Quick answer
EmailOctopus - EmailOctopus wins for most builders who want a simple email-only free tier, while SendPulse wins if you want more built-in automation and multi-channel tools without paying yet.
How the free tiers compare
EmailOctopus and SendPulse both offer perpetual free tiers with no credit card required, but they optimize for different builders. EmailOctopus is the cleaner fit if your job is mainly sending email campaigns, keeping a small list, and publishing a form or landing page without much platform overhead. Its free tier is narrower, but the paid jump is simple and the product stays focused. SendPulse gives you more on the free plan: more emails, more automation, chatbots, CRM, templates, support, and a broader toolkit. The tradeoff is that its paid structure is more complex and tiered, and key features like advanced automation, segmentation, and branding removal are spread across plan levels. For builders who want breadth first, SendPulse feels larger; for builders who want a straightforward email base, EmailOctopus is easier to reason about.
EmailOctopus vs SendPulse free tier, side by side
| EmailOctopusFTV 52 | SendPulseFTV 51 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free emails per monthSendPulse gives the larger free send limit. | 10,000 | 15,000 |
| Free subscribers / contactsThe SendPulse input does not provide a free subscriber cap. | 2,500 subscribers | Not stated in the free-tier input |
| Free landing pagesEmailOctopus includes one landing page on the free plan. | 1 landing page | Not stated |
| Free formsEmailOctopus states a single form; SendPulse says forms are included but does not give a count. | 1 form | Subscription forms |
| Free usersEmailOctopus explicitly limits the free plan to one user. | 1 user | Not stated |
| Free automationSendPulse spells out free automation limits more clearly. | Included, but not quantified in the input | Up to 5 automated flows, up to 50 elements per flow, 1 event trigger |
| Free supportSupport is a notable free-tier difference for SendPulse. | Not stated | 24/7 live chat and email support |
After you outgrow the free tier
EmailOctopus has a flat first paid step: Pro at $9/month billed yearly, with higher subscriber and send limits plus unlimited landing pages, forms, and users. SendPulse is tiered by list size or email volume and then by feature level, starting at about $9.60/month for Standard, with higher Pro and Enterprise tiers at the same size bands. At small scale, the prices are close, but SendPulse’s cost ladder rises as you need more contacts, more advanced automation, or more user seats. EmailOctopus is simpler to price; SendPulse is broader but more segmented.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | EmailOctopus | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| ~500 subscribers / small listSendPulse Standard price shown for up to 500 subscribers. | $9/mo | $9.60/mo |
| 10,000 emails/monthSendPulse pricing is shown for up to 10,000 emails at multiple feature tiers. | Free (within tier) or $9/mo on Pro | $48/mo for Standard, $57.60/mo for Pro, or $80.64/mo for Enterprise |
| Need unlimited landing pages and unlimited usersEmailOctopus Pro explicitly includes unlimited landing pages, forms, and users. | $9/mo | $9.60/mo or higher |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick EmailOctopus when…
- You mainly need a newsletter or campaign tool, not a broader marketing suite.
- You want a small, simple free plan with one landing page and one form.
- You care more about easy list management and basic email sending than multi-channel extras.
- You expect to stay in a lightweight workflow and value a simple flat paid upgrade later.
Pick SendPulse when…
- You want the largest free email allowance between the two.
- You need built-in chatbots, CRM, website builder, or multi-channel subscription forms.
- You want basic automation, templates, analytics, and support inside the free tier.
- You expect to explore more advanced automation and segmentation later, even if pricing gets tiered by contacts or email volume.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, EmailOctopus is the easier pick if you want a focused email tool with a clean free tier and a simple paid step. SendPulse is the better free-tier value if you want to stretch into automation, chatbots, CRM, and support before paying, but its paid path becomes more tiered and feature-split. If your priority is email first and simplicity second, EmailOctopus is the safer default.
Read the full listings: EmailOctopus and SendPulse. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.