SendyvsEmailOctopus

Sendy vs EmailOctopus

DIY savings vs budget SaaS convenience

TL;DR

Sendy is a $69 self-hosted app sending via Amazon SES for ~$0.10/1000 emails. EmailOctopus is an affordable SaaS at $24-45/month for 5-10k contacts. Both target budget-conscious users, but Sendy requires technical skills while EmailOctopus is beginner-friendly.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Technical Requirements
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus is sign-up-and-go. Sendy requires server setup, Amazon SES configuration, DNS records, and ongoing maintenance. For non-technical users, EmailOctopus is the only option.

Cost at Scale
Sendy wins

At 10k contacts, Sendy saves ~$35/month vs EmailOctopus. At 100k+ emails, savings increase. But if you value your time, the setup and maintenance hours may exceed the dollar savings.

Free Tier
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 free subscribers. Sendy requires buying the license and hosting upfront. For testing or small lists, EmailOctopus wins.

Modern Features
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus has landing pages, better templates, and cleaner UX. Sendy has a dated interface with basic features. EmailOctopus feels like a 2020s product. Sendy feels older.

Pricing Comparison

At 10,000 contacts

Sendy
~$5-10/month

$69 one-time + hosting + SES costs. Varies by send volume.

Visit Sendy
EmailOctopus
$45/month

Pro plan. Unlimited emails, all features.

Visit EmailOctopus
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k contacts, unlimited sends, native Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Sendy
EmailOctopus
Sequenzy
Pricing
Upfront Cost
$69 one-time
$0
$0
Monthly (10k contacts)
~$5-10
$45
$49
Free Tier
None
2,500 subscribers
None
Nonprofit Discount
None
20% lifetime
None
Email Features
Email Builder
Basic, dated
Good, modern
Modern
Templates
Limited
Basic selection
Good selection
Automation
Basic autoresponders
Basic workflows
Advanced
A/B Testing
Subject only
Marketing Features
Landing Pages
Signup Forms
Basic
Good
Good
Segmentation
Basic lists
Basic rules
Event-based
Analytics
Basic
Good
Revenue tracking
User Experience
Ease of Setup
Technical (hours)
Easy (minutes)
Easy (minutes)
Interface
Dated
Clean, modern
Modern
Support
Community
Email support
Founder support
Updates
Manual
Automatic
Automatic

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Sendy if you...
  • Technical users prioritizing cost
  • High-volume senders (100k+ emails)
  • Those with basic email needs
  • Server admins comfortable with maintenance
Choose EmailOctopus if you...
  • Budget-conscious non-technical users
  • Small businesses and startups
  • Nonprofits (20% discount)
  • Those wanting free tier to start
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS companies with Stripe
  • Teams needing behavioral automation
  • Those wanting revenue tracking
  • Startups with subscription models

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

SaaS-Specific at Similar Price

At $49/month for 10k contacts, Sequenzy costs similar to EmailOctopus ($45) but offers native Stripe integration, event-based automation, and revenue attribution. Better fit for SaaS.

Advanced Automation

Both Sendy and EmailOctopus have basic automation. Sequenzy offers sophisticated event-driven workflows, behavioral triggers, and conditional logic.

Revenue Attribution

Track which emails drive actual revenue. Neither Sendy nor EmailOctopus offers this. For subscription businesses, this insight is valuable.

Try Sequenzy Free

Overview

Sendy and EmailOctopus both target budget-conscious email marketers. Sendy is self-hosted for maximum savings. EmailOctopus is an affordable SaaS. Both are cheaper than mainstream platforms, but they require different trade-offs.

Budget Warriors

Both platforms appeal to those watching their email spend. Sendy achieves low cost through self-hosting and Amazon SES. EmailOctopus achieves low cost through focused features and efficient operations. Different paths to the same goal of affordable email.

The Technical Gap

EmailOctopus is designed for beginners. Sign up with email, verify your domain, start sending. Sendy requires server administration: PHP/MySQL setup, Amazon SES configuration, DNS records, security updates. For non-technical users, EmailOctopus is the only realistic option.

Cost Comparison

At 10k contacts, Sendy costs ~$5-10/month (after initial $69). EmailOctopus costs $45/month. That's ~$35/month savings with Sendy. But factor in setup time (4-8 hours) and ongoing maintenance. At typical hourly rates, the "savings" evaporate quickly unless you're at higher volumes.

Feature Comparison

EmailOctopus has landing pages, better templates, and cleaner UX. Sendy has basic campaigns and autoresponders with a dated interface. For marketing beyond simple newsletters, EmailOctopus offers more tools. Neither matches premium platforms, but EmailOctopus is more complete.

The Free Tier Advantage

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 free subscribers with 10,000 monthly emails. Sendy requires buying the $69 license and hosting before sending anything. For testing or small lists, EmailOctopus's free tier is compelling.

For SaaS Companies

Neither platform is built for SaaS. Both lack Stripe integration, event tracking, and sophisticated automation. For subscription businesses wanting Stripe integration and behavioral automation, consider Sequenzy at similar pricing.

Making the Choice

Choose Sendy if you're technical, sending high volumes, and want absolute minimum costs. Choose EmailOctopus if you want affordable email without technical hassle. For most budget-conscious users, EmailOctopus is the practical choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sendy costs ~$5-10/month (after initial $69 + hosting). EmailOctopus costs $45/month. Sendy saves ~$35/month but requires hours of initial setup and ongoing maintenance. Factor in your hourly rate.

Yes. EmailOctopus offers 2,500 free subscribers with 10,000 monthly emails. Sendy has no free tier. You must buy the license and set up hosting before sending any emails.

EmailOctopus. While neither has extensive template libraries like Mailchimp, EmailOctopus has cleaner, more modern templates. Sendy's templates are basic and dated.

Realistically, no. Sendy requires PHP/MySQL server setup, Amazon SES configuration with production access, DNS record setup, and ongoing server maintenance. EmailOctopus is designed for beginners.

For core email marketing, yes. Landing pages, decent automation, good deliverability. It lacks advanced features of premium platforms but covers the basics well at an affordable price.

Similar. Sendy uses Amazon SES which has excellent deliverability. EmailOctopus has its own infrastructure with good deliverability. Neither should have issues reaching inboxes.

Export subscribers from Sendy. Import into EmailOctopus (they support CSV). Recreate templates using their builder. Set up automations in their workflow editor. Update DNS records for EmailOctopus sending. You'll gain landing pages and modern UX.

Export subscribers from EmailOctopus. Set up Sendy on your server with Amazon SES. Import subscribers and recreate templates manually. Note that EmailOctopus landing pages won't transfer. Consider whether cost savings justify losing features.

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.

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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