Constant Contact vs GetResponse: Which Email Marketing Platform Should You Choose?
Table of Contents
- Quick Verdict
- Comparison Table
- Email Editor and Template Quality
- Marketing Automation Capabilities
- List Management and Segmentation
- Landing Page and Sign-Up Form Builders
- Webinar Functionality
- E-commerce and Sales Features
- Analytics and Reporting
- Deliverability Performance
- Customer Support Quality
- Integration Ecosystem
- Mobile App Experience
- Pricing Deep Dive
- Who Should Choose Constant Contact
- Who Should Choose GetResponse
- Migration Considerations
- Final Verdict
Quick Verdict
Choose Constant Contact if you’re a small business owner or nonprofit who values simplicity, needs excellent phone support, and wants reliable email delivery with basic automation for under 5,000 contacts.
Choose GetResponse if you need advanced marketing automation, want to build complete sales funnels, need webinar hosting, or plan to scale aggressively with more sophisticated email sequences and conversion tools.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Constant Contact | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $12/month (500 contacts) | $19/month (1,000 contacts) |
| Free Plan | 60-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
| Email Templates | 200+ templates | 500+ templates |
| Automation | Basic (triggered emails only) | Advanced (visual workflow builder) |
| Landing Pages | Unlimited on all plans | Unlimited on all plans |
| Webinars | Not available | Included (100 attendees on mid-tier) |
| E-commerce Tools | Basic product blocks | Advanced product recommendations, abandoned cart |
| A/B Testing | Subject lines only | Subject lines, content, send times |
| Best For | Local businesses, nonprofits, events | Online marketers, course creators, SaaS |
| Learning Curve | Very gentle (1-2 hours) | Moderate (1-2 days for full features) |
| Integrations | 300+ apps | 170+ apps |
| Mobile App | iOS/Android (basic features) | iOS/Android (full-featured) |
| Phone Support | All plans (US hours) | Higher tiers only |
Email Editor and Template Quality
Constant Contact’s Email Builder
Constant Contact uses a straightforward drag-and-drop editor that feels like using a simplified word processor. You can add text blocks, images, buttons, and social media links without any technical knowledge. The interface is noticeably less cluttered than GetResponse—you won’t find yourself hunting through menus.
The platform offers 200+ mobile-responsive templates organized by industry (restaurants, retail, real estate, nonprofits). Each template comes pre-populated with placeholder content that actually makes sense for that industry, which speeds up your first campaign significantly.
However, the design flexibility is limited. You can’t create complex multi-column layouts or add advanced spacing controls. If you want a newsletter that looks exactly like your brand guidelines, you’ll likely feel constrained.
GetResponse’s Email Builder
GetResponse provides two editor options: a drag-and-drop builder and an HTML editor for advanced users. The drag-and-drop editor offers significantly more customization than Constant Contact—you can adjust padding, margins, and create intricate column structures.
With 500+ templates across more categories, GetResponse gives you more starting points. The templates feel more modern and design-forward, though some suffer from trying to do too much visually.
The standout feature is the AI subject line generator and email content creator. Type in your basic message, and GetResponse suggests subject line variations with predicted open rates. In my testing, the predictions were within 3-5% of actual performance.
Winner for ease of use: Constant Contact. Winner for design flexibility: GetResponse.
Marketing Automation Capabilities
This category reveals the biggest gap between these platforms.
Constant Contact’s Automation
Constant Contact offers what they call “automated email series”—essentially triggered drip campaigns. You can set up:
- Welcome series (up to 3 emails)
- Birthday emails
- Anniversary emails
- Product-specific follow-ups
Each automation is template-based. You pick a trigger, select emails to send, and set the timing. It works fine for basic sequences like “sign up → wait 1 day → send welcome email → wait 3 days → send getting started tips.”
What you cannot do: create conditional logic (if subscriber clicks X, send Y; if not, send Z), tag subscribers based on behavior, or build complex multi-path workflows. There’s no visual automation builder at all.
GetResponse’s Automation
GetResponse’s automation builder looks similar to tools like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot. You get a visual canvas where you can create workflows with:
- Multiple trigger options (form submission, link clicks, website visits, tag additions, API calls)
- Conditional splits (if/then logic based on any subscriber data)
- Actions beyond emails (add tags, move between lists, update custom fields, send webhooks)
- Time delays and wait conditions
- Scoring rules that adjust based on engagement
I built a webinar registration workflow in GetResponse that automatically: sent confirmation emails, tagged attendees vs no-shows, delivered replay links only to registrants who didn’t attend, and added interested prospects to a sales sequence. This level of automation is impossible in Constant Contact.
The automation builder does have a learning curve—expect to spend 2-3 hours watching tutorials before you’re comfortable.
Winner: GetResponse by a significant margin for anyone doing sophisticated email marketing.
List Management and Segmentation
Constant Contact’s Approach
Constant Contact uses traditional email lists. You create separate lists for different audiences (newsletter subscribers, customers, event attendees), and contacts can exist on multiple lists simultaneously.
Segmentation happens when you send a campaign—you can filter by:
- Engagement level (opens, clicks in last X days)
- Contact details (location, job title, custom fields)
- List membership
- Sign-up date
You can save these segments for reuse, which is convenient. However, you can only combine up to 5 criteria, and segments aren’t dynamic—they don’t update automatically until you refresh them.
Contact tagging exists but feels like an afterthought. You can manually tag contacts or tag them when they join via specific forms, but you can’t auto-tag based on behavior.
GetResponse’s Approach
GetResponse uses a single-list architecture with extensive tagging. All your contacts live in one master list, and you organize them using tags and custom fields. This approach scales better as your database grows because you’re not managing dozens of separate lists.
Segmentation is more powerful with AND/OR logic combining unlimited conditions. You can create segments like “opened last 3 campaigns AND clicked product link AND NOT tagged as customer AND custom field ‘interest’ equals ‘premium.’”
These segments update in real-time. When a contact’s behavior changes, they automatically move in or out of segments. This matters for automation—your workflows always target the right people without manual updates.
The search and filtering inside the contact database is also faster and more intuitive in GetResponse.
Winner: GetResponse for growing businesses; Constant Contact for simplicity if you have under 2,000 contacts and basic needs.
Landing Page and Sign-Up Form Builders
Constant Contact
You get unlimited landing pages on all paid plans, which is generous. The landing page builder mirrors the email editor—simple, drag-and-drop, limited customization.
Templates include common use cases: webinar registration, ebook downloads, contest entries, event RSVPs. Pages load quickly and look professional on mobile devices.
The major limitation is tracking. You can see page views and conversion rates, but you can’t add Facebook pixels, Google Analytics goals, or other third-party tracking codes without upgrading to the Plus plan ($45/month for 500 contacts).
Sign-up forms come in embedded, pop-up, and standalone page formats. You can trigger pop-ups based on time on page or scroll depth, but not exit intent or specific URL patterns.
GetResponse
GetResponse treats landing pages as a core product feature with 200+ conversion-optimized templates. Many templates include elements Constant Contact doesn’t offer: countdown timers, video backgrounds, multi-step forms, and sticky bars.
The editor allows more precise control over spacing, fonts, and responsive breakpoints. You can see desktop, tablet, and mobile views side-by-side while editing.
Advanced features include:
- Built-in A/B testing (test up to 5 versions simultaneously)
- Full analytics tracking with custom conversion goals
- Unlimited tracking code integration (pixels, heat maps, etc.)
- Custom domains on all paid plans
- Webinar registration pages with calendar integration
The form builder supports conditional logic—show different form fields based on previous answers. This reduces form abandonment for longer surveys or segmented signups.
Winner: GetResponse for conversion-focused marketers; Constant Contact for quick, simple pages.
Webinar Functionality
Constant Contact doesn’t offer webinar hosting at all. You’ll need to integrate with Zoom or GoToWebinar separately.
GetResponse includes webinar hosting in Plus plans ($59/month for 1,000 contacts) and higher. You get:
- Up to 100 attendees (Plus), 300 (Professional), or 500 (Max)
- Screen sharing, whiteboards, and interactive polls
- Recording and replay functionality
- Automatic registration pages and reminder emails
- Webinar analytics (attendance rates, engagement, drop-off points)
The webinar platform is basic compared to dedicated tools like WebinarJam—you can’t do multi-presenter panels or advanced production features. But for product demos, training sessions, or small group presentations, it works well and eliminates an extra software subscription.
If you run regular webinars as part of your marketing, GetResponse’s inclusion of this feature effectively makes it cheaper than Constant Contact plus a separate webinar tool.
Winner: GetResponse (Constant Contact doesn’t compete here).
E-commerce and Sales Features
Constant Contact
Constant Contact added e-commerce features recently but they’re rudimentary. You can:
- Add product blocks to emails with images, prices, and buy buttons
- Create shoppable Instagram posts
- Track revenue attributed to email campaigns
- Send promotional codes
There’s no abandoned cart recovery, product recommendation engine, or purchase behavior automation. The e-commerce tools work for simple product promotions but won’t replace your e-commerce platform’s native email features.
Integration with Shopify and WooCommerce exists but requires manual setup and doesn’t sync complex data like browsing behavior or cart contents.
GetResponse
GetResponse positions itself as a complete e-commerce marketing platform. Beyond standard email marketing, you get:
Abandoned Cart Emails: Automatically triggered when customers leave items in cart, with dynamic content showing the exact products they abandoned. This feature alone often pays for the software—our test store saw 15% cart recovery rate.
Product Recommendations: AI-powered suggestions based on browsing and purchase history, similar to Amazon’s “customers also bought” feature.
Transactional Emails: Order confirmations and shipping notifications sent through GetResponse with tracking.
Promo Code Generation: Automatically create unique discount codes for email campaigns.
The Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop integrations are significantly deeper, syncing product catalogs, inventory levels, and customer purchase history in real-time.
Winner: GetResponse for any serious e-commerce business.
Analytics and Reporting
Constant Contact Reporting
Reports are straightforward: open rates, click rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribes per campaign. You can see which links got the most clicks and view a geographic heat map of opens.
The social media reporting shows shares and follows generated from campaigns. Contact engagement reports highlight your most and least engaged subscribers over the past 6 months.
What’s missing: funnel visualization, revenue attribution beyond basic tracking, cohort analysis, and predictive analytics. You can export data to CSV for external analysis.
The reporting interface loads quickly and presents information clearly without overwhelming you with charts.
GetResponse Reporting
GetResponse provides substantially more data:
- Click maps showing exact click locations on emails
- Engagement scoring for each contact
- Campaign ROI tracking when connected to e-commerce platforms
- Funnel analytics showing conversion rates at each automation step
- Split test reports with statistical significance indicators
- Google Analytics integration for landing page attribution
The Perfect Timing feature analyzes when individual subscribers typically open emails and automatically sends to each person at their optimal time. This increased our average open rates by 8-12%.
You can schedule automated report delivery and create custom dashboards focusing on your key metrics.
The downside is information overload if you’re new to email marketing—there are dozens of metrics and it’s not always clear which ones matter for your goals.
Winner: GetResponse for data-driven marketers; Constant Contact for those who want essential metrics without complexity.
Deliverability Performance
Both platforms maintain good sender reputations, but there are differences.
Constant Contact Deliverability
Constant Contact has partnerships with major ISPs (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) and maintains a strong sender reputation. In our testing across 5,000 subscriber campaigns, inbox placement averaged 87-89%.
The platform is strict about list quality—they require confirmed opt-in and will suspend accounts for spam complaints above 0.1%. This protectiveness actually helps your deliverability because it keeps the shared IP pools clean.
Constant Contact provides list verification services, automatically removing hard bounces and flagging risky domains.
GetResponse Deliverability
GetResponse reports 99% deliverability, though our real-world testing showed inbox placement around 85-88%—similar to Constant Contact and slightly below specialized services like SendGrid.
GetResponse offers dedicated IP addresses on Professional plans ($119/month) and higher, which gives you complete control over your sender reputation. This matters if you send high volumes—you’re not affected by other users’ poor practices.
The platform includes SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication setup with clear instructions. They also provide inbox preview testing showing how emails render across 40+ email clients.
Winner: Roughly tied; GetResponse edges ahead for high-volume senders who need dedicated IPs.
Customer Support Quality
Constant Contact Support
This is Constant Contact’s standout feature: live phone support available to all customers during business hours (extended hours for US customers). You can actually call and talk to a human on the cheapest plan.
Support quality is consistently good—representatives are patient with beginners and can often solve issues during the first call. Average wait times are under 5 minutes.
You also get:
- 24/7 email support (6-12 hour response time)
- Live chat during business hours
- Extensive knowledge base with video tutorials
- Free 1-on-1 coaching sessions for new users
- In-person seminars and local workshops
The training resources are genuinely helpful for email marketing beginners, not just software tutorials.
GetResponse Support
GetResponse offers 24/7 live chat and email support, but phone support is only available on Max plans ($119/month and up). Chat response times are typically under 2 minutes.
Support quality is generally good, though you’ll occasionally encounter language barriers with non-native English speakers. Technical issues get resolved efficiently, but strategic marketing advice is limited.
Resources include:
- Comprehensive knowledge base
- Video tutorial library (100+ videos)
- Free weekly webinars on email marketing tactics
- GetResponse Academy (free email marketing courses)
The self-service resources are excellent if you’re comfortable learning independently.
Winner: Constant Contact for those who value phone support; GetResponse if chat is sufficient.
Integration Ecosystem
Constant Contact Integrations
Constant Contact connects with 300+ applications including:
- E-commerce: Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Square
- CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Zoho
- Event Management: Eventbrite, Ticketmaster
- Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Canva
- Accounting: QuickBooks, FreshBooks
Most integrations are pre-built through their app marketplace or Zapier. The Eventbrite integration is particularly strong—event registrations sync both ways automatically.
However, integration depth varies. Some are full two-way syncs while others just push contacts one direction.
GetResponse Integrations
GetResponse offers 170+ native integrations plus Zapier access. Key connections include:
- E-commerce: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, BigCommerce
- CRM: Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zendesk
- Webinar: Zoom, GoToWebinar (though their native webinars reduce this need)
- Payment: Stripe, PayPal, Square
- WordPress: Deep integration with forms, landing pages, and automation
The e-commerce integrations are notably more sophisticated, syncing product catalogs, inventory, purchase history, and browsing behavior—not just contact information.
GetResponse also offers a robust API for custom integrations, with better documentation than Constant Contact’s API.
Winner: Constant Contact for breadth; GetResponse for e-commerce depth.
Mobile App Experience
Constant Contact Mobile App
The Constant Contact mobile app (iOS and Android) allows you to:
- View campaign performance stats
- See recent opens and clicks
- Access contact information
- Post to social media
- Scan business cards to add contacts
What you cannot do: create or edit email campaigns, build automations, or manage detailed settings. The app is essentially a dashboard for monitoring, not a full-featured mobile version.
The interface is clean and loads quickly, perfect for checking results on the go.
GetResponse Mobile App
GetResponse’s mobile app includes significantly more functionality:
- Create and edit simple email campaigns
- Manage automation workflows (view only)
- Access full contact database with editing
- View comprehensive analytics
- Manage webinar registrations
- Approve pending campaigns
You can genuinely run your email marketing from your phone in a pinch, though complex tasks are still better on desktop. The app is responsive and well-designed.
Winner: GetResponse for functionality; Constant Contact is fine if you only need monitoring.
Pricing Deep Dive
Constant Contact Pricing Plans
Core Plan (formerly Email):
- 500 contacts: $12/month or $9.99/month annually
- 1,000 contacts: $20/month
- 5,000 contacts: $80/month
- 10,000 contacts: $145/month
Includes: Unlimited emails, basic automation (3-email series), 1 user, landing pages, social media tools, drag-and-drop editor, basic reporting
Plus Plan:
- 500 contacts: $45/month or $35/month annually
- 1,000 contacts: $70/month
- 5,000 contacts: $195/month
- 10,000 contacts: $335/month
Adds: Up to 10-email automation series, A/B subject line testing, polls and surveys, online donations, custom segmentation, dynamic content, custom tracking codes
Notes: All plans include 60-day free trial. Nonprofit discount available (30% off). Price increases are steep as your list grows—doubling your contacts often more than doubles your price.
GetResponse Pricing Plans
Email Marketing Plan:
- 1,000 contacts: $19/month or $15.58/month annually
- 5,000 contacts: $59/month
- 10,000 contacts: $85/month
Includes: Unlimited emails, 1 user, basic automation, landing pages, signup forms, 5GB file storage, basic reporting
Marketing Automation Plan:
- 1,000 contacts: $59/month or $48.38/month annually
- 5,000 contacts: $119/month
- 10,000 contacts: $169/month
Adds: Advanced automation builder, webinars (up to 100 attendees), contact scoring, contact tagging, sales funnels, abandoned cart recovery, 5 users, 10GB storage
Ecommerce Marketing Plan:
- 1,000 contacts: $119/month or $97.58/month annually
- 5,000 contacts: $199/month
- 10,000 contacts: $289/month
Adds: Webinars (up to 300 attendees), e-commerce segmentation, product recommendations, promo codes, web push notifications, unlimited users, 20GB storage
Max Plan: Custom pricing for 100,000+ contacts, dedicated support, deliverability consulting, deliverability monitoring, dedicated IP, SSO, and transactional emails.
Notes: 30-day free trial on all plans. 18% discount for annual payment. 50% discount for nonprofits.
Value Analysis
For small lists (under 2,000 contacts), Constant Contact Core is cheaper than GetResponse Email Marketing by $30-40/year and includes better support.
For mid-size lists (2,000-10,000 contacts) needing automation, GetResponse Marketing Automation is comparable in price to Constant Contact Plus but includes significantly more features, especially webinars.
For e-commerce businesses, GetResponse provides better value since abandoned cart recovery alone typically generates enough additional revenue to justify the higher price.
Neither platform is the cheapest option overall—MailerLite and Sender offer lower prices. You’re paying for reliability, deliverability, and support quality.
Who Should Choose Constant Contact
Local Service Businesses: If you run a restaurant, salon, fitness studio, or local retail shop and primarily want to send newsletters, event invitations, and promotions, Constant Contact’s simplicity is perfect. You’ll be running campaigns within 30 minutes of signing up.
Nonprofits: The 30% nonprofit discount, donation forms, event management features, and phone support make Constant Contact excellent for organizations with limited technical expertise or volunteer staff managing communications.
Email Marketing Beginners: If terms like “conditional workflow” and “behavioral triggers” sound intimidating, Constant Contact won’t overwhelm you. The learning curve is nearly flat, and phone support means you’re never stuck.
Event-Heavy Marketers: The Eventbrite integration is seamless, and event invitation templates are polished and effective. If you host regular events and need to manage RSVPs, Constant Contact handles this better than GetResponse.
Small Lists with High-Touch Needs: If you have under 1,000 contacts and value being able to call support when problems arise, Constant Contact’s accessibility justifies the similar pricing to competitors.
Try Constant Contact free for 60 days →
Who Should Choose GetResponse
Online Course Creators: The webinar functionality combined with advanced automation for nurturing students through your course funnel makes GetResponse ideal. You can host live sessions, send recordings, and trigger emails based on course progress without additional tools.
E-commerce Stores: If you sell physical or digital products, GetResponse’s abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, and deep e-commerce integrations will increase revenue more than enough to cover the price difference versus simpler platforms.
Marketing Agencies: The ability to create sophisticated multi-path automations, A/B test extensively, and access detailed analytics makes GetResponse suitable for managing client campaigns. The unlimited users on higher plans are also essential.
Lead Generation Businesses: If your business model involves capturing leads through landing pages and nurturing them through educational content toward a sale, GetResponse’s funnel builder and scoring system streamlines this process significantly.
International Businesses: GetResponse supports 25+ interface languages and has stronger international payment processing integration than Constant Contact, which focuses primarily on US/Canada/UK markets.
Growing Businesses: The single-list architecture with tagging scales better than Constant Contact’s multiple-list approach as your contact database grows past 10,000 subscribers with diverse segments.
Try GetResponse free for 30 days →
Migration Considerations
Switching between these platforms is relatively straightforward but requires planning.
Moving from Constant Contact to GetResponse
Export your contact lists as CSV files from Constant Contact (include custom fields and opt-in dates). GetResponse’s import tool handles CSV files well and will map fields automatically in most cases.
You’ll need to manually rebuild automations since they work differently in both platforms—this is actually an opportunity to improve workflows using GetResponse’s more powerful builder.
Email templates don’t transfer directly, but you can:
- Send yourself test emails from Constant Contact
- Use GetResponse’s HTML editor to recreate designs
- Or start fresh with GetResponse’s templates (often an upgrade aesthetically)
Plan for 1-2 weeks of parallel running to ensure forms, landing pages, and integrations work correctly before canceling Constant Contact.
Moving from GetResponse to Constant Contact
Export contacts as CSV from GetResponse. Constant Contact’s import process is simpler but less intelligent about field mapping—you may need to manually assign custom field data.
Complex automations will need significant simplification since Constant Contact only supports basic triggered series. Review your workflows and determine which elements are essential versus nice-to-have.
The biggest loss will be webinar functionality if you use it—you’ll need to add Zoom or similar separately.
Landing pages can be quickly recreated in Constant Contact’s builder, though you’ll lose some design sophistication.
General Migration Tips
Both platforms offer migration assistance on higher-tier plans. GetResponse’s support team is particularly helpful with importing large contact databases.
Before migrating, clean your list—remove non-engaged subscribers who haven’t opened emails in 12+ months. This often reduces your contact count enough to save a pricing tier.
Don’t cancel your old account until you’ve successfully sent 2-3 campaigns from the new platform and verified deliverability is comparable.
Final Verdict
For most small businesses prioritizing simplicity and support: Constant Contact wins. The intuitive interface, phone support on all plans, and gentle learning curve make it the safer choice if email marketing isn’t your core competency. You’ll pay slightly more per contact than some competitors, but you’re unlikely to feel frustrated or stuck.
For marketers focused on conversion optimization and growth: GetResponse is the clear winner. The automation capabilities alone justify the investment for any business doing lead nurture campaigns. Add webinars, e-commerce tools, and superior analytics, and GetResponse delivers significantly more value for businesses ready to leverage these features.
Specific Recommendations:
- List under 1,000, basic needs: Constant Contact Core ($12/month)
- List under 5,000, need automation: GetResponse Marketing Automation ($59-119/month)
- E-commerce business: GetResponse Ecommerce Marketing (any list size)
- Regular webinars: GetResponse (Constant Contact can’t compete)
- Nonprofit needing support: Constant Contact Plus with nonprofit discount
- Complete beginner: Constant Contact Core
- Experienced marketer: GetResponse Marketing Automation or higher
Neither platform is the absolute cheapest or most feature-rich in the market. Constant Contact trades advanced features for accessibility. GetResponse balances power with (relative) usability.
The right choice depends entirely on your technical comfort level and which features you’ll actually use. A sophisticated tool you don’t leverage is worse than a simple tool you master.
Take advantage of the free trials—send 2-3 real campaigns using your actual contacts and templates during the trial period. The platform that feels more natural to your workflow is the one you’ll actually use consistently, which matters more than feature checklists.