VerticalResponse
VerticalResponse is a bootstrapped, cloud-based email marketing and automation platform founded in 2001, serving small businesses, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and agencies with a self-serve product-led model and white-label reseller program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What VerticalResponse does
VerticalResponse, LLC is a Delaware-incorporated, privately held software company founded in 2001 that provides a cloud-based, self-service email marketing and marketing automation platform targeted primarily at small businesses, entrepreneurs, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The platform is accessed entirely through a web browser with no software installation required and is supported by a 60-day free trial with no credit card required. The product suite centers on an email editor built around a content-block paradigm — which the company positions as more flexible than standard drag-and-drop editors — and is extended with automated follow-up emails, autoresponders and behavioral email series, advanced reporting with heat maps and geographic/device breakdowns, a landing page builder, a Test Kit for inbox previews across roughly 60 devices and clients, a mobile-friendly survey creator, pop-up and online form builders, A/B subject line testing, and a REST API with documentation. A Pro-plan-only AI Content Assistant provides generative text assistance for email drafting, and integrations span Shopify, BigCommerce, Salesforce, SurveyMonkey, ZohoCRM, Wufoo, HighRise, FullContact, and Dasheroo, with Zapier and Make as broader automation bridges.
The business model is a multi-tier subscription structure with usage-based and freemium extensions. Paid email plans are priced at the Basic tier ($13-$40/month) and the Pro tier ($19-$58/month), with rates scaling on contact-list size and a 50% discount available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. A Pay-As-You-Go option prices email credits from $0.0086 to $0.03 per email depending on volume, the survey product is offered as a free basic tier plus a paid upgrade, and Test Kit credits are bundled monthly with the Pro plan and sold à la carte. Distribution is primarily product-led and self-serve through the company website, with a channel layer for agencies and resellers (white-label option, multi-client dashboard), inside sales for high-volume senders, and content-led demand generation through a biweekly newsletter, blog, webinars, and social channels. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a secondary presence referenced in San Francisco, is led by CEO Andy Mentges with Jason Beyke as CXO and Joshua Feinberg as VP of Platform Management, and operates without disclosed institutional capital since a 2012 funding round that brought cumulative disclosed funding to approximately $4.9M.
VerticalResponse firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VerticalResponse
- Legal name
- VerticalResponse, LLC
- Website
- https://verticalresponse.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- VerticalResponse is a bootstrapped, cloud-based email marketing and automation platform founded in 2001, serving small businesses, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and agencies with a self-serve product-led model and white-label reseller program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where VerticalResponse is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
VerticalResponse business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Plans (Basic & Pro): Monthly subscription pricing based on contact list size. Basic plan at $13/month starting, Pro plan at $19/month starting. All paid accounts can send unlimited emails per month. Includes free 60-day trial.
- Pay As You Go: Credit-based purchasing for occasional email senders. Credits range from 200-500,000 with decreasing cost per email at higher volumes ($0.03/email down to $0.0086/email for largest volumes).
- Survey Plans (Free & Basic): Free plan includes unlimited surveys, 10 questions/survey, 100 respondents/survey. Basic paid plan adds unlimited questions, unlimited respondents, randomization, skip logic, and report downloads.
- Test Kit Credits: Pro plan users receive 10 Test Kit credits monthly. Additional credits available for purchase by all users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic Plan - For businesses needing to send unlimited emails |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro Plan - For businesses that need automation and advanced campaign reporting |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Pay As You Go - For occasional email senders |
| Freemium | Monthly | Surveys Free - Best for Small Businesses |
| Subscription | Monthly | Surveys Basic - For users looking for advanced engagement |
| Subscription | Monthly | Non-Profit Discount |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
VerticalResponse product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VerticalResponse provides a web-based, self-service email marketing and marketing automation platform that enables small businesses and nonprofits to create, send, and analyze email campaigns. The platform includes an AI-powered content assistant, content-block email editor, automated follow-ups, autoresponders, landing page builder, survey creator, pop-up and form builders, advanced reporting, and a REST API. Pricing is tiered by contact list size with subscription, freemium, and pay-as-you-go options, plus a 50% nonprofit discount.
Product overview
VerticalResponse is an email marketing platform designed for small businesses and nonprofits. The core platform offers email campaign creation, automation, and analytics capabilities. The product portfolio includes the main Email Marketing Platform with an Easy-to-Use Editor, combined with Automated Follow-Up Emails and Autoresponders & Email Series for automation. Premium features include Advanced Reporting, Test Kit, Surveys Creator, and Landing Page Builder. An AI Content Assistant (Pro-only) provides generative AI for content creation. Additional tools include Pop Ups and Form Builder for list building. The Developer API enables third-party integrations. The Non-Profit Program provides discounted access to qualifying organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Email Marketing Platform Cloud-based, self-service email marketing platform that enables small businesses and nonprofits to create, send, and analyze professional email campaigns. Includes customizable templates, automation, A/B testing, advanced reporting, and analytics capabilities.
- AI Content Assistant Generative AI tool that crafts compelling, tailored email copy for marketing campaigns in seconds using advanced marketing-focused algorithms. Available to Pro Plan subscribers.
- Landing Page Builder No-code landing page builder with templates, web forms, SEO optimization, free hosting options, and integrated analytics for capturing leads and supporting email campaigns.
- Surveys Creator Mobile-friendly survey builder with 11 question types, skip logic, randomization, and real-time results. Includes a free tier (10 questions, 100 respondents per survey) and a paid Basic plan (unlimited questions and respondents, report downloads).
- Developer API REST API that enables developers to integrate VerticalResponse's email marketing capabilities, including list management, campaign creation, campaign launch, and social features, into their own applications and workflows.
- Non-Profit Program Discounted access program that provides 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with 50% off all Pro Plans, including access to the full email marketing feature set.
- Test Kit Email testing tool that previews inbox rendering across nearly 60 devices and apps, with subject line preview and a link checker. Pro plan subscribers receive 10 credits per month, with additional credits available for purchase.
- Partner/Reseller Program White-label reseller and agency program that enables partners to brand the VerticalResponse email marketing tool as their own, manage multiple client accounts from a single partner dashboard, and set their own end-customer pricing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reach up to 40% more of audience with automated follow-up emails
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use VerticalResponse
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
VerticalResponse technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability2 records
Feature10 records
VerticalResponse partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- ZapiercoreZapier integration allows users to connect VerticalResponse with Shopify, SurveyMonkey, ZohoCRM, Nimble, Wufoo, HighRise, and dozens of other platforms. Requires Zapier account (free or paid depending on usage).
- ShopifycoreIntegration syncs Shopify account with VerticalResponse for e-commerce email marketing automation. Requires Zapier account for connection.
- BigCommercecoreBigCommerce integration provides easy way for site visitors to submit information with VerticalResponse contact forms.
- Deluxe CorporationstrategicDeluxe, a business services company, partnered with VerticalResponse to provide free email marketing webinars. Brant Schmitz, Director of Email Marketing & Automation at Deluxe, presented educational content on maximizing email revenue.
- Make (formerly Integromat)coreMake (formerly Integromat) integration platform available as alternative to Zapier for connecting VerticalResponse with other tools.
- SalesforcecoreSalesforce integration mentioned in About page ensures easy capture of customer data and contact syncing across platforms.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VerticalResponse competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GetResponse: Email marketing, automation, landing pages, and webinar platform targeting SMBs and mid-market. Closely comparable to VerticalResponse's product suite and pricing model.
- Mailchimp: The category-leading email-marketing and automation platform for SMBs, now part of Intuit. Direct competitor to VerticalResponse across email, automation, landing pages, and audience management, with a much larger customer base and deeper resources.
- Campaign Monitor: Email marketing platform with a strong design and template focus for SMBs and agencies. Direct overlap with VerticalResponse's email, automation, and agency partner positioning.
- AWeber: One of the original SMB email marketing platforms, offering templates, automation, landing pages, and signup forms. Long-standing direct competitor in the SMB email-marketing category.
- Constant Contact: Long-established SMB-focused email marketing and digital marketing platform. Competes directly with VerticalResponse on email campaigns, automation, and event marketing, with a comparable SMB/nonprofit target customer.
- ActiveCampaign: Email marketing and customer experience automation platform with a strong CRM layer. Comparable to VerticalResponse on email and automation, though typically skews slightly upmarket.
- MailerLite: SMB-focused email marketing with a strong emphasis on simplicity, landing pages, and pop-ups. Competes head-to-head with VerticalResponse for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses.
- ConvertKit: Email marketing and creator-economy platform targeting individual creators and small businesses. Comparable to VerticalResponse on SMB email marketing but differentiated by a creator-first GTM.
- Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): All-in-one marketing platform combining email, SMS, chat, CRM, and automation for SMBs and mid-market. Direct competitor with overlapping email, automation, and landing-page functionality.
Broad incumbents
- HubSpot: Broad CRM and marketing-automation platform with embedded email marketing, landing pages, and forms. Overlaps with VerticalResponse on core SMB email-marketing functionality but competes as a full-stack incumbent rather than a focused email tool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VerticalResponse social profiles
Digital presenceVerticalResponse compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
VerticalResponse financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VerticalResponse leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
VerticalResponse funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VerticalResponse M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VerticalResponse
What does VerticalResponse do?
VerticalResponse provides a web-based, self-service email marketing and marketing automation platform that enables small businesses and nonprofits to create, send, and analyze email campaigns. The platform includes an AI-powered content assistant, content-block email editor, automated follow-ups, autoresponders, landing page builder, survey creator, pop-up and form builders, advanced reporting, and a REST API. Pricing is tiered by contact list size with subscription, freemium, and pay-as-you-go options, plus a 50% nonprofit discount.
Is VerticalResponse a public or private company?
VerticalResponse is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was VerticalResponse founded?
VerticalResponse was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is VerticalResponse based?
VerticalResponse is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does VerticalResponse make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Plans (Basic & Pro) is the primary driver. The others are pay As You Go, survey Plans (Free & Basic) and test Kit Credits.
Who are VerticalResponse's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GetResponse, Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, AWeber, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, ConvertKit and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). HubSpot is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does VerticalResponse have an API?
Yes. Our new REST API allows you to easily integrate our award-winning email marketing capabilities into your workflow! List management and campaign creation/launch and social features are all available via our API. Developer documentation is at support.verticalresponse.com/hc/en-us/articles/34095075685143-VerticalResponse-API-Quickstart-Guide.