GetResponse Pricing
Understanding Email
Marketing Costs
Ever heard the email marketing statistic doing rounds on the internet?| GetResponse . The word on the street is that a business can reap an ROI (Return on Investment) of $44 per dollar $1 (i.e. 4400%) in the U.S. or £38 per £1 in the U.K.
With such ROI figures, launching an email marketing should be a no-brainer, right? According to market data, only 8 in every 10 B2C and B2B companies leverage email marketing technology (Respectable figure, yes—perfect, not really). So why isn’t everyone on the email marketing bandwagon? Well, I have a rough guess to explain the lack of full-scale adoption—and it revolves around misconceptions on email marketing costs!
People—especially new online entrepreneurs—assume that email marketing costs are high and only affordable to mid- or large-sized companies that have marketing budgets to burn. Taking this into consideration, the purpose of this article is to dispel the misguided assumption by reiterating the game-changing power of email marketing and how it’s relatively inexpensive.
We’ll dig into the nitty-gritty of GetResponse pricing and a comparison with other popular email marketing tools. By the time you scroll to the bottom (*Spoiler alert: it’s a long way down—but the insights you’ll get are well worth it…trust me!) you should be able to decide whether GetResponse is worth your precious money. And if it’s the most budget-friendly and efficient tool this side of town.
Buckle up for a no-fluff; no chills; brutally honest GetResponse review.
GetResponse in a Nutshell
Tilt your hats and show your respect to the OG of email marketing. Having been formed 3 years before the turn of the century (i.e., 1997), GetResponse is a veteran in the industry—and it shows. But longevity in the industry doesn’t count for much when it comes to technology. Look at Yahoo and Gmail as an example; the former had a 10-year head-start but you can’t mention them in the same breath today.
Veteran status aside, GetResponse boasts of over 350,000 customers, a presence in 183 countries, over 300 professionals, 27 languages, and one of the shiniest trophy cabinets among its peers. If this doesn’t spell “experienced and popular,” I don’t know what does.
In its simplest terms, Get Response is a full-featured email marketing platform. More specifically, and from the horse’s mouth, “We offer a complete suite of simple-yet-powerful solutions, scaled and customized for small and large companies. GetResponse email marketing and online campaign management platform helps entrepreneurs build targeted subscriber lists and send high-impact newsletters, video emails, and follow-up campaigns. It offers marketing automation, responsive email design, hundreds of ready-to-use email templates, landing page creator, and useful statistical analysis tools.”
When you think about it; they’re quickly evolving into an all-in-one digital marketing platform—including features such as automated sales funnels, landing page building, webinar hosting, and eCommerce capabilities.
While GetResponse reviews on the internet generally paint the email marketing platform in good light, that is not necessarily the case. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great platform and some of you will turn into their loyal customers—but it’s not for everyone. To find out where you fall (i.e., whether GetResponse is right for you), read on…
“Money makes the world go round; however, happiness greases the axle. Without this lubricant, life will seize.”
― Paul Van Der Merwe
Not sure how the above quote relates to a GetResponse review, but I find it inspiring and real enough to squeeze it somewhere in here. Anyway, back to the topic. The following are some of the most common questions in relation to GetResponse pricing:
How much does Get Response cost?
Does GetResponse have a free offer?
Is there a trial period for Get Response?
How is the billing calculated?
Does the email marketing platform have any hidden costs?
Is the email marketing cost of the Get Response pricing plans justifiable?
Are there any tips or tricks to save on your GetResponse pricing plan?
Are there better deals in the market?
Scroll down for answers to these questions and more.
GetResponse Pricing Plans in Detail
First things first; how much is each GetResponse pricing plan and what are the key differences? As shown in the screenshot above, the company has four plans;
BASIC: The starting offer allows you to send as many emails as you’d like but to a maximum of 1,000 subscribers at an email marketing cost of $15/month.
PLUS: The “Plus” Get Response pricing is basically the “Basic” offering with additional features for $49/month.
PROFESSIONAL: As the name suggests, this is a plan for the pros (as evidenced by the number of features available). It’s priced at $99/month with the same limit of 1,000 subscribers.
MAX: The highest and most exclusive offer available is “Max” pricing plan—which is flexible and negotiable depending on the needs of your organization.
The difference between these plans are mainly in a few core features are shown below. (PS: While there are several differences in features, these are the main ones worth your consideration).
eCommerce capabilities
If you run an eCommerce business and you’d like to leverage GetResponse’s abandoned cart salvaging features, you’ll be forced to subscribe to at least the “Plus” offer.
Teams
How many user accounts do you need with Get Response? One? The “Basic” plan is enough for you. Two or three? Go with the “Plus” plan. Five users? You’d have to choose the “Pro” option.
Funnels
If you’ve read any of my previous work, then you probably know that I’m big on funnels—and for good reason. Whether it’s a marketing funnel or a sales funnel, everyone with an online business must have one in place to generate and convert leads. For now, I’ll quell my urge to talk about funnels and focus on the GetResponse review. So, the email marketing platform allows users access to 1 sales funnel with the “Basic” plan, 5 sales funnels with the “Plus” plan, and an unlimited number of sales funnels with the “Professional” plan. Oh, and you have access to an unlimited number of lead funnels with all options. Neat, right?
Automation Builder
GetResponse has built up an enviable rapport in the industry courtesy of their automation builder—which is arguably their ‘crème de la crème’ feature. It basically allows you to build autoresponder sequences that are tailored to the behaviour of users on your email list. This feature is available on the “Plus” “Professional,” and “Max” feature.
Webinars
Did you know that 7 in every 10 B2B marketers believe that webinars are arguably the most effective tactic to acquire high-quality leads? If you wish to explore the promising world of webinars as a GetResponse user, you’d have to subscribe to their “Plus” pricing plan or higher.
Any Hidden Costs on GetResponse?
Well, not really. Nearly every GetResponse review you come across claims that email service provider is relatively straightforward and transparent with their pricing.
But hope you’ve noticed that the prices indicated by email marketing platform are only applicable if your list of subscribers doesn’t exceed 1,000. If you’re experiencing a growth spurt and your list exceeds this limit, that’s an extra cost for you.
For example, an email list that crosses the 1,000- threshold (even slightly) up to 2,500 subscribers will set you back $25 (Basic), $59 (Plus), and $119 (Professional) per month.
The same price-hiking narrative goes on until you end up paying $450 (Basic), $499 (Plus), and $580 (Professional) per month. To be honest, this is a rather huge price difference. But I’ll have to commend the GetResponse team for coming out clean with the full costs rather than hiding them like some SaaS solutions.
The difference in pricing due to the number of email subscribers call for close scrutiny. I cannot insist this hard enough; ALWAYS SCAN YOUR EMAIL LISTS FOR INACTIVE USERS AND FAULTY ADDRESSES—lest you end up overpaying for unusable leads.
Does GetResponse Have a Free Trial—or is There a Free Plan?
Are you a “sucker for” free offers? Well, who isn’t? But unlike other email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp and HubSpot, Get Response does not offer a free plan—and that’s a bummer.
On the bright side, they have a 30-day FREE trial that allows you to take the powerful email marketing platform for a spin. This is a great opportunity to see what they offer and how it relates/gels with your unique business characteristics.
Because let’s be honest, there’s no GetResponse review (even this one) that’ll prepare you fully for your actual experience. Your business model is one of a kind; your email list is like no other; your budget is specific to you, and you’re the one who knows your goals best. In other words, experiment with GetResponse. You have nothing to lose by trying the FREE trial.
Here’s the “Not-So-Secret” Secret to Saving Money with GetResponse
If you’re the cost-saver and you’ve used up your FREE trial—yet you’re still itching for more of GetResponse—the email service provider offers you a chance to hold onto a little more cash after your subscription with discounted offers.
To be specific you can save 18% or 30% on your Get Response subscriptions by playing around with the billing periods. For a longer commitment of 24 months, you only get to pay $10.5/month (30% off) compared with $15 billed monthly or $12.30/month (18% off) billed annually. And if you’re a non-profit organization, it’s a discounting galore—as you have an opportunity to enjoy as much as 50% off.
But before committing the email marketing needs of your business to one platform for the next year or two, I’d highly recommend that you make sure it’s the right fit. And this is only possible by reading GetResponse reviews such as this one and testing out the FREE trial.
How Does GetResponse Pricing Compare with Common Alternatives?
I won’t sugar coat this; GetResponse is not the cheapest option in the market. Other email service providers can meet your email marketing needs for a fraction of its price. But what these cheaper alternatives lack is the power of GetResponse in terms of features and reliability.
Mailchimp:
Mailchimp offers 4 pricing plans—namely Free ($0 per month), Essentials ($9.99 per month), Standard ($14.99 per month), and Premium ($299.00 per month). While GetResponse is clearly more expensive—especially with the entry plans—it outclasses Mailchimp pound for pound in terms of the availability of features. Mailchimp is a great option for users who are modest in email marketing activities such as startups and small businesses.
Constant Contact:
Similar to the Get Response pricing plan, Constant Contact does not have a ‘forever free’ plan. You have the option of subscribing to either of two plans—Email ($20/month) and Email Plus ($45/month). The email marketing tool is popular for its simplicity and ease of use with key features such as a drag and drop editor, list building tools, autoresponder sequences, and templates.
Aweber has a rather interesting pricing structure. You can either subscribe to the “Free” option for $0/month but with considerable limitations or $19/month billed monthly for the “Pro” option. The Interesting part comes with the Pro plan. $19 is only the base price point—and it gets bumped up as your subscriber’s list grows. You can end up paying as high as $149 for 10,001-25,000 subscribers.
Sendinblue:
Unlike most email service providers, Sendinblue bases its pricing on the number of emails sent, rather than the number of contacts/subscribers in your email list. It has 5 pricing plans—including Free ($0/month), Lite ($25/month), Essential ($39/month), Premium ($66/month), and a customizable Enterprise option for the heavy hitters.
You can’t compare email marketing platforms on price alone! The email marketing cost of GetResponse has to be attached to a product/service. This calls for a review of Get Response and its main features—which are arguably one of the most comprehensive in the game.
It’s also worth noting that GetResponse is no longer the company it once was. It’s days as an exclusive email marketing platform are long gone—as it embraces diversification into other digital marketing tools. In fact, it’s more accurate to describe Get Response as an all-in-one digital marketing platform.
But is this ambition coming at a cost? Is GetResponse turning into a ‘master of none’ by attempting to be a jack of all trades? Well, there’s only one way to find out and it involves a hands-on GetResponse review and scouring the internet for other user’ experiences.
Email Campaign Creation
How does GetResponse perform in its primary role of creating an email campaign? Well, it gives you the option of choosing between a drag-and-drop editor that makes use of pre-built templates or designing your own campaign templates from scratch.
The templates are all responsive and professional-looking to meet the needs of most users. And if none of the options tickles your fancy, you can simply turn to third-party sources for more. GetResponse also shows you a preview of how the campaign will turn out from the perspective of the receiver (i.e., your targeted leads). The only downside to the email creation features is the uninspiring basic web fonts on offer. You’re severely hindered in your options—meaning your email campaign risks looking like any other straight from a mill (PS: GetResponse have made commendable efforts with the latest updates to solve this issue).
Looking to grow your contact list by making the most of every chance you get to capture your audience’s attention? If so, landing pages might be your answer! But not just any landing pages—optimized landing pages that are designed to be part of your conversion funnel. The landing page creator is a rather novel idea in the email marketing landscape—so the feature positions GetResponse as one of the pioneers in the niche. But also, don’t expect much from the interface for this same reason.
The landing page builder allows you to incorporate Facebook ads, eCommerce features, webinars, countdown timers, forms, and popups to increase your conversions. Even better, you can run tests to see which landing pages perform better in real-time. Oh, and quick FYI, the landing page creator is available with all plans.
The ‘Market Automation’ feature by GetResponse is an autoresponder that goes the extra mile with pretty impressive functionalities that transcend what you’d typically expect. You can create highly targeted and personalized automation workflows with the easy-to-use drag and drop builders. Please keep in mind that the ‘Market Automation’ feature is only available the ‘Plus’ plan and above.
GetResponse also runs some of the most comprehensive email autoresponders—which allow you to send targeted e-newsletters to subscribers at set intervals. You can either send action-based messages or time-based messages that are triggered by user actions and cycle, respectively.
GetResponse also avails a feature known as the ‘conversion funnel’. This allows you to build and launch conversion funnels with little-to-no technical skills required.
You can create Facebook campaigns, design landing pages, create product catalogues, manage transactions, nurture leads down the sales funnel, and even send targeted emails to abandoned eCommerce shopping carts.
GetResponse allows you to host webinars if you’re subscribed to the ‘Plus’ plan and above. This is great and convenient for lead generation since you’ll get two of the most effective methods of acquiring quality leads (webinars and targeted emails) under one roof.
This feature is also surprisingly cheap and just as powerful as popular webinar solutions such as Gotowebinar—which is available at $59/month for 100 participants compared to GetResponse’s price of $49/month for the same limit of participants.
But the webinar function is not without its flaws—including the 500-attendee cap on even the highest Get Response price plan and less-than-generous storage options.
It’s rare for a digital marketing campaign to be effective from the word go. The most amazing campaigns you here and admire are the product of trial-and-error, accurate reporting, and in-depth analytics. With this regard, GetResponse offers several optimization features to fine-tune your email marketing campaign. In comparison to its close competitors such as Mailchimp, GetResponse is more fully-featured and advanced.
The features include one-click segmentation to identify prospects who didn’t engage with a newsletter, metrics to follow the journey of leads over time, A/B split testing, email ROI to track the effectiveness (or not) of your campaign, performance comparison to pit two e-newsletters against each other, and per-use information to see the behaviour of a specific subscriber.
Data Management and Deliverability features include Opt-in processes (single or double), Data capture forms (HTML forms or user-designed options from templates), data segmentation options, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) compliance, and email deliverability. Regarding the latter, the company, they claimed that “At GetResponse we are frequently asked about the quality of our deliverability rate. Because deliverability depends on many factors, including the content of your messages, the deliverability rate could vary for each mailing. For all our customers collectively, however, we are proud to say our overall deliverability rate currently stands at 99%.” If we were to take them for their word, this inspires confidence for GetResponse users.
GetResponse allows its user to access customer support services via online tutorials, email support (available in 8 languages), and live chat (24/7). They used to offer phone support but this was scrapped unless you subscribe to the ‘Max’ GetResponse pricing plan. While the variety on communication channels is well-received, removing the phone support is a thumbs down to an otherwise perfect customer support service. The experience on the responsiveness and quality of help offered has mixed reviews—with some praising and others lamenting on the same.
While using GetResponse and combing through online GetResponse reviews there were several things that I admired—and there were those that I scoffed at. The following are the pros and cons of GetResponse to help you range whether it’s worth the trouble:
PROS
The discounts offered by GetResponse are surprising and quite generous. You’d be hard-pressed finding a juicier deal among other email service providers.
The 30-day FREE trial with no credit card obligations is a neat feature for those us who need to test a service before cashing in.
The GetResponse pricing structure is transparent with no hidden costs.
Its market automation features are impressive—but I didn’t expect any less from such a well-established company with an enviable track record for the same
GetResponse manages to balance its tons of features and quality—making it a true all-in-one digital marketing platform.
The ‘Basic’ Get Response pricing plan offers relatively more functionality than most of its competitors at the price point. 
The webinar functionality is rare among email marketing tools.
Its availability of support features in different languages makes GetResponse a global brand—and that is always a win regardless of the industry or business model.
CONS
Webinars have a limit of 500—which is rather low, especially for coaches or businesses that attract a lot of traffic.
Phone support is only available with the ‘Max’ plan.
As much as the drag-and-drop feature does the job, it’s far from perfect—and the team at GetResponse should definitely look into optimizing it.
In our current age where cybersecurity risks are more prominent than ever before, the lack of 2-step authentication during login shaves points off GetResponse.
I find the ‘Basic’ plan is too dialled down – i.e., it lacks a ton of useful features, although it’s better than other email marketing platforms.
In some of the user reviews posted by GetResponse themselves on their official website, one ecstatic user claims that “My email campaigns bring in more business than any other form of marketing. Every time a monthly email goes out, I get multiple signups for my photo workshops, and it continues into the following weeks. I would give up any other form of marketing, as long as I could keep my email campaigns going!”
Not to throw shade at GetResponse, but most of us don’t really trust companies and we can’t take them for their word without proof or a respectable track record. For this reason, I dug deeper to uncover what actual users think about GetResponse pricing plans, features, and everything in between.
Positive User Reviews
A large percentage of users in popular review sites admired GetResponse’s pricing, features, market automation management, and deliverability.
Negative User Reviews
Most negative user reviews seemed to fault the quality and effectiveness of the customer service department and undue charges even after cancelling.
It’s all about the costs—it’s always been about the costs (*meme lovers should get the reference). Let’s call a spade a spade; price is often the key determinant of a purchase decision. We inherently desire the best value for our money.
Whether it’s the sick pair of kicks, the Starbucks coffee, or the digital marketing tool—the final buying decision comes down to the price. As much as I’d want to dwell on the cost benefits of a transcending cup of Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino Blended Coffee from the “twin-tailed mermaid” coffee powerhouse, email marketing costs are the order of the day here.
So, what is the true cost of email marketing? Well, there’s no clear answer. According to WebFx, it may range from as little as $9 to heights of $1,000 depending on a multitude of variables. To figure out where you lie within this stupendously wide pricing margin, here are factors that play a part in determining the final email marketing costs of your campaign:
The quality of subscribers or email list – the amount paid to tools that identify inactive subscribers and faulty email addresses.
Frequency of the email marketing campaign.
Your email service provider (ESP) of choice – e.g., GetResponse (starting at $15/month), ActiveCampaign ($9/month), Constant Contact ($20/month), Infusionsoft ($199/month), etc.
Scope (types and number of email) of the campaign.
The complexity of campaign analytics and reporting.
Presence of organizational technology, social media, website, and other tools to support the email-marketing efforts.
As much as price is arguably the most significant determinant of a buying decision, a price tag means nothing without a valuable item attached to it. What I’m trying to say metaphorically is that you also need to consider the benefits of an email marketing campaign. Sometimes you need to ask; “what am I losing by not running a well-informed and strategized email marketing campaign?”
To answer this question, I’ll let the following email marketing statistics do the talking:
A report by McKinsey & Company claims that your odds of acquiring new customers via email are 40 times than with Twitter or Facebook.
Automated emails have a conversion rate of up to 50%.
Social media sharing is 3x more likely to happen via email than any other source.
MarketingSherpa notes that online users prefer promotion content delivered through email (72%) than social media (17%).
Targeted emails can help tilt the buying decision of 81% of shoppers in your favour.
Long story short, email marketing was great in the past; it’s still great in the present, and it’s poised to be the future of digital marketing. Now comes the question doing rounds on your head; how much should you spend on your email marketing campaign and email marketing tools such as GetResponse?
Hate to disappoint you with the lack of a straight answer, but the choice really comes down to you. That is, how much are you willing and able to allocate to email marketing? This depends on your industry, annual revenue, product/service, and digital marketing goals (i.e., what you hope to gain). However, some experts recommend a 16% marketing budget allocation for your email marketing campaign.
Take it from me; launching an email marketing campaign is one of the best decisions you can make. The benefits far outweigh the costs. Your dilemma should revolve around the best email service provider and not whether or not to email marketing is worth your money.
While you’re already well-versed in the offering of GetResponse and it’s value for money, it would be an injustice if you didn’t have a wider picture of the email marketing industry. For this reason, the next section skims over other email automation platforms that are good enough to give GetResponse a run for their money.
As much as GetResponse ticks most of the boxes for most users, it’s far from perfect. It has cons that are negligible for some but deal breakers for others. If you fall in the latter category or you’d like to weigh your options before putting pen to paper, here are some of the most common alternatives that bear a close resemblance to GetResponse (Please Note: All entries in this list are tried & tested and they’re worthy alternatives to GetResponse):
HUBSPOT
It’s free; it’s offered by one of the most authoritative voices in digital marketing and it’s loaded with some nitty features—HubSpot’s free CRM also features an email marketing tool that is hands-down the best GetResponse alternative for users on a tight budget. It offers the bare minimum reliably—including a drag-and-drop editor, modern templates, insight-guided emailing for targeted marketing, email scheduling, privacy & data protection.
According to one user (as quoted by HubSpot), “WOW – we cannot believe that you are actually letting us use this fantastic tool as part of the free version. My CEO said to me, nothing is FREE, there’s got to be a catch. So far, the catch is we love using HubSpot and are quickly becoming raving fans :)” I’m going to leave it at that.
If you need to go deeper than scratching the surface, go with Aweber. It’s the GetResponse alternative for individuals and companies that are after something more analytical. Aweber offers in-depth insights and analytics that are invaluable for knowing what your subscribers are up to and how they’re responding to your antics.
The Aweber pricing structure has two options, ‘Free’ and ‘Pro’—with the latter based on the number of subscribers on your list. The equivalent of 1,000 subscribers for $25/month offered GetResponse is priced at $29/month on Aweber. But keep in mind that even the minimum ‘Pro’ plan of $19 comes with the full might of Aweber while GetResponse is limited.
MAILCHIMP
If the award for the best email marketing platform was decided on popularity alone, Mailchimp would figuratively wipe the floor with its competitors. The widely popular email service provider boasts of one of the largest and most active communities of marketers—and it’s easy to see why.
Mailchimp has one of the lowest learning curves an entry barrier. Opening an account and getting started is a task that could be completed seamlessly by the most inexperienced digital marketer in your office. This is courtesy of the simple-to-use interface and a comprehensive knowledge base.
MailChimp edges GetResponse when it comes to its Free plan, the number of integrations, and the visual appeal of the interface. As for the features; the two email marketing platforms would exchange blow for blow—with GetResponse barely sneaking in the last jab. Mailchimp’s paid pricing plans start at $9.99/month all the way to $299.00 for premium users.
CONSTANT CONTACT
The ability to customize a software solution is a major deal maker/breaker for a considerable number of people. Take the Android-iOS rivalry as an example. Hardcore Android users cringe at the limited customizability offered by iOS. The same can apply to email marketing tools—whereby Constant Contact is a cult favourite for marketers who thrive in highly customizable environments.
Constant contact is loaded with a truckload of email editing tools, marketing templates, and in-depth integrations, among other functionalities. When it comes to the pricing structure, Constant Contact is relatively affordable with a starting price of $20/month and a free 30-day trial as a cherry on top of the cake.
SENDINBLUE
SendinBlue may be a relatively new player in the industry, but it nonetheless holds its own against better-established competitors. It’s a company that understands the meaning of “beauty in simplicity.” The interface is well-designed and easy to use for seamless user experience. The platform also pays special attention to ensure you’re compliant with CAN-SPAM and GDPR. SendinBlue is a simplified alternative to GetResponse.
Other perks that make SendinBlue a great option include landing pages, automation features, transactional email features, and multi-channel marketing capabilities. But as a new player, the email service provider has limited integrations. It’s also less than desirable when it comes to the functionality of the email builder and analytics features.
Hey; look who made it to the end an article that’s long enough to be one or two chapters of a Harry Potter book. If you did, I’m assuming you’re well-positioned to make an informed buying with regard to email marketing platforms.
TL; DR? Then here a summary of what I blurted about: The GetResponse pricing structure is straightforward and transparent. It features a ton of useful features available in 4 GetResponse pricing plans—including Basic ($15/month), Plus ($49/month), Pro ($99/month), and Max (customized). Each of these plans is based on the number of subscribers on your email list and the price may increase accordingly.
Overall, it’s one of the best email service providers in the industry—lest a few shortcomings that could use some ironing out. The final verdict is that GetResponse is worth a try. So, take the 30-day FREE trial for a spin to determine whether it’s the email marketing solution for you.
Affiliate Disclosure:
Please note that this GetResponse review contains affiliate links. I am an independent affiliate of GetResponse products and not an employee. The review and opinion highlighted in this article are my own and they are in no way official statements by eBusiness4us or GetResponse.
Gary is the founder and owner at Digital Review Boss & Snappy Sales Video, a Brighton-based video production companies, who has a deep obsession with making videos as often as possible and how to optimise websites for brand awareness and conversions.