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Privy's escalating costs and limited free plan leaving you searching for better options? You're not alone. Many merchants find its 100-contact limit restrictive and its focus on basic list building insufficient for comprehensive email marketing. We tested 11 alternatives that offer more generous free plans, deeper automation capabilities, and better deliverability. Ready? Let's dive in.
What's Wrong with Privy?
While Privy is a capable platform for Shopify merchants, some recurring user complaints are hard to ignore. After analyzing hundreds of reviews online from G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and other platforms, here were the most common issues that kept coming up:
- Extremely limited free plan: Only supports 100 contacts compared to competitors offering 250+ contacts, forcing quick upgrades
- Basic automation capabilities: Focuses mainly on list building and popups rather than comprehensive email marketing automation
- Deliverability concerns: Some users report emails landing in spam or failing to deliver consistently
- Escalating pricing: Advanced features like A/B testing and SMS integrations are restricted to higher-priced plans
- Limited platform flexibility: Primarily designed for Shopify with fewer integrations compared to multi-platform alternatives
🛠️ The good news? Adding effective popups to your Shopify store takes under 10 minutes with the right tool, and the setup doesn't have to be overwhelming. Curious how one brand ditched complex setups for better results? See how GardenCup switched from Justuno to Alia and immediately jumped email opt-ins by 124%.
(TL;DR) Privy Alternatives at a Glance
1) Alia - The #1 Privy Alternative in the Market Right Now
Rating: 4.9/5 (100+ reviews)
Alia is a cutting-edge popup platform built exclusively for Shopify stores, designed to dramatically increase email opt-in rates through smart, AI-powered popups and automated A/B testing. Unlike Privy's basic list-building focus, Alia combines advanced automation with superior conversion optimization specifically for Shopify merchants.
Alia vs. Privy: Key Differences
Key Features:
- AI-Driven A/B Testing: Automatically generates and tests multiple popup variants without manual setup, unlike Privy's limited testing on higher tiers
- Educational Popup Flows: Create multi-step educational experiences that build trust and collect zero-party data, going beyond Privy's basic list building
- Smart Triggering Technology: Learns from traffic patterns to display popups optimally, eliminating the need for manual trigger configuration
- No Contact Restrictions: Focus on performance rather than contact limits that force expensive upgrades like Privy's 100-contact free plan
- Advanced Shopify Integration: Purpose-built for Shopify with deeper native integration than Privy's external app approach
The President of Shopify's own store, Firebelly Tea, generated $13K+ in incremental revenue and doubled signups using Alia's educational popup approach.
Try Alia for 30 days free, pricing starts at $100/mo
Considerations before going with Alia
Alia is exclusively built for Shopify, so it's not suitable for merchants using other platforms. The pricing is custom-based rather than having transparent tiers like Privy's clear pricing structure. While the results are impressive, brands seeking the simplest possible popup functionality might find the educational, multi-step approach more complex than Privy's straightforward list building.
Zero Foxtrot doubled sign-up rates and drove $215K in 30 days with Alia
EMAIL SIGN-UP RATE
EMAIL SIGN-UPS IN 30 DAYS
IN ATTRIBUTED SALES (30 DAYS)
With Alia, we're seeing sign-ups and sales like never before—32,000 new leads, $215K in sales, and a 20% purchase rate in just 30 days.
Install Alia
Launch first popup in 5 minutes
10x your list
Read how Zero Foxtrot captured 32,000 emails in 30 days with Alia.
What else can you do with Alia?
Beyond email capture, Alia serves as a powerful customer education and segmentation tool. Merchants can create interactive product explainers, collect valuable zero-party data for better targeting, and drive immediate purchases through strategically timed offers. The platform has driven millions in attributed revenue for brands, with some seeing over $5.8M in attributed sales from Alia-driven email flows and onsite conversions.
📈 Want proof? Patrick Ta generated a 12% opt-in rate and $600K in sales using Alia's educational approach, while Essence Vault collected 360,000 emails in just one month.
☝️ Not sure about Alia? Check out 10 Alia alternatives we tested to find your perfect match for Shopify popup optimization.
2) Klaviyo - Comprehensive Email Marketing Platform
Rating: 4.7/5 (1,200+ reviews)
Klaviyo provides a flexible, custom web form builder designed to capture more sign-ups and grow target audiences across email and SMS channels. Unlike Privy's limited automation capabilities, Klaviyo offers comprehensive email marketing with advanced segmentation and deeper ecommerce integration.
Key Features:
- Generous Free Plan: Supports up to 250 active profiles compared to Privy's 100-contact limit, with 500 monthly email sends included
- Advanced Email Automation: Comprehensive email marketing capabilities that go far beyond Privy's basic automation features
- Multi-Channel Integration: Supports both email and SMS with deeper automation than Privy's limited SMS offering
- Superior Deliverability: Enterprise-grade email delivery infrastructure addresses the deliverability concerns some Privy users experience
- Deep Ecommerce Analytics: Advanced reporting and customer lifetime value tracking that surpasses Privy's basic analytics
Klaviyo offers a free plan, but pricing starts at $45/month
Considerations before going with Klaviyo
Klaviyo's pricing scales with your subscriber count, which can become expensive as your list grows, similar to Privy's scaling costs. The platform's primary focus is on comprehensive email marketing rather than specialized popup optimization. The learning curve can be steeper than Privy's simpler interface for users who just want basic list building.
Nakie saw 600% improvement in email capture and $5.8M in sales after switching to Alia
PEAK EMAIL OPT-IN RATE (UP FROM 5-6%)
IMPROVEMENT IN EMAIL CAPTURE
IN ATTRIBUTED SALES
"We always cared about the customer journey, and Alia's the first tool that actually let us design one that makes sense. And once we did, everything clicked — sign-up rates, conversions, the whole funnel started significantly performing. Since switching to Alia, our lowest sign-up rate has been 28%, and we've even reached 35% in some months."
Install Alia
Launch first popup in 5 minutes
10x your list
Read how Nakie achieved a 35% signup rate and drove $5.8M in sales with Alia's educational approach.
🎯 Not convinced Klaviyo is right for you? Explore 11 Klaviyo alternatives we reviewed for similar comprehensive email marketing solutions.
3) OptiMonk - High-Performance Popups with Advanced Personalization
Rating: 4.8/5 (300+ reviews)
OptiMonk is a popup and onsite conversion platform designed to supercharge list building, sales, and customer engagement for ecommerce brands. Unlike Privy's basic popup options, OptiMonk provides advanced popup formulas optimized for high opt-in rates with superior customization capabilities.
Key Features:
- Extensive Template Library: Create high-performing popups using 150+ pre-designed templates across 30+ use cases, far exceeding Privy's limited popup formats
- CDN-Optimized Performance: Industry-leading popup load speed ensures minimal impact on page performance, addressing potential site speed concerns
- Advanced Personalization: Smart tags and dynamic content based on visitor data, more sophisticated than Privy's basic targeting options
- Auto Discount Application: Eliminate forgotten discount codes with automatic application at checkout, smoother than Privy's manual code delivery
- Generous Free Plan: 10,000 monthly impressions with all features included, compared to Privy's restrictive 100-contact limit
☝️ Behind every great popup is compelling copy. Learn how to write high-converting popup messages with proven examples that actually drive signups.
OptiMonk offers a free plan, but pricing starts at $29/month
Considerations before going with OptiMonk
OptiMonk's pricing is based on monthly impressions rather than contacts, which could become expensive for very high-traffic sites. The platform focuses primarily on popups and doesn't offer the email marketing automation features that Privy provides. Some advanced personalization features may require user familiarity to implement effectively.
Our sign-ups have skyrocketed—from 2.5% to over 19% now.
"They just didn't give us the opportunity to take that second step to educate people. We were just spending money for nothing. Every variation they've built has been a winner. The percentage of clicks turning into purchases has doubled—it's amazing."
📊 Not convinced OptiMonk is right for you? Explore 11 OptiMonk alternatives we reviewed for similar performance-focused popup solutions.
4) Justuno - Sophisticated Customer Journeys and Workflow Automation
Rating: 4.5/5 (200+ reviews)
Justuno is a robust onsite marketing automation platform designed to convert visitors into customers by growing email and SMS subscriber lists. Unlike Privy's simpler approach, Justuno offers hyper-personalized pop-ups, quizzes, surveys, and AI product recommendations for sophisticated customer journeys.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive Personalization Suite: Create popups, quizzes, surveys, embedded experiences, and landing pages beyond Privy's basic popup and form options
- Advanced Workflow Builder: Design complex, personalized customer journeys that surpass Privy's basic automation capabilities
- Higher Visitor Allowance: Free plan supports up to 2,000 monthly visitors compared to Privy's 100-contact restriction
- Real-Time Adaptive Messaging: Adjust messaging based on visitor behavior and interactions, more sophisticated than Privy's basic targeting
- Email & SMS Verification: Real-time validation to prevent fake signups and improve list quality, addressing deliverability concerns
Justuno offers a free plan, but pricing starts at $39/month
Considerations before going with Justuno
Justuno's sophisticated features come with a steeper learning curve compared to Privy's user-friendly interface. The platform's advanced capabilities may be overwhelming for merchants who prefer Privy's simplicity. Higher-tier features like advanced segmentation require paid plans, similar to Privy's feature restrictions.
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🛠️ Not sure if Justuno is your solution? Check out 12 Justuno alternatives we compared for simpler yet powerful pop-up solutions.
5) Wisepops - Multi-Channel Engagement Platform
Rating: 4.7/5 (250+ reviews)
Wisepops is a multi-channel website engagement platform that turns casual browsers into buyers using smart, personalized messages. Unlike Privy's focus on email and SMS, Wisepops brings together popups, in-page embeds, notification feeds, and browser push notifications in one unified platform.
Key Features:
- Unified Multi-Channel Approach: Combine popups, web push notifications, notification feeds, and in-page embeds beyond Privy's email and SMS focus
- AI-Powered Product Recommendations: Intelligent upsells and cross-sells that go beyond Privy's basic list-building capabilities
- Advanced Experimentation: Test campaigns with control groups to measure true lift, more sophisticated than Privy's basic A/B testing
- Dynamic Real-Time Personalization: Create personalized messaging based on user behavior with more advanced options than Privy's targeting
- No Contact Restrictions: Focus on pageviews rather than contact limits that force upgrades like Privy's 100-contact free plan
📊 Multi-site management is just one piece of the puzzle. Master the 7 steps to building a killer website conversion funnel that turns visitors into customers across all your properties.
Pricing starts at $115/month
Considerations before going with Wisepops
Wisepops doesn't offer a free plan like Privy, requiring immediate investment. The Essential plan is restricted to 2 websites with basic support, which may be limiting for growing businesses. The pricing in euros may fluctuate for international customers, and additional websites cost €10/month each.
📈 Not sure about Wisepops? Check out 12 Wisepops alternatives we tested to find your perfect multi-channel engagement platform.
6) WooHoo - Gamified Email Capture for Higher Engagement
Rating: 4.6/5 (150+ reviews)
WooHoo is a gamified email popup platform designed to rapidly grow email subscriber lists through interactive games. Unlike Privy's traditional popup approach, WooHoo leverages consumer psychology by offering discount-winning games that significantly boost engagement and conversion rates.
Key Features:
- Interactive Game Variety: Engage visitors with Wheel of Coupons, Card Dance, Pick A Gift, and Reel of Coupons games that are more engaging than Privy's standard popups
- Higher Engagement Rates: Gamified approach typically achieves higher opt-in rates than Privy's traditional email capture methods
- Built-in Autoresponder: Automatically deliver coupon emails after subscription without needing separate email automation like Privy requires
- Fraud Protection: Ensure valid entries and coupon redemptions with built-in security measures
- Simple Pricing Model: Transparent pricing based on websites and impressions rather than contact limits like Privy's restrictive free plan
🎯 Gamification isn't just fun—it's strategic. Discover gamification strategies that increase customer loyalty and long-term engagement beyond the initial signup.
Pricing starts at $29/month
Considerations before going with WooHoo
WooHoo focuses exclusively on gamified email popups and lacks the broader email marketing automation that Privy offers. The impression limits (20,000 per month) may constrain larger, high-traffic stores. There's no free plan like Privy's offering, requiring immediate payment after the trial period.
Create achieved 200% more landing page sign-ups after seamless Amped migration
EMAIL SIGN-UP RATE ACHIEVED
INCREASE IN LANDING PAGE SIGNUPS
OF TRAFFIC PREVIOUSLY UNTAPPED
"Switching to Alia was a seamless experience, and we've never looked back… Their optimized popups have not only improved our opt-in rates but also allowed us to better engage and segment our audience with ease."
Install Alia
Launch first popup in 5 minutes
10x your list
🎰 Ready to level up your gamification game? Discover 7 spin-the-wheel popup examples worth stealing from brands crushing it with interactive popups.
7) BDOW - Multi-Site Management for Agencies
Rating: 4.5/5 (180+ reviews)
BDOW (formerly Sumo) is an advanced, intelligent website popup and form tool designed to supercharge lead conversion and email list growth. Unlike Privy's single-site focus, BDOW provides powerful multi-site management capabilities ideal for agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Key Features:
- Multi-Site Dashboard: Manage multiple websites and client accounts from one centralized dashboard, superior to Privy's single-site approach
- Built-in Email Marketing: Send email broadcasts and autoresponders directly from the platform, competing with Privy's email automation features
- Higher Visitor Allowance: Free plan supports up to 10,000 monthly visits compared to Privy's 100-contact restriction
- Advanced Targeting Options: Display popups based on URL, pages, devices, and visitor behavior with comprehensive controls
- Integrated Monetization: Generate personalized discount codes and run in-cart offers to increase AOV
BDOW offers a free plan, but pricing starts at $15/month
Considerations before going with BDOW
BDOW's free plan visitor limit (10,000 monthly visits) may be restrictive for growing businesses, though it's more generous than Privy's 100-contact limit. The platform focuses more on basic popup functionality rather than the advanced personalization that Privy offers. Multi-site management is only available on the Pro plan.
Read how Essence Vault collected 360,000 emails in one month with Alia.
☝️ Not certain BDOW fits your needs? Browse 10 BDOW alternatives we evaluated for multi-site popup management.
8) HelloBar - Media & Blog Monetization Focus
Rating: 4.6/5 (220+ reviews)
HelloBar is a website popup builder trusted by over 600,000 websites worldwide. Unlike Privy's ecommerce focus, HelloBar offers advanced targeting and built-in monetization features specifically tailored for media, blogs, agencies, and professional services.
Key Features:
- Industry-Specific Templates: Hundreds of customizable templates designed for media, blogs, and professional services rather than just ecommerce
- Built-in Monetization Features: Affiliate revenue and readership loyalty tools that go beyond Privy's basic list-building approach
- No Contact Restrictions: Pricing based on popup views rather than contact limits like Privy's restrictive free plan
- GDPR Compliance Built-in: Full privacy standards support without additional configuration
- Premier Zapier Integration: Extended flexibility with reliable integrations for workflow automation
Pricing starts at $39/month
Considerations before going with HelloBar
HelloBar doesn't offer a free plan like Privy, requiring immediate investment. The platform doesn't provide the email marketing automation features that Privy offers. Popup view limits are tied to pricing tiers, which may restrict usage on high-traffic sites.
📈 Read the full story of how MiHIGH tripled opt-in rates and drove $600K in sales with Alia using smart popup triggers for SMS collection.
🎯 Not sold on HelloBar? Review 11 HelloBar alternatives we tested for media and blog monetization features.
9) Picreel - Enterprise-Grade Targeting
Rating: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
Picreel offers a fast, easy-to-use popup builder designed to boost leads, conversions, and sales through highly targeted offers. Unlike Privy's basic targeting options, Picreel focuses on enterprise-grade behavioral targeting with advanced segmentation capabilities.
Key Features:
- Advanced Behavioral Targeting: Target visitors based on referral source, page content, time on site, and device with more precision than Privy's basic options
- 700+ Integrations: Extensive integration ecosystem that surpasses Privy's more limited integration options
- Enterprise Support: 24/7 phone, chat, and email support with dedicated success teams, superior to Privy's standard support tiers
- Generous Free Plan: Up to 5,000 monthly visitors with unlimited campaigns compared to Privy's 100-contact restriction
- 10-Second Setup: Simple installation process that's faster than Privy's app-based setup
Picreel offers a free plan, but pricing starts at $19.99/month
Considerations before going with Picreel
Picreel's pricing may increase steeply for high-traffic websites, similar to how Privy's costs scale. The platform focuses primarily on popups and doesn't offer the email marketing automation capabilities that Privy provides. Advanced features and premium support are reserved for paid plans.
Postscript's system was fairly limited in design, which held us back from truly maximizing our sign-up rates. We thought we were doing fine, as it matched the industry average.
"But Alia really opened my eyes to what was possible. We collected 290,000 zero-party data submissions from our shoppers"
📊 Not sure Picreel is your solution? Check out 12 Picreel alternatives we compared for enterprise-grade targeting capabilities.
10) Poptin - User-Friendly Popup Builder
Rating: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
Poptin is a user-friendly popup and form builder aimed at digital agencies, marketers, and ecommerce site owners. Unlike Privy's Shopify-focused approach, Poptin offers a straightforward drag-and-drop editor that works across multiple platforms with extensive integration options.
Key Features:
- Simple Drag-and-Drop Editor: Build popups easily with over 50 templates that are intuitive to customize, competing with Privy's user-friendly interface
- Extensive Integration Network: Connect with 50+ native integrations plus 1,500+ via Zapier, surpassing Privy's more limited integration options
- Multi-Platform Support: Works across various website platforms, not just Shopify like Privy's primary focus
- Automated Follow-Up: Send welcome emails and coupon codes automatically without separate email automation setup
- Higher Visitor Allowance: Free plan supports 1,000 monthly visitors compared to Privy's 100-contact limit
📱 Email capture is powerful, but combining it with SMS creates unstoppable growth. Here are 11 proven ways to grow your SMS list and recover thousands in revenue.
Poptin offers a free plan, but pricing starts at $25/month
Considerations before going with Poptin
Poptin's free plan visitor limit (1,000 monthly visitors) is more restrictive than some alternatives, though still better than Privy's 100-contact limit. The platform lacks some of the advanced email marketing automation features that Privy offers. Higher-tier plans can become costly for businesses with growing traffic.
JOI achieved 36% more sign-ups and 21% purchase rate after switching to Alia
EMAIL OPT-IN RATE ACHIEVED
INCREASE IN EMAIL SIGN-UPS
PURCHASE RATE AFTER SIGNUP
"Switching to Alia has been a game changer for us. The educational popups boosted our sign-up rates by 35% and led to a 15% increase in email-driven revenue…I highly recommend Alia for any brand looking to drive growth."
Install Alia
Launch first popup in 5 minutes
10x your list
☝️ Not convinced by Poptin? Explore 10 Poptin alternatives we tested for user-friendly popup builders.
11) Sleeknote - Advanced Visitor Journey Targeting
Rating: 4.6/5 (220+ reviews)
Sleeknote is a versatile popup and onsite engagement platform designed to help marketers convert website traffic into revenue with multiple personalized popups and gamification features. Unlike Privy's basic targeting, Sleeknote empowers businesses to target visitors based on detailed behavior and journey stage analysis.
Key Features:
- Journey-Based Targeting: Trigger popups based on visitor status, behavior patterns, and custom conditions with more sophistication than Privy's basic targeting
- Multiple Goal-Oriented Popups: Create different popups for various objectives like email capture, cart abandonment, and customer support
- 120+ Customizable Templates: Access extensive templates with fully customizable elements including videos and HTML
- Extensive Gamification Suite: Engage visitors with spin-to-win, scratch-to-win, seasonal calendars, and quizzes that go beyond Privy's basic gamification
- 1,200+ Integrations: Massive integration network that far exceeds Privy's integration options
Pricing starts at $73/month
Considerations before going with Sleeknote
Sleeknote doesn't offer a free plan like Privy, requiring immediate investment. The pricing is in euros, which may fluctuate for international customers. The gamification features are only available in the higher-priced plan, and the platform doesn't explicitly mention SMS marketing support like Privy offers.
Read how Bhumi drove $300K in sales and tripled AOV with Alia.
📈 Not sold on Sleeknote? Browse 10 Sleeknote alternatives we tested for advanced visitor journey targeting.
The Verdict: Which Privy Alternative Should You Choose? (Our Top 3 Picks)
After thoroughly testing all eleven options, here are our top recommendations:
- Alia - The clear winner for Shopify stores seeking superior results without Privy's contact restrictions. With AI-powered testing, educational flows, and conversion rates averaging 15-35% (compared to Privy's typical 3-8%), Alia delivers dramatically better ROI. The automated optimization eliminates manual setup complexity while the Shopify-exclusive focus ensures deeper integration than Privy's external app approach.
- Klaviyo - A strong runner-up offering comprehensive email marketing with a more generous free plan (250 contacts vs. Privy's 100). Its advanced automation capabilities and superior deliverability address two of Privy's main limitations while providing deeper ecommerce analytics and segmentation.
- OptiMonk - Best for merchants who want advanced popup optimization without contact-based pricing restrictions. The extensive template library and CDN-optimized performance deliver superior results to Privy's basic popup options, while the generous free plan (10,000 impressions) eliminates the quick upgrade pressure of Privy's 100-contact limit.
The right choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, but these three stand out for eliminating Privy's main pain points while delivering superior performance. For Shopify stores looking to maximize both conversion rates and avoid restrictive contact limits, Alia's specialized approach delivers the most impressive results we've seen.
🚀 Want to see more real results? Nakie achieved a 35% signup rate and drove $5.8M in sales by switching from generic popups to Alia's educational approach—proving that the right strategy makes all the difference.
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