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BenchmarkONE vs. Constant Contact vs. Litmus from Validity

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    BenchmarkONE

    Score8 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    BenchmarkONE (formerly Hatchbuck) is an all-in-one sales and marketing software that includes CRM, marketing automation, and email marketing tools. Users can build online forms, manage and segment contacts, engage prospects with relevant follow-up, manage tasks, and track their pipeline.

    $0

    per month

    Constant Contact

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AConstant Contact is a full-featured email marketing solution with capabilities such as social media integration, drag-and-drop editing, and real-time reporting. It is a bulk email tool designed for SMB customers. Since 2019, Constant Contact also offers marketing automation features, a website and landing page builder, and other tools to support midsize businesses.

    $12

    per month

    Litmus from Validity

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/ALitmus, from Validity, is an email marketing solution used to create error-free emails in less time. It is also used to build email campaigns, personalize and test them thoroughly, monitor deliverability, and analyze email performance.N/A
    Pricing
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Editions & Modules
    Lite
    $0
    per month
    Pro
    $0
    Agencies
    Special Pricing for Qualifying Agencies
    Lite
    Starting at $12.00
    per month
    Standard
    Starting at $35.00
    per month
    Premium
    Starting at $80.00
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Free Trial
    YesYesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—The SMS Marketing tool can be added to any Standard or Premium Constant Contact account. SMS is only available in the US for Standard and Premium paid plans. SMS can be added when logged in to an account after purchase. Plans start at $10/month for up to 500 messages.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Considered Multiple Products
    BenchmarkONE
    Chose BenchmarkONE
    I don't have much experience with similar products at this point in time. Very little experience with Constant Contact and Mail Chimp. What I can tell though is Hatchbuck's features are far more advanced.
    Chose BenchmarkONE
    Cost wise, Hatchbuck is more expensive than Constant Contact, which it replaced. Feature wise, Hatchbuck provides more functionality and features than Constant Contact.
    Chose BenchmarkONE
    I used Constant Contact in the past. Hatchbuck has a much better CRM system and ways to track and segment customers.
    Constant Contact
    No answer on this topic
    Validity
    Chose Litmus from Validity
    For more in-depth QA and personalization needs, Litmus is the way to go. I believe that Litmus should be used in conjunction with a product like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to support your email development efforts. I would not use any one of these by itself if you really …
    Incentivized
    Chose Litmus from Validity
    N/a - have not tried others.
    Incentivized
    Chose Litmus from Validity
    Litmus is the original email testing platform, and nothing compares to the preview options it provides.
    Incentivized
    Chose Litmus from Validity
    At the time we selected Litmus, we liked the functionality and interface better than Email on Acid, which was about 7-8 years ago now. We almost switched to 250ok this year because they have the same email preview functionality as Litmus and have spam trap/blacklist/list review …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Would buy again
    61 Answers
    99%
    Would buy again
    294 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    61 Answers
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    214 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Happy with the feature set
    61 Answers
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    296 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    42 Answers
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    174 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    90%
    Implementation went as expected
    46 Answers
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    175 Answers
    Features
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Email & Online Marketing
    Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of BenchmarkONE and Constant Contact and Litmus from Validity
    Feature
    BenchmarkONE
    8.2
    36 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Constant Contact
    9.0
    120 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Litmus from Validity
    6.8
    377 Ratings
    17% below category average
    WYSIWYG email editor5.332 Ratings9.7102 Ratings9.159 Ratings
    Dynamic content10.027 Ratings9.8104 Ratings8.659 Ratings
    Landing pages10.020 Ratings9.378 Ratings2.64 Ratings
    A/B testing10.016 Ratings8.473 Ratings6.511 Ratings
    Mobile optimization10.019 Ratings8.686 Ratings9.4352 Ratings
    Email deliverability reporting10.034 Ratings9.9116 Ratings8.5273 Ratings
    List management10.036 Ratings9.4118 Ratings7.08 Ratings
    Triggered drip sequences4.514 Ratings8.062 Ratings1.02 Ratings
    Ability to test dynamic content00 Ratings8.582 Ratings8.1239 Ratings
    Lead Management
    Comparison of Lead Management features of BenchmarkONE and Constant Contact and Litmus from Validity
    Feature
    BenchmarkONE
    4.0
    29 Ratings
    59% below category average
    Constant Contact
    -
    Ratings
    Litmus from Validity
    -
    Ratings
    Lead nurturing automation3.229 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Lead scoring and grading4.329 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data quality management4.327 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Automated sales alerts and tasks4.327 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Campaign Management
    Comparison of Campaign Management features of BenchmarkONE and Constant Contact and Litmus from Validity
    Feature
    BenchmarkONE
    7.5
    13 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Constant Contact
    -
    Ratings
    Litmus from Validity
    -
    Ratings
    Calendaring7.99 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of BenchmarkONE and Constant Contact and Litmus from Validity
    Feature
    BenchmarkONE
    6.9
    35 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Constant Contact
    8.6
    117 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Litmus from Validity
    7.1
    256 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Dashboards3.633 Ratings8.488 Ratings7.229 Ratings
    Standard reports10.026 Ratings9.8115 Ratings7.5253 Ratings
    Custom reports7.217 Ratings7.558 Ratings6.6181 Ratings
    Platform & Infrastructure
    Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of BenchmarkONE and Constant Contact and Litmus from Validity
    Feature
    BenchmarkONE
    5.5
    22 Ratings
    29% below category average
    Constant Contact
    -
    Ratings
    Litmus from Validity
    -
    Ratings
    API2.015 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-based workflow & approvals8.013 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizability2.621 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pre-Send Testing
    Comparison of Pre-Send Testing features of BenchmarkONE and Constant Contact and Litmus from Validity
    Feature
    BenchmarkONE
    -
    Ratings
    Constant Contact
    8.4
    69 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Litmus from Validity
    8.5
    357 Ratings
    4% above category average
    URL Validation00 Ratings8.231 Ratings9.3269 Ratings
    Link Tracking00 Ratings7.934 Ratings9.2234 Ratings
    Image Validation00 Ratings8.932 Ratings7.65 Ratings
    Inbox Display00 Ratings8.635 Ratings8.56 Ratings
    Email Accessibility Tools00 Ratings7.928 Ratings6.73 Ratings
    Spelling and Grammar Check00 Ratings9.856 Ratings7.31 Ratings
    Spam Testing00 Ratings6.026 Ratings9.5268 Ratings
    Email Previews00 Ratings9.968 Ratings9.6354 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Small Businesses
    SharpSpring (discontinued)
    Score8 out of 10
    Mad Mimi
    Score10 out of 10
    Mad Mimi
    Score10 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    Campaign Monitor by Marigold
    Score9 out of 10
    Campaign Monitor by Marigold
    Score9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Emma by Marigold
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Emma by Marigold
    Score8.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.0
    (39 ratings)
    9.8
    (135 ratings)
    9.1
    (429 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (24 ratings)
    9.9
    (23 ratings)
    9.0
    (32 ratings)
    Usability
    8.2
    (4 ratings)
    10.0
    (12 ratings)
    8.0
    (22 ratings)
    Availability
    8.5
    (4 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.6
    (8 ratings)
    Performance
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.3
    (8 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    10.0
    (9 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.5
    (2 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    4.5
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    2.2
    (13 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    3.9
    (7 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    3.9
    (8 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.6
    (5 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (4 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    BenchmarkONEConstant ContactLitmus from Validity
    Likelihood to Recommend
    BenchmarkONE
    Hatchbuck is great for small to mid size businesses that are really looking to keep track of their progress with their sales leads as well as their existing customers, as well as tracking the activity their customers are taking from their communications, and automate their sales and marketing funnel as much as possible. We are a SaaS company (software as a service), with sales that range from teeny tiny to very big fish so it's been an easy tool to work with to make sure we are communicating with clients based on their size and needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    Constant Contact is an excellent tool for sending out flyers and newsletters. However, I feel the content's appearance is typically all the same. When I receive an email from Constant Contact, I can immediately identify it - the templates usually all look the same. When sending out communications with images, it is easy to use Constant Contact and link webpages. However, the email layout is always vertical and can get very lengthy. I prefer a more flip-book approach with options to flip the page.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Validity
    Proofing your emails is necessary. This is a tool that allows you to see how your email not only renders on multiple devices but how it performs. Some email building platforms will tell you their drag and drop templates are ready to go, however they stop short of analyzing accessibility, checking links, load speed among other things. I've also experienced drag and drop template issues as new email clients are released. Litmus provides peace of mind that you did your due diligence on crafting your email. While Litmus does provide some reporting you will not see every typical analytic an email report offers. However, you can use your Litmus data to enhance your email reports which in turn creates a robust view of email performance.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    BenchmarkONE
    • The product is simple to use but can be as complex as you would like it to be.
    • Customer service and support are great. Always responsive and quick to find a solution.
    • The email templates and instructional videos have been helpful.
    • They definitely understand marketing and have created a simple system to support content delivery.
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    • Market segmentation is great: my main segmentation is by region because that's how our sales team is divided.
    • Lists: making customized email lists is easy and intuitive; the custom fields allow some flexibility in case our fields don't exactly line up with Constant Contact's.
    • Campaigns: creating campaigns is quick and simple. I especially appreciate the 'resend to non-openers' option. I am constantly using this feature.
    • Subject line generator: I like using the recommended subject lines. I'm able to plug in their recommended ideas, or sometimes, this feature helps me generate my own ideas.
    Read full review
    Validity
    • We haven’t explored the personalization features in depth yet, aside from using the Add-to-Calendar option, but we're excited to dig in further. Tools like live polls offer an easy way to boost engagement in our product marketing emails, and we see a lot of potential in using these templates to enhance personalization moving forward.
    • Litmus’ continuing education resources have been really helpful. I recently read an article on email deliverability that offered practical insights my team can apply moving forward. I especially appreciate how Litmus uses real examples and stats from the brands they work with—it makes the content feel actionable and relevant.
    • Online Training.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    BenchmarkONE
    • Glitchy editor - powerful drag and drop features, but precise formatting can have issues.
    • Stagnant platform - few notable features or fixes over the past two years.
    • Delivery Success - anecdotal customer reports suggest high percent of emails are diverted by spam filters.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    • It would be nice if we had more customizable options for emails - like moving around pictures and text boxes, rather than a set spot for everything to go.
    • I would like it if multiple people could work on a document at one time. So if I'm in charge of graphics, I can get those updated while someone else is entering content, etc.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Validity
    • I've not seen many limitations but I have noticed that sometimes emails sent from our CRM take too long to land in Litmus, or sometimes don't land at all.
    • As a beginner it was quite difficult for me to make my way around the platform - I thought "Create new" CTA was actually creating something new, maybe "Import from CRM" would have been more understandable. There were a few others but I remember this one.
    • In the Emails section, whenever I hover over an email, I want to be able to copy the subject line instead of getting the different CTAs appear intrusively (Summary, Builder, Previews & QA, Proof, Analytics, Monitor) - maybe these could appear on the bottom of the textbox, instead of them being imposed on top?
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    BenchmarkONE
    In case you can't tell, we are in love with Hatchbuck software. Could it be improved? Of course it could, but, based on our current needs, and the needs of our existing and targeted clients so far, Hatchbuck presents the best fit option available. As a partner we are looking to grow with Hacthbuck into the future.
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    There is no doubt that we are going to renew Constant Contact. We have not just invested a lot of time in learning and creating a great looking product but we have developed a strong database of information that allows us to track how we are doing for each newsletter. This supports our goals of creating products that residents desire and are excited to receive.
    Read full review
    Validity
    It's one the best tools that we've found for this type of tool but we would like some additional features like spell check so if there's a platform that features that with everything else Litmus has, then we'd potentially look to move over to that platform instead. However, we are overall pretty help with the platform
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    BenchmarkONE
    Hatchbuck offers on-boarding, training, and has a suite of videos, which makes it super easy to get started. As with any software that is the key. Have a plan, stay focused, and get started. Once, you begin to play with Hatchbuck you will see that it is very user friendly.
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    There is always room for improvement. I don't know how they test their systems, but they should invite not-so computer savvy people to test it. If I, as an expert have problems, they need to think like the technophobe. Since I've used Constant Contact in the past as part of my former employment, I have not viewed any of the tutorials and just jumped in to work on my client's newsletter. With that said, I found some areas easy and some a bit cumbersome
    Read full review
    Validity
    Litmus has integrations that make the software an integrated part of my work every day. Being able to test right within my email builder is just brilliant. Daily I also use the web interface to review analytics and spam testing. Overall it is one of the pieces of software I use daily without any complaints or issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    BenchmarkONE
    There has never been any downtime for Hatchbuck, which is very reassuring for me as I market and recruit strenuously for the University at Albany's executive Weekend MBA Program. Hatchbuck team members have also been available when I have reached out to them with questions or issues. With one exception, where one of my e-mails became lost in the Internet "black hole," they have gotten back to me in very timely fashion!
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    No major problems in sending out the email campaigns and accessing the analytics
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Validity
    We have never had a problem with Litmus being unavailable so I would say their availability is fantastic. There might have been one time years ago that the site was down briefly but it also might have been a server issue on my end. Either way, Litmus was back up and running in a very short time
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    BenchmarkONE
    No answers on this topic
    Constant Contact
    The system seemed quite slow sometimes. Specifically, there was sometimes a delay in sends if it was during a high traffic period. There were time-outs when uploading new code for an email, and a lag in reporting analytics which was sometimes as long as 72 hours
    Read full review
    Validity
    As with all technology, there are inevitably use-cases where you are unable to get to your original goal without some good old-fashioned experimenting. Some situations will (and are) more urgent which complicates an effective integration of a new process or a new team using an existing process but the "issues" are regularly resolved by re-starting the process specific to when Litmus is introduced to a project. If it doesn't come out the way you're anticipating, run it again and verify there is an issue before declaring all is lost
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    BenchmarkONE
    I always get a response within 24 hours, unless I ask on a weekend. The team seems to work together to resolve my issues, answer my questions, and update me on changes. In fact, they have even connected [with] me to ask how they can improve the Hatchbuck software and their service. This is why I love them so much.
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    I think the overall support for Constant Contact has always been incredible; I have nothing negative to say. Our customer support representative was attentive, easy to understand, and very knowledgeable. I never felt like I wasn't a priority of his and my issues, while very small, were fixed in a very short time frame.
    Read full review
    Validity
    Absolutely fantastic support. It runs circles around the competition. They regularly reach out and chat, even if it's just to see if there's any issues we need to discuss. They clearly want the business and don't forget you once you sign the contract which is an issue with other similar services.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    BenchmarkONE
    No answers on this topic
    Constant Contact
    No answers on this topic
    Validity
    It was very informative one on one session for me. I was able to use Litmus without any issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    BenchmarkONE
    No answers on this topic
    Constant Contact
    No answers on this topic
    Validity
    It has all the required information.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    BenchmarkONE
    Overall very satisfied. More sample please.
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    Implementation is very easy for someone who wants to send out the “batch and blast” type newsletters. If you want to use their templates with no customizations, the product works fine. However, the more customizations you get into involving link color, etc, that’s where things can get tricky for someone who may not be familiar with coding
    Read full review
    Validity
    I didn’t really personally participate much in the implementation of Litmus, but from what I observed during the process, it was a smooth process with minimal disruptions. The team was able to get up and running quickly, and the platform’s user-friendly interface made onboarding fairly easy for everyone involved from the start.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    BenchmarkONE
    In the past, I have used Getresponse. I found it very handy for Affiliate Marketing but not good enough for Corporate Marketing. I then incorporated Benchmark Email into my arsenal because it is good enough for both Affiliate Marketing and Corporate Marketing. With the upgrade costs on Benchmark Email not sustainable to a growing entrepreneur like me, I had to get SENDIO. I am learning to use SENDIO and I am discovering it's very cost-effective apart from giving me unlimited space for my contact lists. While SENDIO is the best for bulk emailing, Benchmark Email remains the best for Corporate Emailing, though I am keeping all three software.
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    Constant Contact is much more intuitive for people who are not tech-savvy. Also, while sendgrid offered more options in it's drag and drop interface, it displayed differently across different email clients, which made it very cumbersome to use. It also took much longer to upload contact lists and it was harder to manage existing contacts. Performance in sendgrid was much slower as well, and the Preview feature was quite buggy. Our team initially chose sendgrid because of the integration options that it's API offered, but we ultimately switched to Constant Contact because it was much easier to build campaigns and better suited our requirements.
    Read full review
    Validity
    This is not applicable to my role as I have used Litmus to test emails since I have started. Because of the ease of use, timeliness, consistent quality, and affordability that Litmus offers, I haven't found the need to look at similar products or organizations. If all of these features continue to stay strong, I don't plan on changing providers
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    BenchmarkONE
    No answers on this topic
    Constant Contact
    Very reliable in sending email campaigns and controlling the recipients so that no contact is sent the same email more than once, even if they are on a resent list
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Validity
    With our enterprise account, scalability is not an issue. I have not yet seen or heard of significant issues with user access, API connections for integrations etc. This includes down time for "Scheduled Maintenance" as some providers call them, Litmus has the technology backing to support a global team with a 24-hour workday across regions
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    BenchmarkONE
    • I personally experience approximately 10-12 positive prospect interactions due to Hatchbuck.
    • It makes it easy to see how many times attachments are viewed, and projects a prospects interest.
    • It guides you to some degree as to when to reach out again.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Constant Contact
    • I have had nothing but positive impacts from using Constant Contact.
    • The church is large, and there are many subgroups and axillary groups within the church. Setting up specific groups based on responsibility, interest, member goals, and service needs allows me to send information quickly, saving valuable time for other tasks.
    • Constant Contact allows leadership to stay personally engaged with the members I work with, without over-taxing my time. It feels so seamless.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Validity
    • Litmus saves our team so much time by making the QA and email review process so much easier, streamlined, and efficient.
    • We often send out campaigns out to thousands of members, and Litmus gives us the assurance and peace of mind that everything is working as it should before it gets sent out.
    • Decreases the number of email review cycles we go through.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    BenchmarkONE Screenshots

    Screenshot of See your progress at a glance. BenchmarkONE's dashboard gives you valuable insight into which areas of sales and marketing you should focus on the most.Screenshot of BenchmarkONE's small business CRM makes it simple to track and manage all of your contacts in one spot. BenchmarkONE notifies you when important tasks are due and even sends you hot lead alerts when prospects are ready to buy.Screenshot of Automatically track the pages your contacts have visited on your site, the emails they have been sent, the emails they've opened and the links they've clicked.  Understand their interests to put relevant conversations with prospects and customers at your fingertips.Screenshot of Setting up Email Nurturing campaigns are a snap in BenchmarkONE. You can easily drip relevant content to sales leads and contacts that nurtures them throughout the entire buying process, saving you valuable time and skyrocketing response rates.Screenshot of Create great looking emails using BenchmarkONE's drag and drop email builder, or select a template from our extensive email template library.

    Constant Contact Screenshots

    Screenshot of the AI Content Generator that can be used to create content for emails, social posts, or SMS.Screenshot of an example automation workflow. These help to ensure a business's marketing is always on.Screenshot of some of the available pre-built email templates, that can be edited with the included drag-and-drop email editor.Screenshot of the Social Posting tool, used to plan and post social media messaging across platforms.Screenshot of the SMS Marketing feature.Screenshot of some of Constant Contact's available integrations.

    Litmus from Validity Screenshots

    Screenshot of Litmus Personalize Essentials, with live polls to give subscribers a voice and drive email engagement.Screenshot of Litmus Email Guardian, featuring 24/7 link monitoring to safeguard emails.Screenshot of Litmus' integrated insights reports, that can automatically combine metrics from Salesforce Marketing Cloud with subscriber engagement insights from Litmus.Screenshot of campaign preview, available in 100+ popular email clientsScreenshot of Litmus' inbox previewing and feedback tools, that help users to spot and fix issues early.