People come to your website with a purpose, but they don’t always take action immediately. Most of the time, you need to turn them into leads first and build the communication (usually via email) before they become your customer.
In WordPress, you have a bunch of plugin options to turn your site visitors into leads. Be it paid or free.
I have evaluated some of the most popular WordPress lead generation plugins and crafted a list to sort the best of them. All plugins on the list below allow you to create a lead generation form and display it in several ways. As a popup, in a page as an embedded form, and so on.
Before we jump into the list, let’s make it clear what a lead is.
Shortcuts ⤵️
- What is a lead?
- Features you to consider
- Paid lead generation plugins
- Free lead generation plugins
- Summary
What is a Lead?
Those who visit your website (especially those coming from a search engine) usually already know what they are looking for. In the marketing world, this type of visitor is called hot traffic.
However, it is extremely rare that they will take a certain action according to what you expect immediately on the first visit. And chances are, they won’t re-visit your website if your offer (or content) doesn’t impress them enough.
If you don’t want to lose the opportunity to convert those who have visited your website into customers, you need to turn them into leads first before you can nurture them by building communication on a regular basis via email.
You can use a tool like MailerLite and MailPoet to maintain the communication with your leads. These are examples of affordable email marketing platforms which you can use to maintain communication with your leads.
So, What is a Lead?
In the context of marketing, a lead is someone (or an organization) that has an interest in your offer (product or service) and has provided their contact information (email address in most cases).
A lead doesn’t always convert into a customer, but having more leads can increase the chance to achieve your sales goal because you have more potential customers to be prospected.
With a website, you can generate leads by:
- Asking visitors to join email newsletter
- Asking visitors to take a survey
- Requiring visitors to enter their email address to download something you offer (templates, files, etc)
- Asking visitors to try a product for free
Key Features to Consider in a Lead Generation Plugin
I have provided four examples on how you can generate leads on your website. If you notice, all examples involve a form.
Yes, the ability to add a form is the main feature you need to consider in a lead generation plugin. Without the feature, you won’t be able to collect a single lead.
Not all form builder plugins have a qualification to be called a lead generation plugin, however. You can call a form builder a lead generation plugin if it allows you to collect the information you need from your visitors.
A good lead generation plugin should also allow you to display the lead generation form in several ways.
Here are some key features you need to consider in a lead generation plugin:
- Ability to add a form
- Ability to display a form in different manners
- Ability to run A/B test
- Stats
- Integration support with an email marketing platform
List of Paid WordPress Lead Generation Plugins
1. Bloom
Bloom is not the best lead generation plugin, to be honest. But it is one of the most comprehensive ones. It has all of the required features to be called a good lead generation plugin.
From the ability to add form, the ability to run an A/B test, to built-in stats.
In Bloom, you can display your lead generation form in a wide range of ways. From a popup, as a content locker, as an embedded form (via shortcode) or below each post on your website.
Bloom can’t work alone. You need to connect it with an email marketing platform like MailerLite, ActiveCampaign to HubSpot. Bloom allows you to display your form on specific page(s) or post(s) in your website.
If you want to display your form in a popup, you can also set the behavior of the popup. For instance, you can display the popup only when a visitor clicks a button or link.
Not only that you can use Bloom to collect names or email addresses of your leads, but you can also use it to collect more information. You can add custom fields depending on the form fields supported by the email marketing platform you use.
Bloom supports 20 email marketing platforms in total.
Key Features of Bloom:
- Popup builder
- Content locker
- A/B test
- Stats
- Form builder
- Popup templates
- Custom CSS
Bloom Pros:
- Extensive email marketing platform support
- Advanced popup behavior setting options
- Offers multiple ways to display the form
- Offers a one-time payment option
- More affordable for solution for agencies
Bloom Cons:
- Lack design options
2. Elementor Pro
Elementor Pro is the official add-on for Elementor. And as you may already know, Elementor is the most popular page builder plugins for WordPress.
If you use Elementor to build your WordPress site and already have Elementor Pro installed, you don’t need to install a new plugin. Instead, you can turn its form builder into a lead generation tool. You can pair it (the form builder) with its popup builder to create a precisely targeted lead generation form.
Elementor is released as a freemium plugin. However, you need to install the pro version to unlock its form builder and popup builder features.
The form builder of Elementor supports several useful field types for lead generation. From phone, email, to regular text which you can use to collect names of your leads. Its popup builder, meanwhile, is one of the best in WordPress.
You can create a highly targeted popup by setting it to show up on specific page(s) or post(s). You can also set the popup to show up only to visitors coming from a certain web browser or operating system.
Key Features of Elementor Pro:
- Popup builder
- Form builder
- Advanced visual editor
- Custom CSS
- Popup templates
- Built-in submission manager
Elementor Pros:
- Offers advanced design capability
- Advanced popup behavior settings
- Advanced form builder
- Allows for specific targeting
Elementor Cons:
- No A/B test
- No stats
3. JetPopup
If you are an Elementor user yet are still reluctant to use the pro version for a certain reason, then you can try JetPopup as an alternative to its popup builder.
JetPopup has similar features as Elementor Pro’s built-in popup builder whereby you can use it to create a highly targeted popup, complete with a lead generation form.
However, JetPoup is only usable if you are a Mailchimp user. That’s because JetPopup only supports integration with MailChimp.
But if you want to create a lead generation popup that is visually good, then JetPopup is worth trying. It’s super affordable, after all.
Key Features of JetPopup
- Advanced visual editor
- Advanced popup behavior settings
- Integration with Mailchimp
JetPopup Pros:
- Super affordable
- Offers advanced popup design
- Allows for specific targeting
JetPopup Cons:
- Only usable if you are a Mailchimp user
- Lack features
4. Brizy Pro
Brizy is pretty similar to Elementor. It is basically a page builder plugin that comes with both a form builder and a popup builder. You can use the form builder feature of Brizy to create a wide range of form types. Including, of course, a lead generation form.
But first, you need to use the pro version because the form builder feature only is available on the pro version.
Brizy allows you to collect leads on your own website — which you can manage via a built-in form submission manager. Alternatively, you can also send the leads and manage them via a more adequate marketing tool like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp or MailerLite.
If you want to display your lead generation form in a popup, Brizy offers a super useful popup builder feature you can utilize.
Brizy popup builder also allows you to create a beautiful popup and the ability to set its behavior. From page load, exit intent to on-click.
Key Features of Brizy Pro:
- Popup builder
- Form builder
- Advanced visual editor
- Custom CSS
- Popup templates
- Built-in submission manager
Brizy Pros:
- Offers advanced design capability
- Advanced popup behavior settings
- Allows for specific targeting
- Lightweight editor
Brizy Cons:
- No A/B test
- No stats
List of Free WordPress Lead Generation Plugins
- Breakdance
- MailPoet
- HollerBox
- MailOptin
- Fluent Forms
- Hustle
- Brave
- Ninja Forms
- WPForms
- WS Form
- JetFormBuilder
5. Breakdance
Breakdance is not designed specifically to be a lead generation plugin. But it has some features you can utilize to generate leads for your business.
First, Breakdance comes with a form builder feature in which you can add fields like name, email address and phone number. You can choose whether you want to save the form submissions to your own website or to a third-party service like MailerLite and the likes.
If you want to save the form submissions to your own website, Breakdance has a built-in feature to manage them.
Second, Breakdance comes with a popup builder which you can utilize to display your lead generation form in a beautiful popup.
Breakdance itself is available in two versions: Free and Pro. The free version allows you to access popup builder and form builder although with some limitations.
Key Features of Breakdance Pro:
- Popup builder
- Form builder
- Advanced visual editor
- Custom CSS
- Popup templates
Breakdance Pros:
- Offers advanced design capability
- Advanced popup behavior settings
- Advanced form builder
- Built-in submission manager
Breakdance Cons:
- No A/B test
- No stats
6. MailPoet
MailPoet can be a great solution if you are looking for a WordPress plugin that you can use to collect leads, manage them, and send them emails. It is an all-in-one email marketing platform designed specifically for WordPress.
Meaning that you can run the entire email marketing process via your WordPress dashboard. Which also means, you have full control over your data (including your leads database).
MailPoet comes with a built-in email delivery service for a better email deliverability. You can also use an email delivery service of your choice if you want.
To allow you to collect leads, MailPoet comes with a built-in form builder which you can display in several manners. You can display it in a popup, in a notification bar, as a floating banner or below page.
Flexible form placement option is also available thanks to its shortcode support.
About the form field, MailPoet allows you to add email and name. Text field and text area field are also available, which you can use to collect other information.
Key Features of MailPoet:
- Form builder
- Popup builder
- Advanced lead manager
- Ability to create and send emails
- Email automation
- Custom CSS
MailPoet Pros:
- Offers an all-in-one plugin to collect leads, manage them, and send them emails
- Flexible form placement
- Lightweight form editor (via Gutenberg)
MailPoet Cons:
- Limited popup behavior options
- Limited targeting options
7. HollerBox
HollerBox is a WordPress plugin designed specifically to collect leads. It is primarily designed to collect leads via a popup. You can monitor the performance of your lead generation popup using its built-in reporting feature.
HollerBox offers a super lightweight popup editor where you can control design aspects like overlay, position, and the button.
On your popup, you can add form fields like name, email address, and phone number. These are the only form fields that HollerBox supports.
HollerBox doesn’t offer a built-in lead/submission manager, but you can send the form submissions to your email. Or you can also integrate your form with ActiveCampaign, HubSpot and Mailchimp. However, you need to upgrade to the pro version to unlock this feature.
Key Features of HollerBox:
- Popup builder
- Form builder
- Stats
- Popup templates
- Custom CSS
HollerBox Pros:
- Allows for advanced targeting
- Lightweight popup editor
- Advanced popup behavior
HollerBox Cons:
- No submission manager
- No A/B test
8. MailOptin
MailOptin is a bit similar to MailPoet. It is a plugin which you can use to collect leads, manage them and send them emails. However, MailOptin doesn’t have a built-in email delivery service like MailPoet.
Instead, it relies on the mail delivery function of WordPress, which is less reliable. Especially if you use a shared hosting service. Extra SMTP setup may be required if you truly want to use the built-in MailOptin newsletter feature.
In MailOptin, you can create a lead generation form and display it in several ways. You can display in a popup, in a notification bar or in posts.
Although MailOptin is released as a freemium plugin, some core features are only accessible on the pro version.
For instance, the free version doesn’t allow you to collect and manage leads from your WordPress dashboard.
Key Features of MailOptin:
- Popup builder
- Form builder
- Popup templates
- Stats
- Submission manager
- Built-in email newsletter
- A/B test
MailOptin Pros:
- Comprehensive reporting
- Allows for advanced targeting
- Extensive support with email marketing platforms
MailOptin Cons:
- Some core features are only available on the pro version
9. Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms is not a plugin that is designed specifically to generate leads like HollerBox, MailOptin and Bloom. However, since it allows you to create a form, you can also utilize it as a lead generation plugin.
The advantage of using Fluent Forms is that you have more field types to add to your form. Including country picker, address, and so on. Fluent Forms also comes with a built-in submission manager that is accessible on both the free version and pro version.
The downside of using Fluent Forms is that you need to create a dedicated landing page and actively promote it (or you can create a dedicated menu item on your site header).
You can’t display your form in a popup like other other plugins above, unless you install an extra popup builder plugin that supports integration with Fluent Forms.
Fluent Forms itself supports integration with popular CRM platforms like HubSpot and Zoho CRM.
Key Features of Fluent Forms:
- Form builder
- Submission manager
- Reporting
- Integration with CRM and email marketing platforms
Fluent Forms Pros:
- Advanced form builder
- Extensive support with email marketing platforms
Fluent Forms Cons:
- Doesn’t allow for advanced targeting
- No popup builder
10. Hustle
Hustle is a plugin from WPMU DEV, a prominent hosting provider in the WordPress space. It is designed specifically as a lead generation plugin. Hustle is released as a freemium plugin, but most of its features are accessible on the free version.
So, Hustle is the best solution if you are looking for a free lead generation plugin. Hustle supports integration with email marketing platforms and you can access this feature on the free version.
Hustle also allows you to collect leads locally on your own website and comes with a useful submission manager to manage them. Again, this feature is also available on the free version.
The form builder feature of Hustle supports more fields than HollerBox and MailOptin.
What about the popup builder?
The popup builder feature of Hustle supports display conditions. Meaning that you can pick specific locations (pages or posts) where the popup to show up. You can also set the behavior of the popup.
Apart from a popup, Hustle allows you to display your form on a page via shortcode.
Key Features of Hustle:
- Form builder
- Popup builder
- Stats
- Submission manager
- Popup templates
- Custom CSS
Hustle Pros:
- More features on free version
- More fields on form builder
- Allows for advanced targeting
Hustle Cons:
- No A/B test
- Limited popups (3 max on free version)
11. Brave
Brave is another lead generation plugin that you can use for free, although tight restrictions apply on the free version. The free version doesn’t allow you to access the submission manager and analytics, which is a pity.
With Brave, you can create a lead generation form and display it in a popup. You can also create an embedded form, actually, but it takes the pro version to do so.
The popup builder of Brave has a modern, clean interface. And to be honest, it is the best editor dedicated to creating a popup. It delivers a page building-level editing experience.
The popup editor allows you to set the position of the popup (center, top, bottom, and corner). This means, you can use it to create a slide-in popup and a notification bar.
Furthermore, Brave allows you to set a precise targeting by setting specific locations for the popup to show up. The options to set the popup behavior are also available.
Key Features of Brave:
- Popup builder
- Form builder
- Submission manager
- Analytics
- Third-party email marketing platform integration
- Custom CSS
Brave Pros:
- Advance popup editor with a super clean interface
- More fields on the form builder
- Allows for advanced targeting
- Supports multi-step popup (pro version required)
Brave Cons:
- Doesn’t allow to manage submissions on the free version
- No A/B test
12. Ninja Forms
Ninja Forms is one of the most popular form builder plugins with over 700,000 active installations. Although it is not designed specifically to be a lead generation plugin, you can also utilize it to create a lead generation form.
Ninja Forms is especially an ideal option to create a lead generation form if you want to collect more data from your leads because you can add more fields due to its form builder nature. Not limited to email address and name.
You can manage your submissions using the built-in submissions manager that Ninja Forms offers, which supports export and import capability.
Of course, you can also connect your form with a CRM or email marketing platform, but it takes the pro version to do so.
Key Features of Ninja Forms:
- Form builder
- Submission manager
- Integration with CRM and email marketing platforms
Ninja Forms Pros:
- Advanced form builder
- Extensive support with email marketing platforms
Ninja Forms Cons:
- Doesn’t allow for advanced targeting
- No popup builder
13. WPForms
If you are a Constant Contact user and are looking for a free form builder to collect leads, then you can consider WPForms.
The free version of WPForms allows you to create a lead generation form and connect it with your Constant Contact account. You can add any field supported by Constant Contact.
WPForms itself is arguably the most popular form builder plugin for WordPress. Unfortunately, most of its core features are only accessible on the pro version. Including its built-in submission manager.
It has an analytics feature to track form conversion, but it depends on another plugin (MonsterInsights) to work.
Key Features of WPForms:
- Form builder
- Submission manager
WPForms Pros:
- Advanced form builder
- Extensive support with email marketing platforms
WPForms Cons:
- Requires pro version to use some core features
14. WS Form
If you are looking for a free form builder that comes with a built-in submission manager (without needing to upgrade to the pro version) then WS Form is a great solution.
Being a form builder plugin, you can use WS Form to create nearly all types of forms you can think of. Including, of course, a lead generation form.
With WS Form, you can add more fields to your lead generation form, other than email and name.
The submission manager feature of WS Form allows you to view, edit, and export form submissions. The ability to export form submissions (into a CSV file) is particularly useful if you plan to use another tool to cultivate your leads.
Key Features of WS Form:
- Form builder
- Submission manager
WS Form Pros:
- Advanced form builder
- Allows to create a multi-step form
WS Form Cons:
- Doesn’t allow for advanced targeting
- No popup builder
15. JetFormBuilder
JetFormBuilder is a form builder plugin from Crocoblock, the creator of JetEngine. You can use it independently, without needing to install other plugins from Crocoblock. JetFormBuilder is especially a great solution if you love creating pages using Gutenberg, the default editor of WordPress.
You can use JetFormBuilder to create a lead generation form to collect more information from your leads. The plugin offers 18 field types in total.
A built-in submission manager is available to allow you to capture and store leads on your website.
Want to connect your lead generation form with a CRM platform? You can also do so.
The free version of JetFormBuilder allows you to connect your form with ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, and GetReponse. Other platforms like HubSpot and MailerLite require the pro version to integrate with.
JetFormBuilder offers a dedicated element for Gutenberg and Elementor. If you are an Elementor user, you can use the element to apply advanced styles to your form.
Key Features of JetFormBuilder:
- Form builder
- Submission manager
- Integration with CRM and email marketing platforms
JetFormBuilder Pros:
- Advanced styling options via Elementor
- Advanced form builder
JetFormBuilder Cons:
- Doesn’t allow for advanced targeting
- No popup builder
Summary
People who visit your website rarely come back if they are not really impressed with your website. But you always have a chance to turn them into customers if you treat them the right way by building good communication via email.
But first, you need to get their email address before you can even build a communication.
A lead generation plugin can help you capture the email addresses of your visitors — and other information. The rest is up to you. Whether you want to use a CRM or newsletter platform to maintain the communication with them or leave them the way they are.
The plugins on the list above can be the solutions if you are looking for a plugin to create a lead generation form in WordPress. All have been tested.
Which Lead Generation Plugin You Should Use?
Bloom is a perfect solution if you need a lead generation plugin with the ability to run an A/B test. It allows you to create unlimited lead generation forms and display them in a popup, embedded form and as a content locker.
If you are an Elementor user, upgrading to the pro version is a smart decision. You will be able to access its form builder and form builder after upgrading. Pairing these features allows you to create a precisely targeted lead generation form.
HollerBox and Hustle, meanwhile, are the perfect options if you prefer using a free solution to generate leads for your business.
