EmailOctopus* is one of my favorite players in the email marketing space 2024.

EmailOctopus markets itself as an easy-to-use platform for beginners. And it is exactly that. The most beginner-friendly and cost-effective way to get into email marketing and automation.

With its generous free plan and super affordable pricing, it seems like an attractive option for all kinds of content creators.

But how does it compare to more well-established competitors when it comes to features, deliverability, support, and more?

Let’s figure it out!

Overview of EmailOctopus

Fun fact: One of the longest-running email newsletters of all time, Popbitch, is running on EmailOctopus. It started in 1999.

EmailOctopus offers a straightforward drag-and-drop email editor along with solid automation and segmentation tools for a free/affordable tool.

The interface is clean and simple to navigate. It’s not the smoothest or most modern-looking, but it works.

EmailOctopus sticks to the email marketing basics without too many bells and whistles, while providing the crucial features beginners need for their first email campaigns.

The free forever plan allows up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month. That’s a lot for free, more than most others offer.

Paid plans start at just €8 per month. So if you have a smaller list, EmailOctopus provides excellent value. You’ll be paying half or less than for most other paid platforms in this space.

However, the platform lacks some advanced features around testing, personalization, automation, and analytics compared to tools like ConvertKit or MailerLite.

EmailOctopus Core Features and Functionality

Email Editor and Templates

The EmailOctopus drag-and-drop email editor is easy to use but light on personalization and customization capabilities. You can insert merge tags to add basic dynamic content, but that’s about it.

The template library “only” contains 34 total templates spanning two pages. These cover the basics like announcements, newsletters, welcome emails, etc.

The designs are okay, but nothing to freak out about.

Other tools like ConvertKit, MailerLite, or ActiveCampaign offer more template choices and customization options.

EmailOctopus offers an A/B testing tool for comparing email performance.

Contacts, Lists, and Segmentation

Building lists is a bit clunky as you cannot paste multiple contacts at once.

But list segmentation based on opens/clicks works well for basic targeting, ideal for beginners.

Just don’t expect a sophisticated suppression list functionality like with other more expensive tools.

Landing Pages

The built-in landing page creator is limited but gets the job done to quickly design a few simple landig pages.

The five templates are solid, but offer little customization beyond inserting text, images, and some text styling.

Some users will quickly outgrow these capabilities, though.

Automation

EmailOctopus supports a basic (to mid-level) automation, like welcome email series trigger, triggers based on actions, conditions, and tags.

Again, it’s ideal for beginners who might get overwhelmed by more options. It won’t be enough for some pro users.

Others

Some other notable features include:

• GDPR-complianz (EmailOctopus sits in London)
• API access and developer tools
• Support for various integration, like Zapier, WordPress, Shopify, and SparkLoop

How Does EmailOctopus Deliverability Hold Up?

Luckily, EmailOctopus employs several key deliverability protections like DKIM authentication and a strict anti-spam/affiliation policy. There are also affordable options for dedicated IPs if needing to scale up.

Most user reports indicate solid inbox placement on par with or possibly exceeding some incumbent email providers. But deliverability testing is an inexact science with many variables.

Insights and Analytics Reporting

The EmailOctopus dashboard offers opens, clicks, unsubscribes, and real-time tracking. It covers the basics without going deeper into detailed segmentation insights or benchmarking.

This lighter analytics approach fits EmailOctopus’s simpler positioning. But the lack of actionable advice or quick segment creation options limits the value.

Again, users with more sophisticated analytics needs would be better served by a higher-tier competitor.

Outstanding Customer Support

One area where EmailOctopus undisputedly shines is its stellar customer support. Even as a free user, you can expect astonishingly fast live chat and email response times around the clock.

I’ve gotten responses within minutes!!! in most cases.

Few other marketing software providers offer this level of timely, personalized support. It’s a key factor boosting EmailOctopus’s strong customer satisfaction.

EmailOctopus Pricing and Plans

The EmailOctopus free plan allows up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 monthly emails – generous limits accommodating smaller businesses.

Certain features like templates and forms don’t require paid plans either.

Paid accounts start at a mere €8 monthly for 500 subscribers and 10,000 emails. Plans scale up reasonably from there. When compared to competitors, EmailOctopus delivers exceptional affordability.

You pay for what you get – lower costs accompanied by less functionality vs established players that charge more.

Determine what capabilities you truly require before choosing based on price alone.

How Does EmailOctopus Compare Overall?

Pros

• Easy to use editor and interface
• Excellent free plan
• Low paid pricing plans
• Stellar customer support response
• Beginner-friendly overall

Cons

• Limited automation options
• Light on analytics and actionability
• Clunky list uploading
• Basic and few landing page templates and forms

Verdict:

EmailOctopus succeeds as an introductory email marketing platform thanks to good deliverability, awesome support, and attractive pricing.

But if desiring more advanced and expansive functionality, you might outgrow EmailOctopus sooner or later.

For sending basic emails to small lists and automating a few sequences, EmailOctopus should satisfy your needs.

Beyond that, more capable alternatives merit strong consideration for long-term growth.

Key EmailOctopus Alternative Providers

Here is an overview of how some top EmailOctopus competitor platforms compare on key dimensions:

ConvertKit*

• Focus on creators, influencers, and bloggers building an audience
• Specialized automations for digital product launches
• Landing page templates, forms, and popups
• Tag-based segmentation for tracking customer journeys

Verdict: A strong EmailOctopus alternative for digital creatives needing rich landing pages, targeted sales funnels, and many advanced features.

Beehiiv*

• Easy drag and drop editor
• Pre-built templates for various niches
• Automations for notifications and lead flows
• Integrates with major platforms

Verdict: Intuitive newsletter and email marketing for entrepreneurs and small teams.

ActiveCampaign

• 250+ professional email templates
• Robust automation with extensive triggers
• In-depth personalization and segmentation
• A/B testing and social posting
• Strong analytics with custom reports

Verdict: Powerful all-in-one marketing automation for midsize to large teams. Leadership functionality across the board but at a steeper price.

MailerLite*

• Good selection of modern, responsive templates
• Automations based on actions and dates
• Landing pages, forms, and popups
• Basic segmentation and groups
• solid free plan, reasonable paid plans

Verdict: Great functionality for solopreneurs and growing businesses at a reasonable price.

Substack*

• Specialized for building subscriber newsletters
• Clean, simple writing and reading experience
• Built-in subscription capabilities and reader community engagement
• Free (only takes a cut of paid subscriptions)

Verdict: An writer-centric publishing platform focused purely on newsletter content creation and blogging.

Which Type of User is EmailOctopus Best Suited For?

Ultimately, EmailOctopus caters to beginners or entry-level users just starting out with basic email marketing techniques and automation.

The combination of ease of use plus low cost pricing serves genuine value for this audience.

Small business owners, content creators with small(ish) email lists, local service providers, sole proprietors, and early-stage startups comprise the target customer base.

For these segments, EmailOctopus sufficiently moves the needle before more advanced needs arise.

In summary – EmailOctopus is in deed the best email marketing tool for beginners 2024. Also the most affordable option for many.

If you’re in that market, you won’t regret choosing EmailOctopus*.