Two review scores, and why they disagree
Every platform above carries a G2 figure and a Trustpilot figure, and on ActiveCampaign they
are 4.4 and 2.7 — a gap too wide to be noise.
G2 verifies that reviewers are business users of the product, which makes it the better read
on whether the software works. Vendors also actively solicit reviews there, so scores bunch
up between roughly 4.2 and 4.6 and stop discriminating. Trustpilot is open to anyone, so it
is noisier and attracts complaints — but that is exactly why it catches what the product page
never mentions: surprise renewals, cancellation friction, chasing a refund.
We publish both rather than pick the flattering one. Where they diverge, read it as a
capable product with commercial practices its customers resent, and decide whether that
matters to you.
Before you pick anything, answer these
How many contacts, and how often will you email them?
This single answer moves the cost more than any feature. Six of the seven bill by list size.
Brevo bills by emails sent. If you hold a large list you contact occasionally, that structural
difference will dwarf everything else on this page.
Do you need more than one automation?
Worth checking before you commit, because it is where entry plans quietly stop. GetResponse
prints it plainly: Starter at $19 includes one automation workflow, and unlimited workflows
begin at $59. Other vendors gate automation too — read the plan you intend to buy, not the
marketing page.
Can you test it long enough to know?
Five platforms here have permanent free tiers you can build in at your own pace.
ActiveCampaign gives you fourteen days. Fourteen days is enough to click around; it is not
enough to know whether a tool fits how you work.
Common questions
Which of these is actually free?
Five of the seven run a permanent free plan: Kit up to 10,000 subscribers, EmailOctopus at 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, MailerLite at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, Omnisend at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, and Brevo with unlimited contacts but a 300-emails-a-day cap. GetResponse and ActiveCampaign offer trials only — we checked both pricing pages and found no free tier.
Why does Brevo look so much cheaper for a big list?
Because it bills on emails sent rather than contacts stored. Every other platform here charges by list size, so a large list costs the same whether you email it daily or once a year. If your list is big and quiet, that difference is larger than any other factor on this page.
Why are some prices lower than what I see on the vendor site?
Two reasons. Some headline prices require paying several months upfront — Omnisend shows $11.20 for a plan that bills at $16 monthly. And vendors localise pricing: reading the GetResponse page from a Vietnamese connection returned prices in dong, not dollars. Everything here is the US list price on the date shown.
Can I move my list to another platform later?
Contacts, tags and segments export as CSV from all seven. Automations do not transfer — they are rebuilt by hand in the new platform. That is the real switching cost, and it is worth weighing before you commit, not after.
Why is there no score or ranking on this page?
Because we have not used these platforms ourselves. A score implies measurement, and we would be inventing the measurements. What we can do honestly is read every pricing page, record exactly what it says, date it, and group the products by the situation each one suits. When we do run them properly, we will say so and show the work.