Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools based on independent, research-grounded comparisons.
Both ConvertKit (now rebranded as Kit) and EmailOctopus pitch themselves as accessible email marketing platforms, but they start from meaningfully different places. Kit leans into a creator-first identity — newsletters, digital products, paid subscriptions, automations — while EmailOctopus leads with simplicity and positions itself as a budget-friendly alternative to larger platforms. The question isn’t really which is “better,” but which one fits what you’re actually trying to build.
Pricing: The Clearest Difference
Both tools offer a free tier, but the gap widens fast as you move up.
| Plan | ConvertKit (Kit) | EmailOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month, billed monthly | $0 (Starter, billed annually) |
| Entry paid | $33/month, billed monthly | $9/month, billed annually |
| Next tier | $66/month, billed monthly | — |
EmailOctopus’s Pro plan at $9/month (billed annually) makes it one of the more affordable entry points in this comparison. Kit’s Creator plan starts at $33/month and its Pro plan at $66/month, both billed monthly — so the pricing gap between the two is real and immediate. If budget is the primary driver, that difference will be hard to ignore.
Worth noting: EmailOctopus’s pricing is on an annual commitment, so you’re locking in up front. Kit’s published prices are billed monthly, which gives more flexibility if you want to avoid a long-term commitment.
Features: Where They Diverge
What Kit Does
Kit’s captured features paint a picture of a platform built for creators who want to grow an audience and monetize it. The feature set includes email marketing, Visual Automations, landing pages, an Email designer, Email templates, and an Email template marketplace. Beyond the basics, Kit captures features like Paid Recommendations, Paid newsletter (with a specific call-out to earning recurring income through newsletter subscriptions), Newsletter sponsorships, and tools oriented toward Course creators and Newsletter creators.
There’s also Kit + AI, Subscriber Signals, Analytics, a Kit App Store, and Kit MCP — all listed as available features. On the support and resources side, Kit captures Free migrations, Kit University, a knowledge base, and access to a Hire a Kit Expert option.
What EmailOctopus Does
EmailOctopus’s captured features are thinner in detail. The platform lists Forms & landing pages as a feature, and its positioning is simply “Email Marketing Made Easy.” It calls out audiences including authors, ecommerce businesses, and affiliates. There’s a knowledge base, an affiliate program, a rewards program, and API documentation listed. Beyond that, the captured feature data doesn’t go deep — so if you need to know exactly what’s inside the editor, how automations work, or what reporting looks like, you’d need to check their site directly.
Head-to-Head on Features
Kit’s captured feature list is substantially more detailed, touching on monetization tools (paid newsletters, sponsorships, recommendations), creator-specific workflows, AI features, and an app store. EmailOctopus captures forms and landing pages plus API access, but the fact sheet doesn’t surface a comparable depth of features to compare point-for-point. That’s a reflection of what we captured, not necessarily a verdict — but it does mean Kit gives you a clearer picture upfront of what you’re getting.
Friction Worth Knowing About
Some Kit users report friction with customer support, ease of use, and price/value — a few also mention concerns around invoicing and payments. These are recurring themes worth asking about before you commit.
EmailOctopus users surface some of the same themes: ease of use, customer support, and price/value come up, along with occasional notes on invoicing and payments. No single theme dominates in either case, but both platforms have areas where users have flagged friction.
Who Each Is For
Kit has an explicit creator orientation baked into its features — paid newsletters, sponsorships, course creator tools, and monetization features are all captured. If you’re building a content-based business where email is both the channel and part of the revenue model, Kit’s feature set directly addresses that.
EmailOctopus positions itself as a straightforward, affordable email marketing tool. Its captured audience callouts include authors, ecommerce businesses, and affiliates. At $9/month (billed annually), it’s a reasonable fit for someone who wants to send emails without paying for features they won’t use.
Choose ConvertKit (Kit) If…
- You’re building a creator business and want tools for paid newsletters, newsletter sponsorships, or course creation
- You want Visual Automations, an Email template marketplace, Paid Recommendations, or Subscriber Signals in your feature set
- You prefer monthly billing without an annual lock-in
- Migrating from another platform matters — Kit lists Free migrations as a feature
Choose EmailOctopus If…
- You want a lower-cost entry point and the $9/month Pro tier fits your budget better than $33/month
- Your needs align with straightforward email marketing — forms, landing pages, and sending — without needing deep monetization tools
- You’re comfortable committing to annual billing to access that price
- You’re an author, ecommerce operator, or affiliate marketer matching their captured audience positioning
Bottom line: these two tools aren’t really chasing the same customer. Kit is built around the creator economy with monetization features woven in; EmailOctopus leads with simplicity and price. Know which matters more to you, and the choice gets easier.