EmailOctopus vs Systeme.io
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
EmailOctopus
Systeme.ioWhich one, for whom
- A list already in the thousandsEmailOctopusEmailOctopus stays free to 2,500 subscribers against Systeme.io's 2,000.Start free on EmailOctopus
- Worried about being locked inSysteme.ioEmailOctopus's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Systeme.io does not do that.Start free on Systeme.io
- Selling the course from the same toolSysteme.ioSysteme.io can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.
Side by side
| EmailOctopus | Systeme.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | 2,000 subscribers |
| Free sends | 10,000 emails/mo | Unlimited emails |
| Welcome sequence on free | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Through Zapier | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Paid from | $9/mo | $17/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | Not published | $17 |
| At 25,000 subscribers | Not published | $97 |
| The catch | Fewer features than the others by design. Good if you only need to send, thin if you need funnels. | The free plan holds one course only, and takes 0% on sales, which is rare. |
| G2 score | 4.2 out of 5, from 46 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 750 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.8 out of 5, from 267 reviews | 4.9 out of 5, from 8,448 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, Systeme.io on G2, Systeme.io 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
Systeme.io
You can export contacts to CSV yourself at any time. Cancelling does not take effect immediately: it stops the subscription from renewing, and you keep access until the end of the current billing period, at which point the plan is removed automatically. Their terms and conditions add that subscription plans are non-refundable, and that an account can be banned without notice for a content-policy violation. What happens to stored data after a cancellation takes effect is not stated. Source
EmailOctopus vs Systeme.io, answered
- Is EmailOctopus or Systeme.io 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. Systeme.io if you are worried about being locked in. Systeme.io if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of EmailOctopus and Systeme.io has the better free plan?
- EmailOctopus allows more free subscribers (2,500 against 2,000). 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 Systeme.io 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 breakdownSysteme.ioCourse hosting, funnels and email on one free plan
$17/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,000. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on Systeme.ioRead the full Systeme.io 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.