Good CRM, But Worth Its High Price?

Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a CRM with some email features as well. Launched in 2001, it’s definitely an old player in the game, and it has been around for a reason.

It has automations, sure — but they’re clunky, limited, and expensive. You’re paying CRM prices for half-baked email features.

• It tries to do everything: CRM, payments, forms, automations…
• But ends up doing none of it really well, especially not email.

If you’re here to actually automate your email marketing, Keap isn’t it.

In this review, we’ll show where Keap performs great, where it falls short, and where it actually does better than most people would think.

Pricing: How Much Does Keap Cost?

Keap pricing is based on contact count, not features — but that doesn’t make it cheap. You get the full CRM, email, and automation toolset no matter which tier you’re on, but prices scale up fast.

Even at the smallest tier (1,500 contacts), you’re looking at nearly $3,000 a year — and that only includes 2 users.

• Need more contacts or team members?
• Expect that number to climb quickly.

For teams that mainly want to run smart email automations, this pricing feels like overkill. You’re paying CRM-level fees for tools that don’t always deliver on the email side.

Keap Pros & Cons: What To Know

Is Keap The Right Marketing Software For You? – My Advice

• Recommended if: You need a full CRM and don’t mind the price.
• Not recommended if: You mainly want email marketing.

Keap is a good tool if you’re running a sales-driven business and need a full CRM with built-in automation.

It’s especially useful if you want everything: forms, payments, pipelines, and emails, managed from one place. If your team is already used to CRMs and you’ve got the time and money to set it up properly, Keap can help streamline operations.

But if your main focus is email marketing and automation, Keap starts to feel like the wrong tool for the job. The editor is clunky, deliverability can be a problem, and automation bugs aren’t rare. On top of that, pricing starts high and scales quickly — even if you don’t need the CRM features.

It’s not beginner-friendly, and many users say it takes too long to figure out.

If you want a tool that’s built for clean email automation without the extra CRM baggage, Encharge is a better choice. It’s easier to use, more reliable for sending, and you won’t be paying for features you’ll never touch.

Keap Rating, Based On Real User Reviews

• Overall Score: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5)
• Trustpilot Score: 1.3 / 5 ★ (from 480+ reviews)

Keap tries to do everything — but that often means nothing feels smooth. Small issues stack up: no undo button, broken automation logic, confusing segments. It slows you down.

Customizing emails or automations usually requires add-ons or workarounds.
For the price, it just doesn’t feel worth it unless you also need the CRM side.

If email is your main focus, you’ll probably find Keap more frustrating than helpful.

Keap Features Analyzed: CRM, Email Automation & More

1. CRM & Contact Management

Keap’s CRM is one of its strongest selling points. You can tag contacts, track conversations, manage deals, and see activity logs in one place. For service businesses or coaching-style setups, this can be really handy.

That said, the interface feels a bit dated.

There’s no clean company-level view, which can make it harder to organize contacts tied to the same business.

If your team relies on quick data access, the UI might feel slow compared to something like Encharge, where the people view is more action-focused and streamlined.

2. Segmentation & Tags

Keap’s system is built around tags.

You apply tags, trigger automations with them, and build segments using tag combinations. It gives you freedom, but also room for mistakes — especially if your flows rely on manual tagging.

Some users mention issues with exclusions not working as expected.

For example, someone gets tagged incorrectly and ends up receiving emails twice. If your email strategy depends on sharp audience targeting, this can be frustrating.

Tools like Encharge approach segmentation differently — with behavior-based conditions that make it easier to control who enters what flow, without relying so much on manual tagging.

3. Sales Pipeline & Payments

Keap includes a built-in sales pipeline and payment system, which is nice if you want fewer moving parts. You can create checkout forms, send invoices, and track deals — all without integrating Stripe or external CRMs.

For small teams, this can be a time-saver.
But as you grow, the limitations show.

You don’t get advanced contract tracking or dynamic pipeline views, and some users report issues with recurring billing and double charges.

If payments are a central part of your business, you might still end up using external tools — even if Keap technically offers them.

4. Integrations & API Access

Keap connects with popular tools like Stripe, Zapier, Calendly, and QuickBooks.

It works fine if your stack is simple. But if you’re running a SaaS or a multi-step funnel, the integration layer can feel limited.

Their API is available, but there’s no official SDK — so it’s more work for developers. You can get what you need done, it just won’t be fast or elegant.

With Encharge, for example, integrations with Stripe and other platforms are native — and built to trigger flows instantly based on user actions, without needing Zapier in the middle.

5. Email Automation & Campaigns

Keap does offer automation — you can build flows triggered by form fills, tag changes, email opens, and so on. It’s functional and gets the job done for basic sequences like welcome emails or lead follow-ups.

But when you start layering conditions or trying to build multi-branch flows, it gets tricky. The builder isn’t as visual or flexible as you’d expect from a premium platform. If you’re used to mapping logic clearly (e.g. “if they click, send X… else wait and send Y”), it’ll take some patience.

Also, a few users reported flows firing the same email more than once — which can lead to confusion or even spam complaints. It’s not common, but it’s something to watch if you’re handling larger lists.

By comparison, tools like Encharge lean fully into automation, with real-time flow mapping and triggers based on behavior — not just tags.

If you want something that’s clearer and faster to test, it’s worth looking into.

6. Email Editor & Templates

Keap’s email editor is simple, but it feels dated.

You can drag and drop blocks, but the design options are limited — and small things like not having an undo button can slow you down more than you’d think.

There aren’t many modern templates to choose from, and customizing layouts takes more effort than it should. If you’re trying to send clean, well-designed emails fast, it might feel like more work than it’s worth.

For teams that send weekly campaigns or test subject lines regularly, the editing flow can get frustrating. In contrast, with Encharge, you can build and tweak emails faster — and the experience just feels more polished and forgiving.

The Bottom Line: Is Keap Worth It?

Keap is built for businesses that want to manage contacts, payments, and follow-ups in one tool. It leans more toward CRM than email, and that shows in how the features are structured.

For teams that just need to send campaigns, build automations, and grow their list — it can feel like you’re working around the product, not with it.

The interface is dated, the logic is rigid, and the learning curve is real.

At this price point, you’d expect a smoother experience. That’s where tools like Encharge come in — focused on automation, quick to pick up, and designed specifically for marketers who want control without complexity.

Keap covers a lot of ground, but if your focus is email, there are better tools out there.

Keap FAQs

1. What is Keap used for?

Keap is used by small businesses to manage contacts, automate emails, track sales, and handle tasks like payments and follow-ups — all in one CRM platform.

2. Is Keap GDPR and HIPAA compliant?

Yes, Keap is GDPR-compliant and HIPAA-compatible, but HIPAA compliance depends on how you use it.

GDPR: Yes — Keap is GDPR-compliant and provides tools to help you manage consent, data access, and contact deletion as required by EU regulations.

HIPAA: Keap is HIPAA-compatible, but not automatically HIPAA-compliant out of the box. You’ll need to enable HIPAA Security Controls and follow proper procedures on your end. Simply using Keap doesn’t make your business HIPAA compliant — that depends on how you handle PHI (protected health information).

3. How much is Keap per month?

Keap starts at $299/month for 1,500 contacts and 2 users. Prices go up as your contact list grows — for example:

• 2,500 contacts → $335/month
• 6,500 contacts → $449/month
• 11,500 contacts → $539/month
• 26,500 contacts → $719/month

There’s no feature-based pricing — every plan includes the full platform (CRM, email, automation, payments). But you’re paying CRM-level pricing, even if you’re only using email.

And if Keap’s to expensive, don’t worry, we get it 100%.
That’s why we made this other guide: → Top Keap Alternatives.

Thank you so much for reading this,
David Ch
Head of Marketing at Encharge