VWO vs. Optimizely
Looking for a Comprehensive A/B Testing Solution?
Optimizely lets you manage and run A/B tests and personalize your website for visitors. VWO provides a data-driven testing solution that connects every step in the visitor journey to impact your conversion rates.
View Feature ComparisonVWO Platform
Experience Optimization & Growth Platform
Optimizely allows you to manage your A/B testing program and offers robust personalization options. With VWO, you can bring your entire experience optimization program on a single platform—track business goals, analyze visitor behavior, build data-driven hypotheses, run tests, and personalize content. By connecting visitor insights with tests, you can develop a continuously scalable testing program that optimizes every step in the visitor conversion funnel.
82%
of companies that follow a structured approach to conversion optimization
see an improvement in their conversion rates as opposed to only 64% of companies that don’t follow a structured approach.
Page Load Time
We never slow you down
VWO uses asynchronous code to serve your campaign data, compared to synchronous code used by Optimizely.
Simply put, asynchronous means that the code will contact VWO servers in the background, download, and process the test package while the rest of your page continues to load and render in the browser as usual. It’s what keeps your visitors’ screens from flickering.
Optimizely’s synchronous code makes the browser wait until Optimizely can deliver the test package, long enough for visitors to notice.
And in the improbable case of our servers being unavailable, the original page gets loaded, ensuring that your visitors' experiences remain unaffected.
Note: Optimizely offers asynchronous code however, they recommend synchronous code.
SmartStats Engine
Configured to deliver data-driven results
SmartStats is engineered to compute accurate results for all your goals. It is configured to help you take the right business decisions without worrying too much about the statistics. We got you covered there while you focus on more important business goals.
It gives easy to digest metrics along with recommendations so that you can stop looking up the definition of p-value or verify statistical significance but only focus on what your next steps should be.
You don’t have to worry about making wrong decisions based on less data. Your results are valid whenever you look at them.
Multiple Products
The right match for your business
Whatever your business needs are, VWO can deliver.
Flexible Pricing
Flexible pricing model to accommodate your unique needs
If your team wants to run tests on multiple domains from a single account, that’s not a problem. VWO has a flexible pricing plan that allows you to pay by the average number of unique monthly visitors on your website, no matter how many domains you run tests on within that visitor quota.
Hands-On Support
We help you at each step of the way
Guided onboarding
Spend more time producing results than looking for answers, with in-app guided onboarding and up-to-date knowledge base of all the information you would ever need.
24x7 email, phone, and chat
Better still, our dedicated Customer Success Managers will help you set up your Enterprise account and get testing immediately.
Hands-on support
However, if you do need to contact VWO, you can count on our hands-on support across multiple channels, whenever you want.
Jon Corwin Director of Growth Marketing
Terrific support! Extremely responsive and helpful as always. We've been clients of VWO for 3+ years and couldn't be happier with your platform. Keep up the great work!
Asaf Frenkel Product Manager
You have a wonderful support team! I really appreciate the fast response and the professional assistance. Thank You!
Customers
Trusted by 2500+ brands across 90+ Countries
Colart chose VWO over Optimizely
While evaluating between VWO, Optimizely and other A/B testing tools, Colart, one of the leading art brands in the world, found VWO was the right web testing and conversion optimization solution for their business.
Read this success story to find out why they chose VWO.
It was important to select an all-features-in-one tool that allowed testing on multiple domains from a single platform."
Patxi Gadanon
Senior Web Manager, Colart
Feature Comparison
See how Optimizely compares with VWO
 |
Optimizely | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | |
| Behavior Targeting | Yes | Yes |
| Custom targeting | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Custom dimensions | Yes | Yes |
|
No. of domains |
Unlimited | Limited & based on plan |
|
24x7 support |
Enterprise plans | Only for priority support package |
|
SSO |
Yes | Yes |
|
API |
Yes | Yes |
|
Self Hosting |
Yes | Yes |
|
Business Goals |
Yes | No |
|
Single-page apps support |
Yes | Yes |
|
User permissions |
Yes | Yes |
|
Idea factory |
Yes | No |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Customizable Widgets | Yes | Using code editor & extensions |
| Visual Editor with HTML attributes and CSS modification support | Yes | Yes |
| Code editor | Yes | Yes |
| Capability to add new elements on page | Yes | Using code editor & extensions |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Multi page testing | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile website testing | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple domain support | Yes | Yes |
| Behavior targeting support in A/B testing | Yes | Yes |
| No concurrent test limit | Yes | Yes |
| No limit on goals tracked in each test | Yes | - |
| SmartStats - Bayesian based statistics engine | Sequential hypothesis testing | |
| Intutive reporting dashboard | Yes | - |
| Customizable report dashboard | Yes | No |
| Quicker results vs traditional stats | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Cross browser screenshots | Yes | Yes |
| Live preview with traffic and segment simulation | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Page visit | Yes | Yes |
| Click on element | Yes | Yes |
| Click on a link | Yes | Custom goals |
| Form conversion | Yes | Custom goals |
| Custom conversion | Yes | Yes |
| Revenue tracking | Yes | Yes |
|
Web testing Integrations |
3rd party analytics, eCommerce platforms, CMS, tag manager | 3rd party analytics, DMP, CRM, tag manager |
|
A/B Testing |
Yes | Yes |
|
Multivariate Testing |
Yes | Yes |
|
Multi armed bandit testing |
Yes | Yes |
|
Mutually exclusive campaigns |
Yes | Yes |
|
Heatmap of Variations |
Yes | No |
|
IdeaFactory |
Yes | No |
|
Mobile App Testing |
Yes | Yes |
|
Personalization |
Yes | Yes |
| Yes | No | |
| Survey Logic | Yes | - |
| Question bank | Yes | - |
| Variation targeted surveys | Yes | - |
| Custom triggers | Yes | - |
| NPS | Yes | - |
| Recordings of respondents | Yes | - |
| Themes and customisation | Yes | - |
| Yes | No | |
| Browsable heatmaps | Yes | - |
| Clickmaps and area stats | Yes | - |
| Element list | Yes | - |
| Heatmap of test variations | Yes | No |
| Heatmap views | Yes | - |
| Yes | No | |
| Recordings of variations | Yes | No |
| Tagging | Yes | - |
| Adjust playback speed | Yes | - |
| Skip idle time | Yes | - |
| Save recordings | Yes | - |
| Recording views | Yes | - |
| Yes | No | |
| Form performance tracking | Yes | - |
| Field level analytics | Yes | - |
| Interaction time | Yes | - |
| Hesitation time | Yes | - |
| Refilled | Yes | - |
| Ignored | Yes | - |
| Dropped | Yes | - |
| Yes | No | |
| Drop-off analysis | Yes | - |
|
Insights integration |
No | NA |
| Yes | Yes | |
| SDK support in various Languages | Java, Javascript, .NET, NODEJS, PHP, Python, Android, IOS, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, GO | Java, Javascript, C#, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, Obj-C, Python, Swift, Android, iOS, Android TV, GO |
| Multiple Environments Supported | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Platform Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Goal Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Targeting | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Report Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| 3rd party Integrations | Yes | Web analytics, CRM, DMS, CMS, eCommerce |
| User Whitelisting | Yes | Yes |
| Forced Bucketing | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| SDK support in various Languages | Java, Javascript, .NET, NODEJS, PHP, Python, Android, IOS, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, GO | Java, Javascript, C#, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, Obj-C, Python, Swift, Android, iOS, Android TV, GO |
| Multiple Environments Supported | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Platform Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Goal Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Targeting | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Report Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| 3rd party Integrations | No | Web analytics, CRM, DMS, CMS, eCommerce |
| User Whitelisting | Yes | Yes |
| Forced Bucketing | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| SDK support in various Languages | Java, Javascript, .NET, NODEJS, PHP, Python, Android, IOS, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, GO | Java, Javascript, C#, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, Obj-C, Python, Swift, Android, iOS, Android TV, GO |
| Multiple Environments Supported | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Platform Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Targeting | Yes | Yes |
| 3rd party Integrations | No | Web analytics, CRM, DMS, CMS, eCommerce |
| Yes | - | |
| Plugin | Yes | - |
| Report snapshots | Yes | - |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Customisable workflow | Yes | No |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Idea backlog | Yes | Yes |
| Prioritization | Yes | Yes |
|
Learnings |
Yes | No |
Feature Comparison Table
See how VWO features compare with OptimizelyFrequently Asked Questions
The first step between choosing VWO or Optimizely is to know the objective you want to achieve with your experimentation program. Do you wish to only run tests without a long-term plan? Do you wish to analyze your site visitors’ behavior or not? Optimizely only offers testing and personalization capabilities, while VWO provides everything that Optimizely does, along with the crucial visitor behavior analysis, program management, and even the option to re-engage with lost visitors.
Next, gauge your CRO team’s experimentation maturity or skill level. If you’re just getting started, you would need assistance and VWO offers industry-leading support with a 98% customer satisfaction rate. Irrespective of your skill level, VWO support is reliable and has a great UI that suits any skill level.
Lastly, what’s your budget? Optimizely is considerably expensive, while VWO is not. Getting a higher ROI from your experimentation program is more likely to be achieved with VWO.
VWO is a comprehensive CRO platform, and the only one you need for all your experimentation needs. Right from tracking your key metrics and gathering visitor behavior insights to running UI-based and more sophisticated tests, VWO allows you to do it all via a single connected platform.
You can also plan and manage your optimization pipeline in VWO. Optimizely only offers testing and personalization, that too at a high price point. VWO also has exceptional support and is compliant with most of the important internet laws.
No, Optimizely does not have the features that allow you to track key metrics and glean visitor behavior insights. VWO, on the other hand, has an Insights capability built specifically for this.
VWO Insights offers heatmaps, session recordings, on-page surveys, and form analytics so you can step into your visitors’ shoes and understand their pain points.
You can then use the insights you discover to optimize your digital experiences accordingly.
VWO’s plans are based on the features you need. VWO offers various products-
VWO Testing, VWO Insights, VWO Engage, VWO FullStack, and VWO Plan. For each of these products, you can opt for either the Growth, Pro, or Enterprise plan based on your team’s CRO maturity level.
You can either opt for these individual products or a combination of these under the Conversion Optimization Essentials or Experience Optimization Essentials plans. You also get a dedicated success manager from VWO to guide you with your CRO program with each plan.
VWO also offers Free Trial, while Optimizely does not. You can use the Free Trial to figure out your requirements and opt for the most-suited plan accordingly.
Learn more about VWO’s plans.
Self-hosting is a very niche feature, which VWO has also been focusing on. But the way we go about it is a little different from Optimizely and is tailored to suit our customers’ needs. We don’t have integrated setups for various CDNs like Optimizely.
We share the various files which you can execute easily.
VWO has 10 dynamic CDNs in various geographies that help reduce load time and ensure data security while complying with critical internet laws.
While VWO also offers an equally powerful configuration of the VWO SmartCode (implementation snippet), we don’t have the option of implementing it through the app.
Also, VWO’s SmartCode implementation is the best in the industry in terms of size and ease of usage.
Unlike in the case of Optimizely, you don’t need to pay extra for this. The various integrations with popular CMSes like WordPress, Joomla, etc. help you set up the VWO SmartCode in no time, and with robustness.
VWO has a MAB feature in beta right now and will be rolled out for general access soon!
