Leadfwd vs. OutboundEngine

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Leadfwd
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Leadfwd, from the company of the same name in Staten Island, combines B2B Prospecting, Sales Outreach and Account-Based Marketing. It replaces the former INBOX25.N/A
OutboundEngine
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
OutboundEngine provides a hands-off way for small business owners to market and grow their business. The product aims to provide small businesses with what big companies have achieved with marketing automation. The service aims to help users keep in touch with clients and prospects with professionally designed, branded campaigns. Benefits include: driving engagement, surfacing warm leads from current contacts, generating referrals and repeat business from their existing contacts, social…
$199
per user
Pricing
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Essential
$199
per user
Value
$299
per user
Premium
$499
per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee$99 per user
Additional DetailsMore information is available on the vendor's website.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Considered Both Products
Leadfwd
Chose Leadfwd
We found Inbox25 to be the most cost-effective marketing automation platform with the best possible integration to Sugar CRM. We evaluated three additional products. Only one was comparable in scope and integration but the cost was 30% more.
Chose Leadfwd
Different platforms stack up particularly well for different use cases. INBOX25 is our default choice for SugarCRM users.
OutboundEngine
Chose OutboundEngine
I do not use any other similar products at this time. Several of the options that are available to me (CRMs) offer similar options but are more effort on my side. OutboundEngine is more or less automatic and I love that!
Chose OutboundEngine
I've always done my own newsletters etc. so I don't have experience with other companies that provide content services.
Chose OutboundEngine
I selected it for the ability to have an automated system do 3 things all at once, social media posts, emails and the instant communication with the chat box. I have never seen a chat come through that lead to a helpful client touchpoint. I have never used another product but …
Chose OutboundEngine
I have not opted for others. However, I do add my own offerings and content making me realize just how easy and cost-effective this is to do in spite of the volume OE provides. I do like postings to attract others and not be the same as others in my community.
Chose OutboundEngine
OutboundEngine is more of a general information program that with more frequent postings. My clients are more interested in this type of postings, than one on a home I sold or open house that I am doing. However, I do have a free email program that I use several times a month …
Chose OutboundEngine
have used others in the past Personally I have not received any benefit in productivity from the program yes it tells me who is looking and who is most active. but that is it
Chose OutboundEngine
I also use PressLike. What I like about OutboundEngine is it uses my email database to send relative topics to my clients along with social media postings. PressLike offers primarily social media, but offers more customizable ways to market myself, my listings and any other …
Chose OutboundEngine
Intouch systems was a service I used but I don't think it is any of the ones referenced in the list. I constantly had to go in and repost things because it couldn't post to my accounts. It did also send out emails, but it wasn't getting on my social media. It was 1/3 the price …
Chose OutboundEngine
It’s easier for me. They handle everything and they notify me and send me my stats and it’s more affordable.
Chose OutboundEngine
N/A never tried anyone else.
Chose OutboundEngine
BNTouch is great for creating and sending mass emails but misses the automated feature entirely.
Chose OutboundEngine
There really aren't a lot of companies out there with good Real Estate Chat solutions.
Chose OutboundEngine
OBE has automated emails, that are industry-specific, so I don't have to create them. On the surface, this is a plus, but my lead generation results have been very poor. Started writing my own emails, now the advantage from OBE is gone. OBE has social media posts, this is a …
Chose OutboundEngine
Much easier to use. Representative actively engages and schedules monthly meetings and training.
Chose OutboundEngine
Affordability is important and OutboundEngine is affordable. I like the expertise in this field they have. I really appreciate they don’t constantly bother me trying to sell me more services, etc. Any time I have needed to call the company, their reps are always available. …
Chose OutboundEngine
OutboundEngine has better staff support, a higher level of website maintenance/knowledge for future clients.
Chose OutboundEngine
My company offers a service called Octopost where they post to my social media platforms, but I don't feel like the content is as good and it doesn't reach as much of my database as the OutboundEngine newsletters do.
Chose OutboundEngine
I selected OutboundEngine after hearing about it from a friend. I had never used a similar product before.
Features
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Leadfwd
7.4
Ratings
3% below category average
OutboundEngine
8.1
Ratings
10% above category average
WYSIWYG email editor7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Dynamic content7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Landing pages9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
A/B testing3.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile optimization6.20 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting9.60 Ratings7.70 Ratings
List management8.60 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
Leadfwd
8.0
Ratings
3% above category average
OutboundEngine
5.5
Ratings
20% below category average
Lead nurturing automation8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Data quality management7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks8.50 Ratings5.50 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
Leadfwd
7.0
Ratings
6% below category average
OutboundEngine
-
Ratings
Calendaring5.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Leadfwd
7.5
Ratings
0% below category average
OutboundEngine
7.8
Ratings
16% above category average
Social sharing and campaigns9.00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Social profile integration6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Leadfwd
6.3
Ratings
15% below category average
OutboundEngine
-
Ratings
Dashboards6.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Standard reports6.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Custom reports6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Leadfwd
9.1
Ratings
20% above category average
OutboundEngine
-
Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizability7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Small Businesses
Vbout
Vbout
Score 9.9 out of 10
LocaliQ
LocaliQ
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
LocaliQ
LocaliQ
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
Kentico Xperience
Kentico Xperience
Score 8.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Likelihood to Recommend
8.2
(0 ratings)
8.3
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
LeadfwdOutboundEngine
Likelihood to Recommend
It's a great choice for users of SugarCRM, which doesn't integrate particularly well with many other marketing automation platforms. It's less appropriate for users of other CRMs (particularly Salesforce) which has well-baked connectors for HubSpot, Pardot, et al.
Read full review
OutboundEngine does a referral campaign and I've been able to close a couple of deals based on getting in touch with people who engage with this campaign and state they could use my services in the next 6 months. This is a great follow up tool for those you may or may not know are going to be needing your services.
Read full review
Pros
  • SugarCRM integration
  • Ease of building workflows
  • Responsive, helpful support team
Read full review
  • The content that they generate to send to our clients is relevant and the clients want to engage with us. It makes us appear more professional and consistent, even though we are a smaller company.
  • It helps us stay in touch with clients and helps us stay top of mind. We are able to generate more new business leads if we are in consistent contact with current, former, and potential clients.
  • Their customer service and support is outstanding. All my questions were answered and I went into the program feeling confident and knowledgeable.
Read full review
Cons
  • Inbox25 is in a growth phase and has transformed their product pretty fast. With that comes an increased need to continually learn how to leverage new features.
  • Tutorials and product documentation exist but it is relatively minimal. They overcome this with personalized, one-on-one training that is recorded for future review using a project management platform.
  • Inbox25 has expanded beyond Sugar CRM to include Salesforce.com integration. I'm not sure if they plan to add integrations to other applications but they are positioned well for growth.
Read full review
  • Logging into Outbound Engine on my phone is difficult because I can't save the login name and password. Being able to save it would be very helpful.
  • Posting my new listings on social media would help if that's possible.
  • Being informed of what you're posting on social media and when would also be helpful.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
AS my business is beginning to change and with volatility in the market, I have to rely seriously on a budget. That and nearing retirement consideration has me more likely to opt out in the near future.
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Overall, OutboundEngine is very user friendly. It is simple to set up and explore, and if there are any issues or questions, the customer service team and account managers are always available to help. They are very knowledgeable and were able to explain everything in detail to me. The program is easy to navigate and helps me stay organized, and an uncomplicated and straightforward solution was exactly what I was looking for
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
I don't recall having any issues needing to contact OutboundEngine. I believe maybe I once emailed about an issue and got a quick response. I also believe I may have messaged through the app and gotten a response. To my knowledge, there has been nothing like app errors or outages.
Read full review
Support Rating
No answers on this topic
The customer service was excellent! Everyone I spoke to was kind and knowledgeable. My account manager was easily reachable. Setup of the OutboundEngine program was explained really thoroughly, and we knew how we could best use the product to meet the needs of our clients and get our online and social media presence off the ground.
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Alternatives Considered
We found Inbox25 to be the most cost-effective marketing automation platform with the best possible integration to Sugar CRM. We evaluated three additional products. Only one was comparable in scope and integration but the cost was 30% more.
Read full review
I selected it for the ability to have an automated system do 3 things all at once, social media posts, emails and the instant communication with the chat box. I have never seen a chat come through that lead to a helpful client touchpoint. I have never used another product but have since begun to weigh some of the less expensive options.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • We have successfully moved cold suspects to leads and leads to opportunities, and opportunities to customers with Inbox25. We are just now starting to realize more value given that we've only recently started using the more advanced drip marketing and lead scoring features.
  • When we used the pay-as-you-go version we were paying just pennies per email and remained CAN-Spam Act compliant. It was harder to quantify the ROI then but it was apparent that email marketing was working and moving prospects from one sales stage to another. It was also very useful for re-engaging prospects and promoting products and services to customers.
  • Our total investment in the advanced edition is less $30,000 annually and we expect the ROI to be less than one year. It could have been sooner if we'd have been more thoughtful in our initial implementation.
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  • Outbound Engine keeps me top of mind by automatically sending articles to my database and posting to my facebook.
  • I spend zero time researching and writing articles.
  • I spend zero time taking great pictures.
  • I spend zero time dealing with mailing lists.
Read full review
ScreenShots

OutboundEngine Screenshots

Screenshot of Automated Social Media MarketingScreenshot of A personalized snapshot of your account activity and warmest leads.Screenshot of Personally designed, tested, and automated emails