MailPoet vs Poptin (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Newsletter Plugins top 10: MailPoet at #1 and Poptin at #8. MailPoet leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
MailPoet
MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation
Send beautiful newsletters from WordPress. Collect subscribers with signup forms, automate your emails for WooCommerce, blog post notifications & more
Poptin
Poptin – Email Marketing Automation, Newsletter & Exit Pop Ups, Email Popups
Free email automation, email campaigns, exit intent popup builder, gamified popups with spin the wheel, contact forms & smart pop ups. 🎉
Who leads on what
MailPoet leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
MailPoet ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Newsletter Plugins.
MailPoet has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Poptin is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 700 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,433 reviews.
MailPoet has more reviews behind its score: 1,433 against 700.
MailPoet was updated more recently, on October 20, 2026; Poptin on October 12, 2026.
MailPoet was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 939,024 times against 4,387.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
MailPoet
Pick MailPoet if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
MailPoet vs Poptin side by side
| MailPoet | Poptin | |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter Plugins ranking | #1 | #8 |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| Reviews | 1,433 | 700 |
| Active installs | 500,000+ | 20,000+ |
| Total downloads | 70,453,376 | 554,741 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 939,024 | 4,387 |
| Last updated | Oct 20, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 28, 2016 | Aug 20, 2017 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | – |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
MailPoet ratings
Poptin ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither MailPoet nor Poptin can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Newsletter Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
MailPoet vs Poptin: common questions
Is MailPoet better than Poptin?
MailPoet leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. MailPoet ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Newsletter Plugins.
Which has more users, MailPoet or Poptin?
MailPoet ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Newsletter Plugins.
Which is rated higher, MailPoet or Poptin?
MailPoet has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are MailPoet and Poptin free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. MailPoet is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Poptin may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to MailPoet and Poptin
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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