Ontraport Alternatives: 10 CRM and Automation Platforms

Ontraport has long been popular with online business owners who want CRM, email, pages and automation together. Many people start looking elsewhere when they want a simpler interface, stronger email features or a tool that fits the rest of their stack.

The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from big platforms to smaller, specialist tools. Each description comes from the tool's own site, read this week. If your emails are the weak link, my tips for email copy that converts are a good place to start.

Ontraport alternatives at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes free use or a free plan, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
ActiveCampaign	Marketing automation	Detailed email automations	Trial only
Encharge	Behaviour-based email	SaaS onboarding emails	Trial only
EngageBay	All-in-one CRM	Small teams wanting everything in one	Yes
FluentCRM	WordPress email automation	Keeping contacts inside WordPress	Yes
HubSpot	Customer platform	Starting free and growing	Yes
Kartra	All-in-one platform	One platform instead of several	Trial only
Keap	CRM and automation	Service businesses with follow-ups	Trial only
Mautic	Open source automation	Self-hosted marketing automation	Yes
Simplero	Business-in-a-box	Coaches and course creators	Trial only
Zoho Marketing Automation	Marketing automation	Zoho CRM users	Trial only

Ten Ontraport alternatives to consider

ActiveCampaign

Best for: Businesses whose growth runs on email who want detailed automations and segmentation across email and other channels.

Encharge

Best for: SaaS companies that want emails triggered by what users do in their product, from onboarding to upgrades.

EngageBay

Best for: Small businesses that want marketing automation, CRM, live chat and helpdesk in one place without stitching tools together.

FluentCRM

Best for: WordPress site owners who want email marketing and automation running inside their own site rather than on a separate platform.

HubSpot

Best for: Businesses that want to start on free tools and add marketing automation and sales features as they grow.

Kartra

Best for: Course creators and coaches who want one all-in-one marketing platform instead of juggling several separate tools.

Keap

Best for: Service businesses that want small business CRM and automation for follow-ups tied to their contact records.

Mautic

Best for: Technical teams that want open-source marketing automation they can host, customise and connect to their own systems.

Simplero

Best for: Coaches, course creators and thought leaders who want their courses, memberships, email and website in one connected system.

Zoho Marketing Automation

Best for: Companies already using Zoho CRM who want lead nurturing and campaigns connected to their sales pipeline.

The email rules every platform must help you follow

Here's the compliance detail that matters every time you hit send to US contacts. The FTC says your marketing emails must include a valid physical postal address and a clear way to opt out, and you must honour an opt-out request within 10 business days.

Whichever platform you choose, check it adds your address and unsubscribe link automatically and processes opt-outs straight away. If you also email people in the UK or Europe, ask how the platform records consent.

All-in-one, email-first or WordPress-based?

All-in-one platforms bring CRM, email, landing pages, checkout and sometimes courses into one login, which suits coaches and course creators. Email-first platforms focus on deep automation and segmentation, connecting to other tools for pages and payments. WordPress-based tools keep contacts and automation inside your own website.

If you're moving from Ontraport, list everything you use it for today. If it's mostly email and tags, an email-first tool will do. If you rely on its pages, memberships and payments, look at the all-in-one options.

Moving contacts and automations safely

1. Export contacts with tags, custom fields and consent details.
2. Map each tag and field to the new platform before importing.
3. Rebuild your most important automations first, starting with welcome emails.
4. Test every automation with your own email address.
5. Warm up sending gradually if the platform recommends it.
6. Keep Ontraport running until the new automations are proven.

Questions to ask before you migrate

• Can it handle my tags and fields? Messy data makes automation fragile.
• How are opt-outs handled? They should be automatic and immediate.
• What about payments? Check how subscriptions and payment history move.
• Who supports me? Migration help can save weeks.

Keeping automations simple

The most effective automations are usually short: a welcome series, a follow-up after a purchase and a reminder for people who went quiet. Build those well before adding complex branching. You'll get most of the results with a fraction of the maintenance, and it's far easier to spot when something breaks.

Protecting your sender reputation

When you move platforms, your sending reputation comes with your domain, not the tool. Clean out contacts who haven't opened anything in a long time, set up your domain authentication records and send to your most engaged contacts first. It's dull work, but it keeps your emails landing in inboxes.

Do you make a CRM or marketing automation platform? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on Ontraport alternatives

Start with your customer journey, not the feature list. Sketch what happens from first contact to purchase to repeat purchase, and check each platform can run that journey without workarounds. The tool that fits your journey beats the one with the most features.

Then think about who'll maintain it. Automation is powerful, but complex setups break quietly. Choose something your team understands. If you're unsure how much CRM you need, my guide to the simplest CRM for a small business helps you start small.

Frequently asked questions

What does Ontraport do?

It's a CRM and marketing automation platform with email, pages and tools for running an online business.

Is there a free alternative to Ontraport?

Yes. Several tools on this list describe free plans or open-source versions. Check the table.

What does CAN-SPAM require?

The FTC says marketing emails need a valid physical postal address and a clear opt-out, and opt-outs must be honoured within 10 business days.

Can I move my automations from Ontraport?

Usually you'll rebuild them by hand, so start with the most important ones and test each before switching off the old ones.

Which alternative suits course creators?

All-in-one platforms that include pages, checkout and memberships usually suit course creators best.

Do I need a CRM and an email tool separately?

Not always. Many platforms combine both, which keeps contact history and email activity in one place.