Last updated: September 5, 2026. Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
How we know: we tested Systeme.io hands-on in our own free-plan account. Everything here about GetResponse comes from its published pricing page and documentation, checked on the date shown — we have not run a GetResponse account ourselves, and we would rather say so than imply otherwise.
Our verdict
GetResponse started as an email platform and added funnels; Systeme.io started as a funnel platform and added email — that order of operations still shows. GetResponse’s automation and deliverability tooling run deeper. Systeme.io is cheaper at every comparable tier and includes a real free plan, which GetResponse does not.
Try Systeme.io freeFree plan, no credit card required. Affiliate link — see our disclosure.
GetResponse and Systeme.io both now sell email, automation, funnels, and even course hosting — but they arrived there from opposite starting points. GetResponse is an email-marketing platform that grew a funnel builder on top. Systeme.io is a funnel builder that grew an email platform on top. Here’s what that history actually costs you.
Pricing, side by side
List prices as of September 5, 2026, monthly billing at a 1,000-contact list size (GetResponse’s price scales with list size; this is its base tier), checked directly on each company’s pricing page.
| Tier | Systeme.io | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Free / trial | $0, permanent — 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts, 0% fees | 14-day free trial only, no permanent free tier |
| Entry | $17/mo — 10 funnels, 5,000 contacts | $19/mo (Starter) — unlimited email sends, 1 automation workflow, landing pages |
| Mid | $47/mo — 50 funnels, 10,000 contacts, evergreen webinars | $59/mo (Marketer) — unlimited automations, sales funnels, webinars, course creator (up to 500 students) |
| Top | $97/mo — unlimited everything | Custom pricing (Enterprise) — SSO, dedicated IP, unlimited users |
The detail worth noting: GetResponse’s pricing page doesn’t list a percentage-based transaction fee on any tier — similar to what we found with Thinkific and unlike Kartra, Podia, or Teachable. Its price does scale with your contact list size, though, which Systeme.io’s does not until you cross specific contact thresholds per plan.
Create a free Systeme.io account — no card requiredAffiliate link — see our disclosure.
Where the money actually goes
What GetResponse has that Systeme.io does not
- AI-powered content generators built into email creation, on every paid tier.
- Unlimited web push notifications and mobile push notifications, a channel Systeme.io doesn’t offer at all.
- Deeper deliverability and email-marketing specific tooling, reflecting its origin as an email-first platform.
- SMS marketing and transactional emails, on the Enterprise tier.
What Systeme.io has that GetResponse does not
- A permanent free plan. GetResponse offers a 14-day trial only.
- Course hosting without a student cap on the entry tiers — GetResponse’s Marketer tier caps courses at 500 students; Systeme.io’s course module isn’t capped by student count.
- Unlimited sub-accounts on every plan, including free — useful for agencies or multi-brand operators.
- A price that doesn’t scale with contact list size within a given plan’s contact cap, so growing your list doesn’t quietly bump your bill the way it can on GetResponse.
Two questions that decide it
1. Is email deliverability and automation depth the priority?
GetResponse’s roots as an email platform show in its automation builder and AI content tools. If your business lives and dies by email performance — open rates, deliverability, sequence complexity — that specialization is worth paying for.
2. How big is your list going to get?
GetResponse’s pricing scales with contact count, so the $19–$59/mo range shown here is a starting point, not a ceiling — check the live pricing calculator at your actual list size before committing. Systeme.io’s pricing stays fixed within each plan’s contact cap (2,000 on free, 5,000 on Startup, and so on).
Frequently asked questions
Does GetResponse have a free plan?
No — GetResponse offers a 14-day free trial, not a permanent free tier. Systeme.io’s free plan never expires and needs no credit card.
Does GetResponse’s price change with my list size?
Yes. The prices shown on its pricing page are for a 1,000-contact list; costs increase as your list grows. Systeme.io’s price stays fixed within each plan’s contact cap.
Is Systeme.io cheaper than GetResponse?
At a 1,000-contact list, Systeme.io’s entry tier ($17/mo) is slightly cheaper than GetResponse’s Starter ($19/mo), and the gap widens as your list grows since GetResponse’s pricing scales with contacts.
Which has better email automation, Systeme.io or GetResponse?
GetResponse, by design — it started as an email-marketing platform and has deeper automation and deliverability tooling. Systeme.io’s email automation is solid but secondary to its funnel-building core.
I’ve been building and maintaining websites for about ten years. The first one is still online a decade later, and I still fix it when something breaks — which is how I learned that the interesting part of any platform is not the launch, it’s year three. I co-owned that site’s business, though I am not a co-owner today; the business itself has since closed. Separately, I have also run an online store on Shopify, until the fees pushed me onto a different payment system. Today I choose the host, the theme and write the plugins that run this site, and I pay for the tools I test out of my own pocket. More on the About page, and exactly what we did and did not test in how we test.
Prices verified against each company’s public pricing page on September 5, 2026, at a 1,000-contact list size. Vendors change pricing without notice — check before you buy, and tell us if you find something out of date.
Try it yourself: Systeme.io’s free plan is permanent, not a trial — 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, 0% transaction fees. Start on the free plan and find out in a weekend whether it covers what you need. (Affiliate link — see our disclosure.)