Google Optimize was beloved by marketers and growth teams for its simplicity and free price tag. When Google shut it down in September 2023, it left a massive gap in the market. Here's your guide to finding the best replacement.
What Made Google Optimize Great
Before we look at alternatives, let's remember what made Optimize special:
Our Recommendation
If you loved Google Optimize, ExperimentHQ is the closest spiritual successor. It's built on the same principles: simplicity, speed, and accessibility. Plus, it has a free tier.
Top 5 Google Optimize Alternatives
ExperimentHQ Recommended
The spiritual successor to Google Optimize. Simple, fast, affordable.
Pros
- Free tier available
- Under 5KB script
- Visual editor
- 2-minute setup
Cons
- Newer platform
- No heatmaps yet
VWO
Full-featured CRO platform with A/B testing, heatmaps, and recordings.
Pros
- Heatmaps included
- Session recordings
- Mature platform
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy script
- Complex setup
Optimizely
Enterprise experimentation platform with feature flags and personalization.
Pros
- Feature flags
- Server-side testing
- Advanced stats
Cons
- Very expensive
- Complex
- Long implementation
AB Tasty
European CRO platform with AI-powered features.
Pros
- AI features
- Good EU support
- Personalization
Cons
- Expensive
- Complex pricing
- Sales-driven
Convert
Privacy-focused A/B testing with good Shopify integration.
Pros
- Privacy-focused
- Shopify integration
- Good support
Cons
- Limited free tier
- Smaller community
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Starting Price | Free Tier | Visual Editor |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExperimentHQ | Free | ||
| VWO | $10,000+/year | ||
| Optimizely | $50,000+/year | ||
| AB Tasty | $10,000+/year | ||
| Convert | $99+/mo |
Making Your Choice
The right Google Optimize alternative depends on your budget, team size, and needs. Here's our quick recommendation:
Whatever you choose, the important thing is to keep testing. A/B testing is one of the highest-ROI activities for any growth team, and there's no excuse not to be running experiments.