Drip vs EmailOctopus
Drip and EmailOctopus are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. EmailOctopus is the more affordable option at $9/mo, which is $30 less than Drip's $39/mo entry point. EmailOctopus offers a free plan (2,500 subscribers), while Drip does not. Drip stands out with A/B testing and SMS marketing, while EmailOctopus offers landing pages.
Quick Verdict
Drip wins on deliverability, rating.
EmailOctopus wins on price, integrations, free tier.
It's a close call — your choice depends on your specific needs.
Drip
Marketing automation for ecommerce
Drip is a focused ecommerce marketing platform known for its powerful visual automation builder and behavior-based segmentation. It's designed specifically for online stores that want sophisticated marketing automation without the complexity of enterprise tools.
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 | Drip | EmailOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $39/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | 2,500 subscribers |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
| Email Templates | 50 | 100 |
| Integrations | 150 | 1,000 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 97.5% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | No |
| Landing Pages | No | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
Drip: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Excellent ecommerce automation
- + Visual workflow builder
- + Strong Shopify integration
- + Revenue attribution
- + Behavior-based segmentation
Cons
- − No free plan
- − More expensive starting price ($39)
- − No landing page builder
- − Limited to ecommerce focus
- − Smaller company, less known
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
Drip edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to EmailOctopus's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from feature depth (4.4 vs 3.9) and deliverability (4.5 vs 4.1). On deliverability, Drip reports 98% compared to 97.5% for EmailOctopus — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Drip | EmailOctopus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $39/mo | $9/mo Winner |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% Winner | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.4/5 Winner | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 150 | 1000 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes Winner |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Drip if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need A/B testing
- + You need advanced analytics
Choose EmailOctopus if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($9/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a beginners