Choosing the right A/B testing tool can mean the difference between a thriving experimentation program and expensive shelfware. This guide compares the top platforms across pricing, features, ease of use, and performance to help you make the right choice.
Quick Recommendations
Best Overall / Startups
ExperimentHQ
Simple, fast, affordable. The spiritual successor to Google Optimize.
Best for Enterprise
Optimizely
If you need feature flags and server-side testing with a big budget.
Best All-in-One CRO
VWO
A/B testing + heatmaps + recordings in one platform.
Best for E-commerce
Convert
Strong Shopify integration and privacy-focused approach.
Detailed Tool Reviews
ExperimentHQ Recommended
Simple A/B testing for growth teams
Free - $49/mo
Transparent, self-serve
Best for: Startups, SMBs, growth teams
Pros
- Free tier available
- Under 5KB script
- 2-minute setup
- Visual editor
- No sales calls
Cons
- Newer platform
- No heatmaps yet
- Client-side only
Optimizely
Enterprise experimentation platform
$50,000+/year
Sales call required
Best for: Large enterprises
Pros
- Feature flags
- Server-side testing
- Advanced statistics
- Personalization
Cons
- Very expensive
- Complex setup
- Requires engineering
- Long sales cycle
VWO
Full-stack CRO platform
$10,000+/year
Sales call required
Best for: Mid-market companies
Pros
- Heatmaps included
- Session recordings
- Mature platform
- Good support
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy script (~100KB)
- Complex pricing
- Slow setup
AB Tasty
AI-powered experimentation
$10,000+/year
Sales call required
Best for: European enterprises
Pros
- AI features
- Good EU support
- Personalization
- GDPR-focused
Cons
- Expensive
- Complex interface
- Sales-driven
- Heavy script
Convert
Privacy-focused A/B testing
$99+/month
Self-serve available
Best for: E-commerce, privacy-conscious
Pros
- Privacy-focused
- Shopify integration
- Good support
- No data selling
Cons
- Limited free tier
- Smaller community
- Basic analytics
Kameleoon
AI personalization platform
$20,000+/year
Sales call required
Best for: Enterprise personalization
Pros
- AI-powered
- Feature flags
- Strong personalization
- Server-side
Cons
- Very expensive
- Complex
- Long implementation
- Enterprise focus
Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | ExperimentHQ | Optimizely | VWO | AB Tasty | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | |||||
| Visual Editor | |||||
| Transparent Pricing | |||||
| Self-Serve Signup | |||||
| Script < 10KB | |||||
| Heatmaps | |||||
| Server-Side Testing | |||||
| Feature Flags |
Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Starting Price | Enterprise | Free Tier | Self-Serve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExperimentHQ | $0/mo | $199/mo | ||
| Optimizely | $50K+/yr | $200K+/yr | ||
| VWO | $10K+/yr | $50K+/yr | ||
| AB Tasty | $10K+/yr | $50K+/yr | ||
| Convert | $99/mo | $999/mo |
How to Choose the Right Tool
Consider Your Traffic
Low traffic sites (<10K visitors/mo) should prioritize simplicity and cost. High traffic sites can justify more complex tools.
Consider Your Team
No dedicated CRO team? Choose a simple tool with visual editor. Have engineers? You might benefit from feature flags and server-side testing.
Consider Performance
Script size matters for SEO and user experience. Heavy scripts (100KB+) can hurt Core Web Vitals. Look for tools under 10KB.
Consider Total Cost
Factor in implementation time, training, and opportunity cost. A "free" enterprise trial that takes 4 weeks to set up isn't really free.
Our Recommendation
For most teams, ExperimentHQ offers the best balance of simplicity, performance, and price. It's the closest thing to Google Optimize that exists today—and it has a free tier to get started.
If you need enterprise features like feature flags and server-side testing, Optimizely is the industry leader—but be prepared for a significant investment in both money and implementation time.
The most important thing is to start testing. A simple tool you actually use beats a complex tool that sits on the shelf. Pick one and start running experiments today.