In 2021 how do you stand out in a crowded marketplace and increase the bottom line of your business?
With an ever-increasing number of products combined with short attention spans, sales nowadays require a higher level of personalization. Where email marketing used to suffice, omnichannel marketing has become a necessary investment for all business owners wanting to stay competitive in today’s virtual economy. Over a hundred different omnichannel marketing automation services exist today, making it an overwhelming decision to choose.
About Ominisend
Omnisend marketing is an omnichannel marketing automation platform. It has become wildly popular in the last few years and appears to be dominating the marketplace.
Currently rated 4 ½ out of 5 stars by G2, Omnisend is known as ‘the world’s largest tech marketplace.’ But, that’s not all; it has won three awards in 2021 for user functionality.
Furthermore, Omnisend offers over six different marketing channels for automation, including email, SMS, push notifications, WhatsApp, pop-ups, segmentation, Facebook, and Google ad integrations, as well as a multitude of other metric measuring tools and helpful features.
This begs the question, “is Omnisend the holy grail of marketing automation?”
Not necessarily.
This blog will seek to compare the most competitive Omnisend alternatives in today’s virtual space and their features to help you make an educated decision about which automation platform is best suited for your business needs.
» MORE: Omnisend Pricing
5 Top Omnisend Alternatives
- Klaviyo – best for free SMS credits
- MailChimp – best marketing automation
- Drip – best for intuitive design
- Active Campaign – best for app integrations
- HubSpot – best for CRM integration
1. Klaviyo – best for free SMS credits
Klaviyo, an omnichannel marketing platform originating from Boston, MA, appears to be in top competition with Omnisend, serving 50,000 + businesses.
Integrations
Klaviyo is an excellent choice for E-Commerce businesses as it provides seamless integration with top E-Commerce platforms, including Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Commerce Cloud, Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Amazon Marketplace, Salesforce, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud. In addition, Klaviyo lists 170+ integrations on their website, whereas Omnisend lists only 10!
*Note: Omnisend also offers integrations with the above but doesn’t offer integration with Commerce Cloud, Amazon Marketplace, Salesforce, or Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Product Features
Klaviyo shares many of the same features with Omnisend, such as:
- Email Campaign Management, Email Distribution, Email Management, Email Marketing, Email Templates, Segmentation
- E-commerce Management
- Campaign Management, Scheduling, Custom Segmentation
- SMS Messaging & Marketing Management
- Social Media Integration
- Facebook Advertising
- A/B Testing
- Analytics/ROI Tracking
- Click Tracking
- Customizable CTA’s
- Customizable Templates
- Drag-and-Drop Email Design
- Drip Campaigns
- Landing Pages/Web Forms
- Lead Generation
- List Management
- Marketing Automation
- Message Personalization
- Real Time Analytics & Reporting
Unique features to Klaviyo that Omnisend doesn’t have are multivariate testing, newsletter management, Multicampaign, Real-Time Data, Real-Time Monitoring & Updates, Help Desk Management, and Dashboard Creation. Additionally, MMS is available to customers worldwide, whereas Omnisend users can only use MMS in the US or Canada.
Pricing
Klaviyo’s monthly pricing is somewhat complex and increases with the number of email list subscribers. On their website, you can calculate your monthly pricing based on the exact number of subscribers, but here is a rough estimate:
| Contacts/Subscribers | Price Per Month |
| 0 – 250 | $20 |
| 500 – 1000 | $30 – $45 |
| 1000 – 1500 | $45 – $60 |
| 5000 – 9,900 | $130 – $175 |
| 10,000 – 75,000 | $200 – $950 |
| 80,000+ | $1,000+ |
Added Pricing Features:
- For contact lists of 45,000 and under, there is no cap on emailing, and you can send an unlimited number of emails.
- For contact lists of 5,000 and under, there is no charge for SMS. After 5,000 contacts, you can send up to 150 contacts SMS or 50 MMS, after which it costs an extra $20 per 500 subscribers.
Omnisend’s monthly pricing compared with Klaviyo
| Contacts/Subscribers | Standard Plan Per Month | Pro Plan Per Month |
| 500 | $16 | $99 |
| 1,000 – 5,000 | $20 – $60 | $99 – $120 |
| 5,001 – 10,000 | $66 – $102 | $130 – $210 |
| 10,001 – 75,000 | $102 – $480 | $210 – $1,000 |
| 80,001+ | $510+ | $1,070+ |
- Unlike Klayvio, Omnisend doesn’t offer unlimited emails for smaller contact lists. Emails cap at 15,000 for contact lists of 500 and at 75,000 emails for contact lists of 5,000 for Pro Plans.
- Omnisend does offer free SMS credits for the Pro plan, but it is unclear on their website whether or not this is unlimited.
Verdict: Both Omnisend and Klayvio are excellent choices for E-Commerce businesses that have the budget to invest in this software. Both offer a plethora of features, but Klayvio has far more integrations available and unlimited emails for smaller contact lists.
Omnisend shines here by offering free SMS credits. Although almost identical in price, more in-depth research may be needed to decide which platform best suits your individual company’s needs as they have many similarities.
» MORE: ActiveCampaign vs. Klaviyo
2. Mailchimp – best marketing automation
Mailchimp used to be solely email marketing but has added automation services to stay hip with recent years. According to their website, they were rated #1 marketing automation software in Capterra’s Top 20 report in 2021, but are they truly up to snuff? Let’s investigate.
Integrations
Mailchimp boasts over 288 different integrations in a vast array of categories, including but not limited to: E-Commerce, event management, reservation management, fan engagement, subscription management, subscription billing, app tracking, site analytics, marketing reporting, lead generation, site management, app development and more.
Product Features
| Marketing CRM tools Landing Pages & Sign-up Forms | Social Posts & Ads Demographics |
| Campaign Templates Personalization Audience Dashboard Segmentation | Business Card Scanner Subject Line Helper A/B Testing Mailchimp Mobile App |
| Behavioral Targeting Tags | Contact Profiles Creative Assistant |
| Predictive Commerce Insights | Content Studio |
Pricing
Mailchimp offers four tiers to choose from and gradually increases in price based on added features
| Free (500 Contacts) | Basic (500 Contacts) | Standard (500 Contacts) | Premium (10,000 Contacts) |
| 0 per month | 9.99 per month | 14.99 per month | 299.00 per month |
| Includes email builder, Marketing CRM, Forms & Landing Pages, Website Builder & Domain | Includes everything in free plus Email Templates, ‘Multi-Step Journeys’ Custom Branding, A/B Testing, 24/7 email & chat support | Includes everything in Basic plus Customer Journey Builder + Branching Points, Send Time Optimization, Behavioral Targeting, Custom Template & Dynamic Content | Includes everything in Standard, plus Advanced Segmentation, Multivariate Testing, Comparative Reporting, unlimited seats & role-based access, phone support |
Mailchimp may have an aesthetically pleasing interface and unique features, but there are some serious drawbacks to consider:
- There is no phone support unless you sign up for the premium account at $299
- Mailchimp does not allow affiliate marketing
- It is incompatible with Shopify
- Mailchimp charges for unsubscribes and subscribers across audiences. Ouch!
- Mailchimp may ban users based on their sender statistics.
Verdict: Mailchimp is an appropriate choice for a business owner, just starting with a smaller contact list or fewer data-driven with an artistic flair. Most serious marketers will want to utilize affiliate marketing at some point as part of their marketing strategy and will not find MailChimp helpful for that reason. Mailchimp doesn’t offer SMS or MMS messaging, making it less competitive with other platforms like Klaviyo or Omnisend.
» MORE: Hubspot Vs. Mailchimp
3. Drip – best intuitive design
Drip is a newer omnichannel automation service, emerging on the scene in recent years. This platform is a serious contender amongst the top marketing platforms, noted for its intuitive design, modern feel, and results-driven automation tools.
Integrations
Drip has integrations with E-Commerce sites Shopify, Shopify Plus, and WooCommerce, and offers over 100+ integrations, including Facebook lead ads, Kajabi, and PayPal, to name a few. Additionally, as a member of Drip, you can request integration services for apps not listed on their platform, and they will accommodate you.
Product Features
- Form builder templates customizable for branding
- SMS with targeted segments including abandoned cart messages
- Behavior based automations
- Tags & Custom Fields
- Facebook and Instagram ads based on dashboard analytics
- Automated Email Responses
- Landing Pages and Forms
- Dynamic Content
- Marketing Lead Database
- Data Quality Management
- Segmentation
- Personalized Email Builder
Verdict: Drip is an excellent choice for anyone serious about growing their business. In a similar price range to Klaviyo and Omnisend with the same bells and whistles, Drip takes the cake for its sleek feel and user-friendly accessibility.
» MORE: Best Mass Email Marketing Software
4. Active Campaign – best for app integrations
Winning eight awards in 2020 alone, Active Campaign is a super-giant amongst marketing automation platforms. With hundreds of integrations and dynamic features, Active Campaign ranks high as a competitive Omnisend Alternative.
Integrations
Active Campaign has all other platforms beat in the realm of app integrations, possessing over 850 with all major E-Commerce stores.
Product Features
- Building and Personalizing Emails
- Automated Email Responses
- Landing pages + forms
- Marketing Lead Database
- Data Quality Management
- Segmentation
- Online Behavior Tracking
- Automated Alerts and Tasks
- SMS + Website Messages
- Facebook Ads
- Chrome Extension
- Mobile App
Pricing
Active Campaign offers four different pricing tiers, of which payment is paid per year upfront. The following table is an approximate pricing schedule for 500 contacts and goes up in price based on the number of contacts in your list. You can calculate the exact price on their website.
| Lite | Plus | Professional | Enterprise |
| $9 Per Month | $49 Per Month | $129 Per Month | $229 Per Month |
| Unlimited Sending; Email Marketing; Send Newsletters; Subscription Forms; Marketing Automation; | Everything from Lite; CRM with Sales Automation; Landing Pages; Facebook Custom Audiences; Lead & Contact Scoring; | Everything from Plus; Predictive Sending with Machine Learning; Predictive Content with Machine Learning; Customer Attribution & Path to Purchase; Conversion Attribution Reporting; | Everything from Professional; Custom Reporting (Beta); Custom Mailserver Domain; Custom Domain; Dedicated Account Rep; |
Verdict: Active Campaign may be highly efficient in driving sales and engagement, but the price point is relatively high. For one year at the ‘professional’ tier, you are looking at spending $1,548 upfront for only 500 contacts, compared with Omnisend, Klayvio, or Drip, which would cost you closer to $1,000.
In addition, paying the entire year upfront may not be within budget parameters for some companies. On top of that, Active Campaign requires a two-year commitment with no ability to cancel.
» MORE: Best Professional Email Marketing Software
5. HubSpot – best for CRM integration
HubSpot was named #1 product for marketers in G2’s best software awards of 2020. A truly all-in-one integrated marketing platform, HubSpot is a one-stop shop with content management systems, social media marketing, lifecycle tracking, and analytics.
Integrations
HubSpot features over 500 integrations and growing each month. HubSpot has integrations with WooCommerce, Shopify, Salesforce, Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Ads, and Google Ads, just to name a few.
Product Features
- Building and Personalizing Emails
- A/B Testing
- Lead Management
- Ad Management
- Analytics
- Partitioning
- Web Analytics
- SEO and content strategy applications
- CTA’s
- Video hosting
- Social Media
- Segmentation
- Online Behavior Tracking
- Progressive Profiling
Pricing
HubSpot offers four different marketing tiers, with an increasing number of features for higher levels. You can also add SMS for an additional price, but the price is not listed on their site.
| Free | Starter | Professional | Enterprise |
| 500 Contacts or Less | $50 for 1,000 Contacts per month | $800 for 2,000 contacts per month | $3,200 for 10,000 Contacts per month |
| Forms Contact activity Contact management Contact & company insights Ad management | All Marketing Hub Free features HubSpot branding removed Email marketing Lists Mobile optimization | All Marketing Hub Starter features Phone support Blog & content creation tools SEO & content strategy Social media Calls-to-action Landing pages (And much more) | All Marketing Hub Professional features Multi-touch revenue attribution Custom event reporting Custom event triggers Adaptive testing (AI-powered A/B testing) Predictive lead scoring Single sign-on Content partitioning CMS membership YouTube integration |
Verdict: HubSpot is an excellent Omnisend alternative with its vast array of features, great CRM integration, and top-notch marketing automation. The downside to HubSpot is the learning curve that needs to take place to get the total value of all its features, not to mention it can get pricy at the higher tiers and the higher number of contacts in your list.
» MORE: How Much Does Email Marketing Cost?
Final Thoughts
You need to have an omnichannel marketing automation service to stay relevant in 2021’s virtual economy. Choosing the right marketing automation platform is a vital and personal decision that will affect all other facets of how you do business, from workflow processes to the voice and tone of your brand.
Omnisend is an incredible tool, but there are many other marketing automation platforms on par with Omnisend. So take your time, do the research, and choose wisely. Happy hunting!
References:
1. https://ecommercetech.io/apps/omnisend
2. https://culture.g2.com
3. https://www.ecommerce-mag.com/10-email-alternatives-to-mailchimp-for-shopify
4. https://www.directimages.com/blog/the-benefits-of-hubspot-and-marketing-automation
5. https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing?hubs_content=www.hubspot.com/&hubs_content-cta=nav-software-marketing-b
6. https://www.drip.com
7. https://www.klaviyo.com/
8. https://www.activecampaign.com/
9. https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/