If you have used the Formidable Modal plugin (previously part of Formidable Pro/Plus), you might be wondering how Simply Popups compares. While both plugins allow you to create popups, Simply Popups is a modern, standalone evolution designed specifically for the Block Editor.
Key Differences
| Feature | Formidable Modal | Simply Popups |
|---|---|---|
| Dependency | Requires Formidable Forms | Standalone (No dependencies) |
| Editor | Shortcode-based | Native Block Editor |
| Triggers | Link/Button via shortcode | Button (Lite), Link, Image, Page Load, Exit Intent (Pro) |
| Styling | Requires CSS / Bootstrap | Visual Controls (Colors, Padding, etc.) |
| Content | Form-focused | Any Block (Images, Video, Text, Forms) |
Why Switch to Simply Popups?
1. Visual Editing
Formidable Modal relies heavily on shortcodes ([frm-modal]). You often have to preview the page to see how it looks.
Simply Popups is “What You See Is What You Get.” You build the popup directly in the editor, drag-and-dropping blocks and seeing styles applied instantly.
2. Advanced Triggers (Pro)
Formidable Modal is primarily clicked-triggered.
Simply Popups Pro adds powerful marketing triggers like Exit Intent (showing a popup when a user leaves) and Delayed Display (showing a popup after X seconds), which are essential for conversion optimization.
3. No Code Styling
To style a Formidable Modal, you typically need to write custom CSS or rely on Bootstrap classes.
Simply Popups provides sidebar controls for:
- Background colors
- Overlay opacity
- Border radius
- Button styles
- Padding and dimensions
Migration Guide
If you are currently using Formidable Modal, you can easily switch to Simply Popups.
Can I run both?
Yes. Both plugins can be active on the same site without conflict. You can keep your old modals running while creating new ones with Simply Popups.
Converting a Block
If you have a Formidable Modal block on a page, you can convert it to Simply Popups:
- Select the Formidable Modal block in the editor.
- Click the Transform icon (block icon) in the toolbar.
- Select Simply Popups.
- The block will transform, preserving your content inside the new Simply Popups container.
You may need to re-configure some specific trigger settings after transforming.
Recommendation
- Keep Formidable Modal if you have hundreds of existing legacy popups that are working fine and you don’t want to touch them.
- Use Simply Popups for all new popups, or if you need modern features like exit intent, visual styling, or want to remove the dependency on the main Formidable Forms plugin for simple modals.