EmailOctopus vs Omnisend
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on a couple of things that matter more than the monthly price.
EmailOctopus
OmnisendWhich one, for whom
- A list already in the thousandsEmailOctopusEmailOctopus stays free to 2,500 subscribers against Omnisend's 250.Start free on EmailOctopus
- Worried about being locked inOmnisendEmailOctopus's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Omnisend does not do that.Start free on Omnisend
Side by side
| EmailOctopus | Omnisend | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | 250 subscribers |
| Free sends | 10,000 emails/mo | 500 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | $11.20/mo |
| The catch | Fewer features than the others by design. Good if you only need to send, thin if you need funnels. | 500 free emails a month is roughly 2 sends to a 250-person list. |
| G2 score | 4.2 out of 5, from 46 reviews | 4.6 out of 5, from 1,246 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.8 out of 5, from 267 reviews | 4.4 out of 5, from 506 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, Omnisend on G2, Omnisend 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
OmnisendEasy to leave
Cancelling a paid plan does not delete anything by itself: their help centre says you drop to the free plan and your contacts, campaigns and reports "remain accessible in read-only mode." The real risk is inactivity rather than cancellation: an account with no login for several months can be treated as inactive and permanently deleted, and a deliberate account deletion is instant and irreversible. Export your list if you plan to leave the account untouched for a while. Source
EmailOctopus vs Omnisend, answered
- Is EmailOctopus or Omnisend better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. EmailOctopus if you are a list already in the thousands. Omnisend if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of EmailOctopus and Omnisend has the better free plan?
- EmailOctopus allows more free subscribers (2,500 against 250). 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 Omnisend 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 breakdownOmnisendOnly if you also ship physical products
$11.20/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 250. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on OmnisendRead the full Omnisend 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.