Cakemail vs EmailOctopus (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EmailOctopus grades higher than Cakemail: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
EmailOctopus grades higher on value for money, features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cakemail
Email marketing platform with a free plan, priced by contacts
EmailOctopus
Simple, low-cost email marketing with a free plan for 2,500
Which one is for you
Pick Cakemail if
- Fits if you have a list under 500 and send a few campaigns a month
- Works for small senders who want to start free and watch the cap
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your list grows past 500 contacts, because the free plan stops there and Growth is priced by contacts
- Skip it if you want A/B testing or landing pages cheaply, since those are Premium
- Watch out: Growth sends a set number of emails per contact, and 10,000 contacts costs $63 a month
- Watch out: the email API is priced separately, for example $1.00 per 1,000 emails on its own page
Pick EmailOctopus if
- Fits if you run a club, charity or small group with a list under 2,500
- Works for nonprofits, which get 20% off for life, or writers who want a plain newsletter
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try Pro before paying, as there's no trial of it
- Tight if you're staying free, at 1 user, 1 form, 1 landing page and reports that disappear after 30 days
- Skip it if EmailOctopus branding on your free emails would bother you
- Too light for shops that want SMS or store flows, as none are on record
- Watch out: only WordPress, Shopify and Zapier are listed, and its Amazon SES product is priced separately
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACakemailFair | 2.8GPAEmailOctopusGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CGrowth is $11 a month for 500 contacts, just above the $9.99 where email tools' cheaper quarter starts, and it rises with contacts: $63 at 10,000. Premium is $19. | BPro is $9 a month for 500 subscribers on yearly billing, or $10 monthly, inside the cheaper quarter of email tools. At 10,000 subscribers it's $44.50 a month billed monthly, and nonprofits get 20% off for life. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for up to 500 contacts and 6,000 emails a month, no card needed. Hit either cap and sending stops until you upgrade or the cycle resets. | BStarter is free for 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with no card and no time limit. That's enough for a club newsletter. You get 1 user, 1 form and 1 landing page, branding on emails and 30 days of reports. |
| Features | CCampaigns, templates, workflows, segmentation, forms, reports and an API. A/B testing, popups, landing pages and the HTML editor need Premium. | BA drag-and-drop editor with over 100 templates, your own HTML, automated sequences, fields, tags and segments, pop-up forms, landing pages and live reports. That covers the email marketing job, kept plain, with no SMS or store flows on record. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build lists, templates and sender authentication yourself. | CNo App Store rating on record and no phone app. You'll import a list and set up a form and templates in the web app before the first send. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with 1 integration on record plus an API. | BWeb only, with WordPress, Shopify and Zapier and an API. It's a short list, and with no desktop or phone app, a B is the ceiling. |
| Best for | a small list that wants a free email plan | plain newsletters for small groups |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cakemail and EmailOctopus. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cakemail starts at $11 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. EmailOctopus starts at $9 a month and scores 2.7.
EmailOctopus scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Cakemail for less, and none scores higher than EmailOctopus for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Cakemail also covers templates and popups.
At a glance
| Cakemail | EmailOctopus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $11 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly | $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly |
| Free plan | Up to 500 contacts and 6,000 emails per month, with no card needed. | Starter plan: up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, 1 user, 1 landing page and 1 form, reports kept 30 days and EmailOctopus branding on emails. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Cakemail | Three Hearts Digital Ltd |
| Price read from | cakemail.com | emailoctopus.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cakemail
- The free plan caps at 500 contacts and 6,000 emails a month; hitting either stops sending until you upgrade or the cycle resets.
- Growth prices by contact count and sends a set number of emails per contact; at 10,000 contacts it is $63 a month.
- A/B testing, popups, landing pages and the HTML editor are Premium features.
- The email API is priced separately, for example $1.00 per 1,000 emails on the page for that product.
EmailOctopus
- There is no free trial of Pro; EmailOctopus suggests starting on the free Starter plan.
- Starter emails carry EmailOctopus branding and reports disappear after 30 days.
- Lists above 500,000 subscribers need a quoted plan.
- EmailOctopus Connect, its Amazon SES product, is a separate service with its own pricing.
Key features
Cakemail
- Campaigns and templates
- Email campaigns built in a drag-and-drop editor, with 700+ templates listed on paid plans.
- Automated workflows
- Automations triggered by how contacts interact with your emails; Premium adds contact tags in automation and drip campaigns.
- Segmentation
- Audience groups that update on their own, with behavioral segmentation on Premium.
- Signup forms
- Embedded or linked forms for collecting subscribers; Premium adds popups and landing pages.
- Reports and sender authentication
- Per-campaign reports and guided DNS setup so mail is authenticated against your domain.
- API access
- Cakemail's API is included for building custom integrations.
EmailOctopus
- Drag-and-drop editor and templates
- Over 100 mobile-friendly templates that adapt to your brand's colors, a drag-and-drop editor, and the option to write or import your own HTML.
- Automated sequences
- Build sequences that send emails to subscribers automatically after they join or take an action.
- Fields, tags and segments
- Collect custom fields, tag subscribers and target emails by data and behavior, then schedule sends for later.
- Forms and landing pages
- Pop-up forms and landing pages to collect subscribers. Starter allows one of each; Pro has no limit.
- Reports
- Opens, clicks and other campaign stats in real time. Starter keeps reports for 30 days; Pro keeps them indefinitely.
Plans
Cakemail
Free$0
Up to 500 contacts and 6,000 emails a month, with the core campaign, template and form tools.
Growth$11
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
6,000 emails a month per 500 contacts, templates, workflows, segmentation, forms and API. $63 a month at 10,000 contacts and 120,000 emails.
Premium$19
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
7,500 emails at 500 contacts, plus A/B testing, journey mapping, popups, landing pages, HTML editor and a dedicated IP option. Price also rises with the list.
EmailOctopus
Starter$0
2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails a month, 1 user, 1 landing page and 1 form, with EmailOctopus branding and 30-day reports.
Pro$9
per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly ($10 monthly)
10,000 emails a month, unlimited users, forms and landing pages, no branding, reports kept for good. $44.50 a month billed monthly at 10,000 subscribers.
CustomCustom
Quoted plans for lists of more than 500,000 subscribers.
Ways to pay less
Cakemail
No public discounts listed.
EmailOctopus
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
EmailOctopus's pricing page shows Pro at 500 subscribers for $9 a month billed yearly instead of $10 billed monthly, a $12 saving.
- Nonprofit
20% lifetime discount for nonprofits
All nonprofits using EmailOctopus get a 20% lifetime discount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cakemail or EmailOctopus?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EmailOctopus is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $11 a month for Cakemail. Cakemail starts at $11 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly, and EmailOctopus starts at $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Cakemail or EmailOctopus?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cakemail and EmailOctopus have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.