GetResponse Review
The all-in-one platform with a billing problem
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Our Verdict
GetResponse is a legitimately powerful platform that tries to be everything for everyone — and mostly succeeds for course creators and SMBs who will actually use the webinars, funnels, and automation. The deliverability ranked #1 in the largest independent test, and the AI features are functional. But the billing practices documented across every major review platform are a genuine concern, and the $19 entry point is effectively bait — the real product starts at $59/month. It is not a scam, but it is not as straightforward as the marketing suggests. Go in with eyes open.
Best for
Course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform
Not for
Simple newsletter senders (you will overpay), WordPress users (no plugin), or anyone who might need to cancel quickly
GetResponse — The Full Picture
GetResponse is a genuinely ambitious platform that tries to be the Swiss Army knife of email marketing -- and for certain users, it pulls it off. In our analysis, the combination of email marketing, webinar hosting, course creation, conversion funnels, and landing pages in a single platform is unmatched at this price point. No competitor offers built-in webinar hosting in the same tier. The AI Campaign Generator that shipped in 2025 is functional and produces usable funnels, not the vaporware we see from other platforms bolting on "AI" as a marketing checkbox.
The deliverability story is strong on paper. GetResponse ranked #1 in the largest independent deliverability test we found -- EmailDeliverabilityReport tested 64,855 emails and measured an 81.10% inbox rate with a 91/100 overall score. EmailToolTester's separate methodology put it at 82.1%. These are solid numbers, though the Gmail-specific rate of 78.34% is a concern given that most subscriber lists skew heavily toward Gmail.
But the billing practices cast a long shadow over everything GetResponse does well. Across Trustpilot, Capterra, BBB, and Sitejabber, the pattern is consistent: users who try to leave report difficulty cancelling, no refunds under any circumstances, and charges that continue after cancellation attempts. The BBB profile shows GetResponse failed to respond to 11 complaints. This is not a one-off issue -- it is systemic.
Pricing Breakdown
GetResponse pricing is structured to funnel you toward the $59/month Marketer plan, and understanding this is critical before signing up. The Free plan (500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month) includes GetResponse branding and is genuinely limited -- it works as a trial, not a real tool. The Starter plan at $19/month for 1,000 contacts looks appealing but includes only 1 automation workflow. One. That means no meaningful automation sequences, no multi-step funnels, no conditional logic chains.
The real product begins at the Marketer plan: $59/month for 1,000 contacts, scaling to $114/month at 10,000 contacts. This is where you get full automation, webinar hosting (100 attendees), contact scoring, and sales funnels. The Creator plan at $69/month adds unlimited webinar attendees, courses, and AI content generation. Enterprise starts around $1,099/month.
Key gotchas we found: bounced and removed contacts count toward your subscriber limit, which pushes you to higher tiers faster than expected. There is a 50% discount for nonprofits, which is genuinely generous. But the no-refund policy is absolute -- multiple Trustpilot reviewers confirm that even billing errors do not result in refunds. Annual billing saves roughly 30%, but given the cancellation complaints, committing annually carries real risk.
Check Current PricingDoes GetResponse Reach the Inbox?
GetResponse performed well in the two major independent deliverability tests we analysed. EmailDeliverabilityReport -- the largest test we found at 64,855 emails -- gave GetResponse an 81.10% inbox placement rate, a 17.27% spam rate, and an overall score of 91/100, ranking it #1 among all platforms tested. EmailToolTester's separate methodology measured an 82.1% average.
The Gmail-specific number is the one that should concern you. At 78.34% inbox placement on Gmail, roughly one in five of your emails to Gmail users is landing in spam or promotions. Given that Gmail dominates most subscriber lists, this is not a trivial gap. One user on Trustpilot reported open rates dropping from 10-20% to less than 3% after migrating to GetResponse -- though individual cases depend on many factors beyond the ESP.
In our assessment, GetResponse deliverability is above average but not best-in-class. MailerLite (94.41% in EmailToolTester) and Brevo (89.1%) both outperform it in newer tests. The #1 ranking in EmailDeliverabilityReport is legitimate, but that test and EmailToolTester measure different things, and the Gmail weakness matters for most senders.
Automation & Features
GetResponse automation is a tale of two products. On the Starter plan ($19/month), you get exactly one automation workflow. That is enough for a basic welcome sequence and nothing else. On the Marketer plan ($59/month), the automation builder opens up significantly and is genuinely competitive with ActiveCampaign for most use cases.
The visual workflow builder on the Marketer plan supports conditional logic, scoring, tagging, wait steps, and multi-path branching. G2 reviewers (4.3/5 from 1,116 reviews) consistently highlight automation as the standout feature. You can trigger workflows based on email engagement, website visits, purchases, and custom events.
What makes GetResponse automation unique is the integration with webinars and courses. You can trigger email sequences when someone registers for a webinar, attends (or doesn't attend), completes a course module, or hits a scoring threshold. No competitor offers this because no competitor bundles webinars and courses at this price point. The AI Campaign Generator can create complete multi-step funnels including landing pages, emails, and CTAs in a single workflow.
The weakness is the form and landing page builders that feed into these automations. EmailToolTester notes the forms are inflexible, and the templates look dated compared to MailerLite or Mailchimp.
Detailed Scores
What We Like
- Genuinely all-in-one: email, webinars, course hosting, conversion funnels, and landing pages in a single platform — no competitor matches this combination in the price range
- Ranked #1 in the largest independent deliverability test (EmailDeliverabilityReport: 81.10% inbox rate, 91/100 score from 64,855 emails tested)
- AI Campaign Generator creates complete funnels (emails, landing pages, CTAs) in one click — these shipped in 2025 and are functional, not vaporware
- Strong automation on the Marketer plan with an intuitive visual builder — G2 reviewers (4.3/5 from 1,116 reviews) consistently highlight this as the standout feature
- 50% discount for nonprofits. Free plan available (500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month)
- Strong multilingual support across 24 languages — particularly strong for non-English markets
What Could Be Better
- Billing practices are the #1 complaint everywhere — 27% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star (261 of 955), dominated by billing disputes. Users report difficulty cancelling, no refunds under any circumstances, and one claimed being billed $2,000/month after giving notice
- The $19/month Starter plan is misleading — it only includes 1 automation workflow. Real automation needs the $59/month Marketer plan, effectively tripling your cost. This is the most common 'gotcha' users report
- Bounced and removed contacts still count toward your subscriber limit, forcing upgrades faster than expected — a common frustration across Capterra and Trustpilot
- Gmail-specific inbox placement rate of 78.34% is mediocre — concerning since most subscribers use Gmail. One user reported open rates dropping from 10-20% to less than 3% after switching to GetResponse
- Form and template builders feel dated — EmailToolTester notes forms are inflexible and templates look outdated. No working WordPress plugin in 2026
- BBB profile shows failure to respond to 11 complaints. Sitejabber rating is 1.4/5. The pattern across multiple platforms is consistent: when things go wrong with billing, resolution is extremely difficult
What Real Users Say
The community sentiment around GetResponse is polarised, and the data backs this up. On Trustpilot (4.2/5 from 955 reviews), 63% of reviews are five-star -- but 27% are one-star, creating a bimodal distribution that signals a love-it-or-hate-it experience. G2 (4.3/5 from 1,116 reviews) and Capterra (4.2/5 from 500+ reviews) are more moderate, with users praising automation and the all-in-one approach.
The one-star reviews cluster around a single theme: billing. Users describe difficulty cancelling subscriptions, charges continuing after cancellation requests, and a strict no-refund policy that applies even when the platform is at fault. One Trustpilot reviewer claimed to have spent six months trying to cancel. Sitejabber's 1.4/5 rating reinforces this pattern.
The positive sentiment centres on the all-in-one value proposition. Users running courses or webinars alongside email campaigns consistently praise the integrated workflow. Non-English market users highlight the 24-language support as a genuine differentiator. The consensus across forums is that GetResponse is a powerful tool that you should commit to carefully -- getting in is easy, getting out is reportedly not.
Who Should Use GetResponse
GetResponse is built for a specific type of user, and when the fit is right, the value is exceptional. The ideal GetResponse user is a course creator or educator who needs email marketing, webinar hosting, and course delivery in a single platform. Instead of paying for Mailchimp ($135/month at 10K contacts) plus Zoom ($150/year) plus Teachable ($39/month), GetResponse bundles all three starting at $59/month on the Marketer plan.
Small-to-medium businesses running serious marketing automation -- lead scoring, multi-step funnels, conditional workflows -- will find the Marketer plan competitive with ActiveCampaign at similar price points but with webinars and landing pages included. E-commerce businesses that also create educational content get particular value from the webinar-to-funnel automation pipeline.
Non-English markets are another sweet spot. With support for 24 languages, GetResponse serves international businesses better than most competitors. Nonprofits should look closely at the 50% discount, which makes the Marketer plan available at roughly $30/month -- hard to beat for that feature set.
Who Should Skip GetResponse
Avoid GetResponse if you are a simple newsletter sender. The platform's value lies in its all-in-one capabilities -- webinars, courses, funnels, automation. If you just need to send a weekly newsletter, you will pay for features you never touch. MailerLite ($10/month at 1K contacts) or Brevo (free for 300 emails/day with unlimited contacts) are dramatically better value for basic email.
Avoid it if you are a budget solopreneur who cannot commit to the $59/month Marketer plan. The $19 Starter is effectively a bait tier -- one automation workflow is not enough for any meaningful marketing. If $59/month is a stretch, look at MailerLite or Brevo first.
Avoid it if you run a WordPress-heavy business. There is no working WordPress plugin in 2026, which means manual integration for everything. WordPress users should look at MailerLite, which has a well-maintained WordPress plugin.
Most importantly, avoid GetResponse if there is any chance you might need to cancel within the first year. The billing complaints documented across Trustpilot, BBB, and Sitejabber are too consistent to dismiss. If you are testing platforms and might switch, start with a monthly plan and test for at least one billing cycle before committing annually.
How GetResponse Compares
The closest competitor to GetResponse is ActiveCampaign, and the comparison is instructive. Both platforms target the same user -- mid-market businesses that need serious automation -- and both start at $19/month for entry-level plans that most users will outgrow quickly.
ActiveCampaign wins on raw automation power: 135+ triggers, 750+ pre-built recipes, and deeper conditional logic. Its 900+ integrations dwarf GetResponse's ecosystem. G2 rates ActiveCampaign 4.5/5 (from 14,000+ reviews) versus GetResponse at 4.3/5 (1,116 reviews). For pure email marketing automation, ActiveCampaign is the stronger tool.
GetResponse wins on breadth of features at price. Webinar hosting, course creation, and conversion funnels are included -- ActiveCampaign offers none of these. If you need webinars plus email marketing, GetResponse saves you a separate webinar subscription ($150-300/year). GetResponse also ranked #1 in the largest independent deliverability test (91/100 score) while ActiveCampaign's deliverability scores vary widely between tests (76-94% depending on methodology).
Both platforms share a Trustpilot problem: ActiveCampaign sits at 2.8/5, GetResponse at 4.2/5 but with 27% one-star reviews. Both have documented aggressive billing practices and price hikes. The choice comes down to whether you need the best automation engine (ActiveCampaign) or the best feature bundle (GetResponse).
