Single
1 website
$29 / year
- All Pro features
- 1 year of updates
- 1 year of support
Announcement bar plugins compared
Bulletin vs HashBar
HashBar packs bars, popups and campaigns into one plugin. Bulletin does one thing, announcement bars, and does it lighter: in our test it added 13 KB to the page against HashBar's 44 KB, with 2 requests instead of 12.
The short answer
Bulletin is the lighter, more focused choice: a third of HashBar's page weight in our test, a higher WordPress.org rating, a separate mobile message and a cheaper yearly Pro. HashBar suits sites that want popups, coupons and analytics bundled into the same plugin.
At a glance
| Bulletin | HashBar | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, on WordPress.org | Yes |
| WordPress.org rating | 4.6/5 (20 ratings) | 4.2/5 (38 ratings) |
| Active installs | 2,000+ | 9,000+ |
| Current version | 3.16.0 | 2.0.6 |
| Paid plans | From $29/year | $39/year or $59 lifetime (1 site) |
HashBar pricing from wphashbar.com.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Bulletin | HashBar |
|---|---|---|
| Page weight added (measured) JavaScript + CSS, gzip, one bar. See our benchmark | 13 KB | 44 KB |
| Requests added (measured) | 2 | 12 |
| Separate mobile message HashBar targets devices instead | ||
| Scrolling marquee messages | Pro | |
| Bars in the free version | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Top, bottom and sticky bars | ||
| Custom CSS | Pro | Pro |
| Button / call to action | Pro | |
| Countdown timer Evergreen countdowns are HashBar Pro | Pro | |
| Rotating messages | Pro | |
| Scheduling and targeting Country targeting is HashBar Pro | Pro | |
| Templates, coupons and analytics | ||
| Popups in the same plugin For popups we make Easy Popups |
"Pro" means the feature needs a paid plan. Based on each plugin's documentation; corrections welcome via our support page.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Bulletin if…
- You want announcement bars without slowing your pages down
- You want a different message on mobile
- You want a scrolling marquee or multisite support
- You'd rather pay less per year for Pro
Choose HashBar if…
- You want bars, popups and coupon campaigns in one plugin
- You prefer a lifetime licence
Questions
Does HashBar do more than Bulletin?
Yes, its free version covers more ground, including popups and analytics. Bulletin focuses on announcement bars only, which keeps it simpler to set up.
Which has the better rating?
Bulletin has the higher average rating on WordPress.org; HashBar has more installs. The live numbers are in the table above.
Is there a lifetime plan?
HashBar offers one ($59 for one site, per its pricing page). Bulletin Pro is yearly, from $29.
Pricing
Simple pricing
Billed yearly. Every plan includes all Pro features, 1 year of updates and 1 year of support.
Plus
3 websites
$49 / year
- All Pro features
- 1 year of updates
- 1 year of support
Infinite
Unlimited websites
$119 / year
- All Pro features
- 1 year of updates
- 1 year of support
100% no-risk money-back guarantee
Although we don’t think you’ll ever want one, we’ll gladly provide a refund if it’s requested within 14 days of purchase.
- Secure checkout
- Renewal is optional