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Marketing · head to head

Google Optimize vs Roxhill

Google Optimize logo

Google Optimize

Marketing

A/B testing for Google Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Roxhill logo

Roxhill

Marketing

UK-focused journalist database and media monitoring, founder-owned and annual only

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Optimize has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Optimize google Optimize and Optimize 360 were sunset and are no longer available as of September 30, 2023; Roxhill the database is UK-centric by reviewers’ own account, with weak US, Australian and broader Asian journalist coverage, so any multi-market programme needs a second vendor and the single-vendor cost case disappears.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Optimize covers A/B testing, Roxhill covers Journalist database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Optimize and Roxhill actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Optimize and Roxhill differ
AttributeGoogle OptimizeRoxhill
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 Google Optimize

  • A/B testing
  • Google Analytics integration
  • Visual editor
  • Real-time analytics
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Google's security
  • Cloud deployment

Only in Roxhill

  • Journalist database
  • Journalist profiles
  • Media lists and distribution
  • Media requests and alerts
  • Media monitoring
  • Bespoke newsletters
  • Historical search
  • Journalist Assistant

What people use each for

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

Google Optimize

  • A/B and multivariate testing of web pages tied to Google Analytics goalsnot Roxhill
  • Personalising page content for defined audience segmentsnot Roxhill
  • Redirect tests between alternative landing page URLsnot Roxhill

Roxhill

  • A UK in-house press office that needs journalist contacts with current pitching preferences rather than a scraped byline list.not Google Optimize
  • An agency tracking forward features across UK trade and consumer titles to place clients into planned coverage months ahead.not Google Optimize
  • A communications team monitoring named spokespeople and measuring their share of voice against competitors in UK media.not Google Optimize
  • A UK public sector body procuring through G-Cloud that needs EEA-hosted media monitoring with a published framework price band.not Google Optimize

Where each one falls short

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

Google Optimize

  • Google Optimize and Optimize 360 were sunset and are no longer available as of September 30, 2023
  • Any experiments and personalizations still running on that date were ended by Google
  • Google directs former users to third-party A/B testing tools, naming AB Tasty, Optimizely and VWO, rather than a replacement Google product

Roxhill

  • The database is UK-centric by reviewers’ own account, with weak US, Australian and broader Asian journalist coverage, so any multi-market programme needs a second vendor and the single-vendor cost case disappears.
  • Contact records go stale: reviewers report old email addresses and phone numbers, distribution bounces, and there is no self-serve verification step before you send.
  • At roughly 200,000 to 300,000 journalists it is far smaller than the million-plus figures Cision and Prowly claim, with repeated complaints about thin trade, academic and journal coverage.
  • Selling is annual only with no monthly plan and a trial functionally restricted to around two weeks, so you cannot genuinely pilot before a twelve-month commitment, which is a poor fit for project or retainer agency work.
  • Licence bands are 1, 3 and 5 seats, and extra logins, workspaces, smart folders, historical search, share of voice and the spokespeople platform are all chargeable add-ons, so a team of eight to fifteen pays well above any headline band.
  • Search behaviour is described as counter-intuitive and sometimes returns implausibly few results, which means a null result cannot be trusted and lists need manual cross-checking.
  • Monitoring accuracy takes time to settle after switching, so coverage is missed in the first weeks after a cutover, which is a real gap risk if you time the migration badly.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Optimize

Free
  • FreeFree
    • A/B testing
    • Google Analytics integration
    • Visual editor

Roxhill

On request
  • Core$undefined/year
    • 1 licence
    • Standard database access
    • Journalist Assistant
  • Boutique$undefined/year
    • 3 licences
    • Adds press release distribution
    • 3 workspaces, 6 smart folders, 10 spokespeople, 3 newsletters
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • 5 licences
    • 5 workspaces, 10 smart folders, 5 newsletters
    • Spokespeople platform
  • Premium$undefined/year
    • Everything in Enterprise
    • Insights analysis and bespoke reporting
    • Competitor share of voice

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Optimize if

  • You need a/b testing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want google analytics integration.
Google Optimize review

Choose Roxhill if

  • You need journalist database.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want journalist profiles.
Roxhill review

Questions people ask

Is Google Optimize or Roxhill better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Optimize starts at Free and Roxhill at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Optimize or Roxhill?
Google Optimize has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Optimize and On request for Roxhill.
Does Google Optimize or Roxhill run on more platforms?
Google Optimize runs on Web. Roxhill runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Google Optimize for free?
Yes. Google Optimize has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Roxhill starts at On request.
What is Google Optimize best used for?
Google Optimize is most often used for a/b and multivariate testing of web pages tied to google analytics goals, personalising page content for defined audience segments, redirect tests between alternative landing page urls. Of those, a/b and multivariate testing of web pages tied to google analytics goals and personalising page content for defined audience segments are not what Roxhill is typically brought in for.
What can Google Optimize do that Roxhill cannot?
Google Optimize covers A/B testing, Google Analytics integration, Visual editor, Real-time analytics. Roxhill covers Journalist database, Journalist profiles, Media lists and distribution, Media requests and alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Optimize: Is Google Optimize still available?

No. Google Optimize and Optimize 360 were discontinued as of September 30, 2023. Google recommends third-party A/B testing integrations such as AB Tasty, Optimizely, and VWO as replacements.

Source
Roxhill: How much does Roxhill cost?

Not published on the vendor site, but the UK G-Cloud 14 listing discloses £6,450 to £25,000 per instance per year. Use that as your anchor.

Roxhill: Is Roxhill owned by Cision or Access Intelligence?

No. Companies House shows a single individual holding over 75% of shares and no corporate PSC. It is founder-controlled and unfunded. Note the founder previously sold Gorkana to Cision, so ask for a change-of-control clause.

Roxhill: Is it usable for US or APAC media relations?

Not well. Reviewers describe US, Australian and Asian coverage as materially weaker than UK. Budget for a second database.

Roxhill: Can I buy monthly?

No. Contracts are annual, sales-gated, with a trial of around two weeks.

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