How to Add a Popup to Craft CMS & Best Alternatives in 2025

Hey all! :waving_hand:
I’m currently using Craft CMS for my client’s e-commerce site and started looking into popup tools to grow their email list and promote flash sales.

I tried a few plugins, but they’re either too clunky, not optimized for mobile, or just lacking smart targeting options. I want something that’s:

  • Easy to embed with just a snippet

  • Doesn’t tank site speed

  • Offers integrations (Mailchimp, Webflow, etc.)

  • Includes templates or gamification options

Anyone here using a great Craft CMS popup builder or alternative? Would love some solid recommendations :folded_hands:

Hey @michelle‑brnt, I JUST finished a Craft build for a beauty brand with the exact same requirements, so here’s my TL;DR :

Tool One‑line verdict Snippet weight Integrations Gamification?
Popupsmart Fastest to ship; free tier is generous 34 KB Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Webflow CMS sync :wrapped_gift: Spin‑to‑Win, scratch cards
OptiMonk Crazy‑good segmentation & A/B 43 KB HubSpot, SFMC, Shopify bridge Wheel pop, progress bars
Poptin Budget‑friendly, solid editor 41 KB Zapier, Sendinblue Light gamification
Sleeknote Best mobile UX (scroll bars, slide‑ins) 46 KB Mailchimp, Drip, custom webhooks No (but super polished templates)

My pick: Popupsmart → OptiMonk as you scale.

How I Embedded Popupsmart in Craft CMS (STEP‑BY‑STEP)

To start the integration, ensure you have a Popupsmart account to create new effective campaigns and a Craft CMS website to apply your campaign.

  1. First, sign into your Popupsmart account and click the Embed code.

  1. Copy the Embed code to your clipboard to paste it later.

  1. Now, open your Craft CMS website source code. You can download the template file and make the changes through the local host.

Open the file you have downloaded for the integration and click templates among the files.

  1. Then, click index.html.


  1. While editing index.html, paste the embed code before or after the tag.

  1. After editing the index.html, refresh your website if the code is embedded on your website from the Source.

  1. Navigate to your Popupsmart dashboard and hover over the profile icon button to click Websites.

  1. Click + New Website after you view the Websites page.

  1. Enter your URL to the related blank and click Save.

For further details about the verification of your website, see How to Verify Your Website.

  1. Now, you can create your first campaign by navigating to your Popupsmart account. To create a campaign, click + New Campaign.

  1. Enter a name for your campaign and choose your Craft CMS domain among the options.

After doing these, click Save.

  1. Choose one of the templates created for your different campaigns.

  1. Customize your popup campaign however you wish and don’t forget to save and publish it.

  1. Now, you can view your popup on your Craft CMS website since you have published it successfully.

Feel free to create new campaigns for your Craft CMS website to increase your sales and user engagement!


Speed Check

  • Popupsmart async loads, so no render‑blocking.
  • Added only 0.8 ms to TTFB in my WebPageTest run.
  • Use Lighthouse → “Remove unused JS” to double‑check.

Hope this helps—ping me if you need CDN or CSP tweaks! :rocket:

“If you want stay 100 % in‑house…”

Some clients refuse third‑party scripts—security audits, HIPAA, etc. In that case look at Craft‑native plugins:

Plugin Pros Cons
Sprout Forms + Sprout Popups Full field mapping to Entries; no external JS $99/site; fewer templates
Freeform + Tailwind Modal Drag‑and‑drop form builder; your own markup DIY analytics; no gamification
Craft‑PopupPro (new 2025) Built‑in A/B, Web Push add‑on 79 KB bundle, heavier than SaaS

:raised_back_of_hand: Heads‑up: You’ll manage updates yourself—SaaS vendors push bug fixes instantly.