 stars) The newest contender, positioning itself as "Shopify-exclusive." Alia claims 15-35% opt-in rates through AI-powered A/B testing that automatically optimizes popup design, timing, and offers. Its low price point and Shopify-native approach make it worth testing. Best for stores wanting set-it-and-forget-it optimization.

Poptin (Free plan, then $25/mo, 4.8 stars) Strong free tier with exit-intent popups included. Poptin's drag-and-drop editor and responsive design tools make it accessible for non-technical merchants. Best for budget-conscious stores that want exit-intent without paying for premium plans.

WooHoo (Free plan, then $7.99/mo) The gamification specialist. WooHoo's spin-to-win popups appeal to stores wanting higher engagement rates than traditional email capture. Gamified popups consistently generate higher interaction rates in community discussions, though some premium brands avoid the "carnival" feel. Best for stores in fashion, beauty, and gift categories where playful branding works.

Tier 3: Budget and Niche Options

EcomSend (Completely free) By Channelwill, EcomSend offers unlimited email capture popups at no cost. It's the simplest option for stores that want basic popup functionality without any monthly spend. Best for brand-new stores testing whether popups work for their audience.

Claspo (Free plan with 30K pageviews, then $10/mo) Offers 700+ templates and a generous free tier. Claspo targets stores wanting design variety without Privy's limited templates or OptiMonk's learning curve. Best for stores that want templates over customization.

Shopify Forms (Free, built-in) Shopify's native form builder runs inside the admin panel with zero performance impact on the storefront. It feeds directly into Customer Profiles, segments, and Shopify Flow. The trade-off: limited targeting, no exit-intent, and basic design options. Best for stores wanting zero-cost, zero-bloat email capture with minimal friction.

Popup Conversion Benchmarks: What the Data Shows

Before choosing an app, you should know what performance to expect. These benchmarks come from published research by popup platforms (so take them with appropriate context):

Key takeaways from these benchmarks:

Shopify stores convert better. A 6.97% popup CVR for Shopify stores vs. 4.82% cross-platform suggests Shopify's checkout flow and audience demographics favor popup-based conversion.

Mobile outperforms desktop. This surprises most merchants. Mobile popups (4.98%) convert better than desktop (3.67%), likely because mobile popups demand full attention and can't be easily ignored with tab switching.

Exit-intent is the highest performer. At 17.12%, exit-intent popups convert at roughly 3.5x the rate of standard popups. If you only implement one type, start here.

Fullscreen beats lightbox. Despite 82.6% of stores defaulting to lightbox format (per Recart), fullscreen popups outperform by 23.6%. The data says merchants should test fullscreen, even though most don't.

How to Choose a Popup App

Rather than ranking apps (every vendor already ranks themselves #1), here's a decision framework based on your store's situation:

You're just starting out (under 50K visitors/month): Start with Privy's free plan or EcomSend (completely free). You need basic email capture, not advanced segmentation. Focus on building your list before optimizing conversions. Connect to Klaviyo or your email platform from day one.

You're growing (50K to 200K visitors/month): This is where popup optimization starts paying off. Our data shows the highest popup adoption at this tier (7.0%). Consider OptiMonk for its A/B testing and templates, or Wisepops for AI-powered targeting. The incremental revenue from a 1% CVR improvement on 100K visitors justifies a $39-99/month subscription.

You're scaling (200K+ visitors/month): At this traffic level, small conversion improvements drive significant revenue. Justuno's AI and advanced segmentation become cost-effective. Consider custom solutions if your tech stack is sophisticated enough. Test fullscreen formats and multi-step flows, since you have the traffic volume to reach statistical significance quickly.

You're on Shopify Plus: With 10.7% adoption among Plus stores, popup apps are more common at the enterprise level but still underused. If you're among the 89.3% of Plus stores without a popup app, you're leaving measurable revenue on the table. Start with OptiMonk or Wisepops for their enterprise features, or test Justuno's AI tier.

The Prospecting Opportunity: 182,180 Stores Without Popups

For agencies, consultants, and SaaS sellers reading this, the data tells a clear story. 95% of Shopify stores have no popup app. That's 182,180 stores in our database alone.

Break it down further:

• 23,017 Shopify Plus stores with no popup app (premium prospects with budget)
• 26,455 stores in the 50K to 200K traffic tier with no popup (enough traffic to justify the investment)
• 13,260 beauty stores with no popup (the highest-value niche for email marketing ROI)
• 44,002 fashion stores without popup apps (fashion stores with no email capture)

If you sell email marketing services, CRO consulting, or Shopify development, these stores are qualified leads. They have traffic, they sell products, and they're missing a basic conversion tool that averages 6.97% opt-in rates.

You can filter stores by app usage, traffic tier, and category in StoreInspect to build targeted lists. Or use the Chrome extension to check individual stores as you browse.

Common Popup Mistakes to Avoid

Based on community feedback from the Shopify Community and Reddit, these are the most common complaints about popup implementations:

Showing too many popups at once. The term "popup hell" describes stores stacking welcome popups, cookie banners, email capture, and review requests simultaneously. One focused popup per visit is the maximum.

Ignoring speed impact. Popup apps load JavaScript and CSS on every page. Wisepops and OptiMonk use CDN delivery to minimize this, but cheaper apps can add 200-500ms to page load time. Check your Core Web Vitals after installing any popup app.

Using the same popup for everyone. Exit-intent popups convert at 17.12% vs. roughly 5-7% for standard timed popups. Segment by new vs. returning visitors, cart value, and pages viewed. Our data shows that stores with popup apps also run more tracking pixels (5.5 vs. 4.3 average), suggesting they take segmentation seriously.

Defaulting to lightbox when fullscreen works better. Recart's study found fullscreen popups outperform lightbox by 23.6%, yet 82.6% of stores use lightbox. Test fullscreen, especially on mobile where it fills the natural viewport.

Skipping A/B testing. Alia and OptiMonk automate this. At minimum, test your headline copy, offer (10% vs. 15% vs. free shipping), and timing (5 seconds vs. exit-intent). Small changes compound: a 2% CVR improvement on 50,000 monthly visitors generates 1,000 additional subscribers per month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a popup app, or can I use Shopify Forms?

Shopify Forms is free and has zero performance impact, making it a solid starting point. It handles basic email capture and feeds directly into Shopify's customer profiles. You need a dedicated popup app when you want exit-intent triggers, A/B testing, advanced targeting rules (cart value, pages visited, new vs. returning), gamified formats (spin-to-win), or detailed conversion analytics. If your store gets fewer than 10,000 monthly visitors, Shopify Forms is probably enough.

What is the average popup conversion rate on Shopify?

Wisepops reports an average Shopify popup conversion rate of 6.97% based on their 2026 data across billions of popup displays. This is higher than the cross-platform average of 4.82%. Exit-intent popups specifically average 17.12%, making them the highest-converting popup type.

Should I use Klaviyo's built-in forms instead of a popup app?

Klaviyo includes a form builder that handles basic email capture popups. If you're already on Klaviyo and only need simple signup forms, the built-in option avoids adding another app. A dedicated popup app like Privy or OptiMonk adds value when you want exit-intent triggers, 300+ templates, gamification, advanced targeting, or A/B testing that goes beyond what Klaviyo's form builder offers.

Do popups hurt my store's SEO?

Google penalizes intrusive interstitials on mobile, especially those that cover the main content before users can engage with the page. To stay safe: delay your popup by at least 5 seconds, use exit-intent rather than immediate triggers on mobile, and keep popups under 50% of the screen on mobile devices. A well-timed, well-sized popup won't hurt your SEO.

Which popup app is best for beginners?

Privy or EcomSend. Privy's free plan includes basic email capture popups with Klaviyo integration, and its 24,800+ reviews mean plenty of community support and tutorials. EcomSend is completely free with no contact limits, making it the lowest-risk way to test popups. Both have simple drag-and-drop editors that require no coding.

How many popups should I show per page visit?

One. Show a maximum of one popup per visit, and respect the user's choice if they close it. The most common complaint in the Shopify Community is "popup hell," where stores stack multiple popups on top of each other. Use session tracking to avoid showing the same popup twice, and wait at least 24 hours before showing a dismissed popup again.

Do fullscreen popups really perform better than lightbox?

Yes. Recart's study of 10,000 Shopify stores found fullscreen popups outperform lightbox format by 23.6% for email capture. Despite this, 82.6% of stores default to lightbox. Fullscreen works particularly well on mobile, where it matches the natural viewport. Test both formats with your audience before committing.

What discount percentage works best for popup offers?

The most common offers are 10% off, 15% off, and free shipping. The right choice depends on your margins and average order value. For stores with high AOV (over $100), free shipping often outperforms percentage discounts. For stores with lower AOV, 10-15% off creates urgency. A/B test your specific offer rather than relying on industry averages.

Are gamified popups (spin-to-win) effective?

Gamified popups generate higher engagement rates than standard forms. WooHoo and Privy both offer spin-to-win formats. They work well for fashion, beauty, and gift stores where playful branding fits. They work poorly for premium/luxury brands, B2B stores, and professional services where the "carnival" aesthetic undermines brand perception. Our data shows that beauty stores (6.5% popup adoption) and fashion stores (5.7%) adopt popups at higher rates, suggesting these niches are open to interactive formats.

How do I measure popup ROI?

Track three metrics: (1) opt-in rate (subscribers / popup impressions), (2) revenue per subscriber (total email revenue / email subscribers over 90 days), and (3) net page speed impact (Lighthouse score before and after). A good popup should deliver an opt-in rate above 3%, generate measurable email revenue within 30 days, and add less than 300ms to page load time.

What's the difference between popup apps and email marketing apps?

Popup apps handle the capture mechanism: the visual overlay, trigger logic, targeting rules, and form design. Email marketing apps handle the delivery: automated flows, campaigns, segmentation, and analytics. Most stores need both. Privy straddles both categories (it includes basic email sending), but most stores pair a popup app with a dedicated email platform like Klaviyo or Omnisend.

Can I use a popup app with Shopify's native checkout?

Yes. All major popup apps (Privy, OptiMonk, Justuno, Wisepops) work with Shopify's standard checkout. For stores on Shopify Plus with checkout customizations, confirm compatibility before installing. Popup apps operate on the storefront (product pages, collection pages, cart page) and typically don't interact with the checkout flow directly.

Summary: Key Findings