Best for
Best for creators and small businesses that want low-cost newsletters, automation and landing pages without paying for features they will not use.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
Email Marketing Comparison
EmailOctopus vs. Flodesk
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for creators, designers and small businesses that want beautifully designed emails without a steep learning curve.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | EmailOctopus | Flodesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value From $9 / month Pro plan, billed yearly; the price scales with the number of subscribers. A free Starter plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month. | Free plan; paid from $19 / month Lite billed annually at 1,000 subscribers, or $25 / month billed monthly. Every paid price scales with the active subscriber count, and annual billing includes one month free. Priced in US dollars worldwide. |
| Free trial | Free Starter plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month, with EmailOctopus branding | Free plan available, plus free trials on the paid plans |
| API | Yes, a public API to manage lists, contacts, campaigns and automations | Yes, a developer API with webhooks and a Model Context Protocol server; API keys are available on paid plans but not on free or trial accounts |
| Hosting | Cloud (SaaS) | Cloud (SaaS) |
| Campaign types | Yes, email newsletters and campaigns, with scheduled sending | Yes, email campaigns, plus forms, landing pages and, on the top plan, sales pages |
| Automation and journeys | Yes, automated sequences that engage subscribers based on triggers | Yes, workflow automations on the paid plans, unlimited on Pro and above |
| Segmentation and personalisation | Yes, segmentation using custom fields and tags | Yes, audience segmentation |
| Templates and editor | Yes, a drag-and-drop editor with auto-generating templates that adapt to your colours | Yes, designer-made templates and a visual editor |
| Deliverability and testing | Yes, with over a decade of email delivery experience and real-time open and click reporting | Yes, subject line A/B testing that sends two variants to part of the list and the winner to the rest after 24 hours, with side-by-side results, plus AI subject line recommendations, content and sequence testing through split-path workflows, a send time optimizer, resend to unopens and a dedicated IP as a paid add-on |
| Ecommerce and CRM data | Through integrations rather than a built-in sync: an official WordPress plugin for sign-up forms, and Zapier for the rest, with Shopify connected that way | Yes, integrated checkouts, sales pages and subscriptions with payment processing on the Everything plan |
| Integrations and API | Yes, a public API for lists, contacts, campaigns and automations, plus over 1,000 integrations | Yes, a developer API with webhooks plus a Model Context Protocol server, included on every paid plan, alongside native integrations and Zapier and Pabbly Connect |
| AI features | No | stated Yes |
| MCP-ready | No | stated Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based |
| Support | Not stated | Email helpdesk, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials | Documentation and knowledge base, Live online demos and webinars |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized |
| Integrations | Zapier, WordPress, Shopify | more entries Shopify, Canva, Instagram, Squarespace, Wix, ThriveCart, ManyChat, HoneyBook, Interact, BookFunnel, Zapier, Pabbly Connect |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price EmailOctopus From $9 / month Flodesk Free plan; paid from $19 / month
- Free trial EmailOctopus Free Starter plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month, with EmailOctopus branding Flodesk Free plan available, plus free trials on the paid plans
- AI features EmailOctopus No Flodesk Yes
- MCP-ready EmailOctopus No Flodesk Yes
- API EmailOctopus Yes, a public API to manage lists, contacts, campaigns and automations Flodesk Yes, a developer API with webhooks and a Model Context Protocol server; API keys are available on paid plans but not on free or trial accounts
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
EmailOctopus
Strengths
- Generous free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month
- Low-cost Pro plan from $9 per month
- Automation, tag-based segmentation, and landing pages and forms
- Public API and over 1,000 integrations
Limitations
- The free plan carries EmailOctopus branding
- The lowest Pro price is billed yearly
Flodesk
Strengths
- Design-led templates and a simple visual builder
- Free plan with forms, landing pages and segmentation
- Sell directly with checkouts, sales pages and subscriptions on the top plan
Limitations
- Workflow automations require a paid plan
- Advanced analytics and reporting are limited to the higher plans
Plans
Pricing
EmailOctopus
- Starter $0 / month Up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month, with EmailOctopus branding.
- Pro From $9 / month Billed yearly; removes branding and adds custom email design, unlimited landing pages, forms and reports. The price scales with the number of subscribers.
Flodesk
- Free $0 / month No subscriber limit, with forms, landing pages, link in bio, designer templates and audience segmentation.
- Lite $25 / month Up to 25,000 subscribers and 1 seat, with unlimited email sends, workflow automations, forms, landing pages and analytics. $19 / month billed annually. Both figures are for 1,000 subscribers and rise with the list.
- Pro $28 / month Up to 255,000 subscribers and 2 seats, adding unlimited workflows, advanced analytics and reporting and the option to remove Flodesk branding. $25 / month billed annually. Both figures are for 1,000 subscribers and rise with the list.
- Everything $54 / month Up to 255,000 subscribers and 3 seats, adding unlimited integrated checkouts, sales pages and funnels, subscriptions, payment plans and abandoned cart automations. $49 / month billed annually. Both figures are for 1,000 subscribers and rise with the list.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
EmailOctopus
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Flodesk
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
EmailOctopus https://emailoctopus.com · checked against the official source on 2026-08-22
Flodesk https://flodesk.com · checked against the official source on 2026-09-05
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.