Benchmark Email vs EmailOctopus
Benchmark Email and EmailOctopus are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. Benchmark Email has been around since 2004, giving it a 10-year head start over EmailOctopus (founded 2014). EmailOctopus is the more affordable option at $9/mo — that's $28 less per month than Benchmark Email's $37/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. Benchmark Email has the edge with A/B testing, advanced analytics. Both tools work well for beginners and small businesses.
Quick Verdict
Benchmark Email wins on rating, integrations.
EmailOctopus wins on price, deliverability.
Best for most users: EmailOctopus (beginners).
Benchmark Email
Straightforward email marketing with all features on every plan
Benchmark Email is a multilingual email marketing platform founded in 2004 that takes an all-features-included approach, giving every user access to automation, A/B testing, and analytics regardless of plan tier. Available in 9 languages with global support, it appeals to international teams and nonprofits, though its significantly below-average deliverability rate (47.1% in third-party testing) is a serious concern that undermines its otherwise user-friendly design.
EmailOctopus
Email marketing made easy
EmailOctopus is a stripped-back email marketing tool that focuses on simplicity and affordability. It's ideal for small businesses and creators who want the essentials without paying for features they won't use. Built on Amazon SES for reliable deliverability.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Benchmark Email | EmailOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $37/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month, 1 user | 2,500 subscribers |
| Founded | 2004 | 2014 |
| Email Templates | 200 | 30 |
| Integrations | 1,500 | 45 |
| Deliverability Rate | 47.1% | 97.5% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✕ | ✕ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✕ |
Benchmark Email: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +All features included on every plan including free -- no feature gating between tiers
- +Available in 9 languages with live customer support in each, making it ideal for international teams
- +Intuitive drag-and-drop editor with mobile-optimized templates and device previews
- +Generous free plan with 500 contacts and 2,500 emails per month including AI content generation
- +Simple contact-based pricing that scales predictably without hidden charges for features
Cons
- −Extremely poor deliverability rate of 47.1% in EmailToolTester's January 2024 independent test, consistently ranking near the bottom
- −Segmentation is limited to within individual lists only -- cannot create cross-list segments for flexible targeting
- −Fewer than 30 pre-designed email templates despite marketing claims of 200+, limiting design variety
- −Slow product development cycle with features lagging behind competitors in automation and ecommerce capabilities
- −No migration support for non-enterprise customers when switching from another email platform
EmailOctopus: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Generous free plan (2,500 subscribers)
- +Very affordable Pro plan
- +Simple and clean interface
- +Good deliverability using Amazon SES
- +Easy migration from other platforms
Cons
- −Limited feature set compared to competitors
- −No A/B testing
- −Small template library
- −Basic automation capabilities
- −No ecommerce features
The Verdict
Benchmark Email and EmailOctopus are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, EmailOctopus reports 97.5% compared to 47.1% for Benchmark Email — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Benchmark Email | EmailOctopus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $37/mo | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 47.1% | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.3/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 1500 | 45 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Benchmark Email if…
- + You need A/B testing
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a nonprofits
- + You're a multilingual teams
Choose EmailOctopus if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($9/mo)
- + You're a bloggers
- + You're a startups