Instapage Vs Unbounce Comparison – What Are The Differences?

You might be thinking: Instapage vs Unbounce, which is better for my business? Both services are well-known for their applications as landing page builders. 

But how exactly do you choose the right one? 

In this article, I’m taking you an in-depth look at both applications to help you decide which would suit your business more efficiently.

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What is the main difference when you compare Instapage vs Unbounce?

Despite their popularity, both platforms cater to a different set of users. Just because you hear the words landing page creator doesn’t mean they’re all the same. In fact, I’m sure you’ll find that some choices are more suitable than others. 

For example, Unbounce is better suited if you want to be able to customize your landing pages more extensively. 

On the other hand, Instapage is a good option if you’re looking for a basically all-in-one landing page builder that costs marginally more.

When looking at both platforms, there are several things you need to consider before you make a decision.

Template options

Arguably, Unbounce offers slightly more template options. There are currently over 100 high-quality, conversion-geared templates to choose from. 

What do you mean by geared towards conversion?

Basically, the reason why Unbounce is named the way it is, is because of the fact that its designs are professionally created and tested to entice your audience into making a purchase.

But more than that, Unbounce minimizes your page bounce rates to help you rank better. Search engines like Google hate it when your webpage has a high bounce rating. 

Lowering that statistic and making sure each view is accounted for and basically making the most out of each visitor on your pages also means you’re getting the best value for the money you spend. 

That’s nearly $100 in subscription fees accounted for each month. 

What about Instapage? 

That’s not to say that IP is a bad option. Like I said, it’s quite an all-around platform. 

It currently has 90 template options for various niches. Like UB, they’re optimized for mobile devices which means you don’t have to manually rearrange elements to make sure it fits or loads properly on smaller screens. 

Cost

I can’t for sure say that one is better than the other when it comes to pricing since that is entirely subjective to how much you’re willing to spend for what a service offers. 

However, I have to mention that if you want a more affordable option, Unbounce’s plans start off at a lower price tier compared to its competitor.

That said, it is possible to surmise that the extensive feature set and overall user interface Instapage has to offer is well worth the nearly $150 starting price. 

So, what do I recommend?

I think it’s important for you to take a good, long look at your business before making a decision. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself first:

Once you’ve answered all these questions, you’ll have a clearer view of which platform will be more profitable and suitable for your company. 

User interface

I’m not gonna lie, Instapage is one of the fastest landing page builders in the industry. It’s the reason why it’s called what it is after all. It allows you to create campaign pages in an instant. 

Its editor is quite basic and simple, but offers a good amount of customizations. It’s great if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly software that’s streamlined and easy to navigate. 

Of course, that isn’t to say that Unbounce is lacking when it comes to user-friendliness. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. 

Where IP is a good option if you want a simpler tool, UB thrives in allowing you to use more advanced features when necessary.

Of course, this means there’s a significant learning curve for the more high-tech features. However, it also means there’s more room for customization. 

Lead generation capability

When it comes to generating leads through pop-ups, or collecting leads in general, it’s hard to beat Unbounce. 

After all, one of the main reasons users subscribe to the platform is because of the reduced bounce probability. 

That’s exactly why UB’s feature set that encourages conversion and lead capture will always be my top choice. 

I like how they’re fully customizable so you can adjust everything according to your branding. Furthermore, the exit intent blockers help you keep possible leads on your page longer which gives you more time to convince them.

On the other hand, I can’t exactly say that Instapage impresses me when it comes to this aspect. 

But it’s not too disappointing either. Like I said before, it would depend entirely on what you have envisioned for your business.

I like how IP’s editor is simpler and more straightforward which means it’s faster to build pop-ups. 

However, there’s nothing hindering your audience from leaving at any time which significantly reduces your lead capture chances. 

Pros and cons

Now that we’ve taken a quick crash-course on what makes both platforms different, let’s take a look at their benefits and drawbacks.

Unbounce

Unbounce is best known for high conversions and low bounce ratings. This makes it ideal for marketers and business-owners who want to make the most out of their money and have more control over their content without risking its optimization.

As you can see, Unbounce certainly has its own merits and drawbacks. For one, I like how you’re able to utilize its pixel perfect adjustments to your brand’s advantage. It’s also interesting to me that what little cons it has isn’t really a deal breaker in most cases. 

That said, it’s certainly not for everyone. And I understand if you’re not too keen on what it can offer. 

Instapage

Now that you’ve taken a quick look at Unbounce’s potential and misgivings, it’s time to take a look at what its competitor has to offer. 

As you may be aware of now, Instapage is one of the quickest ways to build a landing page. It certainly lives up to its namesake. However, I have to admit it isn’t perfect. Keeping that in mind, let’s weigh in on its good points and unbecomings. 

Considering its price, it’s understandable why many are hesitant to jump into the service. However, it’s important to note that Instapage is built for a very specific audience. 

It’s dedicated to helping you build landing pages in a few minutes. And not only that, the end results are well-optimized, encourage great lead capture rates, and require absolutely no technical skill. 

Of course, there is the matter of its cost, and the limited feature set including the - albeit too simple, editor. That said, it’s hardly a problem at all if what the platform has to offer suits your needs perfectly. In fact, it’s even more of a reason to subscribe to the service if only because it doesn’t have tools you won’t have any use for. 

Features: what do they offer?

When it comes to making a decision, one of the biggest factors is the set of features that come with a subscription. 

Of course, you don’t want to feel limited to only a handful of ineffective features. But you also don’t want to pay for features that are mediocre. 

Below, I’ve taken the time to test out some of each platform’s key features. Read what I have to say and make a decision for yourself of whether it would suit you and your ventures or not.

After all, it isn’t an Instapage vs Unbounce comparison if we don’t look at their individual features.

Unbounce features

Despite the fact that UB has more than just a handful of tools at its disposal, I’m not going to waste your time by talking about all of them. Instead, I’ll talk about the top features this software has to offer. 

Keep in mind that these observations are based entirely on my experience working on the platform. You may come to a different conclusion otherwise, but these are my honest opinions.

Pixel Perfect Builder - to start with, you’re able to make exact adjustments to any element you add to the editor. Pixel perfect adjustments mean you don’t have to rely on grids that may limit your creativity or sometimes lead to off-center placements that look unprofessional to say the least. It also minimizes the risk of overused templates since you’re better able to customize each element to fit your brand. 

Dynamic Text Replacement - the DTR tool - as I like to call it, basically allows you to build entire paid campaigns that are fully optimized with keywords that your target audience normally use. The dynamic text replaces certain text blocks that you select and automatically changes it to optimized keywords which will increase your brand’s visibility.

SmartTraffic - this AI tool is one of Unbounce’s best offerings. What it does is it redirects each web visitor to the right pages that would most likely lead to a conversion. For example, you have five variations of the same landing page. One may work well for a certain group - say if they were in a certain geographic location, while the other might work better for someone with slightly different interests. The algorithm determines this for you and automatically brings each viewer to the page that best suits them. 

AMP landing pages - with most of the world on mobile devices 24/7, it would be foolish to think  that mobile-optimized campaigns should be ignored. In fact, any platform worth its salt will automatically convert your pages to suit a number of devices. After all, if you want the best reach you need to make sure you account for every facet of your audience. UB not only makes sure your pages look great on a smaller screen without needing manual rearrangement, but it also makes sure your page loads fast, and without any issues. 

Instapage features

Now that you’ve had a look at what Unbounce has to offer - well some of it. It’s only fair to take a look at what makes Instapage worth your time and - in some ways, unique. 

Like I said earlier, I’m not going to waste your time by reviewing all of the tools you’d have at your disposal. There are simply too many to go into too much detail about. 

Instead, let’s talk about the top tools that I think merit your attention. 

CRM Applications - although I have to say this is a VERY basic tool since it only allows you to send one email to your leads and that is immediately after they sign up, I still think it’s a relatively good idea to add into the feature set. Sure, it isn’t the best. But at the very least, you’re able to send out confirmation emails without relying on a third party integration to do it for you.

Drag and Drop for Beginners - the builder itself is very user-friendly and easy to use. You won’t have to worry about spending hours trying to learn how to use it, and what’s more: you don’t need to learn a single line of code to build your pages. The element blocks and grid-style editor allows you to easily select widgets, design blocks, and other aspects and simply drag them into the part of the page where you want them to be. 

How much do they cost?

As I mentioned before, both platforms are quite different when it comes to how much they charge for their services. On the one hand, Unbounce is cheaper. But another factor you might want to consider before choosing the cheaper service is the fact that Instapage caters to a different audience. 

It all ultimately boils down to your needs and capabilities of paying for the services you need. Take a look at a quick comparison of their hierarchies below.

Unbounce pricing and plans

What makes UB a great option for startups is the fact that it’s more affordable compared to its competitor. However, it also comes with a learning curve. Price-wise, I think it’s important to give the 14-day free trial a whirl before you decide which of the four price tiers you’ll subscribe to. 

There are two billing choices: annual or monthly. With the annual cycle, you’ll be charged 20% less on the whole year compared to monthly payments. 

The Launch Plan costs $64 each month. You get up to 500 conversions, 20,000 visitors, and 1 domain on this subscription. 

Optimize charges $96 each month. It comes with all the features of the previous plan plus split A/B testing, Smart Traffic, and more. You also get a maximum of 1,000 conversions, 30,000 visitors, and up to 3 domains. 

At $160 a month, the Accelerate plan packs AMP pages, and increases the limits to your subscription. This means you can get up to 40,000 visitors, 2,000 conversions, and 7 domains.

Finally, Scale gives you access to a huge bandwidth plus 3,000 conversions, 50,000 site visitors, and up to 15 domains. 

Keep in mind that all plans also include:

If you want to get a better deal, entering a referral from a friend gives you an additional 20% discount for your first three months.

Instapage pricing and plans

Instapage offers only two plan options - one with a fixed rate, and one with a customized rate. It’s quite expensive considering its main market is beginner page builders. However, with the feature set it comes with, it’s hard to say it isn’t worth it. 

You can choose between an annual and monthly billing cycle. Of course, if you opt for annual, you’d get a 25% discount on your total bill. The platform also offers a 14-day free trial you should look into before making a commitment. 

The Business plan costs $199 each month on a monthly billing period. It comes with the following features:

Your next option is a custom plan you will have to reach out to customer service representatives to set it up, but it shouldn’t take more than two days. Depending on your needs, you get access to everything on the business plan plus:

Instapage vs Unbounce: which is better?

To be fair, it depends entirely on what you and your business needs. For example, I prefer Unbounce for its pixel perfect builder and the fact that you’re able to build more customizable pages on the platform. 

However, Instapage’s new Thor engine is also a force to be reckoned with. I’m just a bit iffy about how much it costs especially if you’re just starting out. 

In all honesty, I don’t think one is better than the other. It simply depends on the services you need and how much you’re willing to pay for them. So make sure you choose wisely.