VWO vs Convert vs AB Tasty vs PostHog vs GrowthBook: Affordable A/B Testing Platform

If you're a digital marketer and looking for an affordable A/B testing platform, you've probably been eying different platforms to replace Google Optimize, which is retiring on 30 September 2023.

Here, we've chosen five platforms - VWO, Convert.com, PostHog, GrowthBook, and AB Tasty - to see what they offer, and how each could possibly serve as a suitable replacement. These platforms have been chosen based on user suggestions, their features, and of course, affordability.

VWO

VWO or Visual Website Optimizer has been acclaimed for being one of the top A/B testing tools available. It allows digital marketers to conduct conversion optimization activities through A/B testing. However, some users have said that VWO's code editor can be a bit tricky to use. Plus, they've noticed a few quirks that aren't very user-friendly. Nonetheless, it's integration capability with a custom React site has garnered positive responses. 

Price wise, VWO does seem a bit on the uptick compared to other platforms offering the basic functionalities. Still, it does offer heatmaps, site recordings, amongst other features, that might justify the price tag for some.

Community thoughts on VWO

"I find their code editor much harder to work with than Google Optimize." - (spilledtea-cons)

"Their tagline is #1 A/B testing tool in the world. I believe they live up to this name." - (Chasmchas)

Convert Experience

Compared to VWO, Convert.com is often said to be the most affordable A/B testing tool out there. Setup for Convert.com isn't wildly different from other platforms. Users seem to prefer its affordability, even though the UI varies. 

When compared to Google Optimize though, Convert alone seems to offer many more features, which has been appreciated by its users.

Community thoughts on Convert.com

"Convert.com so far (compared to VWO, Optimizely, AB Tasty, etc.) seems to be the most affordable." - (Anonymous User)

"I just used whatever my company provided tbh lol. There's not much difference between each of them. Convert is the cheapest out there I think." - (tsukihi3)

PostHog and GrowthBook

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PostHog and GrowthBook were both Y-Combinator funded company and offer open-source options that give you flexibility and control over your A/B testing. Development-savvy digital marketers could consider these platforms for a cost-saving yet functional solution. But remember, you'll need to possess some level of coding skills to implement A/B testing.

In other words, you'll have to manually write and implement the code to use these platforms. Both PostHog and GrowthBook also come with Feature Flags, which allow developers to switch off certain user-perceptible functionalities within a product. This can help them test new features without affecting the end-user experience. 

AB Tasty

AB Tasty is a comprehensive platform offering not just A/B testing, but also split testing, multivariate testing capabilities, and advanced targeting options. Despite its plethora of features, some users have mentioned issues with load time.

However, it's been said to be the cheapest alternative to Google Optimize, considering the traffic volumes and is viewed positively for its personalization and recommendation engine.

Community thoughts on AB Tasty

"Considering the traffic volumes, we found AB Tasty to be the cheapest. It’s still like $60,000 a year. There are cheaper options but generally worse/come with a lot of caveats that aren’t worth it unless you’re a pretty small, scrappy org." - (Anonymous User)

"AB Tasty is good but seen as of load time issue but very good personalization and recommendation engine." - (Anonymous User)

Conclusion

So, when choosing an alternative after Google Optimize, consider your personal needs, your skill level, and of course, your budget. VWO or Convert.com offers great entry-level solutions for A/B testing, while PostHog and GrowthBook cater to digital marketers that are more tech-savvy. 

Consider the pros and cons of each platform and choose one that fits your requirements the best. Remember, making the right choice now can save you a lot of hassle and cost in the future! Just because Google Optimize is sunsetting, doesn't mean your campaigns have to take a step back. Keep testing, keep optimizing!

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Read about the speed test conducted on all the established A/B testing platform

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