FlodeskvsEmailOctopus

Flodesk vs EmailOctopus

Design-focused vs budget platform

TL;DR

Similar pricing at 10k subscribers - Flodesk flat $38/month vs EmailOctopus $36/month. But Flodesk's flat pricing wins at scale while EmailOctopus scales up. Flodesk has stunning templates; EmailOctopus has more features. Choose Flodesk for design, EmailOctopus for budget features.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Pricing at Scale
Flodesk wins

Similar at 10k ($38 vs $36), but diverge at scale. At 50k, Flodesk stays $38 vs EmailOctopus ~$85. For growing lists, Flodesk's flat pricing wins.

Design Quality
Flodesk wins

Flodesk has stunning, modern templates for visual impact. EmailOctopus templates are basic and functional. For aesthetics, Flodesk wins clearly.

Free Plan
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 subscribers free. Flodesk has a 30-day trial only. For starting free, EmailOctopus is more generous.

Feature Depth
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus has more features including RSS to email and better API. Flodesk intentionally keeps things simple. For features over design, EmailOctopus wins.

Nonprofit Support
EmailOctopus wins

EmailOctopus offers 20% lifetime discount for nonprofits. Flodesk has no nonprofit program. For charitable organizations, EmailOctopus is better.

Pricing Comparison

At 10,000 subscribers

Flodesk
$38/month

Flat pricing regardless of subscriber count.

Visit Flodesk
EmailOctopus
$36/month

Pro plan. Core email features.

Visit EmailOctopus
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k contacts, unlimited sends, native Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Flodesk
EmailOctopus
Sequenzy
Pricing & Value
10k Contacts Cost
$38/month
$36/month
$49/month
Pricing Model
Flat rate forever
Scales with subscribers
Scales with contacts
Free Plan
30-day trial
2,500 subscribers
None
Cost at 50k
$38/month
~$85/month
~$150/month
Design & Templates
Template Quality
Stunning, modern
Basic selection
Clean
Email Builder
Design-focused
Simple, functional
Good
Visual Impact
High
Moderate
Moderate
Landing Pages
Beautiful
Basic
Email Features
A/B Testing
Limited
Basic
Segmentation
Basic
Basic
Event-based
Automation
Basic
Basic
Good
RSS to Email
Extra Features
E-commerce
Shopify
Limited
Stripe
Nonprofit Discount
20% off
Integrations
Limited
Good
Good
API Access
Limited
Good
Good
SaaS Features
Stripe Integration
Native OAuth
Behavioral Events
Limited
Native
Transactional

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Flodesk if you...
  • Design-focused brands
  • Large lists wanting predictable costs
  • Visual creatives and photographers
  • Users prioritizing aesthetics
Choose EmailOctopus if you...
  • Budget-conscious businesses
  • Nonprofits (20% discount)
  • Small lists wanting lowest costs
  • Those needing more features over design
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 Flodesk nor EmailOctopus offers native Stripe integration or SaaS automation. Sequenzy is built for subscription businesses.

Transactional + Marketing

Sequenzy handles both transactional and marketing email. Neither Flodesk nor EmailOctopus is designed for this combination.

Behavioral Automation

If you need to trigger emails based on product usage or subscription events, Sequenzy provides native behavioral automation.

Overview

Flodesk and EmailOctopus both offer affordable email marketing but with different value propositions. Flodesk emphasizes beautiful design with flat pricing. EmailOctopus is a budget platform with more features at competitive prices.

Similar Base Pricing

At 10k subscribers, pricing is nearly identical - Flodesk $38/month vs EmailOctopus $36/month. But the models differ: Flodesk is flat forever, EmailOctopus scales with list size. At 50k, Flodesk stays $38 while EmailOctopus reaches ~$85.

Design Quality

Flodesk has stunning, modern templates that make emails look professionally designed. EmailOctopus templates are basic and functional - they work but won't win design awards. For visual impact, Flodesk is clearly superior.

Free Plan Comparison

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 subscribers free with core features. Flodesk only has a 30-day trial. For businesses wanting to start free and grow, EmailOctopus provides ongoing access.

Feature Depth

EmailOctopus has more features - RSS to email, better API, more integrations. Flodesk intentionally keeps things simple, trading features for beautiful design. Your priority determines the winner.

Nonprofit Support

EmailOctopus offers 20% lifetime discount for verified nonprofits. Flodesk has no nonprofit program. For charitable organizations, EmailOctopus provides meaningful savings.

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 purpose-built SaaS features.

Making the Choice

Choose Flodesk for beautiful designs and predictable flat pricing at scale. Choose EmailOctopus for budget basics and free tier access. For SaaS, consider Sequenzy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Very similar. EmailOctopus is $36/month, Flodesk is $38/month. The $2 difference is negligible. The real difference is at scale.

Flodesk. At 50k subscribers, Flodesk stays $38/month vs EmailOctopus ~$85/month. Flodesk's flat pricing wins at scale.

Flodesk, significantly. Its templates are stunning and modern. EmailOctopus templates are basic and functional.

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 subscribers free. Flodesk has a 30-day trial only. For ongoing free access, EmailOctopus wins.

Yes. Flodesk charges $38/month regardless of list size. Whether you have 100 or 100,000 subscribers, the price stays the same.

Yes. EmailOctopus offers 20% lifetime discount for verified nonprofits. Flodesk has no nonprofit program.

Both have basic automation. Neither is an automation powerhouse. For simple drip campaigns, both work fine.

EmailOctopus has a better API with good documentation. Flodesk's API is limited. For developers, EmailOctopus is better.

Export subscribers from EmailOctopus. Import into Flodesk. You'll gain beautiful designs and flat pricing. Lose some features and free tier access.

Export subscribers from Flodesk. Import into EmailOctopus. Gain more features and a free plan. Lose stunning designs but save at smaller scales.

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