Is Flodesk or Sender better for an online course?

Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Sender if you are starting out with no budget. Sender if you are a list already in the thousands. Flodesk if you are worried about being locked in.

Which of Flodesk and Sender has the better free plan?

Sender 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 Flodesk to Sender 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.

Flodesk vs Sender

Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.

Flodesk

Sender

Which one, for whom

Starting out with no budgetSenderSender 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 Sender
A list already in the thousandsSenderSender stays free to 2,500 subscribers against Flodesk's nothing.
Worried about being locked inFlodeskFlodesk keeps your subscribers and automations when you cancel, rather than deleting them.See Flodesk pricing

Side by side

	Flodesk	Sender
Free plan	None	2,500 subscribers
Free sends	None on the free plan	15,000 emails/mo
Welcome sequence on free	No	Yes
Connects to Teachable	Not listed	Not listed
Connects to Kajabi	Through Zapier	Not listed
Connects to Podia	Not listed	Not listed
Connects to Thinkific	Not listed	Not listed
Paid from	$25/mo	$9/mo
The catch	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.	A smaller name with a smaller integration list. Check it connects to your course platform before you commit.
G2 score	4.8 out of 5, from 302 reviews	4.7 out of 5, from 278 reviews
Trustpilot score	4.9 out of 5, from 364 reviews	4.9 out of 5, from 1,421 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:Flodesk on G2, Flodesk on Trustpilot, Sender on G2, Sender on Trustpilot.

Getting your list back out

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

SenderEasy to leave

The friendliest exit terms we found. Cancelling drops you to the free plan instead of deleting anything: their help page says subscribers, campaigns, automations, forms and reports are all retained. Source

Flodesk vs Sender, answered

Is Flodesk or Sender better for an online course?: Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Sender if you are starting out with no budget. Sender if you are a list already in the thousands. Flodesk if you are worried about being locked in.
Which of Flodesk and Sender has the better free plan?: Sender 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 Flodesk to Sender 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

Flodesk

The 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 pricing Read the full Flodesk breakdown

Sender

The most generous free plan we found

$9/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.

Start free on Sender Read the full Sender breakdown

Moving 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.