EmailOctopusvsConvertKit

EmailOctopus vs ConvertKit

Budget simplicity vs creator-focused tools

TL;DR

EmailOctopus is significantly cheaper at $36/month vs ConvertKit's $119/month for 10k subscribers. ConvertKit offers creator monetization features like paid newsletters and tip jars. Choose EmailOctopus for budget email marketing, ConvertKit if you're a creator wanting to monetize directly.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Pricing
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus is dramatically cheaper at $36/month vs ConvertKit's $119/month at 10k subscribers. That's 70% savings. However, ConvertKit has a free plan for up to 10k subscribers with limited features.

Creator Monetization
ConvertKit wins

ConvertKit offers paid newsletters, digital product sales, tip jars, and a creator network. EmailOctopus has none of these. For creators wanting to monetize, ConvertKit is the clear choice.

Simplicity

Both are relatively simple to use. EmailOctopus focuses on basics. ConvertKit is clean but has more features to learn. Neither is overwhelming.

Automation
ConvertKit wins

ConvertKit has better automation with a tag-first approach that many creators prefer. EmailOctopus automation is basic but functional for simple workflows.

Deliverability
ConvertKit wins

ConvertKit has an excellent reputation for deliverability among creators. EmailOctopus deliverability is good. ConvertKit has a slight edge here.

Pricing Comparison

At 10,000 subscribers

EmailOctopus
$36/month

Pro plan. Core email features, landing pages, basic automation.

Visit EmailOctopus
ConvertKit
$119/month

Creator plan. Free plan available up to 10k with limited features.

Visit ConvertKit
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k contacts, unlimited sends, native Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
EmailOctopus
ConvertKit
Sequenzy
Pricing & Value
10k Contacts Cost
$36/month
$119/month
$49/month
Free Plan
2,500 subscribers
10,000 subscribers (limited)
None
Price Transparency
Simple tiers
Simple tiers
Simple tiers
Value at Scale
Excellent
Good
Good
Creator Features
Paid Newsletters
Digital Product Sales
Built-in commerce
Via Stripe
Tip Jar
Creator Network
Email Features
Email Builder
Good, simple
Clean, minimal
Good
Templates
Basic selection
Clean, minimal
Clean
Personalization
Basic merge tags
Advanced
Event-based
A/B Testing
Subject lines only
Automation
Visual Workflows
Basic
Good
Good
Tagging System
Basic
Tag-first approach
Event-based
Segmentation
Basic
Good
Event-based
Drip Sequences
Excellent
SaaS Features
Stripe Integration
Via integrations
Native OAuth
Behavioral Events
Limited
Basic
Native
User Lifecycle
Basic
Basic
Built for this

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose EmailOctopus if you...
  • Budget is the primary concern
  • Simple newsletter senders
  • Small businesses with basic email needs
  • Nonprofits wanting lowest costs
Choose ConvertKit if you...
  • Bloggers and content creators
  • Those wanting to monetize newsletters
  • Course creators selling digital products
  • Creators wanting subscriber referral programs
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS companies needing behavioral automation
  • Stripe-integrated subscription businesses
  • Teams wanting unified marketing + transactional
  • Companies needing native payment integration

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

SaaS-Focused Features

Neither EmailOctopus nor ConvertKit is built for SaaS. Sequenzy offers native Stripe integration, behavioral event tracking, and subscription lifecycle automation.

Unified Email Platform

Both EmailOctopus and ConvertKit focus on marketing email. Sequenzy handles transactional and marketing email in one platform.

Competitive Pricing

At $49/month for 10k contacts, Sequenzy is cheaper than ConvertKit and includes SaaS-specific features neither platform offers.

Overview

EmailOctopus and ConvertKit serve different audiences with different price points. EmailOctopus is a budget-friendly email marketing platform. ConvertKit is built for creators with monetization features. The price difference reflects these different focuses.

Price Difference

The pricing gap is substantial. EmailOctopus charges $36/month for 10k subscribers. ConvertKit charges $119/month for the same list size. That's 70% savings with EmailOctopus, or nearly $1,000/year difference.

Creator Monetization

ConvertKit's main advantage is creator monetization. Paid newsletters, digital product sales, tip jars, and a creator network are all built in. EmailOctopus has none of these features. If you want to monetize your audience directly, ConvertKit provides the tools.

Free Plan Strategy

ConvertKit offers a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers with basic features (no automation). EmailOctopus offers a free plan for 2,500 subscribers with basic automation. ConvertKit's free tier is more generous for list size; EmailOctopus includes more features.

Automation Comparison

ConvertKit has better automation with a tag-first approach that many creators prefer. You can build sophisticated subscriber journeys. EmailOctopus automation is functional but basic, suitable for simple drip campaigns rather than complex workflows.

Deliverability

ConvertKit has an excellent reputation for email deliverability, particularly among creators. Their focused user base helps maintain clean sending practices. EmailOctopus deliverability is good but ConvertKit has a slight edge.

For SaaS Companies

Neither platform is built for SaaS. Both lack native Stripe integration and behavioral event tracking. For SaaS companies, consider Sequenzy which offers SaaS-specific features at a price between these two platforms.

Making the Choice

Choose EmailOctopus if budget is your primary concern and you need basic email marketing. Choose ConvertKit if you're a creator wanting to monetize your audience or need better automation. For SaaS, consider Sequenzy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. At 10k subscribers, EmailOctopus is $36/month vs ConvertKit's $119/month. That's 70% savings, or $996/year. However, ConvertKit has a free plan for up to 10k subscribers with limited features.

EmailOctopus lacks paid newsletters, digital product sales, tip jars, subscriber referral programs, and ConvertKit's creator network. EmailOctopus is purely an email marketing tool.

ConvertKit's free plan supports up to 10k subscribers but lacks automation. If you just need basic email sending, it's generous. If you need automation, you'll need to pay.

ConvertKit has an excellent reputation for deliverability, especially among creators. EmailOctopus deliverability is good but ConvertKit has a slight edge.

Not directly. EmailOctopus requires third-party integrations for e-commerce. ConvertKit has built-in commerce for digital products and paid newsletters.

ConvertKit is built for bloggers and creators with features designed for their workflows. EmailOctopus can work but lacks creator-specific tools.

Yes, but it's basic compared to ConvertKit. EmailOctopus offers simple drip sequences and workflows. ConvertKit has more sophisticated tag-based automation.

If budget is your priority and you just need email marketing basics, choose EmailOctopus. If you're a creator wanting to monetize or need better automation, choose ConvertKit.

Export subscribers from ConvertKit including tags. Import into EmailOctopus. Recreate simpler automations. You'll save money but lose creator monetization features.

Export subscribers from EmailOctopus. Import into ConvertKit. Take advantage of better automation and creator features. Expect higher costs but more creator-focused tools.

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

Related Comparisons

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com