32 List Building Tools to Scale Your Business (2024)

In this article, we’ll cover 32 different list building tools. These apps will help you build an email contact list your organization can use to grow. More specifically, we’ll cover the following: 

• Best general list building tools
• WordPress plugin list building tools
• Landing page list building tools
• Pop up list building tools
• Free list building tools
• 4 proven methods to build an email list
• Frequently asked questions

Let’s get started.

The Best Email List Building Tools to Increase Your Reach in 2024

List building tools help build up email lists companies use for sales and marketing campaigns. Having a high-quality contact list is extremely valuable. It provides a direct channel that your sales and marketing teams can use to generate leads and revenue.

Below, we’ve listed 32 different build tools, grouped into 5 categories. We’ll detail each app, providing insight into key features, what they do, and who could benefit from them.

Best General List Building Tools

Below are 5 general list building tools:

UpLead

UpLead is a B2B lead generation tool that offers a high-quality contact database to its customers. With it, businesses can empower their sales teams and fuel lead generation, sales, and revenue growth.

Users rate UpLead as the top-ranked lead intelligence prospecting tool on G2—the most popular online software review platform. With a rating of 4.7 out of 5, it beats out all its competitors, including ZoomInfo, Lusha, Cognism, and Apollo io.

UpLead is a fantastic product for any business that wants to grow rapidly with high-quality lead generation campaigns. Sales teams stand to benefit from this business intelligence app. It’s cheap, affordable, flexible, and offers a free trial. Brands of all sizes, big and small, can use it.

Key Features:

• 160+ million B2B email addresses from 200+ countries
• 95% data accuracy guarantee
• 16+ million global company profiles
• 16,000+ technologies tracked
• Targeted prospect lists
• 50+ search criteria filters
• Real-time email verification
• Data Enrichment
• Intent data provider
• CRM integration
• Google Chrome extension for LinkedIn and website data scraping
• Technology tracking
• Organizational charts
• Competitor intelligence
• Real-time intent data

KyLeads

KyLeads is a popup and quiz maker that’s built to convert your website visitors into leads. Businesses can use the tool to engage their audience and convert them to their email lists. It can also be used for lead generation and even sales.

Using the program, users can create customizable popups and quizzes. Advanced targeting options can be used to segment your audience for greater personalization and engagement. Insight reports give you hard, concrete data to analyze and spearhead your future campaigns.

KyLeads integrates with email platforms such as MailChimp, GetResponse, Constant Contact, Moosend, Mailerlite, and ConvertKit. It also works with marketing, sales, and CRM software like Zapier, Infusionsoft, and HubSpot. KyLeads is ideal for all businesses with good website traffic.   

Key Features:

• Intuitive quiz builder 
• 6 different popup types
• Advanced targeting options
• Insights reports
• Personalized Targeting
• Split testing
• Reports
• Customization
• Segmentation
• Extensive integrations

HubSpot

HubSpot is one of the most popular CRM—customer relationship management—platforms on the market today. The software is a major digital hub for everything from marketing and sales to content management and customer service.

The HubSpot software includes 5 different hubs: Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and Operations Hub. Each has various features that streamline and optimize digital workflows in those areas.

Like the other software within this article, HubSpot can be used for email marketing and list building. Because HubSpot is such a foundational SaaS solution, it’s ideal for virtually every business. It doesn’t matter what size your company is or what industry it’s in. 

Key Features:

• Marketing automation
• Sales automation
• Customer service automation
• Ticketing
• Blog and content creation tools
• Analytics dashboard
• Landing pages
• Email sequences
• Lead generation tools
• Customizable reports
• eSignatures
• Live chat
• Predictive lead scoring
• Knowledge base
• Customer feedback
• Video creation
• Significant integrations

Outgrow

Outgrow is a content marketing creation software that allows you to generate leads through content creation. The tool can curate content such as polls, quizzes, surveys, contests, calculators, and chatbots. Anyone can do this; no designers or developers are needed.

With Outgrow, you can convert website visitors, social media users, and app users to email list subscribers. With several different design templates, you can completely customize your Outgrow content. All templates are optimized for every device and platform.

The intuitive user interface makes Outgrow easy to use and also to master. A powerful funnel analytics feature allows you to measure, manage, and optimize conversion rates at each stage. Outgrow is a capable list-building tool for organizations of all types, sizes, and markets.     

Key Features:

• Smart builder
• Polls
• Chatbots
• Surveys
• Outcome quizzes
• Tests
• Calculators
• Detailed analytics

Wishpond

Wishpond is a landing page builder that’s used by 5,000 businesses. The platform acts as an all-in-one marketing platform that helps to grow your business. Brands like ESPN, Walmart, CBS, The Weather Network, and Lululemon use it.

The Wishpond suite has many tools to create online marketing campaigns to generate leads and build lists. More specifically, there’s a drag-and-drop editor that makes creating landing pages easy. 

Wishpond is ideal for eCommerce, hotels, nonprofits, B2Bs, restaurants, education, finance, health, beauty, and fitness companies.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor landing page editor
• Landing pages
• Forms
• Website popups
• Contests
• Promotions
• Marketing automation
• Email marketing
• Lead management
• Lead scoring
• Lead profiles

Opinion Stage is an interactive content creation service that empowers you to build your email list and collect leads with engaging quizzes, surveys, polls, and forms. Without any coding skills, you can easily create quizzes that attract new subscribers and turn them into loyal customers.

With Opinion Stage, you can add smart logic to personalize your quiz and increase participant engagement. And an AI quiz maker streamlines the process, making it faster than ever to create effective quizzes. 

Plus, you can track responses as they come in and identify areas for improvement with their easy-to-understand advanced analytics and visual reports.

Key Features:

• AI quiz maker
• Lead forms
• Smart logic
• User-friendly no-code interface
• Advanced analytics and visual reports
• 100,000 responses/month
• Create unlimited quizzes, surveys, polls, and forms
• Advanced customization options
• Easy to embed and share
• White label feature
• 100+ conversion-optimized templates 
• Fully responsive on all devices 
• Integrations with Mailchimp, Slack, Zapier, and more

WordPress Plugin List Building Tools

Below are 5 WordPress plugin list building tools:

Thrive Leads

Thrive Leads is a list-building WordPress plugin that allows you to build a mailing list fast. It was created by a team of conversion rate optimization specialists and has increased conversion by as much as 238%.

The WordPress plugin uses a drag-and-drop editor to create popups, forms, and other types of list building content. There are several different types of popups and forms and plenty of pre-designed templates. Advanced targeting ensures you maximize conversion potential.

Thrive Leads is a lightweight list building service for organizations that use the WordPress CMS platform. It’s ideal for any company that wants to convert website traffic into email list subscribers. 

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Pre-designed templates
• Advanced Targeting
• A/B testing
• Actionable reporting and insights
• Popups
• Slide-in popups
• Scroll mats
• Screen-filling overlays
• Content upgrades
• Forms
• In-line forms
• Yes/no forms
• Multiple choice forms
• Floating ribbons
• 2-step opt-in forms
• Opt-in widget
• Content locking

Bloom

Bloom is an email opt-in and lead generation plugin for the WordPress CMS platform. It’s one of several products offered by Elegant Themes, which creates WordPress plugins and themes. Bloom allows you to create opt-in forms, popups, and more to convert traffic into subscribers.

With over 100+ pre-made templates, you can create high-quality, high-conversion opt-in forms and popups. Targeted display settings allow you to maximize personalization and conversion for segments of your audience. A/B testing and a statistics dashboard ensure you’re data-driven.

Bloom is a great WordPress plugin for brands looking to build a list from website traffic. The customization of the platform ensures your popups and opt-in forms convert. 

Key Features:

• 100+ pre-made templates
• Targeted display settings
• A/B testing
• Multiple email accounts
• Statistics dashboard
• Automatic opt-in popup
• Automatic opt-in fly-ins
• In-line opt-in forms
• Below content opt-in forms
• Widget area opt-in forms
• Locked content opt-in
• Timed delay trigger
• Bottom of post-trigger
• After scrolling trigger
• After inactivity trigger
• After commenting trigger
• After purchasing trigger
• 19+ email marketing integrations

Convert Pro

Convert Pro is an email opt-in and lead generation plugin for WordPress. With it, businesses can create high-quality popups and opt-in forms to convert website visitors into email list subscribers.

The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to make highly customized opt-in forms and popups. You can change the visual elements and the triggers that set them off. You can also use pre-made templates that have been designed to maximize conversion.

Convert Pro integrates seamlessly with a host of different email marketing tools. This includes MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, Campaign Monitor, and several more. It also integrates with CRMs like HubSpot. Convert Pro is a suitable list building solution for brands with WordPress websites.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Opt-in forms
• Multi-step popups
• On click popups
• Mobile-friendly
• Behavioral triggers
• Advanced integrations
• Pre-designed template library
• A/B testing
• Multi-variant testing
• Inter style testing
• Advanced Targeting
• Exit-intent triggers
• Well-timed triggers
• Welcome triggers
• User inactivity triggers
• After scroll triggers
• After content triggers
• Advanced personalization filters
• Real-time analytics

WP Subscribe Pro

WP Subscribe Pro is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create customizable opt-in forms and popups. Brands can use these to convert website visitors into email list subscribers. All forms and popups are completely mobile-friendly, featuring a responsive design.

Triggers can be used to increase the effectiveness of popups. For example, exit-intent popups are available with this plugin. WP Subscribe Pro integrates with several email marketing platforms, such as Aweber, MailChimp, GetResponse, MailerLite, and more.

This is a viable list building plugin for companies with WordPress-based websites. However, there might be more capable options on the market. 

Key Features:

• Opt-in forms
• Popups
• Triggers
• Exit-intent popups
• Email marketing integrations
• Mobile responsive
• Customizable themes
• Speed optimized

MailChimp for WordPress

MailChimp for WordPress is a list building WordPress plugin that connects to your MailChimp email list. It has over 25 million downloads and is used on close to 2 million WordPress-based websites.

The style builder allows you to create customizable sign-up forms, modifying the color palette and visual design. Alternatively, you can use pre-made form templates. The reports and logging feature allows you to track the performance of your sign-up forms.

MailChimp for WordPress, also known as MC4WP, is a capable list building tool for brands that use MailChimp and WordPress.

Key Features:

• Built-in form templates
• Style builder for customization
• Sign-up forms
• Reports and logging
• Checkbox integrations
• eCommerce integration
• Recover abandoned carts

Landing Page List Building Tools

Below are 5 landing pages list building tools:

LeadPages

LeadPages is a lead generation tool allowing you to create high-converting landing pages, popups, opt-in forms, and more. Organizations can convert website visitors into email list subscribers with this software.

Anyone can use the easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder. Landing pages can be created, customized, and optimized for conversion. Popups, alert bars, and opt-in forms are other lead generation features available on the platform.

LeadPages has 40+ standard integrations, working with your favorite CRM, eCommerce, and email marketing tools. This is an appropriate solution for businesses looking for top-quality landing pages. 

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Lead gen form builder
• Landing pages
• Conversion-optimized templates
• Customizable templates
• Popups
• Exit-intent popups
• Alert bars
• Checkout forms
• Analytics performance tracking
• A/B testing
• Real-time conversion tips
• Extensive integrations

ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is a landing page builder that allows you to create high-conversion funnels. The capable drag-and-drop editor allows you to build an email list by creating landing pages. These pages will include opt-in forms asking for email addresses.

The platform allows you to create a wide array of different funnels. Some include sales funnels, lead generation funnels, content funnels, discovery call funnels, webinar funnels, and many more. Using ClickFunnels, businesses can build email lists and sell their products and services.

ClickFunnels is a great solution for organizations seeking a landing page builder focused on building funnels.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Landing pages
• Opt-in forms
• Sales pages
• Templates
• Analytics and Reporting
• Email integrations
• A/B testing
• Multivariate testing
• Concurrent testing
• Mobile testing
• Heatmaps 

Unbounce

Unbounce is a user-friendly landing page builder that gives you the power to convert visitors into subscribers, leads, and sales. The robust app can create conversion-focused landing pages with the classic drag-and-drop editor. You can also use a new AI-powered editor as well.

Opt-in forms are fully customizable, and there are plenty of templates. You can also create popups of varying types, triggers, and sticky bars. All the assets you can create on the Unbounce platform are tracked with analytics and reporting. A/B is also available.

With significant integrations, Unbounce makes sense for organizations looking for a landing page builder that fits in tech stacks. You can list, build, and sell your products and services with this app.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Landing pages
• Opt-in forms
• Popups
• Popup types
• Sticky bars
• Templates
• Integrations
• AI-powered editor
• A/B testing
• Analytics and Reporting

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is a marketing hub platform that can build landing pages, email sign-up forms, and more. Using these features, you can grow, convert, and sell your audience your products and services. Landing pages and opt-in forms can be customized to maximize conversion.

This landing page list-building tool integrates with Squarespace, Teachable, and Shopify. If your brand is looking to build its email list, ConvertKit can help you accomplish that.  

Key Features:

• Easy-to-use editor
• Landing pages
• Email sign-up forms
• Customizable templates
• Integrations
• A/B testing
• Automatic lead magnet delivery
• Reporting analytics 

Swipe Pages

Swipe Pages is a landing page builder that offers users a host of valuable features. These can be used to funnel your website traffic and convert it into email list subscribers. The software integrates with Saas apps like HubSpot, Constant Contact, Zoho, and Campaign Monitor.

The platform has all the ingredients needed to create high-conversion landing pages quickly. The drag-and-drop editor has an easy-to-use interface that anyone can use. You don’t need to be a coder, designer, programmer, or developer to use Swipe Pages.

Swipe Pages is a good software solution for businesses looking to build an email list with landing pages.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Landing pages
• Opt-in forms
• Multi-step forms
• Lead magnets
• 40+ templates
• Direct integrations
• Analytics
• Variant performance tracking

Pop Up List Building Tools

Below are 5 pop up list building tools:

OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a popup list building tool with a full suite of features that simplify building a subscriber list. By using the drag-and-drop editor, you can create customized popups and opt-in forms, among other things.

There are conversion-focused templates that you can use. Popups and opt-in forms come in several formats, varying from design to location and triggers. For example, you can create an exit-intent popup.

OptinMonster integrates with all of the most popular SaaS apps and is a great tool for any business.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editing builder
• Popups
• Templates
• Lightbox popups
• Slide-in scroll box
• Floating bar
• Sidebar forms
• Inline forms
• Locked content
• Mobile-friendly
• Exit-intent triggers
• Inactivity triggers
• Timed display triggers
• Scroll triggers
• Precision targeting
• 2-step opt-in verification
• Geo-location targeting
• A/B testing
• Analytics reporting
• Integrations

WP Subscribe

WP Subscribe is the free version of WP Subscribe Pro, which we covered earlier in this post. WP Subscribe allows you to create popups, opt-in forms, and sidebars. These can be used to convert website visitors into email list subscribers.

WP Subscribe integrates with MailChimp, Aweber, and FeedBurner. This is a good free option for businesses of smaller sizes.

Key Features:

• Popups
• Opt-in forms
• Sidebars
• MailChimp, Aweber, and FeedBurner integrations

Ninja Popups

Ninja Popups is a popup plugin for WordPress that empowers businesses to create high-quality popups. By using the simple drag-and-drop visual editor, you can create effective popups. These can be used to convert your website audience into email list subscribers.

All popups on the plugin are mobile-friendly. There are over 65+ customizable popup themes. With A/B testing and a robust analytics reporting feature, you can track the performance of your popups.

Ninja Popups is a cheap, affordable solution for small businesses looking to build a list with popups.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop visual editor (theme builder)
• Popups
• Exit-intent popups
• 3-step verification
• Mobile-friendly
• 65+ customizable popup themes
• Analytics reporting statistics
• A/B testing
• Responsive themes
• Page-level targeting
• Email marketing integrations
• Social media integrations

ConvertBox

ConvertBox is a lead generation tool that helps companies build email lists. With its intuitive drag-and-drop editor that anyone can use, you can create high-converting popups and opt-in forms.

There’s a library of conversion-focused customizable templates. There are many different popup triggers, and you can personalize them with intelligent targeting. Real-time analytics tracking and A/B testing ensure your efforts are data-driven.

If your company requires a list building tool, ConvertBox could be an appropriate solution. Its lightweight user interface makes it easy for all employees to master.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• High-converting templates
• Opt-in forms
• Exit-intent popups
• Countdown timers
• A/B testing
• Real-time analytics tracking
• Intelligent, personalized targeting
• Segmentation
• Integrations

Sumo

Sumo is an email capture tool that provides features and functionality to build an email list. Businesses can use the list builder, an easy-to-use tool that designs opt-in forms and popups.

The platform has a host of valuable special features. A/B split testing and analytics reporting ensure statistics backs your efforts. Popups come in several forms, such as a scroll box or smart bar. Visitor targeting improves conversion rates thanks to personalization.

Sumo is a good app for businesses with website traffic that needs to be converted to subscribers. 

Key Features:

• List builder
• Opt-in forms
• Popups
• Customizable design
• A/B testing
• Visitor targeting
• Lead magnets
• Smart bar
• Scroll box
• Heat maps
• Live chat
• Analytics

Free List Building Tools

Below are 5 free list building tools available to you:

Button Builder

Vertical Response’s Button Builder is a free web button generator. You can use it to create list-building buttons for your website. These can be added as a call to action in your opt-in forms to increase conversion. This is a nice tool for anyone who’s on a budget.

Key Features:

• Buttons
• Customizable

AddThis

AddThis is a free list build tool that makes it possible to convert your website’s visitors into email subscribers. With it, you can create triggered popups, banners, and sliders. Not only that, but you can completely customize them to match your color palette and branding.

If you need a free list building solution, AddThis might be ideal for you.

Key Features:

• Popups
• Banners
• Sliders
• Popup triggers
• Customizable

HubSpot Free Form Maker

HubSpot’s Free Form Maker is part of the entire CRM suite. This free tool can be used to create customized forms for list building purposes. The easy-to-use user interface ensures that anyone can use it. It has a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to customize opt-in forms. 

This tool is great for all users, especially those already on the HubSpot CRM platform.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Opt-in forms

MailMunch

MailMunch is an all-encompassing list building solution. With it, you can create things like landing pages, popups, top bars, and slide boxes. Popups can have special exit-intent and enter-intent triggers, and there’s also page-level targeting.

The free version of MailMunch is one of the more capable free list building tools. Because it gives you so much, it’s ideal for a lot of smaller businesses.

Key Features:

• Popups
• Topbars
• Landing pages
• Slide boxes
• Templates
• Page-level targeting
• Exit-intent triggers
• Enter-intent triggers
• Analytics

Listagram

Listagram is a lead capture and list building software that offers interactive opt-in forms that are ‘gamified.’ This means that they’ve turned into a game of sorts, which can increase engagement and conversion. The free version of Listagram is suitable for individuals and smaller entities.  

Key Features:

• Interactive opt-in forms
• Customizable themes
• Exit-intent triggers
• Integrations
• Analytics

Honorable Mentions

Below are 6 different list building tools that make the ‘honorable mentions’ list:

ChatBot

ChatBot is an AI-powered chatbot software for your website. The all-in-one platform allows you to create and customize chatbots. These custom chatbots can engage with your website visitors and convert them into subscribers.

Chatbots are great assets to any business with a website that gets a lot of website traffic.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop chatbot builder
• AI-powered chatbot
• Pre-built templates
• Reports
• Testing tool

LeadQuizzes

LeadQuizzes is an online quiz maker for small businesses, which makes it a useful list building tool. Quizzes and surveys can be created and shared on your website and social media profiles. You can convert these traffic sources into email list subscribers.

The drag-and-drop builder makes creating quizzes, surveys, and popups easy. There are 75+ templates you can customize, and there are analytics, plenty of integrations, and page-level targeting. This is a valuable list building tool for all types and sizes of businesses. 

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Quizzes
• Surveys
• Popups
• 75+ templates
• Exit-intent triggers
• Page-level targeting
• Analytics
• Integrations

Sender

Sender is an email marketing platform that has some list building capabilities. Businesses can use customized opt-in forms to grow their email lists. This can be accomplished by converting website visitors into subscribers.

Although Sender is primarily an email marketing platform, a landing page feature is being released in the future that’ll maximize the conversion of your audience into email list subscribers. As of right now, Sender is a solid product for organizations. 

Key Features:

• Customizable opt-in forms

FormGet

FormGet is an online form builder and email marketing software. The tool provides features you can use to convert readers into email list subscribers. The lightweight drag-and-drop editor empowers users, making custom opt-in form creation simple.

There are a lot of customizable pre-built form templates that you can use. You can only make quizzes and surveys to acquire email signups. Overall, FormGet is a comprehensive app for list building. This is another solid option for businesses looking to build an email list.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop editor
• Opt-in forms
• Multi-page opt-in forms
• Pre-built form templates
• Quizzes
• Surveys
• Opt-in form submission email alerts
• Integrations

Hello Bar

Hello Bar is a popup builder that gives you the tools to create completely customizable popups. The visual editor can alter hundreds of pre-built templates. Header and footer bars are available, as well as location targeting.

A/B tests and analytics features guarantee your list building campaigns remain data-driven. Hello Bar integrates with major platforms like MailChimp, WordPress, Shopify, and GetRespone. This is a wonderful popup builder for conversion-focused brands.

Key Features:

• Visual editor
• Popups
• Header and footer bars
• Sliders
• 100+ pre-built templates
• Location targeting
• Analytics
• A/B tests
• Integrations

LeadIn

LeadIn is a LinkedIn and email automated prospecting software that allows you to target prospects. With this tool, you can begin and develop your B2B lead generation campaigns over time. It comes with a free 14-day trial. This is a good tool for brands looking for a lead generation app.

Key Features:

• Automation
• LinkedIn and email prospecting
• Cloud-based
• Smart sequences
• Reports
• Hyper-personalization features
• 24/7 live support

How to Build an Email List: 4 Proven Methods

Building an email list isn’t easy but incredibly rewarding and valuable. Here are 4 proven list building methods:

1. Use a Database

Using a contact database is one of the most effective ways to build an email list. Lead generation tools offer these databases like UpLead and ZoomInfo. The databases tend to have millions of B2B contact email addresses. UpLead’s database has 160+ million emails.

Businesses pay for access to these databases, which they then use to build prospect lists. Sales and marketing teams will use these lead lists for their campaigns. They’ll be able to use features like search filtering criteria to make the data more granular and targeted.

A business should use a database if it can afford one and is ready to go to market. It’s the best option if you’re looking for rapid growth and have a good product or service.

2. Insert Opt-ins or Popups on Your Website

Opt-in forms and popups are useful tools to help build an email list. They can be featured in different places on a website, increasing the number of website visitors converting to subscribers.

For example, you might have high-ranking content that brings in a lot of traffic from Google. Adding a popup/opt-in form on this page will convert some of that traffic into subscribers.

A well-designed website will use opt-ins to build up its subscribers. You need to build an email list regardless of what your business sells. All businesses should at least use some form of opt-in. Popups are less needed, but they can be effective if done well.

3. Create a Landing Page

Creating a high-quality landing page on your website is an effective way to build an email list. A landing page is a single page designed to capture lead information, which is usually an email address.

Landing pages come in several formats, such as a content upgrade/lead magnet. An opt-in form on a blog post will lead to a landing page. This is where users must give their email addresses in exchange for something. A PDF, eBook, or checklist are common things.

Most businesses should use landing pages. They act as a way to maximize conversion and lead to more email subscribers.

4. Surveys, Quizzes, & Games

Surveys, quizzes, and games can be practical email list-building methods. Interactive content can increase engagement and lead to higher conversions. They can appear when users are on a website.

These types of interactive content are more niche. It might not make sense for a business to use them. It depends on the company’s type of business, industry, and market.

FAQs About List Building Tools

What You Need to Remember About List Building Tools

List building tools are important for maximizing your business’s email list subscribers. Email marketing is a far more effective marketing and sales channel compared to other avenues.

In this article, we outlined 32 different list building tools to scale your business. We hope you found a tool that works for your company.