These Are Different Weight Classes

Let's be clear upfront: Mautic and Sequenzy solve different problems at different scales.

• Mautic is full-blown open-source marketing automation. CRM, landing pages, multi-channel campaigns, visual workflows. Enterprise features, self-hosted.

• Sequenzy is managed email marketing for SaaS. Stripe integration, AI sequences, transactional + marketing combined. Simple and focused.

Neither is "better" - they serve different needs and team capabilities.

When should you choose Sequenzy?

1. You Don't Want to Manage Infrastructure

Mautic requires PHP, MySQL/MariaDB, web server configuration, cron jobs, SMTP setup, and ongoing maintenance. If you'd rather focus on building your SaaS than managing marketing infrastructure, Sequenzy is fully managed.

2. You Need SaaS-Specific Features

Sequenzy is purpose-built for SaaS with Stripe integration, trial expiry sequences, churn prevention, and MRR tracking. Mautic can do this but requires significant configuration and possibly custom development.

3. You Want AI-Generated Content

Describe what you want ("a 5-email onboarding sequence for a project management SaaS") and our AI generates the emails. Mautic has no AI content features - it's powerful but you write everything yourself.

4. You Want Unified Transactional + Marketing

Sequenzy handles both transactional emails (password resets, receipts) and marketing campaigns in one platform designed for both. Mautic supports transactional but is primarily a marketing automation platform.

5. You Value Simplicity Over Features

Mautic has a steep learning curve. The visual workflow builder is powerful but complex. If you just need email sequences that convert, Sequenzy gets you there faster.

When should you stick with Mautic?

1. You Need Full Marketing Automation

Mautic's visual campaign builder handles complex multi-step, multi-channel workflows with branching logic. If your marketing requires sophisticated automation, Mautic has more power.

2. You Need CRM + Marketing Combined

Mautic includes contact management, lead scoring, company records, and deal tracking. For teams that want marketing automation with built-in CRM, it's all in one package.

3. You Need Landing Pages

Mautic builds landing pages, forms, and marketing assets within the platform. Sequenzy doesn't have landing pages - you'd need a separate tool like Unbounce or Webflow.

4. Cost Is Your Top Priority

Mautic software is free (GPLv3). With a $30-50 VPS and Amazon SES at $0.10/1k emails, you can run enterprise-grade marketing automation for under $60/month. That's significantly cheaper than any managed alternative with similar features.

5. You Want Complete Data Control

Your data stays on your servers. No third-party has access. For privacy-conscious companies or those with strict compliance requirements, self-hosting offers control that SaaS can't match.

6. You Need Multi-Channel Marketing

Mautic supports email, SMS (via integrations), web tracking, social media, and more. Sequenzy is email-only. If your strategy requires multiple channels, Mautic is more comprehensive.

Honest Limitations of Sequenzy

• Not free: $19/month vs Mautic's $0 software cost.
• No self-hosting: Managed SaaS only.
• No CRM: Email-focused, integrates with external CRMs.
• No landing pages: You'll need a separate tool.
• Email only: No SMS, push, or social media.
• Less powerful automation: Simpler workflows than Mautic.
• Newer platform: Less history than Mautic's 200k+ users.

Honest Limitations of Mautic

• Requires DevOps: PHP, MySQL, web server, cron jobs, ongoing maintenance.
• Steep learning curve: Visual workflow builder is powerful but complex.
• Performance concerns: Can be slow with large databases - requires optimization.
• No AI features: No predictive analytics or content generation.
• No mobile apps: Desktop-only interface.
• DIY deliverability: You manage SMTP reputation yourself.
• Setup time: Expect 4-8 hours for initial installation and configuration.

The Real Cost Comparison

At 10,000 contacts:

Mautic self-hosted:

• VPS hosting: ~$30-50/month (needs more resources than Listmonk)
• Amazon SES (50k emails): ~$5/month
• Total: ~$35-55/month (plus your time)

Mautic Cloud (hosted):

• Professional tier: ~$399+/month
• Total: ~$399+/month (managed)

Sequenzy managed:

• Everything included: $19/month
• Total: $19/month (no time required)

Self-hosted Mautic is cheaper. But if you're comparing to Mautic Cloud, Sequenzy offers more SaaS-specific value at a fraction of the price.

A Note on Mautic's Complexity

Mautic is designed for marketing teams with dedicated resources. Features like:

• Visual campaign builder with branching
• Lead scoring and grading
• Dynamic content personalization
• A/B testing across workflows
• Multi-touch attribution

...require time to learn and configure properly. If your team is a solo founder or small engineering team, this power can become overhead.

Sequenzy trades that power for simplicity: describe what you want, AI generates it, you're sending emails in minutes.

Self-Hosting Considerations

If you go with Mautic, you'll need:

• Server: 2GB+ RAM VPS ($20-50/mo from DigitalOcean, Hetzner, etc.)
• Database: MySQL 5.7.14+ or MariaDB 10.3+
• Web Server: Apache or Nginx with PHP-FPM
• PHP: 8.0+ with required extensions
• Cron Jobs: For scheduled tasks and campaigns
• SMTP: Amazon SES, Mailgun, or any SMTP provider

Docker images are available but still require configuration. Plan for 4-8 hours of setup and ongoing maintenance time.

Use our email warmup calculator when setting up, and check our SPF checker and DKIM checker to ensure your authentication is configured correctly.