The Groundhogg Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Groundhogg in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Groundhogg
The Insider’s Guide
Flat-rate CRM and email marketing plugin for WordPress
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from Groundhogg’s own pages.
Made by Groundhogg Inc. · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Groundhogg’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Groundhogg’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 7 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
Groundhogg is a CRM and marketing automation plugin that runs on your own WordPress site. It combines contact records, email broadcasts, automated flows and reports, with a licence priced by feature tier instead of contact count. The vendor describes it as open source (GPL) and self-hosted.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Groundhogg, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It needs a WordPress site you host and set up, plus an email sender.
- 1
Best for a WordPress owner wanting CRM and email
It only runs inside WordPress, and you need a separate SMTP or sending service to get email out.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per month for 1 site, billed annually ($240).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free demo of the Pro plan in a private WordPress sandbox, no credit card
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Contact management
Contact records with tags, custom fields, notes, tasks, activity timelines, saved searches and segments inside the WordPress dashboard.
- 6
Email broadcasts
Send broadcasts, batch large sends and handle bounces and complaints; bounce handling is a Pro feature.
- 7
Automated flows
Build automations that move contacts through sequences. Conditional logic needs Pro.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 7 of 57
That is against the other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Groundhogg you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Groundhogg at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $20 per month for 1 site, billed annually ($240)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free demo of the Pro plan in a private WordPress sandbox, no credit card
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Groundhogg Inc., since 2018
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a WordPress owner wanting CRM and email
Groundhogg is a CRM and email marketing plugin for WordPress, with flat pricing and unlimited contacts from $20 a month for 1 site. It only runs inside WordPress, and you need a separate SMTP or sending service to get email out.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Basic is $20 a month for 1 site on annual billing ($240), inside the email category's middle band. Plus is $40 for 3 sites, Pro $50 for 5 and Agency $100 for 25. |
| Free plan and trial | C | 14-day demo of Pro in a private WordPress sandbox, no credit card. No free plan. |
| Features | C | Contact management, broadcasts, automated flows, unlimited contacts, sales tools and an AI assistant connection. Sending needs an SMTP or sending service. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. It needs a WordPress site you host and set up, plus an email sender. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Runs only inside WordPress, with 7 integrations on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Groundhogg is for
- Fits if you run WordPress sites and want contacts and email in the same place
- Works for agencies that want one licence across many client sites
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you are not on WordPress, as it only runs there
- Skip it if you want email sent for you, because sending needs an SMTP or sending service, and those integrations are listed from Pro
- Watch out: the vendor's price comparison assumes you host it yourself
- Watch out: a licence covers 1, 3, 5 or 25 sites by tier, and refunds are offered within 14 days of purchase
Good to know
Good for
- WordPress site owners who want a CRM and email tool on their own domain
- Teams with large lists who want a price that does not rise with contacts
- Agencies that run several client sites under one licence
Worth knowing
- It runs only inside WordPress; the vendor's price comparison assumes you host it yourself.
- Sending email needs an SMTP or sending service. SMTP and SMS integrations are listed from Pro.
- A single licence covers 1, 3, 5 or 25 sites depending on the tier.
- Refunds are offered within 14 days of purchase.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start
Groundhogg is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $20 per month for 1 site, billed annually ($240).
Basic
$20
per month for 1 site, billed annually ($240)
Premium support, basic add-ons, premium flow steps and superlinks. No company records, booking calendar or sales pipeline.
Plus
$40
per month for up to 3 sites, billed annually ($480)
Adds form plugin integrations, sales, CRM and marketing add-ons, company records, booking calendar, lead scoring and sales pipeline.
Pro
$50
per month for up to 5 sites, billed annually ($600)
Adds SMTP, SMS, ecommerce and membership integrations and conditional logic.
Agency
$100
per month for up to 25 sites, billed annually ($1,200)
Adds white-label branding, all integrations and all add-ons, and permits use for clients.
Trying it first
14-day free demo of the Pro plan in a private WordPress sandbox, no credit card
Read from groundhogg.io on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Nonprofit
50% off for registered nonprofits
A grant gives registered nonprofits 50% off annual licenses for Groundhogg Pro, MailHawk and HollerBox. It does not renew automatically, so it must be re-applied for each year.
Stated on groundhogg.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Flat-rate CRM and email marketing plugin for WordPress. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, sales pipeline, marketing automation, AI agents, email campaigns.
Contact management, broadcasts, automated flows, unlimited contacts, sales tools and an AI assistant connection.
- Contact management
- Contact records with tags, custom fields, notes, tasks, activity timelines, saved searches and segments inside the WordPress dashboard.
- Email broadcasts
- Send broadcasts, batch large sends and handle bounces and complaints; bounce handling is a Pro feature.
- Automated flows
- Build automations that move contacts through sequences. Conditional logic needs Pro.
- Unlimited contacts
- The vendor says it never charges more for extra contacts, users, flows or email sends.
- Sales tools
- Booking calendar, lead scoring, content restriction and a sales pipeline from the Plus tier up.
- AI assistant connection
- Connect Claude or ChatGPT to the CRM over MCP so an assistant can work with contacts and flows.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WooCommerce
- Contact Form 7
- BuddyBoss
- AffiliateWP
- Amazon Web Services
- LifterLMS
- Google Calendar
Groundhogg is made by Groundhogg Inc., and has been around since 2018.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/57
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
Groundhogg's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 7 of 57) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 30 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 28 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Groundhogg’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 57
- CFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 57
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Groundhogg is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Groundhogg you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 41 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools grade higher. It costs $240 a year. Groundhogg is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Sales pipeline: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- It plugs into other products, WooCommerce, Contact Form 7 and BuddyBoss among them.
What this rests on. Groundhogg’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
FluentCRM, Mailster, MailPoet, ActiveCampaign and Mautic
The 5 tools Groundhogg is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
FluentCRM
Free plan · from $129/yr
CRM and email marketing plugin that runs inside WordPress.
- FluentCRM has a free plan. Groundhogg does not, though it has a free trial.
- Groundhogg is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Groundhogg also covers sales pipeline and AI agents.
- 1.8GPA
Mailster
From $79/yr
Email newsletter plugin that runs inside WordPress.
- Groundhogg is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Groundhogg also covers sales pipeline and AI agents.
- Mailster also covers templates, forms and rSS reader.
- 2.6GPA
MailPoet
Free plan · from $8/mo
Email marketing plugin that runs inside WordPress and WooCommerce.
- MailPoet has a free plan. Groundhogg does not, though it has a free trial.
- Groundhogg is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Groundhogg also covers sales pipeline and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
ActiveCampaign
Free trial · from $15/mo
Email marketing and multi-step automation priced by contacts.
- Groundhogg is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Groundhogg also covers AI agents.
- ActiveCampaign also covers forms and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Mautic
Free plan · from €247.50/mo
Open source marketing automation you can self-host.
- Mautic has a free plan. Groundhogg does not, though it has a free trial.
- Groundhogg also covers sales pipeline and AI agents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Groundhogg free?
No, Groundhogg is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free demo of the Pro plan in a private WordPress sandbox, no credit card.
How much does Groundhogg cost?
Groundhogg lists 4 plans. Basic: $20 per month for 1 site, billed annually ($240).
What platforms does Groundhogg work on?
Groundhogg is available on Web.
Does Groundhogg offer any discounts?
Groundhogg publicly lists the following: 50% off for registered nonprofits.
Does Groundhogg have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Groundhogg is listed for Web.
Does Groundhogg have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Groundhogg is listed for Web.
Is Groundhogg open source?
Yes. Groundhogg is open source, according to its own site.
What does Groundhogg integrate with?
Groundhogg's listing names WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, BuddyBoss, AffiliateWP, Amazon Web Services, LifterLMS and Google Calendar.
Who makes Groundhogg?
Groundhogg is made by Groundhogg Inc. It dates from 2018.
What are the alternatives to Groundhogg?
The closest alternatives to Groundhogg in our directory are FluentCRM, Mailster, MailPoet, ActiveCampaign and Mautic.
How does Groundhogg compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
Groundhogg's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 9.
Is Groundhogg good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Groundhogg C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 30 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Groundhogg?
To replace Groundhogg you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Groundhogg’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Groundhogg's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Groundhogg Inc. Prices change, so check groundhogg.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Groundhogg, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/groundhogg
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Groundhogg: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/groundhogg
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/groundhogg/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after Groundhogg, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Marketing & Newsletters Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, compared
- Substack Insider's GuideNewsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions3.2 GPA
- SendFox Insider's GuideEmail newsletters and list building for creators on a budget3.0 GPA
- Zoho Campaigns Insider's GuideEmail, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns that tie into Zoho's apps3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Groundhogg’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Groundhogg is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Groundhogg Inc. Prices and plans change: check groundhogg.io before you buy.