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Email Marketing · head to head

EmailOctopus vs Ortto

EmailOctopus logo

EmailOctopus

Email Marketing

Affordable email marketing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ortto logo

Ortto

Email Marketing

Australian marketing automation with a customer data platform and analytics included rather than sold separately

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only EmailOctopus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: EmailOctopus free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers; Ortto contact-based pricing counts everyone stored, including unsubscribed and long-inactive records, so the bill rises with list decay unless someone owns a pruning routine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EmailOctopus and Ortto actually diverge.

Attributes where EmailOctopus and Ortto differ
AttributeEmailOctopusOrtto
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, REST API

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Email Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in EmailOctopus

Nothing recorded that Ortto does not also cover.

Only in Ortto

  • Customer data platform
  • Journeys
  • Talk
  • Dashboards and reports
  • Playbooks
  • Capture

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

EmailOctopus

  • Building email lists with unlimited landing pagesnot Ortto
  • Team collaboration on email campaignsnot Ortto
  • Automated subscriber onboarding flowsnot Ortto
  • Multi-user email campaign managementnot Ortto

Ortto

  • A SaaS company that wants trial and onboarding lifecycle plus product analytics without buying two toolsnot EmailOctopus
  • A small team replacing a stack of email tool, chat widget and dashboard product with one subscriptionnot EmailOctopus
  • Reporting on revenue by campaign and cohort without exporting events to a warehouse firstnot EmailOctopus
  • Teams already on Autopilot that need a supported migration path rather than a replatform to a US vendornot EmailOctopus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

EmailOctopus

  • Free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers
  • Free tier requires EmailOctopus branding on emails
  • Free tier reports only retained 30 days

Ortto

  • Contact-based pricing counts everyone stored, including unsubscribed and long-inactive records, so the bill rises with list decay unless someone owns a pruning routine.
  • Each bundled component is shallower than the specialist it replaces, and the email template editor in particular is behind the ecommerce-focused competitors.
  • Deliverability guidance and reputation tooling are thinner than at dedicated email providers, which matters most in the first months of a sending domain.
  • The partner and agency ecosystem outside Australia and New Zealand is small, so hiring contractors with real Ortto experience is harder than for the larger platforms.
  • Support hours follow Australian business time, so European and American teams often wait a working day for a substantive answer on complex issues.

Pricing, plan by plan

EmailOctopus

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 2,500 subscribers
    • 10,000 monthly emails
    • 1 user account
  • Pro$9/month
    • Unlimited subscribers
    • 10,000 monthly emails
    • Unlimited user accounts

Ortto

On request
  • Ortto$undefined/month
    • Priced by number of contacts held, with separate email and SMS send allowances
    • Talk live chat and additional seats charged separately
    • Monthly and annual terms available

Which should you pick?

Choose EmailOctopus if

  • You want to start without paying.
EmailOctopus review

Choose Ortto if

  • You need customer data platform.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want journeys.
Ortto review

Questions people ask

Is EmailOctopus or Ortto better?
Neither clearly leads. EmailOctopus starts at Free and Ortto at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EmailOctopus or Ortto?
EmailOctopus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for EmailOctopus and On request for Ortto.
Does EmailOctopus or Ortto run on more platforms?
EmailOctopus runs on Web. Ortto runs on Web, REST API.
Can I use EmailOctopus for free?
Yes. EmailOctopus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ortto starts at On request.
What is EmailOctopus best used for?
EmailOctopus is most often used for building email lists with unlimited landing pages, team collaboration on email campaigns, automated subscriber onboarding flows, multi-user email campaign management. Of those, building email lists with unlimited landing pages and team collaboration on email campaigns are not what Ortto is typically brought in for.
What can EmailOctopus do that Ortto cannot?
Ortto covers Customer data platform, Journeys, Talk, Dashboards and reports.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

EmailOctopus: Is there a free version of EmailOctopus?

Yes, EmailOctopus offers a free plan supporting up to 2,500 subscribers with 10,000 monthly emails. The free tier includes EmailOctopus branding on emails and reports are retained for only 30 days. The Pro plan starts at $9/month for unlimited subscribers.

Source
Ortto: Is Ortto the same product as Autopilot?

It is the successor from the same company, rebranded in 2022 and substantially rebuilt. Older Autopilot tutorials no longer match the interface.

EmailOctopus: What discount does EmailOctopus offer for annual billing?

EmailOctopus offers 10% savings when you pay annually versus monthly. Nonprofits receive an additional 20% lifetime discount on all plans.

Source
Ortto: Do inactive contacts cost money?

Yes. Pricing counts contacts stored, so unsubscribed and dormant records consume allowance until they are deleted.

EmailOctopus: Are there any long-term contracts required?

No, EmailOctopus has no long-term contracts. You can cancel your plan anytime and switch between monthly and yearly billing options.

Source
Ortto: Can it replace a BI tool?

For campaign, funnel and cohort reporting on its own event data, usually yes. For joins against finance or support data it cannot.

EmailOctopus: How many users can access one EmailOctopus account?

The free Starter plan includes 1 user. The Pro plan includes unlimited user accounts at no additional cost.

Source
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