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Written by Sean Dougherty
A copywriter at Funnel, Sean has more than 15 years of experience working in branding and advertising (both agency and client side). He's also a professional voice actor.
Recently, Google announced that Google Optimize and Optimize 360 would no longer be available after September 30, 2023. This Google Optimize sunset news has many businesses wondering, what now?
Google Optimize is an excellent tool for testing small changes to get quick results. However, it has had limitations. If you're comfortable using Google Optimize and want a solution to fill the gap, you need to know what's out there. What tools and platforms offer similar features? What options outperform Google Optimize for a price that works for your organization?
Life after Google Optimize
There are many considerations. So, what are the next steps?
In addition to downloading your historical data, you'll need to find a new solution that meets your website testing needs, choosing from one of many Google Optimize alternatives — but how do you decide? For this part of the process, you must compare available options to find the best fit. Some solutions add unique features but come with a higher price tag, while others are more affordable yet lack the flexibility many businesses seek.
To help you navigate your journey, we've compiled a list of the best Google Optimize alternatives so that you can make a smoother, more confident transition.
Top nine Google Optimize alternatives in 2023
Testing is crucial whether you are interested in data mapping, want to improve the user experience, or need ways to boost customer engagement. The following alternatives to Google Optimize will help guide you toward more optimal conversion rates and a higher ROI, as long as you have access to reliable data — that is always step one.
Are you ready to boost your website's performance and growth? Eliminate the guesswork concerning website optimization with these experimentation tools.
1. Optimizely
On the surface, Optimizely seems a lot like Google Optimize because it offers multivariate testing tools, A/B testing, website personalization, and other experimentation tools. Known as the world's fastest A/B testing platform, Optimizely helps businesses discover customer insights to create high-performing sites.
However, while this platform offers customized commerce and content marketing features, Optimizely's bread and butter is experimentation — which supports all aspects of business intelligence.
Unlike Google Optimize, Optimizely offers more capabilities and a solid history to back up its reputation. In 2010, Optimizely created the web A/B testing category after its founders worked on Obama's presidential campaign.
Optimizely is a trusted brand with many features and flexible pricing. Some companies that use this tool include IBM, Salesforce, and Mailchimp.
Features
- Feature experimentation
- Web experimentation
- Omnichannel experimentation
- Advanced personalization
- Feature flagging and rollouts
- Low/no-code experiments
- Advanced targeting
- Works with Google Analytics 4
Pros
- Automated testing
- Clear reporting
- Good web editor
- Ease of use
- Tests up and running in minutes
- Enables quick decision-making
- Supportive community
Cons
- Poor integration with some platforms, such as Magnolia
- Expensive compared to some competitors
- Sometimes-buggy preview mode
- Minor platform bugs
- Poor reliability when making changes to a test that's running
- Clear but one-dimensional reporting
Pricing
Optimizely offers customized prices based on the needs of its clients. The company listens to what you require and then prices your plan accordingly, but is mostly tailored to larger (enterprise) businesses.
For web experimentation, you can easily request pricing and hear back from Optimizely — with a quote — in 24 hours. Since Google Cloud recommends this company and offers many of the same features as Google Optimize, it is offering a special discount to welcome customers on board.
2. VWO
VWO or 'Visual Website Optimizer' is a great Google Optimize alternative. It allows brands of all sizes to run A/B tests on their mobile apps, products, and websites and is ideal for fast-growing companies.
Focusing on solutions for SaaS, eCommerce, eLearning, media, and enterprise-related applications, VMO provides a comprehensive suite of tools outside of experimentation, most of which directly influence conversion rate optimization. For example, VMO Data360 helps companies build a unified view of their customers, and VWO Personalize lets you tailor experiences based on your audience.
When the goal is to identify and test changes on your website, VWO Testing is an excellent solution for mid-to-large companies.
Features
- A/B testing (track engagement, form submissions, revenue, specific pages, or even a custom event on your website)
- Multivariate testing complete with nearly two dozen built-in visitor segments
- Split testing (i.e., big menu vs. dropdown menu)
- Point-and-click visual editor
- AI copy generator to generate variations
- Form analytics to determine where and why users abandon your form
- Heatmaps
Pros
- Access hundreds of optimization features
- High ease of use, requiring little to no technical help
- Attractive visual editor
- Access to survey and feedback tools
- Offers a free plan
Cons
- Doesn't work well for low volume traffic
- Tendency of load times to affect the user experience
- Not as many integration tools as some would like
- Reporting could be stronger
- Can be expensive if you don't leverage all the features
Pricing
Plans range from free to $1,294 per month, charged annually. The free plan is basic, offering limited goals and also limited targeting options. You can opt for a 30-day trial of the paid plan, to see which features suit your needs best.
3. AB Tasty
AB Tasty is another well-known platform offering AI-powered experimentation and personalization. AB Tasty is worth considering if your goal is to optimize your site to boost engagement and conversions. With this tool, you can easily carry out hundreds of experimentations to gain insights and provide greater value.
When experimenting with website visitors, you have options such as targeting segments, creating variations, setting goals, allocating traffic, and leveraging your data analytics stack. You can also track the ROI of your experiments.
Features
- Multivariate testing
- A/B testing
- Multipage testing
- Split testing
- Personalization experience via machine learning technology
- Feature flags, such as Number, Boolean, String, etc.
- Widgets to enhance the customer journey
Pros
- Powerful AI capabilities that allow for advanced segmentation
- Pre-built, customizable test templates
- Server-side and client-side experiments
- A visual editor users love (it helps speed up the test creation process)
Cons
- No trial version to test features
- No built-in heatmap
- Lacks other behavioral analysis tools (i.e., no surveys, session recordings, etc.)
Pricing
AB Tasty offers custom pricing, which is available upon request. Get a free quote.
4. Adobe Target
Adobe Target is another contender in our list of top Google Optimize alternatives. It offers AI-powered testing, personalization, and automation at scale. As Adobe says, "Find that one customer out of a million and give them what they want." This option offers many experimentation features for A/B testing and multivariate testing. For example, you can A/B test website copy, images, and UI components. Adobe Target is an ideal option for companies leveraging other Adobe products, like Adobe Marketing Cloud, as there is a learning curve. Adobe training is recommended to get the most out of this product.
Features
- A/B testing
- Multivariate testing
- Personalization
- Server-side optimization
- Experience automation
Pros
- Runs multiple tests simultaneously
- Can create variations on one page and apply those changes to all pages
- Ability to target audiences using Adobe Experience Cloud
- Multiple test combinations to discover the most significant impact on your conversion rates
- Visual composer available to create tests
- Seamless integration with Adobe Analytics
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- No live support (ticketing system only)
Pricing
Various pricing plans are available, as Adobe offers flexible licensing and configuration options. The most important considerations include the desired product options, volume, and omnichannel delivery. Contact Adobe to get pricing. Unfortunately, there is no free trial.
5. Crazy Egg
As they say at Crazy Egg, "Make your website better. Instantly." Using this tool, you can better track how visitors use and interact with your website. Do you want to know where they are clicking, what they are interested in, and what is causing them to leave? Crazy Egg provides solutions to help you do just that, including A/B testing, heatmaps, surveys, and error tracking. So if you want to fix what isn't working, improve what is, and test new ideas, this option ticks those boxes.
Features
- A/B testing using the Conversion Optimizer
- Traffic analysis
- Errors tracking
- Surveys
Pros
- Flexible options (i.e., set different goals and target traffic from specific device types)
- Simple setup
- Clean, easy-to-use interface
- All plans include unlimited websites, surveys, and tests
- Attractive pricing
Cons
- Limited recording storage duration
- Lacks advanced reporting features
- Fewer features than most alternatives
Pricing
You can start a 30-day free trial, followed by one of five plans. The Basic plan is $29 monthly, including 30,000 tracked pageviews, 25 snapshots, and 100 recordings with three months of recording storage. In contrast, the Pro plan is $249 monthly, including 500,000 tracked pageviews, 100 snapshots, and 5,000 recordings with two years of recording storage. An Enterprise option allows you to build a customized plan.
6. FigPii
FigPii is a top choice for Google Optimize alternatives. Unlike some solutions that are best suited for large or medium-sized enterprises, FigPii is adaptable to most, if not all, businesses. This comprehensive analytics and user testing platform offers many features, ranging from A/B testing to poll launch capabilities.
In addition, FigPii offers users guidance concerning sample size and test duration requirements and provides valuable insights based on behavior to ensure conversion optimization. Plus, it is currently the fastest web A/B testing solution. FigPii also allows tracking multiple goals in a single experiment.
Features
- Conversion optimization platform that offers testing ideas
- Single and multipage heatmaps
- Screen recordings
- Polls for advanced targeting
- Sample size and duration calculator
- Real-time views
- Revenue tracking
Pros
- A simple visual editor that is comparable to Google Optimize
- ROI tracking
- Ability to set an unlimited number of goals using the "Add Another Goal" button
- Tests for a single page or multiple pages
- Detailed analysis concerning bounce rates, conversion rates, exit rates, etc.
- 24/7 expert support
- Free testing for up to 75,000 unique visitors
- Free migration from Google Optimize
Cons
- Multivariate testing unavailable
- Limited audience targeting options
Pricing
The price of your plan will depend on your needs. The good news is that you can use FigPii for free, benefiting from unlimited A/B tests and users. However, to unlock other features, you must choose one of the other FigPii plans ranging from $99.99 to $339 per month. With these plans, you can access unlimited polls, recordings, heatmaps, and more. A free trial is available.
7. Unbounce
Do you want to build and publish landing pages complete with A/B testing features? Unbounce will help you do just that. This AI-powered tool is pre-optimized and ready to use, making it ideal for all experience levels when creating higher-converting landing pages. Unbounce has a more specific use case, with A/B testing features that help optimize landing pages on your site.
Features
- A/B testing
- Smart traffic (send visitors to related landing pages and allows multiple testing methods)
- Page traffic mode and standard mode
Pros
- Customizable templates available
- Benefits from personalized insights
- Integrates well with Google Analytics, Salesforce, Zapier, Google Tag Manager, HubSpot, and more
- Many solutions across a broad spectrum of industries
- Competitive pricing
Cons
- Tracked leads don't account for duplicates
- Split percentage calculation solutions leave more to be desired
- Can have compatibility issues with specific platforms
Pricing
You can try Unbounce free for 14 days, followed by monthly plans that range from $99 to $625+.
8. Omniconvert
Omniconvert is an experimentation and A/B testing tool that will help you "turn one-time buyers into lifetime customers." This software's "Explore" component offers testing and advanced segmentation options.
Features
- A/B testing
- Personalization
- Overlays
- Advanced segmentation
Pros
- Track as many goals as you wish
- Take advantage of split URL testing
- Flexibility through code (HTML, CSS, Javascript (vanilla and jQuery))
- Enhanced web personalization
- 100+ overlay templates available
- 40+ different segmentation criteria
- Experiment debugger
Cons
- Expensive and too advanced for small businesses or beginners
- Complex user interface
- Steep learning curve (it's a technical platform)
Pricing
The Platform plan starts at $273 per month and offers annual billing discounts, while the Enterprise plan is a customized price based on your needs. Omniconvert offers a free Start version with limited features. Along with special deals that may apply to Google Optimize customers, a 30-day free trial is also available. Book a demo to see if it's the right fit for you.
9. Kameleoon
Kameleoon is another top choice for A/B testing and personalization. As a single unified platform, it allows you to run real-time experiments in any part of your tech stack. Kameleoon is the only optimization solution for full stack, web, and feature experimentation. Its approach to hybrid experimentation offers a range of capabilities on one interface, intending to provide one source of truth. With Kameleoon, you can unlock growth on any web channel while ensuring high performance, data accuracy, and privacy standards.
Features
- A/B testing
- Multivariate testing
- Code editor to create your own goals
- Widget library
- Personalization via AI-powered conversion prediction feature
Pros
- Unlimited test variations for desktop or mobile
- Plenty of integrations, including Segment, Salesforce Audience Studio, Contentsquare, Tealium, Google Analytics, and Hotjar
- Smart graphic editor increases ease of use
- 24/7 support
- Server-side test building with client-side tools
- Guaranteed flicker-free
Cons
- Learning curve (not ideal for beginners)
- Occasional bugs in the interface (although support is excellent concerning resolutions)
- Results sometimes complex, especially with personalization
Pricing
Pricing is available upon request only. You can request a demo to see how Kameleoon works.
While some of the Google Optimize alternatives listed here have straightforward pricing models, others offer custom pricing based on your specific needs. This can be an indication that their solutions are tailored to enterprise companies and might be more expensive than standard pricing models. However, it's important to keep in mind that custom pricing can also demonstrate the flexibility of a software provider and their willingness to accommodate different budgets and requirements. For a more accurate understanding of pricing for these solutions, it's recommended to contact the software provider directly and discuss your unique needs to get a personalized quote.
Experimentation for data-driven marketing
We've covered nine Google Optimize alternatives, their features, pros, cons, and pricing. But why do these tools matter? It's all about experimentation. Let's briefly discuss its importance in data-driven marketing and its impact on campaign success.
Focus on data
Data is a crucial component of any marketing strategy. It helps guide you toward better customer experiences, higher acquisition and retention rates, greater customer loyalty, and a better return on investment (ROI). The benefits are clear — but how do you know what strategy to use and when?
The short answer is data-driven experimentation.
The ability to test and learn delivers immense value concerning data-driven marketing strategies. Most marketers consider testing new audiences, ad creatives, or channels when referring to this concept. Of course, these strategies matter, but so does experimenting with your website pages. Using your data, you can run tests that ensure experimentation delivers the results your business seeks. More importantly, taking this approach can give your organization a competitive edge.
According to Gartner, organizations that significantly outperform their competitors are nearly twice as likely to make experimentation and testing a marketing priority. Whether your goal is to increase your revenue, improve the customer experience, or drive growth, it starts with properly leveraging your data. In this case, it means running tests to see what works and what doesn't.
Learning opportunities are around every bend, and that insight will help you apply actionable changes that make a difference in your website and bottom line.
Google Optimize refresher
If you're a Google Optimize user, you're already familiar with A/B testing and the power of multivariate tests. Google Optimize was built on top of Google Analytics, offering a site personalization platform and testing solution that was easy to use.
The key features include:
- An easy-to-use visual editor
- Customization capabilities
- Experiment reports
Pros
- Easy setup
- Excellent visual editor
- A range of targeting options
- Plenty of community support via online tutorials and forums
- Free tool
Cons
- Limited customer support, unlike premium tools
- No audience segment feature
- Users limited to five goals per experiment
While Google Optimize is free, its capabilities are much more basic than most options on the market.
FAQ
What is Google Optimize, and why look for alternatives?
Google Optimize is a website optimization tool that leverages A/B testing and personalization to boost conversions. Yet, Google Optimize is relatively basic — one reason to look for an alternative. However, the main driving force behind the need for alternatives to Google Optimize is that this tool is phasing out soon. After September 30, 2023, Google Optimize will not be available.
When will Google Optimize be sunset?
The sunsetting date for Google Optimize is September 30, 2023. All experiments and personalization can continue to run until that date; however, on September 30, any active personalization or experiments will end.
Google plans to make all its APIs publicly available so that anyone can integrate their A/B testing tool with Google Analytics over the coming months. Moving forward, Google will collaborate with AB Tasty, Optimizely, and VWO on integrations. Discover more about the integration process here.
What Google Optimize alternative is best for me?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as what's best for one organization isn't ideal for the next. To choose the best option, you should focus on the most critical features and your budget. For example, if you don't need an extensive suite of features and want an affordable option, a platform like Crazy Egg may be best.
In contrast, a platform like Optimizely is much more expensive, but you'll have access to a spectrum of features that could help you enhance your ROI. Some options are built specifically for enterprises, and pricing will reflect that level of service. Taking advantage of free trials is a great way to test-run tools before committing to a plan.
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Written by Sean Dougherty
A copywriter at Funnel, Sean has more than 15 years of experience working in branding and advertising (both agency and client side). He's also a professional voice actor.