OptinMonster vs Hustle (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Popup Plugins top 10: OptinMonster at #2 and Hustle at #4. Hustle leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
OptinMonster
Popup Builder & Popup Maker for WordPress – OptinMonster Email Marketing and Lead Generation
🤩 Make popups & optin forms to get more email newsletter subscribers, leads, and sales - #1 most popular popup builder plugin! 🚀
Hustle
Hustle – Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Optins, Popups
Setup email optin forms, popups, newsletter forms & subscription forms to generate email leads with the best marketing popup builder
Who leads on what
Hustle leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
OptinMonster ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #4 in Popup Plugins.
OptinMonster has more users: 1 million+ active installs against 90,000+.
Hustle is rated higher: 4.4 out of 5 from 859 reviews, against 4.3 from 816 reviews.
Hustle has more reviews behind its score: 859 against 816.
Hustle was updated more recently, on August 31, 2026; OptinMonster on August 14, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
OptinMonster
Pick OptinMonster if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them or you want the plugin more sites already run.
Hustle
Pick Hustle if the review score matters most to you, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
OptinMonster vs Hustle side by side
| OptinMonster | Hustle | |
|---|---|---|
| Popup Plugins ranking | #2 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 816 | 859 |
| Active installs | 1 million+ | 90,000+ |
| Total downloads | 134,422,955 | 4,704,541 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 14, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| First published | Apr 26, 2015 | May 19, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
OptinMonster ratings
Hustle 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 OptinMonster nor Hustle can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Popup Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
OptinMonster vs Hustle: common questions
Is OptinMonster better than Hustle?
Hustle leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. OptinMonster ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #4 in Popup Plugins.
Which has more users, OptinMonster or Hustle?
OptinMonster ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #4 in Popup Plugins.
Which is rated higher, OptinMonster or Hustle?
OptinMonster has more users: 1 million+ active installs against 90,000+.
Are OptinMonster and Hustle free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. OptinMonster may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Hustle is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to OptinMonster and Hustle
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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Popup Maker
700,000+ installs · 4.9 from 4,505 reviews
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Poptin
20,000+ installs · 4.9 from 695 reviews
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Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers
70,000+ installs · 5.0 from 7 reviews
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Brave
20,000+ installs · 4.8 from 209 reviews
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Popup Box
50,000+ installs · 4.6 from 81 reviews
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.