OptinMonster
Hosted lead-generation and popup platform with a free WordPress connector; popups, bars, slide-ins and gamified campaigns for marketers.
98
Hustle
WPMU DEV's free popup, slide-in and embed opt-in plugin with built-in email lists, broad targeting and 20+ email integrations.
Free installs80K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~6.8KLikely 3.4K–14K
Rating4.4/5859 reviews
Price from$120/yrFreemium
Last updated22 Oct 2026Version 7.8.14.4
Overview
Hustle is WPMU DEV’s lead-generation plugin for WordPress. It builds four kinds of module: popups, slide-ins, embeds (inline or after-post forms, widgets and shortcodes) and social sharing bars. Everything runs on your own site, and opt-ins are saved to local email lists in the WordPress admin as well as being sent to connected email services.
Unusually, the free version on WordPress.org has the same settings as Hustle Pro; the only restriction is a limit of three of each module type. That includes time, scroll, click, exit-intent and AdBlock triggers, scheduling by date and time zone, and visibility rules for pages, taxonomies, user roles, device, browser, visitor country, referrer and source of arrival, cookies and WooCommerce pages. Closing and post-conversion behaviour can hide a module on one page, site-wide, or for a set period.
Design, data and integrations
Modules are built in a step-by-step editor with templates, colour palettes, animations and custom CSS, plus mobile-specific appearance settings. Forms can include GDPR approval, reCAPTCHA and Cloudflare Turnstile fields, and privacy settings cover IP tracking and retention. Integrations include Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, Kit (ConvertKit), AWeber, GetResponse, HubSpot, Keap, Zoho CRM and Zapier via webhooks; a stats overview reports views, conversions and conversion rate per module.
Hustle Pro
Pro is not sold on its own. It comes with a WPMU DEV membership, which also includes the company’s other pro plugins (Smush, Defender, Forminator Pro and others), site management tools and 24/7 support.
Limitations
- No A/B testing, spin wheels or content lockers.
- WooCommerce rules target WooCommerce pages and products, not cart contents or cart value.
- No dedicated floating-bar or fullscreen campaign type.
Hustle suits site owners who want a capable, self-hosted opt-in tool for free, and WPMU DEV members who get the unlimited version as part of their subscription.
Best for: Site owners who want a full-featured, self-hosted popup and opt-in tool for free, or WPMU DEV members who already have Pro.
Hustle gives away its full feature set, including exit intent and geolocation, in the free version, which makes it excellent value for small sites that need only a few campaigns. It lacks split testing and gamified formats, and unlimited modules mean buying into the wider WPMU DEV membership.
Pros
- Free version has every feature, limited only by module count
- Geo, device, referrer, cookie and scheduling rules at no cost
- Opt-ins stored in local email lists inside WordPress
- Around 20 email-service integrations plus Zapier webhooks
- GDPR field, reCAPTCHA/Turnstile and IP-retention privacy controls
Cons
- Free version capped at 3 popups, 3 slide-ins and 3 embeds
- No A/B testing, coupon wheels or content lockers
- WooCommerce targeting limited to product and shop pages
- Pro only available as part of a WPMU DEV membership
Key features
What Hustle highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Popups, slide-ins, embeds and share bars
- 3 of each module type
- Exit-intent, scroll, time and click triggers
- AdBlock detection trigger
- Geo, device and referrer visibility rules
- Schedule by date and time zone
- Local email lists in WordPress
- 20+ email service integrations
- GDPR, reCAPTCHA and Turnstile fields
- Templates, palettes and custom CSS
- Views and conversion stats
- Gutenberg block and shortcodes
Pro / paid adds From $120/yr
- Unlimited popups and slide-ins
- Unlimited embeds and social bars
- Included in WPMU DEV membership
- Access to all WPMU DEV pro plugins
- 24/7 WPMU DEV support
- Site management dashboard
- Same features as free, no caps
- Multisite network support
Feature checklist
22 of 25 features we track in Popups & Lead Generation, feature score 84/100
Campaign types 5/7
Lightbox popups Key
Classic modal popups over the page.
Popup modules are free (up to 3 in the free version).
Included
Slide-ins
Small boxes that slide in from a corner.
Slide-ins in nine positions; 3 allowed in the free version.
Included
Floating bars
Sticky top or bottom bars.
Slide-ins can sit top/bottom-centre and share bars float, but no dedicated opt-in bar.
Partial
Fullscreen welcome mats
Full-screen overlays or welcome gates.
Popup width/height are customisable; no dedicated fullscreen welcome-mat type.
Partial
Inline & after-post forms Key
Opt-in forms embedded in content or after posts.
Embeds place opt-ins above/below content, in widgets or via shortcode.
Included
Spin-to-win & gamified
Coupon wheels or other gamified opt-ins.
No spin-to-win or gamified module type.
Not included
Content lockers
Hide part of a post until the visitor opts in.
No content-locking module; types are popup, slide-in, embed and social share.
Not included
Triggers & targeting 8/8
Exit intent Key
Shows a campaign when the visitor is about to leave.
Exit-intent trigger is included in the free plugin.
Included
Scroll, time & click triggers Key
Trigger after time on page, scroll depth or a click.
Time, scroll (percent or element) and click triggers for free.
Included
Page & content targeting
Show campaigns on specific pages, posts, categories or URLs.
Rules for posts, pages, categories, tags, archives, templates and URLs.
Included
Device targeting
Different campaigns for mobile and desktop.
Visitor device and browser conditions are free.
Included
Geo-location targeting
Target visitors by country or region.
Visitor's country condition is part of the free advanced rules.
Included
Referrer & UTM targeting
Target by traffic source, referrer or UTM parameters.
Referrer and source-of-arrival rules; UTM/query values can be captured too.
Included
Frequency & cookie controls
Control how often a visitor sees a campaign.
Hide on page or site-wide after close/conversion, with reset periods.
Included
WooCommerce targeting
Target by cart contents, cart value or products viewed.
Targets WooCommerce pages, products, categories and tags, not cart value.
Partial
Design & testing 3/4
Drag & drop editor Key
Visual campaign builder without code.
Step-by-step module editor with layouts, palettes and animations.
Included
Template library
Ready-made campaign templates.
Designer-made templates for newsletters, discounts and seasonal sales.
Included
A/B split testing Key
Test variations of a campaign against each other.
A/B testing is not documented in free or Pro.
Not included
Mobile-specific designs
Mobile-optimised layouts or separate mobile designs.
Responsive modules with mobile appearance options.
Included
Integrations & analytics 6/6
Email marketing integrations Key
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Brevo and similar.
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, Kit, AWeber, GetResponse, MailerLite and more.
Included
CRM, Zapier & webhooks
Send leads to CRMs, Zapier or webhooks.
HubSpot, Keap and Zoho CRM integrations plus Zapier via webhook.
Included
Use your form plugin in popups
Show forms from WPForms, Gravity Forms, CF7 and similar inside popups.
Integrates with Forminator; other forms only via shortcodes in content.
Partial
Conversion analytics Key
Views, conversions and conversion rate per campaign.
Views, conversions and conversion rate per module, plus dashboard widget.
Included
Runs fully in WordPress
No external SaaS account required; campaigns and leads stay on your site.
Self-hosted; opt-ins are kept in local email lists.
Included
GDPR consent options
Consent checkboxes and privacy controls.
GDPR approval field plus IP tracking and retention privacy settings.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Pro Basic (WPMU DEV)
$120per year1 site
$10/mo billed annually; promo shown at $3/mo for the first year. Includes all WPMU DEV pro plugins and support.
Pro Standard (WPMU DEV)
$180per year3 sites
$15/mo billed annually; promo shown at $5/mo for the first year.
Pro Plus (WPMU DEV)
$360per year10 sites
$30/mo billed annually; promo shown at $10/mo for the first year. Hosting-inclusive and unlimited-site plans also offered.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Hustle?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
80K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
—
The vendor does not publish a total.
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~6.8K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 85K free installs x 8% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when most features are free, and Pro is included in a wider membership) gives 6.8K. Likely range: 3.4K to 14K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
14,116 downloads last week, 4.8M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 7.8.14.4 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 22 Oct 2026 (12 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 6.4+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 5 of 6 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 19 May 2011 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back guarantee (source, 6 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.8 (source, 6 Oct 2026) WPMU DEV TrustScore (3,102 reviews) as displayed on the Hustle page. |
Hustle compared
Alternatives to Hustle
Brave Popup Builder
Freemium drag-and-drop popup and conversion widget builder for WordPress: popups, slide-ins, sticky bars, multi-step forms, quizzes and A/B tests.
96
Convert Pro
Premium self-hosted popup and opt-in builder from Brainstorm Force, with A/B testing, geotargeting and unlimited-site licences.
93
Popup Maker
Self-hosted WordPress popup plugin for modals, slide-ins and bars, with deep form-plugin support and Pro targeting and analytics.
84
MailOptin
Freemium popup, opt-in form and email newsletter plugin with 50+ email/CRM integrations, WooCommerce targeting, A/B tests and automated post emails.
93
Thrive Leads
Premium WordPress list-building plugin from Thrive Themes with popups, ribbons, slide-ins, screen fillers, content locks, A/B testing and lead reports.
89
FAQ
Is Hustle free?
Yes. Hustle has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $120/yr.
How many sites use Hustle?
WordPress.org reports 80K+ active installations of the free version. We estimate around 6.8K sites run the paid version.
Does Hustle have lightbox popups?
Yes: included. Popup modules are free (up to 3 in the free version).
Does Hustle have inline & after-post forms?
Yes: included. Embeds place opt-ins above/below content, in widgets or via shortcode.
Does Hustle have exit intent?
Yes: included. Exit-intent trigger is included in the free plugin.
Does Hustle have scroll, time & click triggers?
Yes: included. Time, scroll (percent or element) and click triggers for free.
Does Hustle have drag & drop editor?
Yes: included. Step-by-step module editor with layouts, palettes and animations.
Does Hustle have a/b split testing?
No: not included. A/B testing is not documented in free or Pro.
Does Hustle have email marketing integrations?
Yes: included. Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, Kit, AWeber, GetResponse, MailerLite and more.
Does Hustle have conversion analytics?
Yes: included. Views, conversions and conversion rate per module, plus dashboard widget.
What is the difference between Hustle and Hustle Pro?
Only the number of modules. Free allows three popups, three slide-ins, three embeds and three social bars; Pro removes the caps.
How do I buy Hustle Pro?
Through a WPMU DEV membership, from $10/mo billed annually for one site, which also includes WPMU DEV's other pro plugins.
Does Hustle have exit intent and geotargeting for free?
Yes. Exit intent, scroll and time triggers and visitor-country targeting are all in the free plugin.
Where are leads stored?
In local email lists in the WordPress admin, and optionally sent to Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, HubSpot or other connected services.
Last updated 6 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.