OptiMonk is the better pick if you want a free plan, gamified ecommerce campaigns and G2's 4.8 support-heavy score. OptinMonster is the better pick if you want impression billing and you will model the intro-year price that jumps on renewal. G2 has OptiMonk at 4.8 from 157 reviews and OptinMonster at 4.4 from 105. OptiMonk starts at $29 a month; OptinMonster advertises $7 a month billed annually for year one.
The meter is the real split. Everything else is taste.
OptiMonk vs OptinMonster at a glance
| OptiMonk | OptinMonster | |
|---|---|---|
| Meter | All site pageviews | Campaign impressions |
| Free plan | 10,000 pageviews, all types | None |
| Entry paid | $29/mo Essential (20k pageviews) | $7/mo intro Basic (2,500 impressions), billed annually |
| After intro year | Annual rate holds ($228 / $828 / $2,148) | Renews at $210 / $570 / $870 / $1,470 a year |
| G2 | 4.8 / 157; support 9.7 | 4.4 / 105; support 8.6 |
| Stand-out | Lucky wheel, Klaviyo OAuth, Shopify app 4.8/420 | Exit Intent®, training library, impression meter |
| Weak spot | Cost jumps with traffic | No free plan; intro-to-renewal jump; editor complaints |
The meter
OptiMonk counts every page load on a connected domain. A blog-heavy store with one exit popup still pays for the blog.
OptinMonster counts an impression when a visitor sees a campaign. Their own FAQ recommends picking a plan with 20-30% more impressions than site pageviews, which tells you they expect multiple campaigns per visit. A single sitewide exit campaign on a 100,000-pageview site can fit Growth's 100,000 impressions. The same site on OptiMonk is Growth at $99 a month for 100,000 pageviews.
If you fire campaigns rarely, OptinMonster's unit is cheaper. If you fire them often, the units converge and OptiMonk's free plan still exists.
Features
Both have popups, bars, embeds, exit intent, device targeting, A/B tests, Shopify and WooCommerce hooks.
OptiMonk only: lucky wheel / pick-a-gift / scratchcard on every plan, User Experience Protector, Dynamic Content, control-variant tests against no campaign, AI wizard, Klaviyo OAuth.
OptinMonster only: Content locking, Coupon Wheel on Growth, OnSite Retargeting and Follow-up Campaigns on Growth, MonsterLeads, a large course library ("OptinMonster University"), geolocation and new-vs-returning gated to Growth.
Exit intent is a marketing term OptinMonster registered. OptiMonk has the same trigger. On mobile, neither is magic; OptiMonk documents a separate mobile setup.
G2's head-to-head says OptiMonk is easier to use and easier to do business with, OptinMonster is slightly easier to set up (9.1 vs 8.9) and to admin (9.3 vs 9.1). Support is the blowout: 9.7 vs 8.6.
Pricing, with the intro-year caveat
| Band | OptiMonk | OptinMonster intro year | OptinMonster renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free / trial | $0 / 10k pageviews | 14-day money-back, no free plan | Same |
| Small | $29/mo or $228/year (20k pageviews) | $7/mo ($84/year) Basic, 2.5k impressions | $210/year |
| Mid | $99/mo or $828/year (100k pageviews) | $29/mo Pro intro, 25k impressions | $870/year |
| High | $249/mo or $2,148/year (500k pageviews) | $49/mo Growth intro, 100k impressions | $1,470/year |
OptinMonster's $7 figure is not the durable price. The page is explicit: "Special introductory pricing, all renewals are at full price." OptiMonk's annual $19 / $69 / $179 is the rate on the public page, not a first-year stunt.
Refunds: OptiMonk, 14 days on the first payment (refund article). OptinMonster, 14-day money-back on paid plans.
Who should pick OptiMonk, and who should pick OptinMonster?
Pick OptiMonk for a Shopify or Magento store that wants gamification, a free on-ramp and chat support that G2 actually scores. Pick OptinMonster if you will run few campaigns against a lot of traffic, you want the course library, and you have modelled year-two cost. Product pages: OptiMonk, OptinMonster. Prices: OptiMonk pricing, OptinMonster pricing.
Is OptiMonk cheaper than OptinMonster?
On year one, OptinMonster's intro Basic at $84 a year undercuts OptiMonk Essential at $228 a year, but Basic only includes 2,500 impressions and one site. On year two, OptinMonster Basic is $210 a year and still impression-capped. A 10,000-pageview site can stay on OptiMonk Free. A 100,000-pageview site on OptiMonk Growth is $828 a year; OptinMonster Growth renews at $1,470 a year for 100,000 impressions. Compare the unit, then the year.
Which tool has better reviews?
OptiMonk, on the samples we have. G2 4.8 vs 4.4, support 9.7 vs 8.6. Shopify's OptiMonk app is 4.8 from 420 reviews. OptinMonster's review set is smaller on G2. Neither score is a reason to ignore the meter.
Does OptinMonster have a free plan?
No. Every paid plan has a 14-day money-back window. OptiMonk's free plan is ongoing, 10,000 pageviews, one domain, logo on. That is the practical difference for a store that is still testing popups.
Can I A/B test on both?
Yes. OptiMonk includes variant tests and a control-variant (no campaign) test on every plan, including Free. OptinMonster's A/B testing starts on Plus. If split tests are why you are here, OptiMonk does not make you pay extra for them.
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Written and reviewed by
SEO Executive at Flatart
Emel Dalabasmaz graduated in Advertising and Public Relations from Anadolu University. She began in social media and carried that grounding — content, brand communication and performance — into SEO. For more than ten years she has worked on growth for brands across a range of industries, pairing a communications perspective with data and technical analysis to build a digital presence that holds up over time.
- Education
- Advertising and Public Relations, Anadolu University
- Writes about
- Popup builders, Conversion rate optimization, On-site messaging, SaaS pricing research, SEO, Technical SEO, Content strategy, Digital marketing