EngageBay vs Keap
EngageBay and Keap are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Keap has been around since 2001, giving it a 17-year head start over EngageBay (founded 2018). EngageBay is the more affordable option at $14.99/mo — that's $284.01 less per month than Keap's $299/mo entry point. EngageBay offers a free plan (250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users), while Keap does not.
Quick Verdict
EngageBay wins on price, deliverability, rating, free tier.
Keap wins on integrations.
Best for most users: EngageBay (small businesses on a budget).
EngageBay
All-in-one CRM for marketing, sales & support
EngageBay is a bootstrapped all-in-one CRM platform that bundles marketing automation, sales pipeline management, helpdesk ticketing, and live chat into a single affordable package. Founded in 2018 as a cost-effective alternative to HubSpot, it serves over 150,000 businesses with a free plan supporting up to 15 users. Its strongest differentiator is delivering the full marketing-sales-support stack at a fraction of enterprise CRM pricing, making it particularly attractive to budget-conscious SMBs.
Keap
CRM-powered sales and marketing automation for small businesses
Keap (formerly Infusionsoft, founded 2001, acquired by Thryv in 2024) is a premium all-in-one CRM and marketing automation platform built for sales-driven small businesses that need contact management, email sequences, SMS marketing, invoicing, and appointment scheduling in a single tool. Its strength lies in powerful automation workflows and a dedicated Customer Success Manager, but the $299/month starting price for just 1,500 contacts makes it one of the most expensive options in its category.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | EngageBay | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $14.99/mo | $299/mo |
| Free Plan | 250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users | No free plan |
| Founded | 2018 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 70 |
| Integrations | 30 | 5,000 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 93% |
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
EngageBay: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Exceptionally affordable all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and support — Pro plan at $119.99/mo vs HubSpot at $900+/mo
- +Generous free plan supports up to 15 team members with email marketing, CRM, helpdesk, and live chat included
- +Highly rated customer support (4.8/5 on Capterra) with live chat and real human agents available 24/5
- +Built-in landing page builder with 87 templates, web forms, pop-ups, and SMS marketing included from Basic plan
- +Strong marketing automation with visual workflow builder, lead scoring, and A/B testing on Growth plan and above
Cons
- −Limited email editor widgets and somewhat outdated email template designs compared to modern competitors
- −Reporting module offers only basic analytics — lacks advanced custom reporting depth for data-driven teams
- −Per-user pricing model becomes expensive as teams scale beyond 5-10 users, especially on Growth and Pro plans
- −Occasional performance issues including slow page loads and intermittent bugs reported by users
- −Steep learning curve for advanced features — the breadth of the all-in-one platform can overwhelm new users
Keap: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Powerful drag-and-drop automation builder that handles complex multi-step sales workflows with conditional triggers
- +True all-in-one platform combining CRM, email, SMS, invoicing, payments, and appointment scheduling
- +Dedicated Customer Success Manager included with every plan for hands-on onboarding and support
- +Deep contact management with tagging, segmentation, and centralized views that reduce manual data entry
- +Built-in text marketing with tiered messaging plans and voice minutes integrated directly into automations
Cons
- −Extremely expensive at $299/month for only 1,500 contacts, with costs escalating quickly for additional contacts and users
- −Steep learning curve with complex campaign builder layouts and no undo button, causing frustration during setup
- −Email marketing capabilities feel half-baked compared to dedicated email platforms despite the premium pricing
- −Invoicing feature is rigid and does not support hourly billing or flexible customization
- −Dated mobile experience and slow feature development compared to more agile competitors like GoHighLevel
The Verdict
EngageBay edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to Keap's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.8 vs 3.7) and deliverability (4.4 vs 3.9). On deliverability, EngageBay reports 95% compared to 93% for Keap — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | EngageBay | Keap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $14.99/mo | $299/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 93% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.7/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 30 | 5000 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose EngageBay if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($14.99/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a small businesses on a budget
- + You're a startups replacing hubspot
Choose Keap if…
- + You're a sales driven small businesses
- + You're a service based businesses
- + Powerful drag-and-drop automation builder that handles complex multi-step sales workflows with conditional triggers