Updated 2026-01-11

12 EmailOctopus Alternatives for Every Use Case

EmailOctopus is great for simple, affordable email marketing. But when you need more—transactional emails, advanced automation, or SaaS features—here are 12 alternatives worth considering.

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TL;DR

Quick answer: MailerLite for similar pricing with more features. Mailchimp for ecosystem and integrations. SendGrid for transactional focus. Sequenzy for SaaS. EmailOctopus is still excellent if you just need affordable, simple newsletter sending.

12 Best EmailOctopus Alternatives

Our Pick for SaaS Companies
#1
Sequenzy

AI-powered email for SaaS. If you're running a software business and need Stripe integration, transactional emails, and behavior-based automation, Sequenzy is built for your use case.

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Best for
SaaS founders who need more than newsletters
Pricing
$49/month for 10,000 subscribers

Pros

  • AI generates email sequences
  • Native Stripe integration
  • Transactional + marketing together
  • Built for SaaS specifically
  • Direct founder support

Cons

  • Slightly more expensive
  • Much smaller free tier
  • No Amazon SES option
  • Newer platform
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#2
MailerLite

Similar budget-friendly positioning with more features. Landing pages, website builder, and better automation than EmailOctopus at comparable prices.

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Best for
People who want EmailOctopus features plus more
Pricing
$50/month for 10,000 subscribers

Pros

  • Similar affordable pricing
  • Landing pages included
  • Website builder included
  • Better automation
  • Generous free tier (1,000 subs)

Cons

  • No Amazon SES option
  • Slightly more expensive
  • Support slow on lower tiers
  • Less simple interface
#3
Mailchimp

The market leader everyone knows. More expensive and complex than EmailOctopus, but unmatched integrations and a massive ecosystem.

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Best for
People who need maximum integrations
Pricing
$110-135/month for 10,000 contacts

Pros

  • Integrates with everything
  • Massive template library
  • Landing pages included
  • Been around forever
  • Strong brand recognition

Cons

  • Much more expensive
  • Counts unsubscribed contacts
  • Interface is bloated
  • Overkill for simple needs
#4
SendGrid

Twilio's email platform with strong transactional focus. If you need transactional emails alongside marketing, SendGrid handles both at scale.

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Best for
Developers who need transactional + marketing
Pricing
$60/month for 50,000 emails

Pros

  • Strong transactional email
  • Developer-friendly API
  • Scales well
  • Good deliverability
  • Twilio ecosystem

Cons

  • More expensive for pure marketing
  • Marketing features less polished
  • Complex for simple newsletters
  • Enterprise-focused
#5
Brevo

Budget-friendly all-in-one marketing. Formerly Sendinblue, offers email, SMS, and CRM at low prices. Transactional emails included.

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Best for
Budget-conscious teams who need transactional too
Pricing
$25/month for 20,000 emails

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Transactional email included
  • SMS marketing available
  • CRM included
  • Pay by emails, not contacts

Cons

  • No Amazon SES option
  • Interface less polished
  • Support can be slow
  • Daily sending limits on lower tiers
#6
Moosend

Budget email marketing platform. Clean interface, good automation, affordable pricing. Direct competitor to EmailOctopus.

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Best for
Budget-conscious marketers who want more automation
Pricing
$32/month for 5,000 subscribers

Pros

  • Very affordable pricing
  • Clean interface
  • Good automation
  • Landing pages included
  • No daily send limits

Cons

  • No Amazon SES option
  • Smaller company
  • Fewer integrations
  • No free tier
#7
Sendy

Self-hosted email platform that connects to Amazon SES. One-time purchase, no monthly fees. Ultimate budget option for technical users.

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Best for
Technical users who want to own their infrastructure
Pricing
$69 one-time + Amazon SES costs

Pros

  • One-time purchase, no subscription
  • Uses Amazon SES (cheap)
  • Full control of your data
  • No monthly fees
  • Unlimited subscribers

Cons

  • Requires server management
  • No support included
  • You handle deliverability
  • Setup is technical
#8
ConvertKit

Creator-focused platform with digital product sales and community features. More expensive than EmailOctopus but much more feature-rich for serious creators.

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Best for
Creators who need monetization tools
Pricing
$119/month for 10,000 subscribers (Creator plan)

Pros

  • Digital product sales built-in
  • Creator network for growth
  • Landing page builder
  • Strong creator community
  • Newsletter recommendations

Cons

  • Much more expensive
  • Overkill for simple newsletters
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Design intentionally minimal
#9
Buttondown

Minimalist newsletter platform for writers. Simple, clean, developer-friendly. Similar philosophy to EmailOctopus but more focused on the writing experience.

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Best for
Writers who want a simple, clean experience
Pricing
$29/month for 5,000 subscribers

Pros

  • Clean, minimal interface
  • Markdown support
  • Developer-friendly
  • Good for writers
  • Paid subscriptions support

Cons

  • Limited features
  • No landing page builder
  • Small team
  • Newsletter-focused only
#10
Loops

Modern email platform for SaaS. Similar positioning to Sequenzy but with a different design philosophy. Good for product-led growth companies.

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Best for
SaaS companies focused on product-led growth
Pricing
$99/month for 5,000 contacts

Pros

  • Modern, clean interface
  • SaaS-focused features
  • Transactional included
  • Good design
  • Growing fast

Cons

  • More expensive
  • Newer platform
  • Smaller team
  • Less proven at scale
#11
Mailjet

Email platform with strong deliverability focus. Good for teams who need collaborative email editing and high-volume sending.

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Best for
Teams who need collaboration and volume
Pricing
$27/month for 15,000 emails

Pros

  • Real-time collaboration
  • Good deliverability
  • Transactional + marketing
  • Affordable pricing
  • EU-based (GDPR)

Cons

  • Interface dated
  • Less intuitive
  • Support varies
  • Marketing features basic
#12
Amazon SES

Raw email infrastructure from AWS. The lowest possible cost but requires technical setup. EmailOctopus actually uses SES under the hood.

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Best for
Technical teams who want maximum control
Pricing
$0.10 per 1,000 emails

Pros

  • Cheapest at scale
  • Rock-solid infrastructure
  • AWS ecosystem
  • Full control
  • Unlimited scalability

Cons

  • No marketing features
  • Requires development work
  • You manage deliverability
  • No visual tools

Why Consider Alternatives to EmailOctopus

You need transactional emails

EmailOctopus is marketing-only. For password resets, order confirmations, and notifications, you need a separate service. Platforms like Sequenzy, SendGrid, or Brevo handle both in one place.

You need more powerful automation

EmailOctopus has basic drip sequences but lacks behavior-based triggers and complex conditional logic. If you need automation that responds to product events, consider Sequenzy, Customer.io, or ActiveCampaign.

You're outgrowing the simplicity

EmailOctopus is intentionally simple. If you need advanced segmentation, A/B testing, or sophisticated analytics, you might want a more feature-rich platform like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign.

You want to own your infrastructure

EmailOctopus uses Amazon SES under the hood. If you want direct control, consider Sendy (self-hosted) or connecting directly to Amazon SES yourself.

Feature Comparison

FeatureEmailOctopusMailerLiteMailchimpSendGridBrevoSequenzy
Price at 10k subs
$44.50
$50
$110+
$60 (50k emails)
$25 (20k emails)
$49
Free tier
2,500 subs
1,000 subs
500 subs
100/day
300/day
100 subs
Transactional
Paid add-on
Automation
Basic
Good
Good
Basic
Good
Advanced
Landing pages
API
Basic
Good
Good
Excellent
Good
Excellent

When to Use Each Platform

Choose MailerLite if...
  • You want similar pricing with more features
  • Landing pages are important
  • You need better automation
  • Website builder would be useful
Choose Stay with EmailOctopus if...
  • Budget is your absolute top priority
  • You just need simple newsletter sending
  • Amazon SES integration matters
  • You love the simplicity
Choose Mailchimp if...
  • You need maximum integrations
  • Brand recognition matters
  • You're already in the ecosystem
  • Enterprise features are needed
Choose Brevo if...
  • You need transactional emails too
  • SMS marketing is valuable
  • You want CRM included
  • Budget is still important
Choose Sequenzy if...
  • You're running a SaaS business
  • Stripe integration is valuable
  • You need transactional emails
  • AI-powered content helps

Should you switch from EmailOctopus?

EmailOctopus is one of the most affordable email platforms available. Their generous free tier and low prices make them excellent for simple newsletters. To understand different approaches, see our email marketing guide.

But it has limitations. Here's when switching makes sense:

If you need transactional emails: Sequenzy, SendGrid, or Brevo

EmailOctopus is marketing-only. For password resets, order confirmations, and notifications, you need a separate service. Platforms like Sequenzy, SendGrid, or Brevo handle both transactional and marketing in one place. Check our transactional email guide.

If you need more powerful automation: ActiveCampaign or Customer.io

EmailOctopus has basic drip sequences. If you need behavior-based triggers, complex conditional logic, or advanced segmentation, platforms like ActiveCampaign or Customer.io offer significantly more power. See our automation guide.

If you want similar features at the same price: MailerLite

MailerLite offers landing pages, website builder, and better automation at $50/month for 10k subscribers—just $5.50 more than EmailOctopus. Good for people who want more features without a big price jump. Use our email validator to ensure list quality.

If you're running a SaaS: Sequenzy

If you're building software and need Stripe integration, behavior-based automation, and transactional emails, EmailOctopus isn't the right fit. Sequenzy is built for SaaS with AI content generation, Stripe integration, and transactional emails.

The pricing comparison

At 10,000 subscribers:

  • EmailOctopus: $44.50/month

  • MailerLite: $50/month

  • Moosend: $64/month (pricing for 10k, estimated)

  • Sequenzy: $49/month

  • Mailchimp: $110+/month

  • ConvertKit: $119/month

See our full pricing comparison page for more platforms.

When EmailOctopus is still the right choice

Stick with EmailOctopus if:

  • Budget is your absolute top priority

  • You just need simple newsletter sending

  • Amazon SES integration is valuable to you

  • You appreciate the intentional simplicity

EmailOctopus does one thing well: affordable email marketing. If that's all you need, it's an excellent choice. Read our guide to email marketing tools and use our A/B test calculator to optimize your current setup before deciding to switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

MailerLite at $50/month for 10k subscribers is the closest. You get landing pages, website builder, and better automation for just $5.50 more per month. Brevo is even cheaper if you pay per email rather than subscriber count.

Common reasons: you need transactional emails (EmailOctopus is marketing-only), you want more powerful automation, you're running a SaaS and need behavior-based triggers, or you want features like landing pages and advanced analytics.

Yes, honestly. If you're running a simple newsletter or basic email marketing, EmailOctopus gives you what you need at one of the lowest prices in the industry. You only need to switch if you have specific feature requirements.

MailerLite has more features (better automation, website builder) at a similar price ($50 vs $44.50 for 10k). EmailOctopus has a better free tier (2,500 vs 1,000) and Amazon SES integration. Choose EmailOctopus for budget, MailerLite for features.

Sendy at $69 one-time (plus Amazon SES costs) is the cheapest long-term, but requires technical setup. For managed services, Brevo at $25/month for 20,000 emails is cheapest. EmailOctopus is actually very competitive on price.

No. MailerLite uses their own sending infrastructure. If Amazon SES integration is important to you, EmailOctopus or Sendy are your main options for budget platforms.

Only if you need their ecosystem. Mailchimp integrates with everything and has massive brand recognition. But at $110+ vs $44.50 for 10k subscribers, you're paying 2.5x more. For simple needs, EmailOctopus is better value.

Sequenzy is built specifically for SaaS with AI content generation, Stripe integration, and transactional emails. EmailOctopus is designed for newsletters, not software companies.

Yes. EmailOctopus allows CSV export of subscribers. Most alternatives have import tools. Your email templates will need to be recreated in the new platform's editor.

Different trade-offs. Brevo includes transactional emails, SMS, and CRM at a lower price. EmailOctopus has a better free tier and Amazon SES integration. For all-in-one marketing, Brevo wins. For pure newsletter simplicity, EmailOctopus wins.

Amazon Simple Email Service is AWS's email infrastructure. At $0.10 per 1,000 emails, it's the cheapest way to send at scale. EmailOctopus lets you connect your own SES account for lower costs. This matters if you're sending millions of emails.

Go to Account Settings > Billing > Cancel Subscription. You can export your subscribers before canceling. EmailOctopus doesn't lock you in with annual contracts on most plans.

EmailOctopus for marketing newsletters at low cost. SendGrid for transactional emails and developer needs. SendGrid has better API and handles both transactional and marketing, but costs more and is more complex.

EmailOctopus offers a free plan with 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails/month. It's not time-limited—you can use it indefinitely. This is better than most free trials.

EmailOctopus offers refunds on a case-by-case basis. Contact their support team. Monthly plans can be canceled anytime without penalty.

Ready to try Sequenzy?

Start your free trial today. AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, and direct founder support included.

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Sequenzy vs EmailOctopus: Direct Comparison

See a detailed side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and when to choose each platform.

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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) - 20k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 125k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 875k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 2M emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 4.5M 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)

  • Up to 100 subscribers in sequences
  • 2,000 emails/month
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • API access
  • "Built by Sequenzy" branding

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

  • Subscribers in sequences
  • Monthly email quota
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration (Segment by LTV & MRR)
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • No branding

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Unlimited subscribers
  • Unlimited emails
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantee
  • No branding

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