Flodesk vs Sender
Flodesk and Sender are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. Sender has been around since 2012, giving it a 7-year head start over Flodesk (founded 2019). Sender starts at $10/mo versus $38/mo for Flodesk. Both offer free plans to get started. Flodesk stands out with landing pages, while Sender offers SMS marketing and API access. Both tools work well for indie and bootstrapped.
Quick Verdict
Sender wins on price, deliverability, rating, integrations.
Best for most users: Sender (small businesses).
Flodesk
Design emails people love to get
Flodesk is a design-first email marketing platform known for its stunning templates and flat-rate pricing model. It's particularly popular among creative professionals who prioritize visual design over advanced marketing features. The unlimited subscriber pricing makes it excellent value for growing lists.
Sender
Affordable email and SMS marketing
Sender offers one of the most generous free plans in email marketing, combined with built-in SMS capabilities. It's an excellent choice for budget-conscious businesses that need both email and SMS marketing without breaking the bank.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Flodesk | Sender |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Starting Price | $38/mo | $10/mo |
| Free Plan | Free list-building tools (forms, landing pages, audience tools); email sending requires paid plan | 2,500 subscribers |
| Founded | 2019 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 40 | 50 |
| Integrations | 20 | 50 |
| Deliverability Rate | 96% | 97% |
| 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 | ✕ | ✕ |
Flodesk: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Beautiful, design-focused email templates
- +Flat-rate pricing regardless of list size
- +Unlimited subscribers on all plans
- +Simple and intuitive interface
- +Built-in checkout and digital product sales
Cons
- −No A/B testing
- −No API access
- −Very limited integrations
- −No SMS marketing
- −Basic automation compared to competitors
Sender: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Extremely generous free plan (2,500 subs, 15,000 emails)
- +Built-in SMS marketing on all plans
- +Very affordable paid plans
- +Ecommerce integrations for abandoned cart
- +No credit card required for free plan
Cons
- −No A/B testing
- −No landing page builder
- −Smaller integration ecosystem
- −Less well-known brand
- −Limited advanced features
The Verdict
Flodesk and Sender 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, Sender reports 97% compared to 96% for Flodesk — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Flodesk | Sender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $38/mo | $10/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 96% | 97% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 20 | 50 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Flodesk if…
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a designers
- + You're a creatives
Choose Sender if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($10/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You're a small businesses