EmailOctopus vs Flodesk
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
EmailOctopus
FlodeskWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetEmailOctopusEmailOctopus can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. Flodesk cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.Start free on EmailOctopus
- A list already in the thousandsEmailOctopusEmailOctopus stays free to 2,500 subscribers against Flodesk's nothing.
- Worried about being locked inFlodeskEmailOctopus's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Flodesk does not do that.See Flodesk pricing
Side by side
| EmailOctopus | Flodesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | None |
| Free sends | 10,000 emails/mo | None on the free plan |
| Welcome sequence on free | Yes | No |
| Connects to Teachable | Through Zapier | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Through Zapier |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Not listed |
| Paid from | $9/mo | $25/mo |
| The catch | Fewer features than the others by design. Good if you only need to send, thin if you need funnels. | Two catches. Their pricing table lists email sending on the free plan while their own FAQ says the free plan does not include it, so read the free plan as forms and landing pages only. And their pricing page currently serves two different plan line-ups from the same address, one with a cheaper Lite plan and one without, so check which one you are actually offered before you commit. |
| G2 score | 4.2 out of 5, from 46 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 302 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.8 out of 5, from 267 reviews | 4.9 out of 5, from 364 reviews |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 9 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
The last two rows are other people's scores, not ours, read on 6 September 2026. Check them yourself:EmailOctopus on G2, EmailOctopus on Trustpilot, Flodesk on G2, Flodesk on Trustpilot.
- EmailOctopus: The G2 score rests on 46 reviews, which is a small enough number that a handful of unhappy or delighted people can move it.
Getting your list back out
EmailOctopusHard to leave
Cancelling the paid plan on its own just drops you to the free tier: contacts and lists are retained, though automations pause. Their Terms of Use go further than that, though: "Once terminated, we may permanently delete your account and all the data associated with it, including your Content from our Website." A full, deliberate account deletion is described in their own help article as removing everything, including lists, campaigns and reports, and is irreversible. Export your list before deleting anything, not just before cancelling. Source
FlodeskEasy to leave
Cancelling does not delete anything. Their help page answers it directly: your data remains safe and all your content will still be available. You drop to their free tier, which keeps your forms collecting subscribers but cannot send email, so the list is held rather than lost and stays frozen until you pay again. Source
EmailOctopus vs Flodesk, answered
- Is EmailOctopus or Flodesk better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. EmailOctopus if you are starting out with no budget. EmailOctopus if you are a list already in the thousands. Flodesk if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of EmailOctopus and Flodesk has the better free plan?
- EmailOctopus allows more free subscribers (2,500 against none). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from EmailOctopus to Flodesk later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep whatever marks who bought from you. We wrote the whole running order up separately.
Try either one
EmailOctopusCheapest way to run a plain list
$9/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on EmailOctopusRead the full EmailOctopus breakdownFlodeskThe best looking emails, but nothing free to send with
$25/mopaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See Flodesk pricingRead the full Flodesk breakdownMoving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer 5 questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.
Neither of these? See all 14, including which ones connect straight to Teachable, Kajabi, Podia or Thinkific, or compare what they cost as your list grows.