You're all set to implement your email marketing strategy. You've come up with some fantastic campaign ideas, photos, and email copy, and now you're looking for an exceptional email marketing service provider.
Constant Contact and GetResponse are two popular email marketing solutions that service hundreds of thousands of businesses, and you've probably seen recommendations for them. Which is, nevertheless, the better option for your company?
You're looking for a simple platform to conduct engaging email marketing campaigns, manage and build your subscriber lists, and track and improve your email ROI. And you don't want to be stuck paying for a plan with insufficient features or one with too many features you don't require.
I compare Constant Contact vs GetResponse in this email marketing software comparison to help you determine which is the best email marketing software for you. Let's look at how these tools stack up in six key areas:
Features of the platform
Creating and sending emails
Automated email marketing
Analytics and reporting
Pricing
Customer service
But first, a word about a non-negotiable feature.
Before we get into the differences between Constant Contact and GetResponse , let's take a look at one element that all email marketing services have in common: the capacity to distribute your emails.
GetResponse has a 99 percent delivery rate, whereas Constant Contact has a 98 percent deliverability rate. Both providers are excellent alternatives at these prices.
How can they maintain such high levels of deliverability?
First and foremost, GetResponse and Constant Contact have strong working connections with major internet service providers such as Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon. They do this to avoid blacklisting your emails sent using their program.
Second, they follow policies like CAN-SPAM and GDPR, which protect consumers and their personal information. These are the guidelines that stipulate that you must include your mailing address, website, and a "Unsubscribe" button at the bottom of every email you send. Among other things, they ban incorrect or deceptive topic lines.
Features of the Platform
Constant Contact Leads in Integrations, but GetResponse Offers More (and More Valuable) Features.
It's not only about the emails when it comes to email marketing; it's also about the features and functionalities that make it easier. GetResponse and Constant Contact both offer useful functionality, but GetResponse has more (and more valuable) functions than Constant Contact.
To begin with, GetResponse Basic plan gives you access to the majority of email marketing, email automation, and design tools. Unless you upgrade to the Email Plus plan, most Constant Contact capabilities aren't available.
Furthermore, GetResponse provides a number of noteworthy capabilities that Constant Contact either has a limited version of or does not provide at all. A/B testing, landing pages, and contact management are among the capabilities available. It's simple to see why GetResponse has such a positive reputation.
GetResponse provides a very useful A/B-testing tool. You can use the software to A/B test the content of your email messages, subject lines, form fields, and the day and time you send each email... You can also test up to five different email versions. Only subject lines can be split-tested under Constant Contact's Email Plus package, which is the most expensive.
GetResponse is also one of the most effective landing page software programs. Yes, Constant Contact allows you to develop landing pages, however GetResponse has a much more extensive landing page platform. With GetResponse's Essential plan, you can create sales pages, opt-in pages, download pages, thank you pages, and more using over 180 mobile-responsive landing page templates.
Finally, GetResponse has an integrated CRM that may assist you in organizing and managing your contacts and leads. It has an easy-to-use contact management system that saves all of your lead scoring, statuses, and stages, as well as notes, tasks, and meetings, in one place.
You can tag and classify your contacts in Constant Contact, but not to the extent that GetResponse 's CRM allows.
GetResponse was declared the winner. GetResponse simply adds new functionality to its platform, increasing the value of your email marketing campaigns.
Constant Contact, on the other hand, triumphs in this category because to one key feature: integrations and apps. For tools like Facebook, Shopify, Outlook, and Salesforce, there are over 450 of them. Only roughly 150 integrations are available in GetResponse .
Creating and Sending Emails
When it comes to email creation and distribution, GetResponse and Constant Contact are evenly matched, but one wins.
The most annoying aspect of email marketing is creating and delivering emails, especially for firms with tiny budgets and small teams. What if your team doesn't have a dedicated designer? When is the best time to send your emails? How do you increase the number of people who open your emails?
Get started with GetResponse 's more than 200 customisable email templates (and over 5,000 free stock pictures). You can also use GetResponse 's HTML or drag-and-drop editors to generate your emails, or upload your own template as a zip file or webpage, build a plain-text email, or pay for a GetResponse designer to create one for you.
Over 100 customisable email templates are available in Constant Contact's drag-and-drop editor, which you can connect to your e-commerce platform to pull over any products or services to showcase in your emails. Constant Contact provides a limited number of free stock photographs, as well as the option to purchase Bigstock images directly from the site.
The Perfect Timing tool analyzes and forecasts the best time of day for each of your contacts to open their emails. ( GetResponse conducted a study on this feature and discovered that it resulted in a 25% increase in opens and a 20% increase in clicks.)
To ensure that your emails don't land up in your recipients' spam folders, SpamAssassinTM scans your content for known spam terms and other linking, formatting, or coding practices.
RSS-to-Email allows you to aggregate, personalize, and publish your blog material via email, resulting in a 20%+ click-to-open rate, according to GetResponse .
GetResponse was declared the winner. While Constant Contact provides similar email-creation tools, GetResponse outperforms the competition with its user-friendly email-sending options, bringing your email marketing experience full circle.
Constant Contact Email Marketing Automation GetResponse 's Email Marketing Automation Features are unrivaled.
The best email marketing solutions don't simply assist you in doing your job; they also do it for you. This is where email marketing automation comes in, and GetResponse and Constant Contact both provide email automation features.
Email Marketing Automation
GetResponse 's email marketing automation technology is incredibly user-friendly. It has a simple drag-and-drop workflow builder that allows you to see a real-time perspective of your customers' journey, and the automation features aren't limited to sending emails; you can also use the tool to automatically tag and score contacts or shift them to a different list.
GetResponse also provides two sorts of automated messages to assist you reach out to your target audience. Time-based messages are sent at a specific interval, such as a subscriber's birthday or two days after purchase. A subscriber or customer activity, such as clicking on a link, making a purchase, or joining an email list, triggers action-based messaging.
The GetResponse Basic package includes the majority of GetResponse 's automation features (such as welcome and thank you emails, drip campaigns, birthday emails, and click and open follow-ups).
Constant Contact, on the other hand, has a limited number of automation possibilities, even in its most advanced plan, Email Plus. Only an automated welcome series and an automated email behavioral series are available, as well as an automated email resend to those who haven't opened your email the first time.
These qualities, as useful as they are, are not without their drawbacks. You can't copy messages from automated emails and use them as regular emails, which would save time and effort.
GetResponse was declared the winner. While Constant Contact has similar email marketing automation tools, GetResponse wins hands down in terms of features, flexibility, and ease of use.
Analytics and Reporting
For real-time reporting, use GetResponse; for basic analytics, use Constant Contact.
Basic reporting and tracking are available through Constant Contact Opens, link clicks, unsubscribes, email bounces, and the origins of your contacts are all visible. You can also see the number of unique opens and the names of the subscribers that opened your emails.
Constant Contact's reporting, however, ends there.
GetResponse has all of the same reporting options as MailChimp, plus more. GetResponse keeps track of your email activity in real time, provides mobile tracking and social media sharing information, and even compares two emails to discover which one performed better with your audience. All of these figures will appear on your dashboard as well.
GetResponse will also track the real-time ROI of each email; all you have to do is include a tracking code.
It's worth noting that Constant Contact has one reporting option that GetResponse doesn't: an industry-by-industry comparison of email averages. This tool compares your data (open rates, bounce rates, and so on) to the industry averages. GetResponse doesn't have this feature, but Constant Contact has it in its knowledge base, thus it's technically available to GetResponse users as well.
GetResponse was declared the winner. GetResponse has a lot of reporting and tracking features, so you can be confident in what's working and adjust what isn't. Constant Contact offers some insight into your email performance, but its reporting capabilities pale in comparison to GetResponse 's.
Pricing
Constant Contact's pricing is more expensive than GetResponse 's.
Basic, Essential, Professional, and Enterprise are the four subscription options offered by GetResponse . GetResponse subscription fees are determined by list size, and you can opt to pay monthly, annually (for an 18 percent savings), or biennially (for a 30 percent discount).
GetResponse doesn't have a free subscription, however it does provide a free 30-day trial for up to 1,000 contacts. You do not need to provide any credit card information.
Constant Contact offers two subscription plans: Email and Email Plus, which are also priced by list size. You can pay your Constant Contact subscription monthly or pre-pay semi-annually (for a 10% discount) or annually (for a 15% discount).
These are the two tiers you can choose from:
Like GetResponse , Constant Constant doesn’t provide a free plan, but it does offer a 60-day free trial — the longest duration I know of for any email marketing service provider — for up to 500 contacts. Constant Contact also requires no credit card to sign up.
Note that if you sign up for Constant Contact from outside the U.S., you don’t get the 60-day trial, but you do get your first month free.
At this point, GetResponse and Constant Contact are practically tied. Neither require contracts, both offer unlimited email sends. Where does GetResponse pull ahead?
GetResponse offers twice as many plan options, allowing customers to better customize their subscription to meet their needs — and their wallet.
GetResponse also remains less expensive as your list size grows, meaning that the software can scale with your business. For example, at 10,000 contacts, Constant Contact’s Email plan is $195. On the other hand, for 10,000 contacts both GetResponse’s Basic and Essential plans are less than that.
Constant Contact does have one advantage: its free trial is twice as long. After the free trial period, you can enjoy a 30-day money back guarantee. That gives you three months to decide whether or not Constant Contact is right for you.
GetResponse was declared the winner. GetResponse offers less expensive plans, better discounts, and more flexible plan alternatives than Constant Contact, which offers a lengthier free trial and a 30-day money back guarantee.
Customer Service
Support for GetResponse is on the decline. Just a Smidgeon of What Constant Contact Has to Offer
The software's customer experience (training, customer service, and cancellation) is just as vital as the software's functionality. GetResponse and Constant Contact are both industry leaders, with accolades for customer service and happiness, but we choose Constant Contact in this category, and the majority of reviews agree.
GetResponse has a variety of customer service options, including live chat, email, and social media help, as well as a large knowledge base with a FAQ section, webinars, and video tutorials. GetResponse also offers customer service in seven other languages (English, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, German, French, and Spanish).
Constant Contact offers the same support options, plus seminar classes (for a fee), dedicated professional design and consultation services, and phone support lines for the U.S., Canada, and International — for seven different countries. However, Constant Contact responds to support questions only in English.
GetResponse stands out in this category because you can cancel your membership at any moment using your online account. If you want to terminate Constant Contact, you must contact a billing representative directly; you cannot cancel service by email or chat.
It's worth noting, though, that if you cancel but later decide to reactivate your GetResponse subscription, you can do so within 90 days.
The Winner Is...
Contact at all times. Constant Contact is the clear leader in customer care, with a plethora of help channels, features, and add-on services. With its simple canceling process and bilingual support team, GetResponse comes in second.
Constant Contact vs. GetResponse Winner
In almost every category, one defeats the other.
The fight between GetResponse and Constant Contact isn't really a fight at all. GetResponse was the obvious victor and the finest email marketing software, with Constant Contact finishing second in every area (except customer care).
Don't get me wrong: Constant Contact is still an excellent email marketing tool. Constant Contact may be a better alternative if you like a software with a variety of support choices or if you want additional integrations in your email marketing tool.
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