Talk of email marketing and two names pop up immediately in our minds, and probably, on the search engines too. Those two names are ConvertKit and GetResponse. Both have a great footing in the email marketing industry, are super functional, and have all the features you need to lead an effective marketing campaign.
But when we compare them head-to-head, that's a whole other story. Fortunately, I've had the opportunity to test both extensively. I found what you might have already seen on a few blogs — GetResponse is far ahead in the race. However, there are also some unique things I found throughout my testing.
In this article, I will extensively review both tools, what makes them unique, and which one might suit you best based on your particular needs. There's no winner or loser here; both are amazing tools. But then again, there's no one-size-fits-all, and that's precisely what I will be talking about.
Before we dive deep in, here's a brief overview of the key differences between both tools:
Don't have time to read the whole review? Here's a brief overview of some of the key differences between both tools:
ConvertKit is a better option for bloggers, online creators, and small businesses starting. It is the cheapest among the two and provides ample features to get things running. Using ConvertKit, you create sign-up forms, build advanced automated funnels, and set up great email campaigns.
However, if your business is already past the initial growth stage and you're up at the expansion stage, GetResponse might be something you'll like. It goes beyond essential automation functions and provides an all-in-one marketing toolkit to track and connect with your audience.
Compared to ConvertKit, which only caters to the needs of SMBs, GetResponse is an all-in-one tool best for every business, regardless of its size.
GetResponse’s vast set of features is its biggest advantage and flaw. Not that it lacks functionality, but it gets really hard for a beginner who hasn't used the tool before to navigate everything.
On the other hand, ConvertKit is very easy to navigate for both beginner and advanced marketers, but with a catch! There aren't as many features. So yeah, there's a trade-off on both sides.
But If I had to choose one based genuinely on ease of use, it would be ConvertKit.
Both tools are excellent when it comes to advanced automation with a lot of unique capabilities, with GetResponse standing out as a more robust option. How and why?
Well, let's leave that for a detailed review. ;)
Landing page builders in both tools are great and highly functional. However, the one with GetResponse is more advanced with more customizability. It’s all drag-and-drop with little to no technicalities!
ConvertKit and GetResponse are great tools, and for a complete beginner, both have a learning curve. However, if I had to give it to one of the two regarding ease of use, I would give it to ConvertKit. But there are trade-offs!
As mentioned, ConvertKit has a straightforward and intuitive interface that almost anyone can understand. Unlike GetResponse, it was created for advanced marketers and large businesses, ConvertKit is mainly targets influencers, bloggers, content creators, and small businesses.
The tool offers basic features like email automation, customizable landing pages, and subscriber management. However, this simplicity results from many functionalities and overall usage trade-offs. The customization options, while pretty solid in their own right, aren't even close to more advanced tools like GetResponse.
Compared to ConvertKit, Getresponse comes with a vast range of features. It has more advanced automation workflows and landing page builders, a very responsive email design, and several other advantages.
However, where this makes the tool extremely versatile and complete in terms of features, it also makes it very hard to navigate. That's especially true when it comes to beginners. There's a steeper learning curve.
It depends on your needs. Both are great tools for what they do. If you are looking for a super easy tool to use and are okay with excluding some features, ConvertKit is the ultimate winner. But if you're all about functionality and ready to go through the learning curve, GetResponse is the best option.
Well, both ConvertKit and GetResponse are excellent email marketing tools, so you cannot doubt their abilities here. However, if I still had to give you a winner here, I would judge them on the two most important features:
So let's get into it:
ConvertKit
ConvertKit allows you to automate every single aspect of your email marketing. You can start an autoresponder or drip campaign whenever a subscriber joins your list.
Moreover, you can tag your subscribers based on how they interact with your emails, sending them personalized emails based on their interests and preferences.
You can also trigger specific "actions" based on the overall activity of the subscribers. The email automation of ConvertKit is downright amazing. You can do so much with it without doing a thing!
GetResponse
GetResponse does all the things that ConvertKit does. You get to make a great subscriber list, set tags on your subscribers, and trigger actions based on your subscriber activities and information changes. Some of the most common email triggers include:
GetResponse also provides you with another cool feature called "calendar view." It lets you see the exact dates on which specific emails will be sent to your subscribers.
Besides, the scope of automation in GetResponse goes beyond just emails and extends to webinars and CRM. While this is not something huge, it gives an edge to GetResponse in overall automation.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit has a decent link-building and segmentation system to organize your subscribers. It provides an email list that allows you to divide your subscribers using different tags and segments.
So that you know, tags allow you to divide your subscribers using different demographics and their overall activities. Segments allow for further organization, helping you categorize different tags.
Using correct tags and then properly segmenting those tags brings a lot of organization to your email list. However, one thing could be a potential bummer; you get only one list! If you run a separate business, you might need another subscription.
GetResponse
GetResponse's list-building and advanced segmentation abilities are as good as ConvertKit's. There are only a few places where it gets an edge, though. Instead of just tagging and segmenting your contacts, you can also connect your list to your CRM or contact management tools.
It allows you to sync your data with GetResponse, and get more accurate readings through frequent automatic updates. Besides, you can also migrate your existing contact base to GetResponse if you're a new user.
The ready-made sales funnels and predesigned template sets are just the cherries on top. It significantly lessens the efforts you would otherwise put into your list-building campaign, reducing it to a completely automated process.
Both tools are significantly good email marketing platforms. However, GetResponse is more advanced, and hence, the winner here!
ConvertKit has a decent landing page builder. However, keep in mind that it has minimal customization options. While you can edit various aspects of the landing page, like color, text, images, etc., other page elements cannot be moved as such.
It's more of a static editor rather than a drag-and-drop one. On the plus side, ConvertKit has over 50+ well-built landing page templates. So the limitations shouldn't be a huge deal if you find the one you like. Overall, decent but not anything extraordinary.
Before digging any deep, let me just give you a simple hint; there's simply no competition here. GetResponse operates in a whole different league.
Let's start with the templates, for instance. GetResponse offers around more than 100+ ready-made templates you can utilize. Additionally, GetResponse also features a drag-and-drop editor to customize text and images and add custom HTML, Javascript, and CSS code.
You can edit every aspect of your landing page, from the page title to the URL and everything in between. This feature is especially attractive for SEO specialists and bloggers.
Another cool feature I like about the GetResponse landing page builder is that it is mobile responsive. You can customize the pages to show or hide specific elements on mobile and desktop devices.
Last but not least, GetResponse also features built-in A/B testing functionality. It lets you to identify the call-to-action button that's converting the most leads. All features considered, GetResponse has one of the most powerful landing page builders among email marketing tools.
GetResponse wins this segment by a mile with its impeccable drag-and-drop builder and extensive features.
Regarding overall email design and templates, both platforms have different approaches. Let's compare:
ConverKit has very few email templates. What they do offer, though, is a custom email builder, which is also quite barebones regarding the overall set of features and functionalities.
It looks more like an embellished version of your regular Gmail account— just with many mumbo-jumbos that don't add significant value in overall customization. The philosophy that ConvertKit presents to justify the simplicity of the tool is "less is more."
They say that the more you embellish your email, the less likely it is for the email to reach your subscriber's inbox. And even if it does, there's less chance for it to convert. And quite rightly!
According to several case studies, text-based emails convert better than emails filled with various media. While leaving space for some media would be great, ConvertKit's strategy works just fine for marketers.
As a genuine email marketing software, GetResponse kills it here as well! GetResponse has a massive library of free designer email templates, about 197+. It also allows you to build an email from scratch with its powerful email creator.
What's even better? The library is updated regularly according to the current email trends and styles, so your email will always look updated, no matter when you send it and to whom!
The email creator is also robust, allowing you to structure emails, add content blocks, customize email fonts and color palettes, and add custom codes. The vast features enable you to organize, personalize, and customize emails just how you like to engage your audience.
The approach of GetResponse email customization is the plain opposite of ConvertKit's. Yet, it seems to work just fine! I like the amount of creative freedom and control it gives you. You can choose what you do and do not want to do with your email.
ConvertKit does not have many templates. On the other hand, GetResponse has up-to-date templates and an email creator that's more advanced than the one in ConvertKit. Ultimate winner? It's GetResponse!
Email deliverability can be tricky to navigate. So I did what anyone would do— I searched the internet and got my hands on the most credible case study that compared all the email marketing titans. Sneak Peek, ActiveCampaign, and MailChimp stood out the best.
As for GetResponse vs. ConvertKit, here are the results:
Generally, over 70% of ConvertKit's emails end up in the user inbox, 14.6% end up in the spam folder, and 11.2% end in tabs. Only 14.6% of emails end up in none of the aforementioned places and go missing. When the deliverability of the tool to the most popular internet service provider was calculated, the results went as follows:
Compared to other tools, most of the emails delivered by ConvertKit are likely to end up in the users' inboxes. While the result isn't something I would call extraordinary, it's still decent enough.
Compared to ConvertKit, GetResponse had a general deliverability rate of 67.1% in the primary inbox, with 19.4% of the emails going to other tabs, 4.7% to spam, and 7.9% going missing. According to the case study, when the deliverability of GetResponse to major internet service providers was compared, the results went as follows:
Based on the above statistics, most emails sent through GetResponse will likely end up in Gmail's promotions tab. Not ideal.
In terms of overall general deliverability, GetResponse has an edge over ConvertKit. But if we look at how many emails are landing in the primary inbox, ConvertKit is better. It's a tough call.
Both tools' analytics and reporting features are basic, with little to no depth compared to similar tools. Here's how ConvertKit and GetResponse compare head-to-head:
ConvertKit's analytics are as simple and basic as they get... whether you are on the basic plan or the "Creator Pro Plan." The basic plan provides typical marketing metrics such as open rate, clickthrough rate, clicks, and unsubscribes. The bounce rate is missing, surprisingly.
The 'Creator Pro plan' gives you some insights into user engagement, purchases, clicks, and email deliverability trends. Still, they are not as advanced as you would like. Overall, I think ConvertKit could do much more with its analytics.
Like ConvertKit, GetResponse is mainly about the basics, e.g., clickthroughs, open rate, and unsubscribe rate... you get the idea. However, there still are some advanced features that give GetResponse some edge.
For example, you get the 'one-click retargeting' feature that allows you to identify people who didn't engage with a particular newsletter, allowing you to send an appropriate follow-up.
There's also an 'Email ROI' feature. Using this, you can add some tracking code to your post-sales page, allowing you to identify whether your email campaigns are driving any sales.
The 'Pre-user information' feature allows you to see where your subscribers signed up from, where they are located, and all the emails they have opened in the past— all through a click!
GetResponse also allows you to compare the performance of two e-newsletters side-by-side, identifying which works better or how it affects your conversion rates.
But, of course, all of those features come at a price. So there’s that. ;)
While both tools don't provide super in-depth analytics, GetResponse beats ConvertKit square and clear when upgraded to the paid version.
When it comes to integrations, you cannot go wrong with any of the two tools. Here's how they compare:
ConvertKit offers a wide range of integration options to supercharge your marketing efforts. From lead capture and E-commerce to CRM and anything in between, ConvertKit has something for everything.
With ConvertKit, you can either use 90+ native integrations. Or you could use some popular third-party tools available on the internet, including Zapier, Stripe, and Jetpack. You can also build new and unique integrations with ConvertKit's API.
GetResponse also provides you with a wide variety of integration options. You can use the tool's native integrations or connect it with third-party applications through Zapier, much like ConvertKit.
Some of the most popular platforms that GetResponse integrates include E-commerce platforms like Shopify, content management systems like WordPress, and many CRM platforms, including HubSpot and Salesforce.
There are about 100+ native integrations supported by GetResponse; besides the 5000+, you can connect to it through third-party tools. Besides, you always have the option to add custom integrations to the platform using GetResponse API.
Both tools support a considerable amount of integrations through third-party solutions and allow you to create your own through API. There isn't a huge difference. The only place where ConvertKit gets beaten is the number of native integrations, but this shouldn't be a huge concern.
It's a tie.
ConvertKit lacks webinar software and relies on other integrations to host webinars. WebinarJam and WebinarNinja are two popular integrations often used by ConvertKit users.
GetResponse is the only email marketing automation tool providing webinar software. That too, with many useful features and an extremely user-friendly interface– you can set it up with just a few clicks.
The webinar software provides all the valuable features you need to keep the users engaged. You can share screens, show slides and videos, and other multimedia within your webinars to make them more informative. Other features like live chat, polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions are also handy.
Another unique feature that I genuinely loved is the webinar analytics and reporting feature. It allows you to monitor and track your webinar attendance, analyze engagement, and access post-webinar reports to gather valuable insights about the overall success of the session.
Last but not least, you can always record your webinar or stream it live on YouTube and Facebook to boost your marketing efforts.
And the winner's GetResponse!
ConvertKit has great customer support overall; with active representatives, you can reach out from 8 AM to 8 PM EST via live chat or email. I contacted them via live chat on their website. And honestly, their representative quickly replied, providing me with a detailed answer to my question.
My own experience was good. However, it is essential to note that online communities have quite a mixed opinion about the answers being provided, with some claiming them to be "generic." According to them, the representatives will direct you to an article on their blog instead of providing a personalized answer.
However, this should be fine, given that online representatives can only help so many people simultaneously. And if a question could be answered through an elaborate blog post, I don't see a problem here. After all, that's what the huge knowledge base is for!
GetResponse has a stellar customer support system where you can reach out 24/7 via live chat and email. Plus, email support is available in 8 different languages, which makes things much more convenient.
The responses are direct, clear, and concise, earning GetResponse a generally excellent reputation among users with no problems whatsoever. If you upgrade to GetResponse's max plan, you also get 24/7 phone call support, which makes it even better. Not to mention the huge knowledge base with tons of useful content and tutorials.
ConvertKit has overall excellent customer support. However, the 24/7 availability and phone call service of GetResponse is more convenient. GetResponse wins here as well.
ConvertKit's pricing is directly targeted toward small business owners and marketers. There are three pricing plans listed on ConvertKit's official website, each allowing access to a different number of marketing features but the same number of subscribers:
You can get a discount if you subscribe to the yearly plan.
GetResponse pricing is targeted toward both small and large business owners. You get four pricing plans on GetResponse's official website:
Try GetResponse yearly plan if you're looking for huge discounts.
With all the pros and cons considered, my top choice for you would be GetResponse. Don’t get me wrong, ConvertKit is excellent to cover the basics and does a great job at whatever it does. But when we talk about things at an advanced level, GetResponse comes out as a complete tool.
Be it customizability, reports, or automation, GetResponse excels at everything. Need to create a great email? Great, hope over the vast library of readymade templates and customize them just the way you like with the drag-drop builder. The same goes for landing pages and forms as well.
Have any problems? The amazing customer support and knowledge base are there to help. And last but not least, you get webinar software to boost your marketing; GetResponse is the only email marketing tool that provides it without third-party tools.
While I wouldn’t call GetResponse the creme la creme of marketing automation tools, it indeed finds its place it somewhere at the top. Give it a try to find out!
Irina is a Founder at ONSAAS, Growth Lead at Aura, and a SaaS marketing consultant. She helps companies to grow their revenue with SEO and inbound marketing. In her spare time, Irina entertains her cat Persie and collects airline miles.
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