Choosing the right email marketing platform is one of the most important decisions a business can make. Email marketing can help you connect with customers, drive sales, and grow your business – but only if you select the right solution.

In this in-depth comparison guide, I’ll be looking at two of the top contenders in the email marketing space: ConvertKit vs GetResponse.

These platforms share some similarities but also have key differences across pricing, features, deliverability and more.

My goal is to provide an unbiased, comprehensive comparison to help you determine which platform is the better fit for your specific needs.

I have used both ConvertKit and GetResponse extensively, so I’m drawing on first-hand experience as an email marketer to inform my analysis.

Over the course of this guide, I will compare ConvertKit and GetResponse on:

• Features and capabilities
• Ease of use
• Deliverability reputation
• Analytics and reporting
• Pricing and value
• Customer support

By the end, you should have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of each platform. You’ll also know which one aligns better with your email marketing goals, budget and use case.

Let’s start with a brief intro to each platform:

Overview of ConvertKit and GetResponse

ConvertKit was launched in 2013 and has positioned itself as an email marketing solution designed for creators, influencers, bloggers and other digital content producers.

It aims to provide an intuitive, easy-to-use platform to help smaller businesses grow their email lists and better engage with subscribers.

GetResponse has been around much longer, founded way back in 1999. It has evolved to focus primarily on small businesses as its target customer base.

Both platforms offer generous free trial offers so you can test them out first-hand before committing to a paid plan.

Now that we’ve covered a bit of background, let’s dive into the details and see how ConvertKit and GetResponse stack up across the key factors that matter most.

Key Features Compared

When evaluating email marketing platforms, the features and capabilities should be one of the top considerations. You want to select a solution that provides the tools and functionality to support your specific use cases and goals.

In this section, I’ll be doing a detailed comparison of the core features offered by ConvertKit and GetResponse to see how they stack up.

Email Campaign Creation and Management

Both ConvertKit and GetResponse provide intuitive editors to create and manage your email campaigns.

ConvertKit uses a drag-and-drop editor that makes it simple to build professional emails without any coding knowledge required. It provides good flexibility for customizing fonts, colors, backgrounds and more.

GetResponse offers significantly more template options compared to ConvertKit. GetResponse users can choose from over 500 professionally designed email templates across different categories like welcome emails, promotions, newsletters and more.

The templates are modern, visually appealing and optimized for engagement. GetResponse definitely shines when it comes to template variety and quality.

Overall, ConvertKit provides an easy drag-and-drop builder but GetResponse excels with its vast template library.

Automation Workflows

Marketing automation is essential for nurturing leads, driving conversions and saving time.

Both platforms provide workflow builders to set up automated email sequences without needing technical skills.

ConvertKit’s automation tool is straightforward to use. You can create multi-step sequences based on actions like email opens, link clicks, or date-based triggers. It covers the basics well.

GetResponse offers much more advanced workflow automation capabilities. You can build out complex sequences, integrate other actions like adding tags or scores, schedule phone call and SMS follow ups, and more.

GetResponse also makes it easy to create automated sales funnels with its visual workflow builder. Overall, GetResponse has significantly more robust automation features.

Landing Pages and Forms

High-converting landing pages are crucial for capturing new subscribers.

ConvertKit provides a simple drag-and-drop landing page editor with 50+ templates. It’s very easy to customize fonts, colors, and add/remove elements.

GetResponse again excels on template choice with 200+ mobile-friendly landing page designs. It also offers greater customization capabilities for elements like form fields.

When it comes to signup forms, ConvertKit keeps it simple with basic options. GetResponse forms come with advanced features like multi-page step forms.

For landing pages and forms, GetResponse edges out ConvertKit on customization capabilities and template selection.

Analytics and Reporting

Understanding your email performance metrics is key for optimization.

Both platforms provide the basic analytics you would expect around opens, clicks, unsubscribes etc.

ConvertKit has better visualizations and presents the data in a user-friendly way.

GetResponse provides more detailed reports and metrics. However, the reporting capabilities lag behind other leaders in the email marketing space.

For analytics and reporting, ConvertKit is the winner in terms of presentation while GetResponse takes it for depth of data.

Let’s move on to comparing the platforms on other non-feature factors that impact usability and results…

Deliverability & Analytics

Deliverability and analytics are two critical elements that determine the success of your email marketing efforts. In this section, I’ll compare how ConvertKit and GetResponse perform in these areas.

Deliverability

Deliverability refers to the rate at which your emails reach subscriber inboxes instead of getting blocked or flagged as spam. Multiple factors influence deliverability:

• IP reputation
• Email authentication
• Spam policies
• Shared IP vs dedicated IP options

GetResponse edges out ConvertKit when it comes to deliverability for a few key reasons:

IP Reputation

GetResponse has a better sender reputation on its shared IP addresses compared to ConvertKit. This results in more trust from major ISPs and higher inbox placement rates.

Email Authentication

Both platforms support email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM and DMARC which verifies you as the sender.

GetResponse makes it a bit easier to set up and offers more educational resources on improving authentication. Proper authentication correlates with higher deliverability.

Anti-Spam Policies

Aggressive anti-spam policies ensure bad actors don’t degrade the platform’s sending reputation.

GetResponse enforces stricter anti-spam guidelines and has avoided major blacklisting issues that periodically impact shared ConvertKit IP addresses.

Dedicated IP Addresses

Power users can invest in a dedicated IP address which isolates your sending reputation. ConvertKit charges a hefty $250/month for a dedicated IP requiring high email volume.

GetResponse dedicates IPs to its high-tier Enterprise plans at no added cost. While most users won’t need a dedicated IP, GetResponse offers better flexibility here.

Overall, GetResponse does more under the hood to maintain strong deliverability rates for its users.

Analytics and Reporting

Understanding your email marketing analytics is crucial for optimizing campaigns. Let’s compare how ConvertKit and GetResponse stack up on reporting:

ConvertKit makes your email data easy to digest with dynamic charts and graphs. The visualizations provide great visibility into opens, clicks, unsubscribes, top links, etc.

GetResponse offers more detailed reports on subscriber engagement, links, various time frames, and additional metrics not tracked by ConvertKit. However, GetResponse’s reporting functionality trails industry leaders.

I give ConvertKit the edge for its user-friendly presentation of email analytics. GetResponse provides more granular reporting but lags in turning data into actionable insights.

The next section compares the usability of these two platforms…

Ease of Use

The usability of an email marketing platform plays a big role in your experience as a user. Complex, confusing interfaces lead to frustration and inhibit your effectiveness.

In this section, I’ll evaluate how intuitive and user-friendly ConvertKit and GetResponse are for sending emails and managing campaigns.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is designed to be simple and easy to use, especially for less technical users. The core sending and automation features are straightforward to implement without much learning curve.

Some advantages of ConvertKit’s user experience:

• Clean, uncluttered interface makes it easy to find what you need
• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor simplifies creating nice-looking emails
• Automation workflow builder requires no coding to set up sequences
• Simplified features allow you to focus on creating content

However, there are some limitations in ConvertKit’s simplicity:

• Editing templates is less flexible compared to other platforms
• Landing page/form customization is basic compared to GetResponse
• Lack of advanced features like A/B testing or detailed segmentation

ConvertKit prioritizes simplicity in its interface and tools, but lacks some functionality power users may want.

GetResponse

While GetResponse has a steeper learning curve than ConvertKit, its interface provides flexibility for both beginners and advanced users.

Some strengths of GetResponse’s usability:

• Wider range of email design templates suitable for all skill levels
• Powerful drag-and-drop editor to customize templates
• Automation builder allows complex multi-step workflows
• Advanced features like A/B testing and web push notifications

However, there are some aspects of GetResponse that feel outdated:

• Navigation and menus could be streamlined better
• Reporting needs more intuitive visualization of data
• Contacts management system can feel rigid

Overall, GetResponse provides excellent usability for those willing to invest time to learn it. But the interface isn’t as polished or intuitive as some competitors.

In terms of ease of use, ConvertKit wins for minimal complexity while GetResponse packs more features at the cost of some added learning.

Now let’s move on to how these platforms compare on pricing and support…

Pricing and Support

When selecting an email service provider, pricing and customer support should factor into your decision making. In this section, I’ll compare ConvertKit and GetResponse in these two key areas.

Pricing and Plans

Both ConvertKit and GetResponse offer free plans, which is excellent for testing out the platforms. Here’s an overview of their pricing structure:

ConvertKit pricing:

• Free Plan – 1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails
• Creator Plan – Starts at $29/month for 300 subscribers
• Creator Pro Plan – Starts at $79/month for 1,000 subscribers

GetResponse pricing:

• Free Plan – 500 subscribers, unlimited emails
• Basic Plan – Starts at $15/month for 1,000 subscribers
• Plus Plan – Starts at $49/month for 5,000 subscribers
• Professional Plan – Starts at $165/month for 10,000 subscribers

When evaluating pricing, here are a few key considerations:

• ConvertKit is cheaper than GetResponse at the lowest tier if you have under 1,000 subscribers. The free plan is also more generous.
• GetResponse scales better to larger email lists of over 5,000 subscribers when you look at the features you get.
• GetResponse offers more pricing plan flexibility with options lacking on ConvertKit.
• ConvertKit only counts active subscribers while GetResponse counts all subscribers in pricing.

Overall, if you’re just starting out focus on the free plan options. At higher volumes, GetResponse becomes more affordable per subscriber.

Customer Support

It’s critical to get timely support when issues arise with your email marketing platform. Here is how ConvertKit and GetResponse compare:

• ConvertKit offers email ticketing support as well as live chat for all paid plans. The customer service team is very responsive and usually solves tickets within 24 hours.
• GetResponse also provides email and live chat support. Priority support is given to higher-tier account plans. Average response times are less than an hour.
• For phone support, you need to be on GetResponse’s top-tier plan whereas ConvertKit offers no phone support.
• ConvertKit’s support team is known to be very friendly and helpful. GetResponse tends to be more process-driven.

Both platforms provide solid customer support overall. ConvertKit edges out GetResponse when it comes to the quality and responsiveness of support agents.

Now that we’ve compared the key factors, let’s summarize the pros and cons of each platform.

Verdict

We’ve now done a thorough comparison of ConvertKit and GetResponse across pricing, features, deliverability, ease of use, and other key factors. Let’s summarize the main pros and cons of each platform:

ConvertKit Pros

Simplicity – Extremely easy to use for beginners. Intuitive interface and straightforward tools.

Visualizations – Analytics presented beautifully through charts and graphs.

Support – Top-notch customer support experience. Very responsive and helpful agents.

Cost – Less expensive than GetResponse for under 1,000 subscribers. Generous free plan.

ConvertKit excels at providing a simplified email marketing solution for bloggers, creators, and very small businesses to start building their email list and subscriber engagement.

ConvertKit Cons

Limited features – Lacks more advanced functionality like A/B testing or complex automations.

Template selection – Very narrow template libraries compared to GetResponse.

Customization – Less flexibility for customizing emails, landing pages, and forms.

Deliverability – Slightly lower inbox placement rates compared to GetResponse.

For power users wanting maximum features and customization, ConvertKit has clear limitations.

GetResponse Pros

Features – Extremely wide range of functionality for marketing automation, lead generation, sales, and email design.

Deliverability – Strong inbox placement rates thanks to good sender reputation.

Scalability– Handles large email lists and volumes cost-effectively. Generous limits.

Flexibility – Wide range of pricing tiers to upgrade. Dedicated IP addresses available.

GetResponse provides a powerful email marketing platform suited for established small businesses ready to scale.

GetResponse Cons

Learning curve – Steeper learning curve compared to ConvertKit. New users may need training.

Clunky interface – The overall UX isn’t as clean or intuitive as competitors. Dated in areas.

Support – Slower and more template-driven support compared to ConvertKit’s stellar team.

Reporting – Analytics and reports lack interactive visualizations making data less accessible.

In summary, ConvertKit wins for simplicity while GetResponse provides superior features and scalability but lacks in usability.

Weigh your priorities around functionality needs, subscriber size, and ease of use. Ideally, leverage the free trials fully before committing.

Convertkit vs GetResponse – FAQ

Below I’ve answered some frequently asked questions to help summarize the key differences between ConvertKit and GetResponse.

Is ConvertKit better than GetResponse?

There is no definitive “better” choice. ConvertKit is better for simplicity and ease of use. GetResponse is better for a wider range of features and scaling. Evaluate your specific needs and subscriber size to pick the right platform.

When should I use ConvertKit over GetResponse?

Use ConvertKit if:

• You want the simplest interface to start email marketing
• You have under 1,000 subscribers
• Superior support experience is critical
• You don’t need advanced features like A/B testing

Use GetResponse if:

• You need strong automation and sales funnels
• Your list is larger or growing rapidly
• You want maximum template design options
• Advanced deliverability measures are a priority

Is ConvertKit easy to use?

Yes, ConvertKit prioritizes usability over advanced functionality. The interface is clean and simple. Key tools like email editors and landing page builders are easy to use with drag-and-drop. You can create nice emails without technical skills. The cost is having fewer robust features compared to GetResponse.

Does GetResponse have a free plan?

Yes, GetResponse offers a free plan with 500 subscribers and unlimited emails. This is less generous than ConvertKit’s 1,000 subscriber free plan. GetResponse limits you to one landing page on the free tier. The paid tiers unlock more capabilities and higher list size.

Can you switch between ConvertKit and GetResponse?

It is possible to switch email providers, however the process takes some work. You’ll need to export your subscriber list and recreate your emails/automations on the new platform. Both ConvertKit and GetResponse make this relatively easy with import tools, but expect hiccups transitioning platforms. Typically it’s best to start with the right solution rather than switch later.

What is GetResponse best for?

GetResponse shines for established small businesses that need advanced email functionality like:

• Automated sales funnels and workflows
• Complex multi-channel customer journeys
• A/B split testing and optimization
• Generating leads with landing pages
• Scale past 10,000+ subscribers

GetResponse provides robust tools for mature email marketing programs ready to expand.