Get Free Access
Easy to use, no-code visual editor to help marketers run A/B test on any sites. Easily.
Get Started For FREE
CONTENTS
Digital Marketing
7
Min read

Google Optimize Alternatives: 4 Best A/B Testing Tools 2023

Google Optimize Alternatives: 4 Best A/B Testing Tools 2023

Google Optimize is a popular tool for website optimization, but it will be sunsetting on September 30, 2023. Marketers who have been relying on Google Optimize are now looking for alternative solutions.

In this article, we will discuss the four best alternatives for Google Optimize based on different categories:

  • All-in-one features
  • Beginners
  • Enterprise users
  • Landing pages

How to Choose the Best Google Optimize Alternative 

When it comes to choosing an A/B testing tool, there are several factors to consider. Here are some key things to keep in mind when selecting the best Google Optimize alternative for your business:

  1. Features: Different A/B testing tools offer different features. Consider what specific features are most important to your business, such as mobile app experimentation, heatmaps and visitor recordings, or custom targeting.

  2. Ease of use and deployment: Some A/B testing tools are more user-friendly than others. Consider the level of technical expertise needed to use the tool and whether it will require a significant amount of training or support.

  3. Pricing: A/B testing tools can vary widely in price, from free options to enterprise-level solutions. Consider your budget and the cost-benefit ratio of the tool.

  4. Integrations: Consider whether the A/B testing tool integrates with your existing martech stack, as well as how extensive these integrations are. This can help streamline your workflow and make it easier to analyze data across different platforms.

Now that we've discussed some key factors to consider when choosing an A/B testing tool, let's take a closer look at each of the four Google Optimize alternatives we've selected.

Best Google Optimize Alternatives

Alternative Features Ease of Use Pricing Customer Support User reviews
Howuku A/B testing, heatmaps, session recordings, website personalization, and more Easy Starts at $29/month 24/7 live chat and email support 4.8/5 (Capterra)
VWO A/B testing, heatmaps, surveys, and more Easy Starts at $199/month 24/7 email and phone support 4.3/5 (G2)
Optimizely A/B testing, personalization, feature flags, and more Easy Custom pricing for enterprise-level features Dedicated account manager and 24/7 support 4.2/5 (G2)
Unbounce Landing page builder, A/B testing, popups, and more Easy Starts at $79/month 24/7 phone and email support 4.4/5 (G2)

Best for Value - Howuku

Howuku is an all-in-one tool for website optimization with A/B testing, heatmaps, session recordings, website personalization, and funnel tracking capabilities. While being one of the newer players on the block, Howuku is rapidly growing in popularity among small-medium businesses thanks to its lower costs at scale. 

Pros:

- Costs significantly lower than alternatives, especially when scaling website traffic

- Streamlines all CRO and experimentation efforts in one place

- Much lower impact on site speed due to lack of additional software installed

- Automatic, smart AI suggestions based on analyzed data (but still in demo mode)

- Drag-and-drop editor, no coding knowledge required

- Cookieless tracking available

Cons:

- Not as established as its competitors (est. 2020) and thus lacks a user community

- Occasional bugs on the platform 

- Integrations leave much to be desired (note: HTTP webhook is available)

Pricing: Starts at $39 a month. Free plan limited to 1,000 monthly users; 14-day free trial with no credit card required. 

Features Howuku
URL split testing Yes
Multivariate testing Yes
Mobile app experimentation No
No-code, visual editing Yes
Custom targeting No
Heatmaps and visitor recordings Yes
Form analytics Yes
Funnel tracking Yes
Conversion tracking Yes
Free trial or demo Yes
Pricing From $29 monthly

Verdict: Great for scaling with website traffic at a fraction of the cost and for streamlining website optimization features all in one platform. Not the best for beginners, but its free plan is a good starting point for learning A/B testing. 

Best for Beginners - VWO

Credit: VWO

The platform is intuitive and easy to use, and there are plenty of tutorials and resources available to help beginners get started. Like Howuku, it has a limited free plan for A/B testing accompanied by heatmaps, session recordings, and web analytics features. 

Pros: 

- Powerful WYSIWIG and back-end experimentation platform

- User friendly, no coding knowledge required

- Excellent customer support

- Tons of tutorials and resources available

Cons:

- Price per user becomes really expensive compared to alternatives

- Uses cookies to track

- Limited data sampling policy may affect accuracy of conversions recorded (VWO Insights only)

Pricing: Starts at $199 a month, free plan limited to 50,000 tracked users; 30-day free trial with no credit card required. 

Features VWO
URL split testing Yes
Multivariate testing Yes (Pro plan onwards)
Mobile app experimentation Yes (Separate plan)
No-code, visual editing Yes
Custom targeting Yes (Pro plan onwards)
Heatmaps and visitor recordings Yes (Separate plan)
Form analytics Yes (Separate plan)
Funnel tracking Yes (Separate plan)
Conversion tracking Yes (Separate plan)
Free trial or demo Yes
Pricing From $199 monthly

Verdict: Great for anyone new to A/B testing who needs a quick solution to get the job done. The platform is intuitive and has extensive guides about experimentation on its blog. But VWO is much more expensive than its alternatives when scaling tracked users, so it's only great for smaller websites or businesses with a substantial budget.VWO is one of the most well-known software for experimentation and user behavior analytics. 

Best for Enterprise Users - Optimizely

Credit: Optimizely

If you're an enterprise user who needs a more robust experimentation and website optimization solution, then Optimizely is the tool for you. The platform is much more powerful across the board -- analytics reporting, conversion tracking, and drag-and-drop editing, to name a few, are all intuitively designed and without comparison. 

Pros:

- Extremely reliable

- Dedicated customer success manager

- User-friendly interface

- Powerful integrations and extensions

- Easy deployment 

Cons:

- It is very expensive

- No free trial available 

Pricing: Available upon request.

Features Optimizely
URL split testing Yes
Multivariate testing Yes
Mobile app experimentation Yes
No-code, visual editing Yes
Custom targeting Yes
Heatmaps and visitor recordings No
Form analytics No
Funnel tracking Yes
Conversion tracking Yes
Free trial or demo No
Pricing Available upon request

Verdict: Optimizely is the go-to solution for enterprise users looking for a comprehensive yet reliable website experimentation platform. While the price range is high, you certainly get what you paid for, and it's no wonder that the world's largest brands choose Optimizely. 

Best for A/B Testing Landing Pages - Unbounce

Credit: Venture Harbour

Unbounce is a landing page builder that allows marketers to easily create high-converting landing pages without any coding knowledge. What makes Unbounce stand out is its variety of templates, AI conversion optimization, and A/B testing functionality for a truly personalized landing page, no matter what vertical your business is in. 

Pros:

- Drag and drop editing for cross-device landing pages

- Can copy-paste elements from hundreds of templates

- Self-driving, AI-powered content personalization for each site visitor

- Small learning curve

- Integrations with common marketing tools (e.g., Hubspot, Photoshop, Figma)

Cons:

- Can be pricey, A/B testing feature only available in higher-tier plans

- Synchronisation between mobile and desktop landing pages can be tricky

- Free trial demands credit card info (but won’t be charged if cancelled during the trial period)

Pricing: From $145 monthly (A/B testing is not included in its starter, $99/month plan); free trial included but credit card required.

Features Unbounce
URL split testing Yes (Pro plan onwards)
Multivariate testing Yes (Pro plan onwards)
Mobile app experimentation No
No-code, visual editing Yes
Custom targeting Yes (Pro plan onwards)
Heatmaps and visitor recordings No
Form analytics No
Funnel tracking Yes
Conversion tracking Yes
Free trial or demo Yes
Pricing From $145 monthly (A/B testing is not included in its starter, $99/month plan)

Verdict: Overall, if you're looking for an easy-to-use landing page builder with A/B testing functionality, Unbounce may be a great option to consider. Its drag-and-drop editing, variety of templates, and AI conversion optimization make it a powerful tool for creating personalized landing pages that convert. However, potential users should carefully consider their budget before making a decision. 

Conclusion

Choosing the right alternative to Google Optimize depends on your specific needs and goals. If you're looking for an all-in-one tool, Howuku is a great option. If you're a beginner, VWO offers a user-friendly platform to get started. If you're an enterprise user, Optimizely offers advanced features and scalability. And if you're looking to optimize your landing pages, Unbounce is a top choice.

Whatever your needs, there are plenty of alternatives to Google Optimize that can help you improve your website's performance and user experience.

---

Click here to read more: Optimizely vs VWO vs Google Optimize

Get Access To A FREE 100-point Ecommerce Optimization Checklist!

This comprehensive checklist covers all critical pages, from homepage to checkout, giving you actionable steps to boost sales and revenue.