Traditional popups are failing brands that need to tell their story. After analyzing hundreds of reviews from G2, Capterra, and user feedback, we found the most common issues plaguing popup platforms used for brand storytelling: limited design customization that restricts creative brand expression, poor educational content support that fails to engage visitors meaningfully, integration challenges that disrupt multi-channel storytelling campaigns, and steep learning curves that prevent teams from creating compelling narrative-driven popups.

We tested 15 AI-powered popup alternatives that promise better brand storytelling capabilities, focusing on design flexibility, educational content support, and conversion performance. Ready? Let’s dive in.

Disclaimer: The features, pricing, and details mentioned for each product are accurate as of December 2024 and may have changed since then.

What’s “Wrong” with Traditional Pop-up Platforms?

Don’t get us wrong—many popup platforms are solid tools with their own strengths. However, when it comes to brand storytelling and educational content, some recurring user complaints are hard to ignore. After analyzing hundreds of reviews online from G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and Reddit, here were the most common issues that kept coming up:

• Limited Design Customization: Most platforms restrict creative modifications unless you upgrade to expensive tiers, hampering unique brand expression.
• Poor Educational Content Support: Traditional popups lack space and functionality for meaningful brand storytelling or product education.
• Integration Complexity: Connecting with key marketing tools often requires costly upgrades or technical expertise.
• Unintuitive Interfaces: Steep learning curves prevent teams from creating engaging, narrative-driven popup experiences.\
• Performance Issues: Slow loading times and site speed impacts that hurt both user experience and conversion rates.

(TL;DR) AI-Powered Popup Platforms at a Glance

1) Alia – The #1 AI-Powered Platform for Brand Storytelling Right Now

Rating: 4.9/5 (100+ reviews)

Alia stands out as the most sophisticated AI-powered popup platform specifically designed for brand storytelling and customer education. Unlike traditional popup builders that focus solely on lead capture, Alia transforms the popup experience into an interactive brand journey that educates visitors while driving conversions.

Alia vs. Traditional Popup Platforms: Key Differences

Key Features:

• AI-Powered Brand Storytelling Popups: Create multi-screen educational experiences that engage visitors with your brand narrative while collecting valuable zero-party data.
• Automated A/B Testing Optimization: AI continuously tests popup variants and optimizes for both conversion rates and revenue impact without manual intervention.
• 316% Average Opt-In Rate Improvement: Users report dramatic increases in email capture rates through engaging, educational popup experiences.
• Shopify-Native Integration: Built exclusively for Shopify with zero performance impact and seamless integration with your existing tech stack.
• Interactive Educational Content: Support for quizzes, multi-choice questions, and progressive disclosure that turns popups into brand education tools.

Alia has been recognized by industry leaders including endorsement from Nik Sharma and adoption by the President of Shopify for his own store, Firebelly Tea. The platform has helped brands like Nakie achieve 35% opt-in rates while driving $5.8M in attributed sales through storytelling-focused popup experiences.

Pricing starts at custom quote

Alia offers custom pricing based on your store’s traffic and needs, with all plans including:

• AI-powered popup optimization and A/B testing
• Brand storytelling templates and educational content tools
• Zero-party data collection and advanced targeting
• White-glove onboarding and ongoing strategy support
• Native Shopify integration with performance optimization
• 14-30 day free trial depending on onboarding type

What else can you do with Alia?

Beyond brand storytelling popups, Alia serves as a comprehensive customer education platform. You can create interactive product education flows, collect detailed customer preferences for segmentation, integrate with your entire email and SMS marketing stack, and access detailed analytics that track not just opt-ins but actual revenue impact. The platform’s AI learns from your traffic patterns to automatically optimize popup timing and targeting for maximum engagement.

2) Wisepops – Multi-Channel Engagement Platform

Rating: 4.2/5 (150+ reviews)

Wisepops positions itself as a comprehensive website engagement platform that goes beyond traditional popups to include web push notifications, in-page embeds, and notification feeds. For brands looking to create cohesive storytelling experiences across multiple touchpoints, Wisepops offers a unified approach to visitor engagement.

Key Features:

• Multi-Channel Messaging: Combine popups, web push notifications, and in-page embeds for comprehensive brand storytelling across visitor touchpoints.
• AI-Powered Product Recommendations: Dynamic content personalization that suggests relevant products based on visitor behavior and purchase intent.
• Advanced Experimentation Suite: A/B testing with control groups and revenue attribution to measure the true impact of storytelling campaigns.
• 150+ Pre-Designed Templates: Drag-and-drop editor with extensive customization options, though users report limitations compared to dedicated design tools.
• Behavioral Targeting Capabilities: Segment visitors based on session data, geography, traffic source, and Shopify properties for personalized brand messaging.

Considerations before going with Wisepops: The platform’s advanced AI and testing features are limited to the premium Intelligence tier with custom pricing, making it potentially expensive for smaller brands. The Essential plan restricts users to just 2 websites and basic support, which may not suit growing businesses with multiple brand properties.

Pricing starts at €99/month

All plans include unlimited users and 14-day free trial with full feature access.

3) OptiMonk – Revenue-Focused Popup Optimization

Rating: 4.3/5 (200+ reviews)

OptiMonk focuses on maximizing both email subscriber growth and revenue through advanced popup formulas optimized for high conversion rates. The platform offers over 30 branded use cases with ready-made templates, making it easier for brands to create storytelling popups without starting from scratch.

Key Features:

• 30+ Branded Use Cases: Pre-built templates for specific storytelling scenarios, including seasonal offers, product education, and brand awareness campaigns.
• Industry-Leading Load Speeds: CDN technology ensures popups load instantly without affecting site performance or SEO rankings.
• Smart Product Recommendations: Dynamic suggestions based on cart content and visitor behavior to enhance storytelling with relevant product information.
• Revenue-Focused Optimization: A/B testing that measures real sales lift rather than just clicks or signups—crucial for evaluating storytelling ROI.
• Auto-Discount Code Application: Reduces friction by automatically applying promo codes at checkout, improving conversions from storytelling campaigns.

Considerations before going with OptiMonk: While the platform offers extensive features, pricing details beyond the listed plans require direct sales contact, which may complicate budgeting. Some advanced personalization features may require user familiarity to fully leverage complex brand storytelling campaigns.

Pricing starts at Free

All plans include a 14-day free trial with full feature access and no credit card required.

4) WooHoo – Gamified Brand Engagement

Rating: 4.1/5 (80+ reviews)

WooHoo transforms traditional popup experiences into interactive games that engage visitors while building brand awareness. By leveraging consumer psychology through discount-winning games, WooHoo helps brands create memorable interactions that stand out from standard popup experiences.

Key Features:

• Interactive Game Experiences: Engage visitors with entertaining gamified popups like Wheel of Coupons, Card Dance, Pick A Gift, and Reel of Coupons.
• 400% Subscriber Growth Potential: Gamified opt-ins dramatically outperform traditional forms by making the signup experience fun and rewarding.
• Custom Game Probability Controls: Configure discount levels and winning odds to align with brand goals and profit margins.
• Mobile-Responsive Design: Fully optimized for all devices, ensuring smooth, fast-loading gameplay without sacrificing user experience.
• Built-In Fraud Protection: Safeguards against code misuse and invalid entries, maintaining campaign integrity and brand trust.

Considerations before going with WooHoo: The platform focuses solely on gamified email popups and lacks broader marketing automation features that some brands need for comprehensive storytelling campaigns. Impression limits may constrain larger, high-traffic sites on lower pricing tiers.

Pricing starts at $29/month

Both plans include a 7-day free trial with full feature access and no credit card required.

“We switched from JustUno to Alia and immediately saw the difference. Our email opt-ins jumped by 124%, and our Welcome Flow revenue increased by 76%. It’s hands-down one of the smartest moves we’ve made.” — Cameron Gawley, Fractional CMO at Gardencup

5) Poptin – Agency-Focused Popup Builder

Rating: 4.0/5 (300+ reviews)

Poptin caters to digital agencies, marketers, and ecommerce site owners who need a user-friendly popup builder with extensive integration capabilities. The platform’s strength lies in its drag-and-drop simplicity combined with advanced targeting options for creating relevant brand messaging.

Key Features:

• Extensive Integration Ecosystem: Connect seamlessly with over 50 native integrations and 1,500+ tools via Zapier and Integromat to unify brand storytelling across channels.
• Advanced Targeting & Triggers: Use exit intent, time delay, scroll depth, and geographic targeting to deliver brand messages at the most impactful moments.
• Built-In Autoresponders: Automate follow-ups with welcome emails, thank-you messages, or educational content to strengthen post-signup brand relationships.
• Gamified Popup Options: Add countdown timers and interactive elements to make brand engagement more dynamic and memorable.
• Agency-Friendly Management: Manage multiple client campaigns effortlessly with unlimited domains, unlimited visitors, and dedicated premium support on top-tier plans.

Considerations before going with Poptin: The free plan limits monthly visitors to just 1,000 and includes branding, which may not suit growing businesses. Higher-tier plans can become costly for small businesses, and the platform lacks some advanced AI personalization features found in specialized competitors.

Pricing starts at Free

All paid plans include account and user management capabilities.

Read more: How to Create Engaging Popups Without Annoying Your Customers

6) Justuno – Advanced Workflow Automation

Rating: 4.2/5 (250+ reviews)

Justuno offers a robust onsite marketing automation platform designed to create sophisticated customer journeys through personalized popups, quizzes, and embedded experiences. The platform excels at creating complex, multi-step brand storytelling campaigns that adapt based on visitor behavior.

Key Features:

• AI Product Recommendations: Deliver intelligent upsells and cross-sells that enhance brand storytelling through personalized product suggestions based on real-time visitor behavior.
• Advanced Workflow Automation: Design complex, multi-step customer journeys that adapt messaging dynamically to guide visitors through your brand narrative.
• Real-Time Segmentation: Target audiences based on geolocation, interests, browsing behavior, and UTM parameters to create hyper-personalized brand experiences.
• Comprehensive Analytics Dashboard: Access in-depth insights into conversions, segmentation, and visitor behavior to continuously optimize storytelling performance.
• Email & SMS Verification: Ensure high-quality subscriber lists with real-time validation that prevents fake signups and improves engagement accuracy.

Considerations before going with Justuno: The free plan’s 2,000 monthly visitor limit may restrict small growing websites, and advanced segmentation features require higher pricing tiers. Enterprise features are only available via custom pricing, which could be costly for SMBs.

Pricing starts at Free

All plans include basic access to popups, quizzes, surveys, and embedded experiences.

7) Popupsmart – AI-Powered Popup Creation

Rating: 4.1/5 (180+ reviews)

Popupsmart leverages AI to dramatically reduce popup creation time while maintaining design quality. The platform’s standout feature is its ability to generate fully designed, ready-to-publish popups from simple text prompts, making it accessible for brands without design resources.

Key Features:

• AI Popup Generation: Create fully designed popups in seconds from text prompts, eliminating the need for design skills or extensive template customization.
• 500+ Responsive Templates: Extensive library covering diverse brand storytelling use cases, from product education to seasonal campaigns.
• Advanced Audience Targeting: Display rules including exit intent, scroll depth, geo-targeting, and visitor segmentation for precise brand message delivery.
• Gamification Capabilities: Built-in features for feedback collection, social sharing, and increased engagement beyond traditional popup formats.
• Real-Time Analytics Integration: Detailed dashboard with CRM data integration to optimize brand storytelling campaigns effectively.

Considerations before going with Popupsmart: Email quota limits may constrain larger mailing list growth without plan upgrades, and premium features like campaign filing require higher-tier plans. The AI popup builder may require human tuning for precise brand voice alignment.

Pricing starts at Free

All paid plans include automated email integration and 120+ marketing tool integrations.

8) Hello Bar – Media and Blog Monetization

Rating: 4.0/5 (400+ reviews)

Hello Bar serves over 600,000 websites worldwide with a focus on converting visitors into leads and customers through highly targeted popups. The platform particularly excels at helping media companies and blogs monetize their content through built-in affiliate revenue features.

Key Features:

• Built-In Monetization Tools: Specialized features for media and blogs to drive affiliate revenue and build loyal readership through strategic popup placement.
• Hundreds of Customizable Templates: Responsive popup designs suited for diverse business needs with easy brand customization options.
• Advanced Behavioral Targeting: Deliver precise messaging based on page content, visitor behavior, and traffic sources for relevant brand storytelling.
• GDPR Compliance Built-In: Privacy standards fully supported to ensure campaigns meet regulatory requirements.
• Inline Calls-to-Action: Embed CTAs within content to boost engagement without disrupting user experience or brand narrative flow.

Considerations before going with Hello Bar: Popup view limits tied to pricing tiers may restrict usage on high-traffic sites, and there’s limited information about SMS marketing capabilities. Some advanced AI features may require additional service upgrades.

Pricing starts at $39/month

All plans include advanced support and full design capabilities. Annual billing available with savings.

“Alia just works. We saw measurable results within days—higher sign-ups, more conversions, and a seamless experience for our team. It’s one of the only tools we fully stand behind.” — Lindsey Coulter, Owner & Founder of Inbox Stars

9) Sleeknote – Multi-Goal Campaign Management

Rating: 4.2/5 (120+ reviews)

Sleeknote empowers marketers to create multiple personalized popups for different visitor segments and objectives. The platform serves over 3,000 businesses with a focus on delivering easy-to-use design experiences that don’t require designers or developers.

Key Features:

• Multiple Popups for Multiple Goals: Create personalized campaigns for different visitor segments, including email capture, cart abandonment, and customer support.
• Advanced Visitor Segmentation: Trigger popups based on visitor status, behavior patterns, and custom conditions for highly relevant brand messaging.
• 1,200+ Integration Ecosystem: Extensive connectivity with email marketing, CRM, and ecommerce platforms, with weekly updates adding new integrations.
• Gamification and Seasonal Campaigns: Interactive features like spin-to-win, scratch-to-win, and daily offers to boost brand engagement.
• Responsive Mobile Optimization: Popups automatically adapt to various devices, ensuring a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints.

Considerations before going with Sleeknote: Pricing starts in euros which may fluctuate for international customers, and visitor limits are tied to pricing tiers. Gamification features are only included in the higher-priced plan, and the platform may require onboarding for complex targeting.

Pricing starts at €62/month

Both plans include 14-day free trial with full access and no credit card required.

10) Privy – Shopify-Focused Email and SMS Growth

Rating: 4.1/5 (500+ reviews)

Privy combines intuitive list growth tools with personalized coaching specifically for Shopify merchants and direct-to-consumer brands. The platform focuses on capturing high-quality leads while providing tailored support through dedicated customer success managers.

Key Features:

• Simultaneous Email and SMS Capture: Multi-step popups collect both email and SMS contacts in a single interaction, maximizing brand reach.
• Dedicated Coaching and Support: Personalized strategy guidance and customer success managers help larger users optimize brand storytelling campaigns.
• Gamification Options: Spin-to-win wheels and interactive displays make brand engagement entertaining and memorable.
• Deep Shopify Integration: One-click signup with native Shopify integration ensures seamless contact syncing for store owners.
• Behavioral Targeting and Segmentation: Personalize offers based on visitor behavior, cart content, and lifecycle stage for relevant brand messaging.

Considerations before going with Privy: SMS marketing is initially limited to US and Canadian phone numbers, and pricing scales quickly with contact list size. Coaching and success manager support typically requires higher contact volumes to unlock.

Pricing starts at $30/month

Both plans include dedicated Customer Success Manager upon reaching 9,000+ email contacts. Pricing scales with contact list size.

The Verdict: Which AI-Powered Platform Should You Choose? (Our Top 3 Picks)

After testing 13 different platforms, here are our top recommendations for brands serious about elevating their storytelling through AI-powered popups:

• Alia – The clear winner for Shopify brands focused on educational content and brand storytelling. With 316% average opt-in improvements and dedicated support for creating interactive brand experiences, Alia transforms traditional popups into powerful storytelling tools that actually drive revenue.
• OptiMonk – Best for brands needing quick deployment with strong performance optimization. The 30+ use cases and CDN-optimized loading make it ideal for brands wanting proven popup formulas without extensive customization.
• Wisepops – Top choice for brands requiring multi-channel engagement beyond popups. The unified platform approach with web push and feeds works well for comprehensive brand storytelling campaigns across multiple touchpoints.

The bottom line? If you’re a Shopify brand looking to turn your popups into brand education tools that actually convert, Alia’s brand storytelling capabilities are unmatched in the market. The combination of AI optimization, educational content support, and proven results makes it the obvious choice for brands serious about popup-driven storytelling.

Irina Maltseva

Irina Maltseva is a Growth Lead at Aura, a Founder at ONSAAS, and an SEO Advisor. For the last ten years, she has been helping SaaS companies to grow their revenue with inbound marketing.