7 Best Countdown Plugins for WordPress (Easy to Use)

Recently, one of our readers asked us if there are any countdown timer plugins they can use for their WordPress website.

Countdown timers are a great way to build anticipation and excitement, along with creating a FOMO effect on your website. There are many different countdown plugins that let you create a countdown timer, so which one should you use?

At WPBeginner, we’ve run multiple campaigns and used different countdown timers. In our years of experience, the most user-friendly and feature-rich plugins are OptinMonster, SeedProd, and Thrive Ultimatum.

In this article, we will share the best countdown plugins for WordPress and explain the key features of each.

What Is a Countdown Timer Plugin & When You Need It?

A countdown timer WordPress plugin allows you to display a timer that counts down to a specific time or date.

Savvy marketers use countdown timers to build excitement and create a sense of urgency among their customers. It helps them take advantage of the FOMO effect to boost conversions.

There are many plugins that allow you to add countdown timers to your website. These countdown timers can be divided into two groups:

Normal Countdown Timers

A normal countdown timer, sometimes called a static or fixed countdown timer, is what most people think of when they imagine a timer.

This timer counts down to a certain fixed time. That might be the launch of a WordPress website, the end of a sale, or another event.

The countdown clock’s endpoint is the same for everyone and doesn’t change depending on who’s viewing it.

Evergreen Timer

An evergreen countdown timer, sometimes called a dynamic countdown timer, is specific to each user. It begins counting down when the person arrives on your WordPress blog. For instance, they might have 4 hours to take advantage of a special offer.

This can be a powerful marketing technique as it lets you create a sense of urgency.

Note that most WordPress plugins are designed to run normal countdown timers, and only some let you run evergreen timers.

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the best countdown timer plugins for WordPress.

1. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a powerful popup and lead generation plugin for WordPress. It allows you to convert abandoning website visitors into subscribers and paying customers.

With OptinMonster, you can create both static and evergreen countdown timers. You can make as many timers as you want and use them on different pages.

There are lots of ways you can position your countdown timer using OptinMonster. One of the best is to use a floating bar that sticks to the top or bottom of your page. That way, it stays visible at all times.

Here’s a countdown timer we created using the OptinMonster plugin:

You will need the OptinMonster’s Pro plan or higher to use countdown timers.

This allows you to add countdown timers on popups, floating bars, full-screen welcome mats, scroll boxes, and inline widgets. On top of that, you can personalize the timers based on the user’s location, which page they are on, where they are visiting from, and more.

If you want to learn more, see our complete OptinMonster review.

2. SeedProd

SeedProd is the best WordPress website builder and landing page plugin. It is a great option if you want to add countdown timer animation to your landing pages.

SeedProd lets you easily set up a special landing page and put your site into coming soon or maintenance mode. Plus, it has a powerful drag-and-drop website builder. You can easily customize your WordPress theme without touching a single line of code.

With this plugin, you can create a normal and evergreen timer for your website. It offers lots of customization options, including pre-built templates for countdown timers.

Here’s a countdown timer we created using SeedProd’s Coming Soon Page Pro plugin:

For more details, you can see our guide on how to show a number count animation in WordPress.

3. Thrive Ultimatum

Thrive Ultimatum is another popular countdown timer plugin for WordPress. It lets you easily create scarcity and FOMO countdown campaigns to boost conversions on your site.

It comes with a variety of pre-made templates for countdown timers, widgets, and floating banners. Each template can easily be customized to match your brand using the drag-and-drop visual editor.

You can create both fixed and evergreen campaigns. There’s also a recurring campaign feature, which will automatically start, stop, and repeat campaigns for you.

Here’s a countdown timer we created with the Thrive Ultimatum plugin:

With Thrive Ultimatum, you can create unlimited campaigns, display them across your entire website or show them only on specific pages and posts.

4. Countdown Timer Ultimate

Countdown Timer Ultimate is a good option if you want to create a normal countdown timer. It’s a simple plugin that allows you to show timers on the entire website or specific to individual site visitors.

You can use Countdown Timer Ultimate to make as many countdown timers as you want and customize how they look.

Here’s a preview of the countdown timer that you can create using the free version of the Countdown Timer Ultimate plugin:

The pro plugin gives you more advanced options. These include showing specific text when the countdown expires and extra design features.

5. Countdown Builder

Countdown Builder is a simple countdown timer with many different styles built in. These include circle countdowns, flip clock countdowns, and even a coming soon page.

You can place your timer within a post or page in the WordPress block editor by selecting the ‘Countdown’ block or using a shortcode. You can also choose to display it automatically on specific posts or pages.

Here’s a preview of a countdown timer you can create using the plugin:

If you want, you can edit how your clock looks in detail, changing things like the font size, the labels, and the animation style. You don’t need to do this with CSS. There’s a built-in editor in the plugin.

6. Evergreen Countdown Timer

Evergreen Countdown Timer is the next countdown plugin on our list. It lets you create evergreen countdowns, as you might expect from its name. You can also use it to create normal countdowns as well.

You can choose how the plugin detects visitors by a cookie or their IP address.

To add the timers to your page, you will need to enter a shortcode. You can simply copy and paste this from the Manager section of your countdown timer settings.

Once your timer hits zero, you can automatically redirect the visitor to a URL of your choice. For instance, you could send them to a registration page if you are counting down to the launch of your new course.

Here’s a timer we created using the Evergreen Countdown Timer plugin:

There’s a pro version of the plugin, which gives you lots of extra options. It also lets you choose more colors than just black or white for your timer.

With the Pro version, you can provide a countdown for available spots, such as seats or tickets. This could work well if you are selling places for a paid webinar or another live event.

7. HurryTimer

HurryTimer is a free countdown timer plugin that lets you create both evergreen and regular timers. The evergreen timer uses both cookie and IP detection to display the right timer to each individual user.

You can also set up timers to run a countdown between two fixed dates. This is useful if you want to get ready for an upcoming sale in advance.

The timer works with WooCommerce, though you don’t have to run WooCommerce to use it. You can display your timer several times on the same page if you want to.

Here’s a timer we created using HurryTimer:

If you have the Pro version, you can set up a recurring timer. This is a timer that runs according to the rules that you specify. For instance, you could have a timer that shows shipping cut-off times in your online store.

With the pro version, you can also create an announcement bar that sticks to the top or bottom of the screen to keep your timer visible.

For more information, see our detailed HurryTimer review.

Bonus: Sales Countdown Timer

Sales Countdown Timer is designed for WooCommerce stores. It helps show timers for sale events, promotional offers, and the latest campaigns.

You can easily integrate the plugin with your WooCommerce products. Plus, it offers different customization options. You can change the style of the timers, edit the message, change the colors in the timer clock, and more.

Besides that, the plugin also lets you choose the location of the timer, whether you’d like to make it sticky, and also select which type of product pages you’d like to show the countdown timer.

Here is a look at the countdown timer we created using the plugin:

Which Is the Best Countdown Plugin for WordPress?

After testing different WordPress countdown plugins, we believe that OptinMonster is the best solution.

It offers lots of pre-built templates and customization options. You can also use the drag-and-drop builder to edit the timer.

The best part about using OptinMonster is its powerful display rules. You can show the countdown timer based on user behavior, display it to a selected audience, and more.

On the other hand, if you are building custom landing pages or website themes, then SeedProd is the perfect solution. It is very flexible, and there are many customization options to edit the timer.

FAQs about WordPress Countdown Plugins

Here are some common questions users have about countdown timer plugins for WordPress.

1. What Features Do Countdown Plugins Offer?

Countdown plugins offer various features. Most allow you to set the date and time for the countdown, customize the appearance of the timer, and choose what happens when the timer expires. Some advanced plugins offer additional features like evergreen timers that automatically reset, countdowns specific to user visits, and integration with WooCommerce for sales promotions.

2. How Easy Are Countdown Plugins to Use?

Most countdown timer plugins are designed to be user-friendly, OptinMonster. They typically involve simple steps like installing the plugin, configuring the timer settings (date, time, appearance), and placing the timer on your website using shortcodes or widgets.

3. How do I add a countdown on WordPress?

The easiest way of adding countdown timers in WordPress is by using a plugin. It will help save time, and you don’t have to edit code. You also get more customization options with a plugin.

We hope this article helped you learn about the best countdown plugins for WordPress. You may also be interested in our tips to recover WooCommerce abandoned cart sales and our list of the best email marketing services to grow your sales.

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