Choosing Between Free and Pro
Whether you are launching your first shop or running a high-traffic store, Ultimate Spin Wheel has a version that fits. The Free plugin is a complete, no-time-limit toolkit for building and running gamified campaigns. Pro is a separate add-on plugin that layers automation, advanced targeting, and marketing integrations on top of the free core. This guide breaks down exactly what lives in each so you can pick the right gear for your engine.
How the two fit together: Pro is not an unlock code inside the free plugin — it is its own plugin (ultimate-spin-wheel-pro) that you install alongside the free version. Every Pro feature is gated in the free build, so your campaigns, leads, and settings carry straight over the moment Pro is active. Nothing is lost or migrated.
The Free Version: Your Launchpad
Best for new blogs, hobby sites, and small shops testing the waters. The free core is fully functional and free forever — not a trial. Here is what you get:
- Unlimited campaigns and prizes: Build as many wheels and slices as you like, customizing the color, label, icon, and text of every slice.
- Three wheel presets: Start from the Default, Lucky Gold, or Neon Night preset, then customize dimensions, fonts, and the popup background.
- Coupon distribution: Hand out one Static code to every winner, or paste a bank of Unique Pool codes so each winner receives a different one.
- Server-side probability engine: Set a win probability for each slice on a 0–100 scale. The winner is drawn securely on your server, so the outcome cannot be tampered with in the browser.
- Display triggers: Open the wheel on page load, instantly, after a delay, on a button click, or via a shareable URL.
- Targeting rules: Restrict the wheel by page, by device (All, Desktop Only, Mobile Only, or Tablet Only), and by user role (logged-in vs. guest).
- Lead capture & export: Collect names and emails with a GDPR consent checkbox, manage them in the lead dashboard, and export to CSV/Excel.
- Analytics & security: Track impressions, interactions, and conversions; block spam with honeypot fields, IP blocking, manual IP/device blocking, and disposable-email blocking.
The trade-off: the free version leans on manual work. You export leads to your email tool yourself and prepare coupon codes yourself. It is the right fit when you have time but no budget.
The Pro Version: Your Automation Engine
Best for serious ecommerce stores, agencies, and high-traffic sites. Pro unlocks the “set and forget” features — automation, advanced targeting, and integrations.
1. Advanced Triggers & Targeting
- Exit trigger: Detects when a visitor is about to leave and shows the wheel to recover abandoning traffic.
- On-Scroll trigger: Show the wheel only to engaged readers who scroll down the page.
- Campaign scheduling: Set a start/end date range so seasonal campaigns turn themselves on and off automatically.
- Specific-page targeting: Target hand-picked individual pages, on top of the free page/device/role rules.
2. Full Automation
- Auto Generate coupons: Produce a unique code for every winner automatically — no manual list and no WooCommerce required.
- WooCommerce Dynamic coupons: Clone a master WooCommerce coupon into a unique, single-use code per winner.
- Auto-apply to cart: Inject the won code into the customer’s WooCommerce cart so the discount is already applied at checkout.
- Email marketing integrations: Sync leads to Mailchimp, MailPoet, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, and thousands of apps via Zapier or Pabbly — no more manual CSV exports.
- Custom HTML winner emails: Fully brand the notification email each winner receives.
3. Richer Lead Capture & Experience
- Phone / SMS capture: Add a phone field to build an SMS marketing list alongside email.
- Premium themes: Access high-conversion designs including Midnight Royalty and Candy Carnival.
- Celebration effects: Fire confetti and play a winning sound to boost the excitement of a win.
- Win-screen countdown timer: Add an urgency timer to the win screen to encourage immediate use of the coupon.
- Lose (No Prize) slices and per-slice custom messages, images, and icons for fully tailored outcomes.
4. Anti-Fraud, Multilingual & AI
- Identity check with cooldown: Limit repeat entries by email, phone, or both, with a never / hours / days cooldown window, plus device fingerprinting that survives cleared cookies.
- Polylang & WPML support: Run localized wheels for multilingual stores.
- AI Assistant: Query your campaign data in plain English (“What is my best converting day?”) and get data-driven optimization tips.
Coupon & Slice Types at a Glance
Every slice uses one of five types. Two are free and three are Pro:
- Static (Free): One shared code for all winners.
- Unique Pool (Free): A bank of codes, one per winner.
- Auto Generate (Pro): A freshly generated unique code per winner.
- WooCommerce Dynamic (Pro): A single-use clone of a master WooCommerce coupon.
- Lose (No Prize) (Pro): A losing outcome with its own message.
Why Upgrade? The ROI Case
Pro pays for itself by turning manual chores into automated revenue. Consider the exit trigger: on a store selling a $50 product, recovering just one visitor who was about to leave typically covers the cost of the license for the year. In practice, the automation (unique coupons, auto-apply, email sync) compounds across every visitor, so the return usually far exceeds the modest annual cost. If your store depends on repeatable, hands-free campaigns, the upgrade is easy math.
Comparison FAQ
Can I upgrade later?
Yes. Start free today and install the Pro plugin whenever you are ready. Your campaigns, leads, and settings are preserved instantly — Pro simply activates the gated features on top of your existing data.
What happens if I stop renewing Pro?
The plugin keeps working. You retain what you have built and simply lose access to future updates and priority support. Your wheel does not break.
Does Pro slow down my site?
No. Both versions lazy-load assets so scripts only load on pages where a campaign is active, keeping pages fast whether or not Pro is installed.
Related Documentation
- Prize & Coupon Configuration: Set up static codes, unique pools, and prize types.
- Win Probabilities: How the server-side weighted draw and the 100-point scale work.
Conclusion
If you are running a hobby site, the free version is a genuinely complete tool — build unlimited campaigns, capture leads, and hand out coupons with a secure probability engine. If you are running a business, Pro’s automation, exit and scheduling triggers, marketing integrations, and anti-fraud tools turn the wheel into a hands-free growth engine. When you are ready, upgrade to Pro or reach the wowDevs support center for help.