If you have been searching for a WordPress A/B testing plugin, you have probably run into the same handful of names: Nelio, Split Hero, Thrive Optimize, Optimizely, Crazy Egg. This guide tells you exactly what each tool costs, what it actually does, and who it is genuinely built for in 2026.
Google shut down Optimize in September 2023. Since then the market has shifted. Some tools have added AI. Others have gone further into the enterprise tier. A few have barely changed at all. This comparison is fully updated as of May 2026.
Jump to the full comparison table or read each tool breakdown below.
Best for: WordPress site owners, WooCommerce stores, and agencies who want testing, heatmaps, session replays, and AI in one flat rate plugin.
AB Split Test is a native WordPress plugin. It installs from the WordPress repository, runs entirely inside your own server, and sends no data to external services. Everything you collect stays in your own database.
What is new in 2026 (v2.5.1, May 2026)
This is where the gap between AB Split Test and the rest of the field has widened considerably over the past 12 months.
Magic Point and Click Mode now includes a Tabbed Magic Bar with mixed scope support and in place test editing. You click any element, the AI generates variations based on your site's tone, goals, and page context, and you launch the test without writing a line of code.
CROAssist AI has grown into a full site audit engine. It scans your pages, analyzes heatmap and behavior data, and surfaces specific test suggestions with ICE scoring (Impact, Reach, Confidence, Effort). There is also a built in CRO chat agent for on demand advice. No OpenAI key required. No credit limits on paid plans.
Session Replays added UTM and referrer filtering in v2.5.0. You can now watch recordings filtered by traffic source, campaign, variation, or device. All stored on your own server.
Device Size Results Filtering (v2.5.1) lets you slice every test result by mobile, tablet, or desktop. You see per segment winners, confidence levels, and revenue stats, all exposed across the dashboard, public reports, REST API, MCP, and CLI.
Test Ideas Workflow (v2.5.1) adds a lightweight hypothesis pipeline with ICE scoring directly connected to the test creation flow. You can capture, prioritize, and promote ideas to live tests without leaving the plugin.
The Underpowered Badge (v2.5.1) shows clearly when a test has not yet collected enough data to declare a winner. Tests now require at least 50 visits per variation before a winner can be called, which prevents false positives on low traffic tests.
Use Order Value now works on any conversion type since v2.5.1. Not just WooCommerce checkout, but any goal where revenue matters. The plugin detects order value automatically from URL parameters, page elements, or visible text labels, or you can pass it directly via JavaScript.
Agency Hub was overhauled in v2.5.1 with reworked navigation, lifecycle management, and multi site admin UX. Combined with white label reports and public shareable results URLs, it is the most complete agency workflow in the WordPress testing space.
Test types: Full page split tests, on page element tests, CSS and JS code tests, Magic Point and Click, server side variation API
Conversion types: Page visit, element click, form submission (CF7, Gravity Forms, WPForms, Fluent Forms, Elementor Forms, Bricks Forms), WooCommerce, SureCart, EDD, FluentCart, scroll depth, time active, JavaScript event, conversion pixel, fingerprint pixel (cross domain)
Analytics: Built in heatmaps (click maps, scrollmaps, rage click detection), session replays, UTM and referrer filtering, public shareable reports
Page builders: Elementor, Bricks Builder, Beaver Builder, Oxygen, Breakdance, WP Bakery, Gutenberg, Kadence, Flatsome, GenerateBlocks
Developer tools: REST API, WP-CLI, MCP integration, Webhooks
Privacy: No external servers. No remote cookies. GDPR, CASL, CAN-SPAM compliant. Supports Complianz, CookieYes, Cookiebot, Termageddon, and more.
Pricing:
- Free Lite: 1 active test, 1 variation, 1 goal. No time limit, no traffic cap.
- Ultimate: $49/month, $399/year, $999 one time lifetime
- No per site fees. No MTU limits. No traffic tiers.
- 14 day money back guarantee.
Pros: Everything in one plugin at a flat rate. WordPress native so no external scripts, no remote calls, no data leaving your server. The most complete AI feature set of any WordPress testing tool. Page builder support is best in class. Lifetime option available.
Cons: If you run a non WordPress site you will need a different tool.
Best for: WordPress users who want broad content testing including menus, widgets, and themes, and are comfortable with MTU traffic limits.
Nelio integrates natively into the WordPress dashboard and supports testing pages, posts, headlines, menus, widgets, WooCommerce products, themes, and CSS patterns. It is a well established plugin with a long track record. OptiMonk
The free plan supports up to 500 tested page views per month and allows one active test at a time. Premium subscriptions unlock multiple simultaneous tests, heatmaps, scrollmaps, confetti maps, segmentation, quota controls, and priority support. OptiMonkUXtweak
Nelio AI scans your website and suggests high impact test ideas tailored to your content. However, the AI suggests ideas only. It does not create tests or generate copy variations automatically, and it does not include a built in CRO chat agent. OptiMonk
Pricing starts at $29/month for the Basic plan, scaling upward based on tested page views. If you need more quota mid month, you can buy 5,000 extra tested page views as an add on. This MTU model means costs scale with traffic, which can create unpredictable invoices for high traffic or seasonal sites. TrustRadiusPlotline
Pros: Excellent breadth of content test types. Menu and widget testing is unique among WordPress tools. Solid heatmaps included on premium plans. Automatic winner deployment. WooCommerce support.
Cons: MTU pricing means costs rise with traffic. Cloud processing means visitor data goes to Nelio's servers. No point and click visual editor. AI suggests but does not create tests. No session replays. No agency multi site management. No lifetime option.
Pricing: Free (500 tested page views/month, 1 active test). Paid from $29/month based on traffic volume.
Best for: Marketers who need simple, fast full page URL swaps and nothing more.
Split Hero is a WordPress only SaaS that uses a plugin to connect your site to their platform and dynamically redirects traffic between URLs you define. Setup is genuinely fast and the interface is clean. G2
Split Hero uses 302 redirects to split traffic between page URLs. This means it is full page tests only. There is no on page element testing, no heatmaps, no session replays, no AI suggestions, and no automatic winner detection. G2
Split Hero has three plans: Small at $27/month, Medium at $57/month, and Pro at $97/month. There is no permanent free plan but a 14 day free trial is available with no credit card required. CropinkG2
One important technical note: Split Hero uses 302 redirects, not 301. For SEO purposes you need to manually set canonical URLs in your SEO plugin to avoid potential duplicate content signals.
Pros: Extremely simple to set up. Unlimited page views on all plans. Clean interface. White label PDF reports.
Cons: Full page URL tests only. No on page element testing. No heatmaps or session replays. No AI. No automatic winner. One conversion goal per test. No page builder integrations. 302 redirects require manual canonical URL setup. Data stored on Split Hero's servers, not yours.
Pricing: From $27/month. No free plan.
Overview:
Tailored for users of the Kadence theme, offering insights and analytics to optimize website performance. Ideal for those already within the Kadence ecosystem.
Best For: Kadence and Gutenberg users who want inline testing
PROS:
- Integration with blocks.
- Native Gutenberg block testing
- Multiple goals per test (clicks, revenue, etc.)
- Revenue optimization with WooCommerce
- Local data only (GDPR-friendly)
CONS:
-
Works only within blocks. Doesn’t support pages or any other page builders (Bricks, Elementor)
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Cannot test position of blocks, only swap blocks in place
- Rarely updated and improved
PRICING:
- Starting at $99/yr
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Overview:
Designed specifically for Elementor users, providing A/B testing capabilities within the Elementor interface. Perfect for designers and developers deeply integrated with Elementor.
PROS:
- Built specifically for
- Elementor users
- Lightweight and fast
- Visual builder integration
- Budget-friendly pricing
CONS:
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Requires manual shortcode wrappers for tests (not 100% visual)
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Limited analytics and no goal tracking
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No WooCommerce support
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Fewer features compared to premium testing tools
PRICING:
- Free version available
- Pro version – $49/year (single site license)
Best for: Large enterprise teams running hundreds of experiments at scale with dedicated optimization departments.
Optimizely pioneered web experimentation and remains the most capable platform on the market for enterprise use cases. Back before 2014, Optimizely offered accessible pricing for businesses of all sizes. Today the platform is firmly in enterprise territory with no public pricing and no self-serve sign up.
Estimated minimum annual cost for a basic plan starts around $36,000 and can exceed $200,000 for enterprise level plans. A plan covering 10 million monthly impressions is estimated at around $63,700 per year for the Web Business tier. Large multi product implementations can reach $250,000 to $500,000 per year or more.
For WordPress site owners, indie businesses, or even mid size agencies, Optimizely is simply not the right tool. The cost alone puts it out of reach, and the setup complexity typically requires third party agency support at additional cost.
Pros: Unmatched depth of experimentation capabilities. Feature flags, server side testing, personalization, multi page experiments. Used by the largest brands in the world. Stats engine is industry leading.
Cons: Enterprise only pricing. No public pricing, requires a sales call. Minimum commitment estimated at $36,000/year. Complex setup, often requires external agency for implementation. No WordPress native integration. Not suitable for small or medium sized sites.
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing only. Estimated from $36,000/year upwards.
Best for: Teams who want heatmaps and basic A/B testing at a low entry price and don't need WordPress native integration or advanced statistics.
Crazy Egg is a website optimization platform with heatmaps, scrollmaps, session recordings, A/B testing, surveys, and web analytics. It is a general web tool, not WordPress specific, and runs via an external JavaScript snippet. Nelio Software
Pricing starts at $29/month based on tracked page views and scales up to $499/month. All plans require annual billing with no monthly payment option. A 30 day free trial is available.
Crazy Egg prices based on tracked page views rather than total sessions, which means you can limit what you track and avoid paying for pages you don't care about. That is a thoughtful pricing model, but it also means managing which pages are actively tracked. Nelio Software
The A/B testing in Crazy Egg is basic page level testing. There is no on page element testing, no page builder integrations, no WooCommerce revenue tracking, no automatic winner detection with Bayesian statistics, and no AI suggestions.
Pros: Clean, beginner friendly interface. Solid heatmaps and session recordings. Works on any website, not just WordPress. Transparent pricing page. 30 day free trial.
Cons: Not WordPress native. A/B testing is limited to basic page swaps. No page builder integrations. No automatic winner detection. No AI. No WooCommerce or eCommerce conversion tracking. Annual billing only. Data stored on Crazy Egg's servers.
Pricing: From $29/month (billed annually). 30 day free trial.
Best for: Sites already fully built with Thrive Architect who want A/B testing without adding another tool.
Thrive Optimize is an A/B testing add on for Thrive Architect. It is primarily intended for pages built with Thrive Architect and does not support arbitrary WordPress themes or non-Thrive page builders. If your site is built on Elementor, Bricks, Beaver Builder, or any other tool, Thrive Optimize will not work for you.
It includes an automatic winner feature, custom traffic distribution, one click page cloning, and detailed reporting with three conversion goal types: page visits, opt in form submissions, and revenue. SEO Sandwitch
Thrive Optimize is included in the Thrive Suite, which costs $299/year for up to 5 sites. If you are already a Thrive Suite member, you get it at no extra cost. Thrive Optimize is also available as a standalone purchase for $199/year bundled with Thrive Architect.
There are no heatmaps, no session replays, no AI suggestions, and no agency multi site management. The tool is intentionally focused on page level A/B testing within the Thrive ecosystem.
Pros: Included free with Thrive Suite membership. Clean, simple interface. Automatic winner. Unlimited concurrent tests.
Cons: Only works with Thrive Architect built pages. No heatmaps. No session replays. No AI. No page builder support outside of Thrive Architect. Limited to 3 conversion goal types. Not suitable for agencies or multi client setups.
Pricing: Included in Thrive Suite at $299/year (5 sites). Standalone Thrive Architect plus Optimize bundle at $199/year (1 site).
See how our competitors measure up (spoiler: it's not pretty)
| AB Split Test | Nelio | Split Hero | Thrive Optimize | Optimizely | Crazy Egg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals | ||||||
| Type | WordPress plugin | WordPress plugin | SaaS connectorPlugin connects to external platform | WordPress plugin | SaaS platform | SaaS platform |
| Data storage | Your serverNothing leaves WordPress | Nelio's servers | Split Hero's servers | Your server | Optimizely's servers | Crazy Egg's servers |
| GDPR on-site | YesNo external scripts or cookies | NoData processed on Nelio servers | No | YesData stays in WordPress | No | No |
| Pricing | ||||||
| Pricing model | Flat rateSame price regardless of traffic | MTU subscriptionCost rises with traffic volume | Per campaign tier | Annual licensePer site or suite | Enterprise customRequires sales call | MTU subscriptionAnnual billing only |
| Starting cost | Free Lite, no time limitUltimate from $49/month or $999 lifetime | Free (500 views/mo)Paid plans from $29/month | $27/monthNo free plan. 14 day trial available. | $299/year (suite)5 sites, all Thrive tools included | ~$36,000/year est.Custom quote, no self-serve signup | $29/monthAnnual billing only, 30 day trial |
| Lifetime option | $999 one time | No | No | No | No | No |
| Testing | ||||||
| Full page tests | Yes | Yes | Yes302 redirects only. Set canonical URLs manually in SEO plugin. | YesThrive Architect pages only | Yes | Basic page swapsLimited A/B testing functionality |
| On page element tests | YesTest any element, block, or section | Yes | No | Thrive pages only | Yes | No |
| Magic point and click | YesClick any element, AI creates variations instantly | No | No | No | No | No |
| Automatic winner | Yes, Bayesian stats50 visit minimum per variation (v2.5.1) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Multi-Armed Bandit | YesDynamic traffic allocation, Ultimate plan | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| AI features | ||||||
| AI test suggestions | Yes, full CROAssistNo API key required. No credit limits on paid plans. | Ideas onlySuggests tests but does not create them | No | No | Add onNot included in base plans | No |
| AI generates copy | YesRewrites in your site's tone and voice | No | No | No | No | No |
| CRO chat agent | Yes, built inOn demand CRO advice inside your dashboard | No | No | No | No | No |
| Analytics | ||||||
| Heatmaps | Yes, includedClick maps, scrollmaps, rage click detection | Paid plans onlyHeatmaps, scrollmaps, confetti maps | No | No | No | YesCore feature |
| Session replays | Yes, includedFilter by UTM, referrer, variation, device | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Device size filtering | YesPer segment winners, confidence, revenue (v2.5.1) | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Public shareable reports | YesNo client login required | No | PDF reports only | No | Yes | No |
| eCommerce and integrations | ||||||
| WooCommerce tracking | Native, server side optionAlso supports SureCart, EDD, FluentCart | YesProduct, price, and layout testing | No | Basic revenue goal only | Via third party integration | No |
| Use order value | Yes, any conversion typeOptimize for revenue not just clicks (v2.5.1) | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Page builder support | 10+ nativeElementor, Bricks, Beaver Builder, Oxygen, Breakdance, WP Bakery, Gutenberg, Kadence, Flatsome, GenerateBlocks | Gutenberg, Elementor | None | Thrive Architect only | Generic visual editorNo native WP builder integration | None |
| Agency and developer | ||||||
| Agency multi site | Agency Hub, all paid plansWhite label, public reports, per-client isolation | No | No | 5 sites (suite only) | Enterprise plan only | Agency plans availableContact sales for details |
| REST API and developer tools | REST API, MCP, WP-CLI, Webhooks | No | No | No | REST API onlyNo MCP or WP-CLI | No |
| Free plan | Free Lite, no time limit1 test, 1 variation, 1 goal — no expiry | 500 views/month limit1 active test at a time | 14 day trial only | No free plan | No free plan | 30 day trial only |