WordPress Notification Bar Plugin Comparison Guide

Want to alert your WordPress website visitors to new product launches, sales, or other important announcements? Then you need a WordPress notification bar plugin! A notification bar is an eye-catching, non-intrusive way to capture your audience’s attention at the top of your site, making it ideal for highlighting special promotions, new products, or calls to action.

In this article, we explore the 8 best WordPress notification bar plugins, comparing their features to help you find the right fit for your site – whether you manage a WordPress blog, WooCommerce store, or any other type of website.

Why Use a WordPress Notification Bar?

A WordPress notification bar, or a top bar or announcement bar, is a simple, effective tool for capturing visitor attention without disrupting their browsing experience. Positioned at the top of your site, a notification bar can help increase conversions (i.e., any action you want your users to take), such as signing up for a newsletter, exploring a new product, or grabbing a limited-time discount.

Unlike pop-ups, notification bars are used to allow users to navigate freely while keeping important messages visible. You can customize them to fit your site’s look and feel, ensuring a cohesive design. For WooCommerce sites, they’re especially useful for driving engagement, as they can promote sales, encourage users to follow you on social media or invite them to join your mailing list.

How Do You Add a Top Bar to WordPress?

Adding a top bar to WordPress is simple with the right plugin. First, choose a notification bar plugin that suits your needs (see our list below). Install and activate the plugin in your WordPress dashboard. Once active, navigate to the plugin settings to customize the notification bar’s design, position, and content. Many plugins offer options for colors, fonts, and even CTA buttons. After customizing, publish your bar, and it will display at the top of your site, ready to engage your visitors.

8 WordPress Notification Bar Plugins Compared

1. FooBar Pro

FooBar Pro is a versatile WordPress notification bar plugin that integrates seamlessly with most themes. It allows unlimited notification bars in multiple positions – top, bottom, or sides of the page. Its most impressive features include:

• Templates: Includes customizable layouts for announcements, CTAs, sign-ups (which integrate with Mailchimp), and countdowns.

• WooCommerce Integration: Offers a Free Shipping bar to encourage larger purchases by tracking spending, helping boost sales, and giving you an edge over competitors.

• Customization: Adjust colors, add icons, and use effects like pulse, wiggle, and ripple to catch attention.

There are so many pros to this plugin, but our two favourites are:

• Highly customizable with pre-designed templates.
• Scheduling, triggering, and conditional visibility options.

Rating: 5 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

Want something a little more? Take a look at some demos of FooBar Pro in action!

2. Apex Notification Bar

Apex Notification Bar offers a range of customization options to fit different needs and is especially useful for websites looking to display multiple notifications at once. Some of its features include:

• Templates: Includes 15 pre-designed templates with options to split notifications into columns, integrate logos, and add Twitter feeds.
• Display Options: Choose from sticky, show-after-delay, or hide-after-delay visibility settings.

Pros:

• Flexible customization with column layouts and social media integration.
• Works well for sites needing varied notifications.

Cons:

• Updates are infrequent, which may affect compatibility.

Rating: 4 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

3. Top Bar Pro

Top Bar Pro provides basic but useful features for creating notification bars, with options for targeting specific user groups. Some of its features include:

• Targeted Display: Show or hide bars based on user type (registered users vs. guests).
• Delay Settings: Set a time delay for when the bar appears to capture attention strategically.

Pros:

• User targeting options are ideal for personalized messaging.
• Simple design makes it easy to set up and manage.

Cons:

• Limited templates and customization options compared to other plugins.
• It only allows top or bottom positioning, with fewer flexibility options.

Rating: 4 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

4. Hello Bar

Hello Bar offers multiple display options, from traditional top bars to more attention-grabbing formats like modals and sliders. Its features include:

• Versatile Display Options: Choose from header and footer bars, modals, floating alerts, sliders, and even full-page takeovers.
• Customizable Templates: Hundreds of pre-made templates available, with a Design Assistant that matches colors and fonts to your site’s style.
• Analytics and A/B Testing: Built-in analytics help track performance, and A/B testing enables optimization of notification effectiveness.

Pros:

• Multiple formats to suit different messaging goals.
• Integrated analytics for tracking and improving engagement.

Cons:

• Some formats, like full-page takeovers, can be intrusive.
• Pricing is based on views, with higher-tier plans being relatively costly.

 Rating: 3 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

5. Notibar

Notibar is a straightforward, free notification bar plugin that is good for simple announcements on WordPress sites. Here are a couple of its features:

• Basic Announcements: Ideal for maintenance notices, coupons, giveaways, or policy updates.
• Ease of Use: Simple setup and design, making it beginner-friendly.

Pros:

• Completely free and easy to use.
• Suitable for basic site announcements.

Cons:

• Limited customization options and features.
• Lacks advanced features like countdowns or free shipping trackers, which may be better suited for eCommerce sites.

Rating: 5 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

6. Sumo

Sumo is for those whose primary focus is capturing email sign-ups, although it’s more limited in other areas. Some of its features include:

• Email Capture: Specializes in growing email lists through timed popups and top bars across your site.
• Email Marketing Tools: Schedule one-off marketing emails or set up automated email drips to engage subscribers.

Pros:

• Effective for email sign-up campaigns and list-building.
• Basic features are available for free, with Pro offering advanced email marketing tools.

Cons:

• Limited beyond email-focused features and lacks countdown functionality, which is essential for generating “FOMO” in eCommerce.
• Compatibility concerns, as it hasn’t been updated with recent WordPress releases.

Rating: 4 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

7. Easy Notification Bar

Easy Notification Bar is a lightweight, user-friendly option for simple announcements on WordPress sites, ideal for those needing a basic, no-frills notification bar. Some of its features include:

• Simplicity: Quick setup and compatible with most themes, making it perfect for simple announcements.
• Basic Customization: Customize colors, fonts, and text to fit your site’s style.

Pros:

• Free and easy to use, with minimal setup required.
• Ideal for straightforward notifications without extra features.

Cons:

• Only offers a top bar option, with no alternative placements.
• Limited functionality and customization, making it less suited for eCommerce or advanced needs.

Rating: 4.5 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

8. Brave

Brave positions itself as a powerful and intuitive conversion tool for WordPress, offering a range of features beyond just notification bars, including popups, cookie notices, and opt-in forms, as well as:

• Versatile Display Options: In addition to top bars, Brave includes popups, sticky bars, sidebars, modals, cookie notices, and more.
• Analytics: Advanced analytics help track engagement, making it a valuable tool for conversion-focused sites.

Pros:

• All-in-one solution for various notification needs, from announcements to lead generation.
• Ideal for sites that need multiple types of notifications beyond the standard top bar.

Cons:

• Higher pricing with paid plans, especially if you only need a simple top bar.
• Some users may find it intrusive, and there are loads of pros and cons of popups to think about.

Rating: 5 stars on the WordPress plugin directory.

Start Boosting Conversions with the Right Notification Bar

With the right WordPress notification bar plugin, you can easily draw attention to announcements, promotions, and important updates, helping to engage visitors and drive conversions. Each of the plugins we’ve covered offers unique features and customization options to suit various needs, from simple notifications to fully customizable conversion tools.

Take a moment to think about what your site requires – whether it’s a basic notification bar for announcements or a more advanced option for targeted messaging. If you’re looking for a versatile, feature-rich solution, FooBar Pro is known for its customizable options and effects. Explore each plugin’s features, and choose the one that best fits your goals to make the most of your WordPress site’s potential!

*WordPress plugins directory ratings at the time of writing.