Constant Contact vs Ortto
Constant Contact and Ortto are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Constant Contact has been around since 1995, giving it a 20-year head start over Ortto (founded 2015). Constant Contact is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $157 less than Ortto's $169/mo entry point. Constant Contact has the edge with landing pages.
Quick Verdict
Constant Contact wins on price, deliverability.
Ortto wins on rating, integrations.
Best for most users: Constant Contact (small businesses).
Constant Contact
Small business marketing made easy
Constant Contact is one of the most established email marketing platforms, particularly strong for small businesses and nonprofits. Its event marketing capabilities and social media integration set it apart, though its automation features lag behind newer competitors.
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, with plans starting at $509/month for 10,000 contacts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Constant Contact | Ortto |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | $169/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Founded | 1995 | 2015 |
| Email Templates | 300 | 80 |
| Integrations | 300 | 800 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97% | 95% |
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
Constant Contact: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Longest 60-day free trial in the industry
- +Excellent event marketing features
- +300+ templates and integrations
- +Strong brand recognition and trust
- +Social media posting included
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Automation is basic on lower tiers
- −Gets expensive with larger lists
- −Interface feels outdated in places
- −Limited advanced features
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
- −High entry price at $509/month with no starter tier — prohibitive for small businesses and solo marketers
- −Transactional emails locked behind the $1,999/month Enterprise plan
- −Business and Enterprise plans require annual commitment with no monthly option
- −Steep learning curve for the CDP and advanced reporting features
- −Pricing scales aggressively as contact lists grow beyond the base 10,000 contacts
The Verdict
Ortto edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to Constant Contact's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from feature depth (4.8 vs 4.2) and support (4.8 vs 4.3). On deliverability, Constant Contact reports 97% compared to 95% for Ortto — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Constant Contact | Ortto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | $169/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 300 | 800 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Constant Contact if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a nonprofits
Choose Ortto if…
- + 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
- + Unified platform combining Customer Data Platform, marketing automation, and analytics — no need for separate tools