Updated September 1, 2026
These two tools overlap, but they were built with different starting points. GetResponse started as an email marketing platform and grew outward. Systeme.io started as an all-in-one and includes email as one piece of the set. That difference in origin explains almost everything about how they price and who they suit.
I use Systeme.io for my own business, so I will be upfront about that. I have also checked GetResponse's current pricing so the numbers here are real, not remembered.
GetResponse prices its plans by the size of your contact list. Systeme.io charges a fixed price per plan no matter how big your list gets.
On GetResponse's Starter plan, 1,000 contacts is about €16/month, 25,000 contacts is around €149/month, and 100,000 contacts is around €469/month. The tool grows with you, and so does the bill.
On Systeme.io, the $97 Unlimited plan covers unlimited contacts. The $17 Startup plan covers 5,000. The number you pay does not climb every time your list does.
So the real question is not which tool is better in the abstract. It is whether you want to pay for email by list size, or pay a flat fee for a whole toolkit. Note that GetResponse displayed prices in euros for me; yours may show in another currency depending on region.
If email marketing is the core of your business, GetResponse is a specialist and it shows. The entire product is organized around lists, campaigns, and automation, which is exactly what an email-first operation wants to think about.
Its higher plans give you unlimited automation workflows. The Marketer and Creator plans open that up, while the entry Starter plan includes one custom workflow. If you live in automation, building branching sequences and behavior-based flows all day, that depth is the point of paying for GetResponse.
GetResponse also hosts webinars natively on its Creator plan, for up to 100 attendees. And it has a long track record running email infrastructure at scale. If you want a dedicated email platform and email is what you do, it is a solid, focused tool.
So I would point an email-marketing-first business toward GetResponse without hesitation, especially one that wants deep automation and does not need funnels, courses, or a blog in the same place.
For most small businesses and creators, the appeal of Systeme.io is that it does not make you assemble a stack.
The same plan gives you sales funnels, unlimited email marketing, courses, a blog, and an affiliate program. You are not paying for an email tool plus a funnel tool plus a course tool. It is one login and one bill.
Email sends are unlimited on every plan, including the free one. That is worth stressing next to GetResponse's list-size pricing: on Systeme.io, sending more email or holding more contacts on a given plan does not push your price up the way a growing list does elsewhere.
And there is a genuine free plan. You can run 2,000 contacts, three funnels, and unlimited emails at $0 while you build. GetResponse offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card, which is useful for testing, but it is a trial rather than a permanent free tier.
| Systeme.io | GetResponse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed price per plan | Scales with contact-list size |
| Entry paid price | $17/mo for 5,000 contacts | from €16/mo for 1,000 contacts |
| Around 25,000 contacts | $97/mo (Unlimited, unlimited contacts) | about €149/mo (Starter) |
| Free option | Permanent free plan ($0) | 14-day free trial (no card) |
| Email sends | Unlimited on all plans | Unlimited monthly sends |
| Automation | Included | 1 workflow (Starter), unlimited (Marketer, Creator) |
| Webinars | Webinar plan, $47/mo (automated) | Creator plan, up to 100 attendees |
| Scope | Full all-in-one | Email marketing first |
Figures from systeme.io/pricing and getresponse.com/pricing, checked on 1 September 2026. GetResponse prices are shown here in euros, as they appeared in my region. GetResponse sets its pricing by region, so the currency and the exact amounts you see may differ from these.
People worry that a cheaper or all-in-one tool will land their emails in spam. In my own use, Systeme.io's deliverability has held up, and the platform gives you the controls that actually matter: domain authentication with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, plus guidance on list hygiene and warming up a new sending domain. Whichever tool you pick, authenticating your domain does more for inbox placement than the brand on the box.
At a small list it can start lower (around €16/month for 1,000 contacts on Starter). But GetResponse's price rises as your list grows, while Systeme.io stays fixed per plan. At larger list sizes, Systeme.io's flat pricing usually comes out ahead.
For most businesses, yes: unlimited sends, automation, broadcasts, and segmentation are all there. GetResponse offers deeper, more specialized automation on its higher plans, which matters if email automation is your main focus.
Systeme.io has a permanent free plan at $0 with 2,000 contacts and unlimited emails. GetResponse offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Systeme.io includes automated webinars on its $47 Webinar plan. GetResponse hosts webinars on its Creator plan for up to 100 attendees.
If you only need email and automation and want a dedicated specialist, GetResponse is a strong pick. If you also want funnels, courses, and a blog in one place, Systeme.io covers more for a fixed price.
You can export your contacts and import them into Systeme.io, then rebuild your automations. Systeme.io also offers a free migration service on its Unlimited plan.
Pick GetResponse if email marketing is the heart of your business, you want a dedicated specialist, and you value deep automation over an all-in-one toolkit. It is built for exactly that.
Pick Systeme.io if you want funnels, email, courses, and a blog under one flat price, if you would rather not watch your bill climb with your list, or if you want to start free. For a lean all-in-one business, this is the one I use and recommend.
You can start with Systeme.io free here and test the email tools on the free plan first.
