Where it runs
Your server, your database
Nelio's plugin sends events to Nelio's cloud, which does the heavy processing and stores the results; Nelio acts as your data processor.
Comparison
A self-hosted, no-traffic-limit alternative to Nelio A/B Testing
Both tools live inside WordPress. The difference is where the work happens and how you're billed: ImproveAB runs entirely on your own server, with no pageview limits and a flat annual price.
Competitor details last checked September 2026; sources are under the table.
At a glance
How you pay
Flat annual licence, any traffic
Nelio's free tier is 500 tested page views a month on one site; paid plans carry quotas of 5,000 to 200,000 a month, with extra quota sold in blocks.
What you give up
Heatmaps and multivariate
Nelio has both built in. ImproveAB leaves heatmaps to free tools such as Microsoft Clarity and is still researching multivariate.
Who should pick which
An honest split.
Nelio A/B Testing is a capable tool with real strengths. These are the two situations, stated plainly.
Pick Nelio A/B Testing if
- You want heatmaps, scrollmaps and multivariate testing in the same tool.
- You would rather a managed service handle the processing.
- Your traffic sits comfortably inside a page-view quota.
Pick ImproveAB if
- Visitor data must stay on your own server, with no cookies set.
- You never want to think about page-view caps or metered tiers.
- You want one predictable annual price, or a free plan with no traffic limit.
Feature by feature
What each one has.
Every row is a yes, a no, or a short note where yes or no would mislead. Rows where Nelio A/B Testing has something we do not are marked the same way. Sources are under the table.
- Included
- PaidOnly in a paid plan (either product)
- On our roadmap
- Not included
| Feature | Nelio A/B Testing | ImproveAB |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | ||
| A/B testing, free tier | Included500 tested page views a month, one site | IncludedNo traffic limits, unlimited tests, no account |
| Split URL tests | IncludedSame free-tier quota as above | IncludedSame: free, no traffic limits, unlimited tests |
| AI assistance | IncludedNelio AI, every plan | PaidCopy ideas, with your own API key |
| WooCommerce revenue per variant | IncludedEvery plan, within the quota | IncludedWooCommerce orders and revenue, free |
| Counts each visitor once | PaidProfessional plan and up | IncludedOn every plan |
| Audience targeting | PaidBasic plan and up | PaidDevice, visitor type, URL parameter; page targeting is free |
| Test scheduling | PaidProfessional plan and up | Paid |
| Email alerts | PaidProfessional plan and up | PaidPlus Slack and webhooks |
| SRM detection | Not documented | IncludedFree, on every test |
| Multivariate testing | Included | On our roadmapOn the roadmap as researching, no date |
| Heatmaps and scrollmaps | IncludedCounted against the page-view quota | Not includedFree tools such as Microsoft Clarity do this alongside |
| Where things happen | ||
| Where tests run | Heavy processing on Nelio's servers | IncludedEntirely on your server |
| Where data lives | Nelio's cloud | IncludedYour own database |
| Cookies | Not includedUp to seven cookies, per its help centre | IncludedNone, cookieless by design |
| Consent handling | Tracks once a consent cookie you configure is set | IncludedStores no personal data; the consent call is yours |
| Builder support | Major builders | IncludedAny builder or theme |
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier | 500 tested page views a month, one site | IncludedNo traffic limits |
| Pricing model | Subscription with page-view quotas | IncludedFlat annual licence |
| Cost as traffic grows | Scales with page views | IncludedSame price at any traffic |
Sources for Nelio A/B Testing: wordpress.org listing, cookie list, GDPR and consent, plans, checked September 2026. ImproveAB facts come from the plugin itself.
Getting started
Switching is quick.
No migration project. When it lands, the free plugin runs its first test the same afternoon.
Install ImproveAB
Nelio A/B Testing can stay installed while you compare.
Recreate a live experiment
Tag each variant with a CSS class in your builder, or set up a URL test for whole pages.
Choose a goal
Page visits, clicks, form submissions, add to cart, WooCommerce purchases with revenue, scroll depth, time on page and active time, all free.
Launch
Results accumulate in your own database, with no traffic meter running.
Questions
Answered plainly.
Answers are visible, not folded away, so they can be read and quoted.
What's the main difference?
ImproveAB runs entirely on your server with no pageview limits and a flat annual price, while Nelio meters its free tier by pageviews and does much of the processing on its own servers.
Does ImproveAB include heatmaps?
No, and they are not on the roadmap today. Free tools such as Microsoft Clarity, and most analytics suites, already do heatmaps and scroll maps well, and they run alongside ImproveAB with no conflict. If enough users ask for heatmaps inside the plugin, we will look at it.
Is the free version really unlimited on traffic?
Yes. Because tests run on your own site, there's no pageview cap and no overage billing.
How current is the Nelio A/B Testing information here?
Last checked September 2026. Always confirm current pricing and features on Nelio A/B Testing's own site.
Try the free, self-hosted way.
ImproveAB is in final testing: no traffic limits, no data leaving your site. Join the waitlist and we will email you the day it lands.