Benchmark Email vs Ortto
Benchmark Email is a email marketing platform while Ortto is a all-in-one marketing platform. Benchmark Email has been around since 2004, giving it a 11-year head start over Ortto (founded 2015). Benchmark Email starts at $19/mo, while Ortto has custom pricing. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Benchmark Email offers a free plan (500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month, 1 user), while Ortto does not. Benchmark Email stands out with landing pages, while Ortto offers SMS marketing and ecommerce integrations.
Quick Verdict
Benchmark Email wins on integrations, free tier.
Ortto wins on deliverability, rating.
Best for most users: Ortto (mid market saas and e commerce companies running lifecycle marketing at scale).
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.
Ortto
All-in-one CDP, marketing automation, and analytics platform for lifecycle marketing
Ortto (formerly Autopilot) is an all-in-one marketing platform that combines a Customer Data Platform, visual journey-based automation, and built-in analytics into a single solution. Founded by Australian brothers Michael and Chris Sharkey, it features AI-powered content tools, lead scoring, SMS and email campaigns, and pre-built playbooks for common marketing workflows. Best suited for mid-market teams running lifecycle marketing at scale. Pricing is quote-only.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Benchmark Email | Ortto |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $19/mo | Custom |
| Free Plan | 500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month, 1 user | No free plan |
| Founded | 2004 | 2015 |
| Email Templates | 200 | 80 |
| Integrations | 1,500 | 800 |
| Deliverability Rate | 47.1% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | No | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
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
Ortto: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Unified platform combining Customer Data Platform, marketing automation, and analytics — no need for separate tools
- + Visual journey builder is intuitive with drag-and-drop for building complex multichannel automations
- + Excellent segmentation and lead scoring capabilities based on real-time behavioral data
- + Consistently praised customer support with quick response times across all plan tiers
- + Pre-built playbooks and automation templates significantly reduce setup time for common workflows
Cons
- − No public pricing and no starter tier: every plan is quoted by sales, which rules out most small businesses
- − Transactional emails are Enterprise-only
- − Business and Enterprise plans require annual commitment with no monthly option
- − Steep learning curve for the CDP and advanced reporting features
The Verdict
Benchmark Email and Ortto 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, Ortto reports 95% compared to 47.1% for Benchmark Email — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Benchmark Email | Ortto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $19/mo | Custom |
| Deliverability | 25% | 47.1% | 95% Winner |
| Rating | 25% | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 1500 Winner | 800 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes Winner | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Benchmark Email if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a beginners
- + You're a small businesses
Choose Ortto if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You're a mid market saas and e commerce companies running lifecycle marketing at scale
- + You're a marketing teams wanting a unified cdp with automation and analytics in one platform