MessageGears vs. VerticalResponse

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
MessageGears
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
MessageGears is a hybrid email marketing service built around deliverability, actionable customer data, and audience segmentation and targeting.N/A
VerticalResponse
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
VerticalResponse is an email campaign management software and services platform from Deluxe. In addition to providing email marketing tools, VerticalResponse offers fully managed email marketing services from campaign launch and management to reporting and analysis.
$11
per month
Pricing
MessageGearsVerticalResponse
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Basic
$11.00
per month
Pro
$16.00
per month
Pro Plus
$196.00
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
MessageGearsVerticalResponse
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
MessageGearsVerticalResponse
Considered Both Products
MessageGears
Chose MessageGears
MessageGears doesn't come close to Salesforce Marketing Cloud. We chose MessageGears based on how data was accessed. We never really got a good preview of how the system works or what was available, so we didn't know everything that it was lacking until we started using it.
Chose MessageGears
MessageGears is a completely different approach to email marketing than its competitors, and while it has a learning curve, it is superior after you've figured it out . The ability to find your audience through SQL on top of quick control of your templates allows for lightning …
Chose MessageGears
Bronto is a much better email service provider, though our choice to use MessageGears is based on our unique database situation, our partnership with them, and our deal structure. The automation and functionality within Bronto is superior, but it also comes with a hefty price …
VerticalResponse
Chose VerticalResponse
In addition to using Vertical Response personally I also manage email marketing for clients that already use Mailchimp, Robly and Constant Contact. While most of these platforms all offer similar features I choose Vertical Response first if the client does not have a platform …
Chose VerticalResponse
Vertical Response is most akin to Constant Contact. No frills, agile, easy to use. The one advantage that it has over Constant Contact is that you don't need to be locked into a month-to-month plan, which is what I needed. Salesforce and HubSpot aren't fair comparisons--these …
Chose VerticalResponse
This was the first bulk emailing system that I tried. I looked into Constant Contact.
Chose VerticalResponse
I think Vertical Response is a lot more user-friendly than Constant Contact and allows for more features that constant contact does not. I like the email WYSIWYG feature better on here and it allows us to preview our emails before we send them out to our entire customer base.
Chose VerticalResponse
Vertical Response was already in use when I joined the organization. It was selected for affordability. In comparison to other email marketing platforms, it was harder to use for an end user, but we were able to hire a developer to create some custom templates, and that worked …
Chose VerticalResponse
Pardot is a good tool but with the cost you will get a better value from Vertical Response and easier design capabilities. MailChimp is a widely used tool but I found the list segmentation and general template at Vertical Response to be better.
Chose VerticalResponse
I am a true believer in Vertical Response. So much so, that this is the first and only software I have used for this type of marketing. When this program was first launched it was a godsend - truly innovative for its time. And in the years since, I have continued to implement …
Chose VerticalResponse
VR, MailChimp and Constant Contact all provide similar experience and provide the same function. I use many different tools.
Chose VerticalResponse
Marketo covered more scope than we needed at the time.
Chose VerticalResponse
ExactTarget, MailChimp. I liked VerticalResponse's integration with Salesforce. We used MailChimp before and it says on their website they have integration with Salesforce, but we were never able to find it on the Force.com website.

For ExactTarget, we used that in the past and …
Chose VerticalResponse
Constant Contact, MailChimp. Vertical Response covered our basic needs - contacts management, newsletter and marketing email activity analysis, templates/wizards, etc. and was free for non-profits up to 10,000 contacts/month.
Features
MessageGearsVerticalResponse
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
MessageGears
3.3
Ratings
83% below category average
VerticalResponse
9.9
Ratings
22% above category average
WYSIWYG email editor1.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Dynamic content3.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content2.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
A/B testing2.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Mobile optimization8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting3.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
List management2.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences2.20 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Landing pages00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
MessageGears
1.1
Ratings
150% below category average
VerticalResponse
10.0
Ratings
26% above category average
Dashboards1.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Standard reports1.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Custom reports1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Pre-Send Testing
Comparison of Pre-Send Testing features of Product A and Product B
MessageGears
3.7
Ratings
73% below category average
VerticalResponse
10.0
Ratings
22% above category average
URL Validation1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Link Tracking2.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Image Validation7.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Inbox Display7.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Spelling and Grammar Check6.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Spam Testing1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Email Previews1.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Email Accessibility Tools00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
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User Ratings
MessageGearsVerticalResponse
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(0 ratings)
Usability
6.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
MessageGearsVerticalResponse
Likelihood to Recommend
Unless you have someone on your team who is an expert in writing SQL queries and APIs, this platform is not for you.
Read full review
For businesses requiring advanced email marketing features like sophisticated automation, in-depth analytics, and extensive customization, VerticalResponse might fall short due to its limited featuresVerticalResponse is ideal for small businesses or freelancers who need a simple, straightforward email marketing tool. Its ease of use and basic features make it suitable for those without extensive technical expertise in email marketing
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Pros
  • Solid customer service
  • Inexpensive solution
  • Flexibility in setup
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  • The tools that they provide you with for building out emails are particularly easy to use. I love the drag and drop ability that gives anyone the opportunity to build professional looking emails without any extensive experience.
  • With the majority of people checking emails on mobile, it is necessary to have highly responsive designs and this tool does all the work for you, no developer is needed and that is a MAJOR plus.
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Cons
  • The platform is extremely literal. Every possible scenario (included unsubscribes) must be written into every audience query.
  • Messy user interface
  • Email development is overly complicated.
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  • The type face is small. Not sure if this is to avoid overwhelming the reader, but I could see this being an issue with vision-impaired people or people who don't see small print well.
  • Sometimes I find it takes multiple clicks to make one simple change. I wish there was a search field at the top of the screen that allowed me to jump directly to a client's entry to update it there.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
Product is easy for both technical and non-technical people to use. A cost effective solution for sending out large number of messages. We can manage unsubscribes by individual accounts, so we can have multiple multiple accounts combined to maximize our buying power on credits. Effective API for sending/receiving data makes tool a valuable asset.
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Usability
Our situation is unique so I believe we are working on a semi-outdated UI which needs a tune up / version upgrade. Similarly, our custom connection means that we do not have access to the full feature set so I've never experienced MessageGears' best functionality
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I truly love this product. We are moving to an all-in-one system next year and my greatest fear in doing so is how much I will miss this platform. Although we are excited for things ahead, I will always keep Vertical Response in my back pocket incase I don't love the new platform as much
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
Never had an issue with uptime
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Performance
No answers on this topic
No issues
Read full review
Support Rating
MessageGears support is always quick to respond when we have an issue, which is rare. Gail has been our main rep and she has been great. We don't have many issues so luckily, we don't need to lean on their customer support team much. That said, it would be beneficial to hear from upper management more.
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At Vertical Response the help desk associates are courteous, knowledgeable and helpful. You can tell they enjoy what they do. And clearly, they are well trained because most times, the first point of contact is able to resolve any issue you may have. There have been very few times where an associate has needed to get back to me or escalate me to a supervisor
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Online Training
No answers on this topic
Basic functions and online help...we used what was needed, at the time, and will continue to explore other online trainings as our functional needs expand
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Salesforce integration never worked right. We had to abandon.
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Alternatives Considered
Bronto is a much better email service provider, though our choice to use MessageGears is based on our unique database situation, our partnership with them, and our deal structure. The automation and functionality within Bronto is superior, but it also comes with a hefty price tag; MessageGears provides the scale we need
Read full review
I am a true believer in Vertical Response. So much so, that this is the first and only software I have used for this type of marketing. When this program was first launched it was a godsend - truly innovative for its time. And in the years since, I have continued to implement this software at three other winery properties because there is nothing else I want to use
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Sending more email!
  • Onboarding handoff was a little rough
  • Great control on who we are sending to
  • Dynamic content is very easy!
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  • We were able to blast out promotions our company was having to customers which created an increase in business.
  • By blasting out any service issues, it keeps our customers informed so that they are not wondering what is going on.
  • Allows us to store unsubscribed emails so that we are not constantly pestering people who do not want to be emailed.
Read full review
ScreenShots