Best Exit-Intent Popup Apps for Shopify (2025)

Exit-intent popups detect when visitors are about to leave and display a final offer. Done right, they can capture 3-5% of abandoning visitors. Done wrong, they annoy customers and damage your brand.

This guide compares the best exit-intent popup apps for Shopify, with a focus on cart abandonment recovery rather than just email collection.

Quick Comparison

| App | Best For | Price | Rating | Key Feature | |-----|----------|-------|--------|-------------| | Privy | All-in-one conversion | Free-$45/mo | 4.6/5 | Email + SMS + popups | | Justuno | Advanced targeting | Free-$49/mo | 4.6/5 | AI-powered optimization | | OptiMonk | Personalization | Free-$79/mo | 4.8/5 | Smart targeting rules | | Wisepops | Premium design | $49-$99/mo | 4.9/5 | Beautiful templates | | Popupsmart | Simplicity | Free-$29/mo | 4.8/5 | No-code builder | | Klaviyo | Email-focused stores | Free-$45/mo | 4.6/5 | Native email integration |

What Makes a Good Exit-Intent Popup?

Exit-intent works by tracking mouse movement. When the cursor moves toward the browser's close button or address bar, the popup triggers.

Effective Exit Popups Include:

1. Clear value proposition - Why should they stay?
2. Specific offer - Discount, free shipping, or exclusive content
3. Minimal form fields - Email only, or email + phone
4. Easy dismiss - Don't frustrate people into bouncing
5. Cart-specific messaging - Different message for cart abandoners vs. browsers

Common Mistakes:

• Triggering too early - Firing on every page exit
• Generic messaging - Same popup regardless of behavior
• Aggressive tactics - Multiple popups, hard-to-close overlays
• No mobile strategy - Exit-intent doesn't work the same on mobile

Best Exit-Intent Popup Apps

1. Privy

Best for: Shopify stores wanting all-in-one conversion tools

Price:

• Free: Up to 100 contacts
• Starter: $15/mo (email only)
• Growth: $45/mo (email + SMS)

Rating: 4.6/5 (24,000+ reviews)

Key Features:

• Exit-intent popups with cart detection
• Spin-to-win wheels
• Embedded email forms
• Cart abandonment emails included
• SMS capture and messaging
• A/B testing

Exit-Intent Capabilities:

• Trigger by exit behavior
• Trigger by scroll depth
• Trigger by time on page
• Cart-specific popups
• Returning visitor detection

Pros:

• Excellent Shopify integration
• Combines popups + email + SMS
• Easy to set up
• Good for beginners to advanced users
• Affordable starting price

Cons:

• Design options somewhat limited
• Advanced features require higher tiers
• Can feel cluttered with many active campaigns

Best for stores: Just getting started with conversion optimization and want one tool for popups, email, and SMS.

2. Justuno

Best for: Data-driven stores wanting AI optimization

Price:

• Free: Up to 5,000 sessions/mo
• Essentials: $29/mo
• Plus: $49/mo
• Growth: Custom pricing

Rating: 4.6/5 (2,500+ reviews)

Key Features:

• AI-powered popup optimization
• Advanced visitor targeting
• Commerce AI product recommendations
• Gamification (spin wheels, scratch cards)
• Pop-up A/B testing
• Real-time analytics

Exit-Intent Capabilities:

• Intelligent exit detection
• Cart value targeting
• Customer segment targeting
• Geographic targeting
• Device-specific popups

Pros:

• Powerful AI recommendations
• Excellent targeting options
• Strong analytics
• Works well at scale
• Good for advanced marketers

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve
• Free tier limited by sessions, not contacts
• Can be overwhelming for beginners
• Higher tiers get expensive

Best for stores: Mid-size to large stores with marketing teams who want sophisticated targeting and testing.

3. OptiMonk

Best for: Personalized popup experiences

Price:

• Free: 15,000 pageviews/mo
• Essential: $29/mo
• Growth: $79/mo
• Premium: $199/mo

Rating: 4.8/5 (1,500+ reviews)

Key Features:

• Smart Display Rules
• Dynamic text replacement
• Product recommendation popups
• Cart recovery popups
• Gamification options
• Nano-targeting

Exit-Intent Capabilities:

• Mouse-tracking exit detection
• Scroll-based triggers
• Time-delay triggers
• Cart abandonment triggers
• Custom JavaScript triggers

Pros:

• Excellent personalization
• Beautiful template library
• Powerful targeting without complexity
• Good mobile popup alternatives
• Strong A/B testing

Cons:

• Pageview limits can be restrictive
• Premium features require higher tiers
• Some features have learning curve

Best for stores: Brands focused on customer experience who want personalized popups without annoying visitors.

4. Wisepops

Best for: Design-focused brands

Price:

• Starts at $49/mo (100,000 pageviews)
• Custom pricing for higher volume

Rating: 4.9/5 (300+ reviews)

Key Features:

• Premium popup templates
• Drag-and-drop builder
• Exit-intent detection
• On-site surveys
• Notification feed
• Advanced targeting

Exit-Intent Capabilities:

• Precise exit detection
• Page-level targeting
• Visitor behavior rules
• E-commerce specific triggers
• Cart value conditions

Pros:

• Beautiful, modern designs
• Highly customizable
• Great for brand-conscious stores
• Clean, intuitive interface
• Good customer support

Cons:

• Higher starting price
• No free tier
• Fewer gamification options
• Smaller app ecosystem

Best for stores: Premium brands where design matters and popup aesthetics must match brand quality.

5. Popupsmart

Best for: Simple, effective popups without complexity

Price:

• Free: 5,000 pageviews/mo
• Basic: $29/mo (100,000 pageviews)
• Pro: $79/mo (500,000 pageviews)
• Expert: $129/mo (1M+ pageviews)

Rating: 4.8/5 (400+ reviews)

Key Features:

• No-code popup builder
• Exit-intent detection
• Lead capture forms
• Countdown timers
• Cookie targeting
• Smart mode (AI timing)

Exit-Intent Capabilities:

• Exit-intent trigger
• Scroll trigger
• Click trigger
• Time delay
• Page targeting

Pros:

• Very easy to use
• Clean, modern templates
• Fast setup (under 5 minutes)
• Good value for price
• Reliable performance

Cons:

• Fewer advanced features
• Limited gamification
• Basic analytics
• Fewer integrations

Best for stores: Store owners who want effective popups without spending hours on setup.

6. Klaviyo Forms

Best for: Stores already using Klaviyo for email

Price: Included with Klaviyo subscription

• Free: Up to 250 contacts
• Paid: $20-$150+/mo based on contacts

Rating: 4.6/5 (as part of Klaviyo)

Key Features:

• Native Shopify integration
• Popup and embedded forms
• Exit-intent triggers
• Direct email list integration
• Behavioral targeting
• A/B testing

Exit-Intent Capabilities:

• Exit detection
• Time delay
• Page targeting
• Customer segment targeting
• Cart behavior detection

Pros:

• Smooth email integration
• No extra app needed
• Unified contact management
• Powerful segmentation
• Included in Klaviyo price

Cons:

• Fewer popup templates
• Limited gamification
• Not as feature-rich as dedicated popup apps
• Requires Klaviyo subscription

Best for stores: Already using Klaviyo for email and want to avoid adding another tool.

Exit-Intent Strategies for Cart Abandonment

Strategy 1: Discount Offer

When to use: First-time visitors with items in cart

Popup content:

• "Wait! Get 10% off your order"
• Email capture + auto-apply discount
• Works well for fashion, beauty, general merchandise

Typical conversion: 3-7% of abandoners

Strategy 2: Free Shipping Threshold

When to use: Carts close to free shipping threshold

Popup content:

• "You're $15 away from free shipping!"
• Suggest products to reach threshold
• No email required

Typical conversion: 5-10% continue shopping

Strategy 3: Cart Saver

When to use: Returning visitors who abandoned previously

Popup content:

• "Your cart is still here"
• Show cart contents
• One-click return to cart

Typical conversion: 8-12% return to cart

Strategy 4: Limited Stock Alert

When to use: High-demand or limited inventory items

Popup content:

• "Items in your cart are selling fast"
• Show stock levels
• Create urgency without fake scarcity

Typical conversion: 4-8% complete purchase

Strategy 5: Alternative to Discount

When to use: When you can't afford to discount

Popup content:

• Free gift with purchase
• Extended returns
• Free consultation or styling
• Exclusive access

Typical conversion: 2-4% (but protects margins)

Exit-Intent on Mobile: Different Approach

Exit-intent based on mouse movement doesn't work on mobile. Instead:

Mobile Exit Alternatives:

Scroll-Up Detection:

• Trigger when user scrolls up quickly (going to address bar)
• Less reliable than desktop exit-intent

Time + Scroll Depth:

• After 30 seconds AND 50% scroll
• Catches engaged visitors before they leave

Back Button:

• Some apps detect back button presses
• Browser restrictions limit reliability

Tab Switch:

• Detect when user switches tabs
• Works on mobile browsers

Best Mobile Strategy:

Rather than exit-intent, use timed popups on mobile:

• 15-30 seconds after arrival
• After adding to cart (cart saver)
• On cart/checkout page (final offer)

Popup Best Practices

Do:

• Show once per session - Don't trigger on every page
• Match the offer to the behavior - Cart abandoners get different messages than browsers
• Make it easy to close - Clear X button, click outside to close
• Test offers - A/B test discount amounts, messaging, timing
• Optimize for mobile - Smaller popups, touch-friendly buttons
• Honor the dismiss - Don't show again if they closed it

Don't:

• Stack popups - One at a time, maximum
• Use fake urgency - "Only 2 left!" when you have 200
• Require too much info - Email only for exit popups
• Ignore brand guidelines - Popup should match your site
• Forget to measure - Track conversion, not just impressions

Measuring Popup Effectiveness

Key Metrics:

| Metric | Good Performance | Great Performance | |--------|------------------|-------------------| | Impression → Email | 2-3% | 4-6% | | Email → Purchase | 3-5% | 6-10% | | Overall conversion lift | 1-2% | 3-5% | | Revenue per visitor | +$0.10-0.25 | +$0.30-0.50 |

Calculate ROI:

Example:

• 10,000 monthly visitors
• 70% bounce rate = 7,000 abandoners
• 3% popup conversion = 210 email captures
• 5% purchase from email = 10-11 orders
• $75 average order value = $750-825 in recovered revenue

If your popup app costs $45/month, that's 16-18x ROI.

Exit-Intent vs. Cart Reservation

Exit-intent popups and cart reservation solve different problems:

| | Exit-Intent Popups | Cart Reservation | |---|-------------------|------------------| | When | Before abandonment | Before abandonment | | How | Captures email for recovery | Holds inventory during shopping | | Works for | All visitors | Visitors who add to cart | | Prevents | Lost emails | Stockouts during checkout | | Requires | Email address | Nothing |

Best approach: Use both together

1. Cart reservation holds inventory while they shop
2. Exit-intent captures email if they try to leave
3. Abandoned cart email recovers them later

The Bottom Line

For most Shopify stores, Privy is the best starting point. It combines popups with email and SMS, has a generous free tier, and doesn't require technical expertise.

For advanced stores, Justuno or OptiMonk provide more sophisticated targeting and testing capabilities.

For design-focused brands, Wisepops offers premium templates that match high-end aesthetics.

For Klaviyo users, start with Klaviyo Forms before adding another app, it may be all you need.

The key is matching your popup strategy to visitor behavior. Generic popups annoy everyone. Targeted popups convert abandoners.

Next Steps

1. Audit your current conversion rate - What percentage of visitors buy?
2. Calculate abandonment cost - How much revenue leaves with abandoners?
3. Install one popup app - Start simple, optimize over time
4. A/B test your offer - Discount vs. free shipping vs. gift
5. Measure after 30 days - Is it working? Adjust or change apps

Looking to prevent cart abandonment before visitors try to leave? [Learn how cart reservation holds inventory](/blog/what-is-cart-reservation) while customers shop, eliminating the frustration of checkout stockouts.