Today there are 137 different list building tools. We spent 114 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to automate your lead generation.
What is the Best List Building Tool?
- ConvertBox — best of the best
- Salesmsg — best for SMS list building
- UpLead — best for B2B list building
- Privy — best for e-commerce
- OptinMonster — best opt-in forms
- Thrive Leads — best for WordPress
- Brevo — best for ease of use
1. ConvertBox
Our Verdict — Best Of The Best
Price: $495
ConvertBox is an all-in-one list building tool with a focus on personalization. We think it’s the best because of its conversion-focused templates, real-time analytics dashboard, and one-time pricing.
The Best Part:
Skyrocket your conversions. ConvertBox’s Smart Targeting feature lets you display tailor-made messages based on user behavior, upping the odds of turning visitors into subscribers, and subscribers into buyers.
The Worst Part:
A bit short on integrations. ConvertBox doesn't play nice with every major marketing tool out there. Double-check that it'll work with your stack before you plan to integrate it.
Get it if you want to target and convert website visitors like a pro, with personalized messages and opt-in forms.
I recommend you grab the Lifetime plan for $495.
(14-day risk-free trial)
Best For
ConvertBox is best for digital marketers who want an easy-to-use tool that helps them build their email list quickly and efficiently.
Top Features
Stunning opt-in forms. ConvertBox's drag-and-drop editor combined with its templates enable anyone to create high conversion forms on a whim.
It integrates with your email software. Hook up ConvertBox to your go-to email service provider, such as GetResponse, MailChimp, and AWeber.
Before you go... Show targeted messages or offers just as users are about to leave your site, giving them one last chance to subscribe.
Find the spot. Test different form designs and messages with A/B tests, to find the winning combination that drives more results.
It’s risk free. You get 14 days to try ConvertBox risk-free, so you can test it on your own site before you commit.
Pricing
ConvertBox offers a single pricing plan:
- ConvertBox Lifetime: $495 one-time payment, for digital marketers who want the most powerful list building tool for life, with 250,000 views per month on up to 10 websites.
Try ConvertBox today.
2. Salesmsg
Our Verdict — Best For SMS List Building
Price: Starts at $25/month
Salesmsg is an efficient and reliable SMS marketing solution for growing your customer base. We think it’s the best for SMS list building because of its two-way messaging features, powerful automation capabilities, and SMS scheduling options.
The Best Part:
Seamless CRM integration. Salesmsg connects to top CRM systems like Keap, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Active Campaign, and keeps your contacts synced up.
The Worst Part:
Limited to SMS marketing. Salesmsg doesn't offer email marketing features, which might be a deal-breaker if you're looking for a multi-channel solution.
Get it if you want a reliable SMS marketing solution that works in tandem with your existing CRM system.
I recommend you start with the 14-day free trial, then get the Basic plan for $25/month.
(14-day free trial)
Best For
Salesmsg is best for small to medium-sized businesses who want an easy-to-use platform for managing their SMS marketing campaigns effectively.
Top Features
Engage in real conversations. Salesmsg's two-way messaging feature allows you to keep the conversation going, allowing you to always follow up.
Keep tabs on performance. Monitor the success of your campaigns with in-depth analytics and reporting features. Track revenue, conversions, and clicks.
Never miss a call. Salesmsg keeps you always reachable with inbound call notifications across devices.
Capture leads effortlessly. Use Salesmsg's website chat widget to engage visitors and turn them into leads via SMS.
Add flair to your SMS. Send personalized video messages to individuals, groups, or lists with Salesmsg's video SMS feature.
Pricing
Salesmsg offers three pricing plans:
- Basic: $25/month, or $21/month billed annually, for small companies that want to text their customers at scale, with 500 credits per month.
- Pro: $329/month, or $277/month billed annually, for teams that deliver service through texting and calling, with 10,000 credits per month.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for businesses where texting is a vital part of operations.
Annual subscriptions provide a 16% discount.
Try Salesmsg today with a free 14-day trial.
3. UpLead
Our Verdict — Best For B2B List Building
Price: Starts at $99/month
UpLead is an all-in-one solution for B2B companies looking to grow their email lists with high-quality leads. We think it’s the best for B2B list building because of its high-quality leads, efficient lead management, and user-friendly interface.
The Best Part:
It's more accurate than the rest. UpLead's lead data is 95% accurate, which means you're wasting way less time on dead ends.
The Worst Part:
It can be overwhelming. UpLead offers so many features it might take some time for newbies to get the hang of it… especially if they’re new to B2B prospecting.
Get it if you want an efficient way to find high-quality, accurate B2B leads.
I recommend you take advantage of UpLead's 7-day free trial, then get the Essentials plan for $99/month.
(7-day free trial)
Best For
UpLead is best for B2B businesses that want to expand their customer base by finding and getting in touch with the right leads.
Top Features
It finds laser-targeted leads. UpLead's advanced search filters help you zero in on the perfect prospects for your business, and put your monthly lead credits to good use.
Real-time email verifications. UpLead keeps your deliverability rates high by allowing you to reach out to the most up-to-date contact information.
Customizable lead scoring. Have UpLead assign scores to your leads based on their behavior and engagement levels, to pinpoint the hottest leads.
Advanced segmentation. Group your prospects based on various criteria such as industry, location, job title, and more.
Deliver the perfect pitch. Leverage in-depth prospect intelligence to develop customized pitches that resonate with your target audience. UpLead identifies key insights to make each lead move.
Pricing
UpLead offers three pricing plans:
- Essentials: $99/month for sales professionals who want up to 170 leads per month, with over 50 search filters and real-time email verification.
- Plus: $199/month for growing businesses and sales teams who want 400 credits a month, data enrichment, technographics and advanced filters.
- Professional: Custom pricing, billed annually, for organizations that need custom seats and credits, buyer intent data and full API access.
Try UpLead today with a free 7-day trial.
4. Privy
Our Verdict — Best For E-Commerce
Price: Starts at $24/month
Privy is an email, SMS, and list growth platform built for online stores. We think it’s the best for e-commerce because its pop-ups sync new contacts straight to your Shopify, BigCommerce, or Wix store, with spin-to-win offers and cart savers that turn browsers into buyers.
The Best Part:
Made for online stores. Collected contacts sync automatically to your Shopify, BigCommerce, or Wix account, so every new subscriber lands where you sell.
The Worst Part:
Your bill grows with your list. Email pricing is based on mailable contacts, and Privy moves you up to the next tier automatically when you pass your limit.
Get it if you run an online store and want pop-ups that grow your list and your sales at the same time.
I recommend you start with the 15-day free trial, then get the Pop-Ups & Displays plan for $24/month.
(15-day free trial)
Best For
Privy is best for e-commerce brands who want to turn store visitors into email and SMS subscribers.
Top Features
Spin-to-Win. Gamify your sign-up forms with a prize wheel that gives visitors a reason to join.
Cart savers. Show cart saver and cross-sell pop-ups to recover sales before shoppers leave.
Exit intent pop-ups. Catch visitors on their way out with one last offer.
Multi-step forms and quizzes. Ask a question or two first, then collect the email once visitors are engaged.
Email and SMS in one place. Run campaigns and automations by email and text, with unlimited email sends on the email plans.
Pricing
Privy offers two pricing plans:
- Pop-Ups & Displays: Starts at $24/month for up to 10,000 monthly page views, with landing pages, embedded forms, A/B testing, and exit intent pop-ups.
- Email: Starts at $30/month for up to 1,500 mailable contacts, with unlimited email sends, email and SMS automations, and 250 SMS credits included.
Try Privy today with a free 15-day trial.
5. OptinMonster
Our Verdict — Best Opt-In Forms
Price: Starts at $21/month
OptinMonster is a lead generation tool for popups, floating bars, slide-ins, and inline forms that works on WordPress, Shopify, and other sites. We think it’s the best for opt-in forms because you get every form type and 700+ templates, and you can target each one by page, time on site, and scroll depth.
The Best Part:
A form for every spot. Lightbox popups, floating bars, inline forms, sidebar forms, slide-ins, and fullscreen overlays all come in one tool.
The Worst Part:
Exit Intent costs more. The Exit Intent trigger unlocks on Pro ($87/month) and up, so Basic and Plus can’t catch visitors on their way out.
Get it if you want opt-in forms that show up for the right visitor at the right moment.
I recommend you start on the Basic plan for $21/month, then move up to Plus when you’re ready to A/B test.
(14-day money-back guarantee)
Best For
OptinMonster is best for marketers and site owners who want more subscribers from the traffic they already have.
Top Features
Page targeting. Show each campaign only on the pages where it makes sense.
Smart triggers. Fire a form based on time on site, scroll depth, or a visitor’s interest.
A/B testing. Split-test your forms on Plus and up to see which design brings in more leads.
Content locking. Hide part of a post until the reader opts in.
MonsterLeads. Keep track of every lead your campaigns capture in one place.
Pricing
OptinMonster offers four pricing plans:
- Basic: $21/month for 2,500 pageviews a month, with unlimited campaigns and subscribers.
- Plus: $57/month for up to 2 sites and 10,000 pageviews a month, with A/B testing and content locking.
- Pro: $87/month for up to 3 sites and 25,000 pageviews a month, with Exit Intent and countdown timers.
- Growth: $147/month for up to 5 sites and 100,000 pageviews a month, with geolocation targeting and coupon wheel campaigns.
Annual subscriptions provide a 17% discount.
Try OptinMonster today with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
6. Thrive Leads
Our Verdict — Best For WordPress
Price: Starts at $99/year
Thrive Leads is an opt-in form plugin for WordPress, made by Thrive Themes. We think it’s the best for WordPress because it puts every form type, A/B testing, and targeting by post, category, and tag inside your own dashboard.
The Best Part:
No outside platform. Your popups, ribbons, slide-ins, and in-line forms live inside WordPress and connect directly to email services like Mailchimp, AWeber, ActiveCampaign, and ConvertKit.
The Worst Part:
Renewals cost more. The $99/year price covers the first year only, and the license renews at the full $199/year.
Get it if your site runs on WordPress and you want to own your list building setup.
I recommend you get the Thrive Leads plan for $99 for your first year.
(30-day money-back guarantee)
Best For
Thrive Leads is best for bloggers and WordPress site owners who want to test and target their opt-in forms.
Top Features
Every opt-in type. Build lightbox popups, sticky ribbons, slide-ins, screen filler overlays, scroll mats, and 2-step opt-ins.
Built-in A/B testing. Test form designs and messages against each other and keep the winner.
Precise targeting. Show different offers based on posts, categories, tags, and more.
Mobile controls. Show, hide, or tweak each form for desktop, tablet, and mobile visitors.
Content locks. Reveal an opt-in incentive inside your content once the visitor signs up.
Pricing
Thrive Leads offers two pricing plans:
- Thrive Leads: $99 for the first year, then $199/year, for 1 site.
- Thrive Suite: $299 for the first year, then $599/year, for 5 sites and the full set of Thrive Themes plugins.
Try Thrive Leads today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
7. Brevo
Our Verdict — Best For Ease Of Use
Price: Starts at $9/month
Brevo is an all-in-one marketing platform for email, SMS, WhatsApp, and more. We think it’s the best for ease of use because its drag-and-drop editor, ready-made templates, and built-in forms get your first list and campaign going even if you’re a complete beginner.
The Best Part:
Free forever plan. You can start building your list on Brevo’s free plan, with no credit card needed.
The Worst Part:
Daily send cap on Free. The free plan limits you to 300 emails a day, so a growing list pushes you onto a paid plan.
Get it if you want to collect emails and send your first campaigns without a learning curve.
I recommend you start with the free plan, then upgrade to Starter for $9/month when you outgrow it.
(free plan)
Best For
Brevo is best for solopreneurs and small businesses who want list building and email marketing in one simple tool.
Top Features
Sign-up forms. Create branded forms to capture leads, and trigger a follow-up email as soon as someone joins.
Drag-and-drop editor. Build polished emails fast from industry templates, no code needed.
AI content generator. Draft subject lines and email copy, and adjust the tone in a few clicks.
Advanced segmentation. Filter contacts by demographics, website activity, and campaign engagement, and save as many segments as you need.
Marketing automation. Build multi-step workflows that reach subscribers at the right moment, with no contact limit from the Standard plan up.
Pricing
Brevo offers five pricing plans:
- Free: Free forever, for individuals and solopreneurs, with up to 300 emails a day.
- Starter: $9/month for single users starting with email and multi-channel marketing, from 5,000 emails a month.
- Standard: $18/month for small businesses that want marketing automation, A/B testing, and landing pages.
- Professional: $499/month for teams that need WhatsApp, popups, web and mobile push, and 10 seats.
- Enterprise: Starts at $2,499/month for companies with 1M+ contacts that need custom solutions and full data control.
Annual subscriptions provide a 10% discount.
Try Brevo today with the free plan.
Our Top Three Picks
Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:
- ConvertBox — best of the best
- Salesmsg — best for SMS list building
- UpLead — best for B2B list building
Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:
Tool | Entry Offer | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
ConvertBox | None | $495 |
Salesmsg | 14-day free trial | Starts at $25/mo |
UpLead | 7-day free trial | Starts at $99/mo |
Privy | 15-day free trial | Starts at $24/mo |
OptinMonster | 14-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $21/mo |
Thrive Leads | 30-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $99/yr |
Brevo | Free plan | Starts at $9/mo |
Here are the top 50 list building tools we considered in this review:
- ConvertBox
- Salesmsg
- UpLead
- Privy
- OptinMonster
- Thrive Leads
- Brevo
- Mailchimp
- AWeber
- GetResponse
- Kit
- MailerLite
- Constant Contact
- ActiveCampaign
- Benchmark Email
- OptiMonk
- Drip
- Keap
- HubSpot Email Marketing
- Moosend
- SendPulse
- Campaign Monitor
- Omnisend
- Hello Bar
- Sleeknote
- Klaviyo
- Unbounce
- Leadpages
- Bloom by Elegant Themes
- WP Subscribe Pro
- Elementor Popup Builder
- Popup Maker
- Icegram
- MailOptin
- Optin Forms
- Hustle Plugin by WPMU DEV
- Popup Builder by Sygnoos
- Boxzilla
- Convert Pro Plugin by Brainstorm Force
- MailMunch
- Listagram
- ConvertFlow
- Poptin
- PopupAlly by AmbitionAlly
- Justuno Email Popups
- Pippity
- Wishpond Popups & Forms
- Gleam Capture
- Getsitecontrol
- Picreel Exit Intent Popups
Frequently Asked Questions About List Building Tools
What is a list building tool?
A list building tool helps you gather contact information like email addresses and turn website visitors into leads. You get sign-up forms, inline forms, and popups, and the advanced tools add behavior-based targeting so you show personalized messages.
What is the best list building tool overall?
ConvertBox is our top pick. You get an all-in-one tool built around personalization, with a drag-and-drop editor, A/B tests, and integrations with MailChimp, GetResponse, and AWeber.
Which list building tools integrate with email marketing services?
Most of our picks integrate well. ConvertBox connects with MailChimp, GetResponse, and AWeber, while Salesmsg ties into CRMs like HubSpot and Pipedrive. Pick the one that fits the email stack you already run.
Which list building tool is best for SMS marketing?
Salesmsg is our pick for SMS list building. You get two-way messaging, CRM integration with HubSpot and Pipedrive, and a video SMS feature, so you build and work your list by text.
Which list building tool is best for B2B lead generation?
UpLead is our pick for B2B. You get highly accurate lead data, customizable lead scoring, and advanced segmentation, so you grow a clean B2B email list.
Which list building tools offer a free plan?
Brevo gives you a free plan, so it is the easiest tool to get going. If you run e-commerce, Privy gives you a 15-day free trial instead.
Do these list building tools offer a free trial?
Salesmsg, UpLead, and Privy all give you a free trial. ConvertBox, OptinMonster, and Thrive Leads back you with a money-back guarantee instead, so you can still try them risk-free.
The Bottom Line
To recap, here are the best list building tools to try this year:
- ConvertBox — best of the best
- Salesmsg — best for SMS list building
- UpLead — best for B2B list building
- Privy — best for e-commerce
- OptinMonster — best opt-in forms
- Thrive Leads — best for WordPress
- Brevo — best for ease of use