The workbench
One platform, opened up, at a time
Each note takes a single automation platform or a single idea and answers the question the pricing page avoids: on the plan you would actually buy, how much of the run can you build? Every price here was read on the vendor’s own page and carries the date it was read.
Every note, newest first
Email Automation Workflows Explained (2026)
Trigger, wait, condition, send — the four parts every automation is built from, why platforms meter them differently, and how to count yours before you buy.
Sep 9, 2026AI Email Automation Tools (2026): What Vendors Actually Publish
Nearly every automation platform now advertises AI. Here is what each one names on its own pages, what those features do, and why no ranking of them is honest.
Sep 2, 2026GetResponse Alternatives (2026): Seven Platforms, Seven Caps
If GetResponse's one-workflow Starter plan or its price at scale does not suit, here is what else exists — and what each of those platforms rations instead.
Aug 26, 2026ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse (2026): Two Ways to Cap a Workflow
One limits how deep each automation goes; the other limits how many you can have. Both ladders side by side, with the billing terms that make them comparable.
Aug 19, 2026Mailmodo Review (2026): One Active Journey on Lite
Mailmodo meters automation in active journeys — one on Lite, ten on Pro. What interactive AMP email buys you, and what the metering costs.
Aug 12, 2026Encharge Review (2026): Unlimited Flows at the Entry Tier
Encharge starts at $79 a month with unlimited flows and unlimited team members — the opposite trade to every cheap plan in this category. Who that suits.
Aug 5, 2026Ontraport Review (2026): One Seat, and One Is the Maximum
Ontraport includes automation on its entry plan — and exactly one user, with no option to add a second. The seat ceiling, the price ladder and who it fits.
Jul 29, 2026Keap Review (2026): $2,988 a Year Plus an Unpublished Fee
Keap publishes a price, two seats and an extra-user rate — and requires implementation services whose cost it does not publish. What that means for a small business.
Jul 22, 2026GetResponse Review (2026): One Workflow, Then Unlimited
GetResponse Starter allows exactly one automation workflow. Marketer allows unlimited. Both billing terms published, both ladders here, read 24 September 2026.
Jul 15, 2026ActiveCampaign Review (2026): The Five-Action Starter Trap
Starter is $15 a month and allows five actions per automation. Everything that makes ActiveCampaign worth choosing begins at $49. The full ladder, dated.
Jul 8, 2026