Quick answer
SendPulse - SendPulse wins for most builders because its free tier is broader for email-first marketing and already includes a usable CRM, forms, analytics, and 15,000 emails per month with no credit card required.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve different problems. Engage is the better fit if you need a customer engagement workspace centered on active users, segmentation, messaging channels, and support tools. Its free plan is more like a small product-ops starter kit, with limits on users, lists, segments, and automations, but it covers chat, inbox, SDKs, API, and multichannel messaging in one place. SendPulse is more email-centered, but it reaches farther on day one: 15,000 emails a month, 3 chatbots, forms, a website builder, CRM, automation basics, analytics, and support. For builders testing lifecycle marketing, SendPulse’s free plan is easier to start with and cheaper to delay upgrading from. Engage becomes more attractive when your workflow depends on active-user counts and shared support workflows rather than email volume.
Engage vs SendPulse free tier, side by side
| EngageFTV 60 | SendPulseFTV 51 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free account limitDifferent quota types, so they are not directly comparable. | 1,000 active users | 15,000 emails per month |
| Team members / usersSendPulse's free-tier user limit was not provided. | 2 team members | Not stated in free tier |
| Automation allowanceSendPulse also limits flows to 50 elements and 1 event on free. | 2 automations | Up to 5 automated flows |
| Lists / segmentationEngage is more explicit about list and segment caps. | 3 lists, 3 segments | Basic automation features; segmentation not specified on free |
| Messaging channels on freeEach product emphasizes different channel mix. | Email, SMS, push, in-browser messaging, live chat, messaging API, SDKs | Email, chatbots, web push, subscription forms, CRM, website builder |
| Credit card required on free tierBoth inputs explicitly say no credit card is required. | No | No |
After you outgrow the free tier
Engage’s first paid step is a usage-based Starter plan at $50/month, then Growth at $150/month, with pricing tied mainly to active users and team size. SendPulse uses tiered plans, starting at Standard from $9.60/month when billed every 6 months for up to 500 subscribers, with higher tiers for more advanced automation and more users. For small-team email marketing, SendPulse is cheaper and easier to enter. Engage becomes the pricier but more workspace-like option as your audience and collaboration needs grow.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Engage | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| 500 contacts / subscribersSendPulse's listed Standard plan covers up to 500 subscribers. | Not enough data to estimate | $9.60/mo |
| 5,000 active users or contactsEngage's Starter plan includes 5,000 active users. No matching SendPulse subscriber pricing was provided. | $50/mo minimum | Not enough data to estimate |
| 15,000 active users or contactsEngage's Growth plan includes 15,000 active users. SendPulse did not provide a comparable subscriber tier in the input. | $150/mo minimum | Not enough data to estimate |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Engage when…
- You are building a SaaS support and messaging workflow with live chat and a shared inbox in the same tool.
- You care more about active users, lists, and segments than email send volume.
- You want SMS, push, in-browser messaging, and transactional messaging under one roof.
- You need API and SDK access on the free plan for product integration work.
- You are a small team of 1 to 2 people and can live within 1,000 active users and 2 automations.
Pick SendPulse when…
- You are primarily sending email campaigns and want the biggest free send allowance.
- You need a built-in CRM, landing/website tools, or subscription forms at no cost.
- You want to test basic automation and analytics before paying.
- You are exploring chatbots as part of your free-channel mix.
- You want no credit card required and a free plan that stays useful even before you optimize segmentation.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, SendPulse is the better free-tier pick because it gives you more room to test real campaigns before you pay, especially if email is the main channel. Engage is stronger when you are building a broader customer engagement stack and need chat, inbox, SDKs, and active-user-based workflows in the same place. If you are email-first, start with SendPulse. If you are product-ops-first and need cross-channel engagement, pick Engage.
Read the full listings: Engage 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.