Constant Contact vs VerticalResponse (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Constant Contact grades higher than VerticalResponse: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Constant Contact grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. VerticalResponse grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Constant Contact
Email, SMS and social marketing for small businesses
VerticalResponse
Email marketing for small businesses, priced by list size
Which one is for you
Pick Constant Contact if
- Fits if you run a small business and want email, social posts and event sign-ups in one place
- Works for agencies looking after several small clients, or for checking results from an iPhone
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you just want to schedule a newsletter, since that needs the $29.75 Standard plan
- Skip it if you want a free plan to grow into, as there's only a 30-day trial with 100 sends
- Tight if your list shrinks after a busy season, as the bill stays at the highest tier you've sent at
- Not for you if you need Android, a desktop app or other integrations, as none are on record
- Watch out: monthly prices aren't shown, sends cap at 10 to 24 times your contacts, and SMS is a monthly add-on
Pick VerticalResponse if
- Fits if you send to a few hundred contacts and want a long trial before paying
- Works for sending to a list with landing pages and pop-ups bundled in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan: the only free option is the 60-day trial
- Pricey if your list grows, with $40 a month at 2,500 contacts on Basic and $58 on Pro
- Tight if you need A/B subject tests or advanced reporting, which are Pro only
- Watch out: Test Kit previews cost credits, and prices for bigger lists come from a calculator or a sales form
- Too light for anyone who needs a list of connected apps, as none are named
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAConstant ContactGood | 2.0GPAVerticalResponseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DLite is $10.20 a month on yearly billing, which looks low. But it can't schedule a send and has 1 automation template. Scheduling and subject-line tests need Standard at $29.75, more than twice what a typical email tool charges, and custom automations need Premium at $68. | C$13 a month for 500 contacts, then $28 at 1,000 and $40 at 2,500. That sits between the cheaper quarter ($9.99) and the dearer quarter ($33) of email tools, and it rises fast. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. There's a 30-day trial with up to 100 email sends, and it ends on its own rather than rolling into a plan. That's enough to try the editor, not to run a real campaign to your list. | CNo free plan, but the 60-day trial needs no credit card, which is a long look. |
| Features | BEmail with AI writing help, automations, segments, landing pages, sign-up forms, surveys, event pages and posting to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. That's the whole job. SMS is a separate monthly add-on. | CEditor, follow-ups, autoresponders, landing pages, pop-ups and surveys. A/B subject tests and advanced reporting are Pro only, and Test Kit previews are bought in credits. |
| Ease of use | A4.76 from 10,653 App Store ratings for its iPhone and iPad app, the top band. You can check campaigns, contacts and reports from your phone. | CNo rating on record. It's a web app where you build the emails and the follow-ups yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus an iPhone and iPad app, and it posts straight to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. No Android or desktop app, though, and no API or other integrations on record. | CWeb only, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | email, social posts and events for a small business | small-list email with a 60-day trial |
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: Constant Contact and VerticalResponse. How we grade
Price against what you get
Constant Contact starts at $10.20 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. VerticalResponse starts at $13 a month and scores 2.0.
Constant Contact scores higher and starts $2.80 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, none scores higher than Constant Contact for less, and 19 score higher than VerticalResponse 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
- Constant Contact also covers forms and business texting.
- VerticalResponse also covers templates, surveys, a/B testing and popups.
At a glance
| Constant Contact | VerticalResponse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10.20 per month and up by contact count, billed annually (Lite) | $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial with up to 100 email sends; it ends on its own | 60-day free trial of the core email features, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Constant Contact, Inc. | VerticalResponse |
| Price read from | constantcontact.com | verticalresponse.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Constant Contact
- The US pricing page shows yearly-billed prices, 15% below paying monthly; the monthly figures and the contacts each starting price covers were not shown.
- Monthly sends are capped at 10 to 24 times the contact tier, by plan; extra emails cost $0.002 each.
- The bill follows the highest contact tier reached; once you send at a higher tier, it cannot be lowered.
- SMS marketing is sold as a separate monthly add-on to an email plan.
VerticalResponse
- There is no free plan for email; the free option is a 60-day trial.
- Automated follow-up emails are listed on both paid plans, but advanced reporting and A/B subject line tests need Pro.
- Pay as You Go is a separate option for occasional senders: credits cost $0.03 per email for 200 to 1,000 credits, falling to $0.0086 per email at 75,001 or more.
- The pricing page shows only the first steps of the contact-based price table here; costs for larger lists come from its calculator or a sales form.
Key features
Constant Contact
- Email campaigns with AI
- Branded templates and AI content generation for newsletters and promotions, with actionable blocks for RSVPs, social follows and feedback.
- Automations and Campaign Builder
- Lite includes a welcome automation; Standard adds Campaign Builder for AI-made multi-channel campaigns; Premium adds custom automations.
- Segments and testing
- Standard and above add automated segments based on campaign engagement, scheduled sending and A/B subject line tests.
- Landing pages, surveys and events
- Build landing pages, sign-up forms, survey pages and event pages to collect contacts and registrations.
- Social posting
- Post to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at once and track engagement next to email results.
- Ads and SEO on Premium
- Premium adds advanced reporting, Facebook lookalike targeting, Google ad management and SEO recommendations.
VerticalResponse
- Email editor and templates
- A drag-and-drop editor with customizable, mobile-responsive templates, an HTML editor and an image library.
- Automated follow-ups and series
- Resend a campaign to people who missed it, or send autoresponders and welcome series triggered by how contacts engage.
- Landing pages and pop-ups
- Build stand-alone landing pages and customizable pop-up forms to collect sign-ups. Landing pages are unlimited on both paid plans.
- Reporting and A/B testing
- Pro adds advanced reporting (opens, clicks, devices, locations), delivery rate review and A/B testing of subject lines.
- Test Kit
- Preview an email on 50+ platforms by spending one credit per test. Pro includes 10 credits; extra credits are bought separately.
- Surveys
- A separate survey tool with a free plan of 10 questions and 100 respondents per survey, and a paid Basic plan with no limits on either.
Plans
Constant Contact
Lite$10.20
per month and up by contacts, billed annually
Email and social posting, 1 automation template, basic reports and 1 custom segment. The price rises with contacts and sends.
Standard$29.75
per month and up by contacts, billed annually
Adds scheduling, subject-line tests, 3 automation templates, an AI campaign builder and open and click reports. Marked recommended.
Premium$68
per month and up by contacts, billed annually
Adds dynamic content, unlimited and custom automations, SEO tips, Google ads, priority support and 500 text messages.
Multi-AccountCustom
For teams that need 5 or more accounts across locations. Sold through sales.
VerticalResponse
Basic$13
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
Unlimited emails, landing pages, pop-ups and follow-ups. Rises with the list: $28 a month at 1,000 contacts, $40 at 2,500.
Pro$19
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
Basic plus advanced reporting, delivery rate review, A/B subject tests and 10 Test Kit credits. $38 a month at 1,000 contacts, $58 at 2,500.
Ways to pay less
Constant Contact
- Annual discount
Save 15% with yearly billing
Constant Contact's pricing page says prepaying for 12 months saves up to 15%, and nonprofits that prepay save up to 30%.
VerticalResponse
- Nonprofit
50% off Pro for nonprofits
VerticalResponse lists a 50% discount on its Pro plans for non-profits, applied for through a form on the pricing page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Constant Contact or VerticalResponse?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Constant Contact is cheaper to start with: $10.20 a month, against $13 a month for VerticalResponse. Constant Contact starts at $10.20 per month and up by contact count, billed annually (Lite), and VerticalResponse starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Constant Contact or VerticalResponse?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Constant Contact nor VerticalResponse has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Constant Contact and VerticalResponse run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Constant Contact lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.