EmailOctopus vs Moosend
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
EmailOctopus
MoosendWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetEmailOctopusEmailOctopus can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. Moosend 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 Moosend's nothing.
- Worried about being locked inMoosendEmailOctopus's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Moosend does not do that.See Moosend pricing
Side by side
| EmailOctopus | Moosend | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | None |
| Free sends | 10,000 emails/mo | 30-day trial only |
| Welcome sequence on free | Yes | No |
| Connects to Teachable | Through Zapier | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Not listed |
| Paid from | $9/mo | $7/mo |
| The catch | Fewer features than the others by design. Good if you only need to send, thin if you need funnels. | There is no permanent free plan, only a 30-day trial, so there is no way to park a list here without paying every month. |
| G2 score | 4.2 out of 5, from 46 reviews | 4.6 out of 5, from 744 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.8 out of 5, from 267 reviews | 2.8 out of 5, from 83 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, Moosend on G2, Moosend 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.
- Moosend: Reviewers disagree about this one. It scores 4.6 on G2 and 2.8 on Trustpilot. Read a page of each before you decide, because one of those audiences is having a different experience to the other.
- Moosend: The Trustpilot score rests on 83 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
Moosend
Their pricing page says that when a free trial ends your account and all your data stay intact, and you regain access as soon as you upgrade. Their terms and conditions (a PDF linked from their legal page) add two things the pricing page does not mention: a paid subscription is non-cancelable and non-refundable once paid, and it automatically renews for another term unless either side gives written notice at least 60 days before the current term ends. What happens to a list on an ordinary cancellation, short of a breach or non-payment, is still not stated. Source
EmailOctopus vs Moosend, answered
- Is EmailOctopus or Moosend 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. Moosend if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of EmailOctopus and Moosend 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 Moosend 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 breakdownMoosendCheap once you pay, but nothing is free
$7/mopaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See Moosend pricingRead the full Moosend 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.