Ortto

Overall: Autopilot is a great solution if you're looking for something to automate a sequence of emails. I wouldn't consider it a replacement for full-fledged marketing automation software... yet, but it's a fantastic tool for email automation. Just keep in mind that there are a few hiccups that you'll potentially need to navigate such as email SpamAssassin errors (always use mail-tester.com to check your emails) and CRM sync issues.

Pros: It seems to me that Autopilot does only one thing - but it does that one thing REALLY well. I tested Autopilot briefly for a few weeks as an alternative to the drip program functionality in our Marketing Automation software. I was extremely impressed with how easy it is to build a drip program (called a "Journey" within Autopilot), as well as with the breadth of logic and functionality offered. Autopilot really sets itself apart with some amazing - seriously amazing - integrations and functionality that our Automation platform doesn't offer, such as sending SMS text messages or physical postcards. I really like that Autopilot offers in-app chat support, and that you generally don't need to wait longer than 5 minutes to get someone to help you out.

Cons: During the few weeks I tested Autopilot, I found a few issues that prevented me from really continuing to use the software for my use-case. The integration with Salesforce was clunky and un-intuitive, and most concerningly, it seemed that when the platform saw leads that already existed in Salesforce, it would stop them from progressing through the drip program. This was a real frustration, and I ended up just disconnecting Autopilot from the CRM in order to finish my test. Another concern we had was that after testing the emails I had configured using mail-tester.com, there was an error identified that could only be resolved by getting a dedicated IP address - something which adds a significant additional monthly cost to the cost of the program.

Overall: I've been using Autopilot for years and was a big fan of the good old Journey. I was really excited about the new platform. The data integration and visualisation was promising. I was shocked when they rebranded to Ortto after so many years out of the blue, and even though the new platform does have really nice features, overall it has way too many bugs and shows inconsistent results all the time, making it worthless for KPI measurement. I am also not a big fan of how they have changed long time features, like dropping integration with Typeforms and locking in features, like removing SMS integration with Twilio, for example, forcing us to buy expensive SMS packages from them.Also think the new limits are too low. The email "allowance" is low, and you will end up paying extra every month.

Pros: Interface and automation capabilities. It's clean, easy on the eye and most of the time, easy to find what you're looking for.

Cons: The new platform has huge number of bugs and it's showing inconsistent data. Even within the app itself, you will see different results in different parts of the platform. Some results are very inconsistent, like for example, WooCommerce sales for a campaign reporting a much different number than the campaign.

Reasons for Choosing Ortto: I've chosen Autopilot. I was forced into Ortto. Not liking where it's headed and already started looking for alternatives.

Overall: As a result of Ortto's automation, we've been able to build advertising campaigns and develop our customer base with ease, and we've always been thinking about increasing our database and targeting new customers. Our ability to respond quickly to changes is bolstered by the quality of the reports we get.

Pros: Ortto offers a wide range of tools and templates to help you design a workflow and keep track of every aspect of it. In addition to the Ortto analytics that indicate how many customers reply and interact with messages, I love the ready-made templates that allow me to design campaigns and send them to lists of contacts. When it comes to reporting to management, the reporting system and dashboard are quite efficient. It's also great to have Ortto's automated functionality for adding new consumers and iteratively replicating prior campaigns while also updating target lists. Using automation, we can arrange our email sending dates so that we may target clients with our messages at specific times and dates. To me, Ortto's most appealing feature is the fact that it brings together a wide range of marketing tools into one platform where I can analyze and report on all of these elements at once. When it comes to reworking the subject lines, a copywriting helper can be an excellent solution to overcome writer's block. In addition, I greatly appreciate the Ortto team's responsiveness to clients' needs, since they are always ready to reply to any questions or requests.

Cons: Because Ortto is so user-friendly and has so many resources for learning how everything works, there aren't any drawbacks worth mentioning. Additionally, the system's ease of use makes it easy for new employees to learn how the system works and to integrate it with other systems that the business uses.