Google Optimize Alternatives for Small Businesses

Written by Neil Webley · Last updated

Google Optimize was discontinued in September 2023, leaving many businesses looking for an affordable way to continue A/B testing. If you're comparing Google Optimize alternatives, you'll probably be looking at factors such as ease of use, visual editing, Google Analytics integration, pricing, and whether the platform is designed for a small business or an enterprise team.

FreeCROTool is designed to fill that gap for small and growing businesses. It lets you create visual A/B tests for common website changes such as headlines, calls to action, images, and landing pages, while also supporting custom CSS and JavaScript when you need more advanced experiments.

Many former Google Optimize users simply need a practical, affordable way to continue A/B testing. They want a practical way to make a website change, compare it with the original, and measure whether it improves conversions.

Which Google Optimize Alternative Should You Choose?

The best Google Optimize replacement depends on your budget, technical skills, business size and the types of experiments you want to run. This comparison focuses on where each platform is likely to fit best rather than claiming that one tool is right for every organisation.

Platform Best for Cost position Visual testing Main consideration
FreeCROTool Small businesses, marketers and practical website tests Free tier available Visual editor plus custom CSS and JavaScript A focused, lightweight option rather than a full enterprise experimentation suite
VWO Growing optimisation teams wanting a broader platform Commercial plans; check current pricing Visual website experimentation Broader capabilities may be more than a small business needs
Optimizely Established enterprise experimentation programmes Enterprise pricing Visual editor and custom code Designed for larger teams with more complex requirements
GrowthBook Developer-led product and feature experimentation Free cloud and open-source options; paid plans add features Visual editing is available on paid plans Best suited to teams comfortable with technical implementation and data
AB Tasty Enterprise marketing and product teams Enterprise pricing Visual experimentation and personalisation Most appropriate for organisations running a structured optimisation programme

Features and plans were last checked in July 2026. Providers may change their pricing and functionality, so confirm the latest details on each platform's website before choosing.

How we chose these Google Optimize alternatives

We selected established experimentation platforms that cover different needs: accessible visual testing, broader optimisation suites, developer-led experimentation and enterprise programmes.

This guide was written by Neil Webley, founder of FreeCROTool, drawing on around ten years of experience building, implementing and quality-assuring website experiments.

During that time, Neil has worked with experimentation platforms including Google Optimize, Optimizely, VWO, Convert and Webtrends Optimize. This comparison is informed by that practical experience, as well as the typical needs of small businesses, marketers, developers and enterprise teams.

FreeCROTool is our own platform. We have identified where it may be a suitable option while also recognising that larger or more technically specialised organisations may be better served by another provider.

This guide was prepared by Neil Webley, founder of FreeCROTool, drawing on approximately ten years of experience building and quality-assuring website experiments using platforms including Google Optimize, VWO, Optimizely, Convert and Webtrends Optimize.

What Is the Closest Replacement for Google Optimize?

There is no single replacement that matches every part of Google Optimize. The closest choice depends on which features mattered most to you.

Google Optimize Alternative Reviews

FreeCROTool: best for small businesses and practical visual tests

FreeCROTool is designed for small and growing businesses that want to test common website changes without adopting a large enterprise platform. Its visual editor supports straightforward content, image and call-to-action tests, while developers can use custom CSS and JavaScript for more advanced experiments.

Advantages: free tier, visual editing, GA4-based reporting, developer flexibility and an optional managed service.

Limitations: it is a newer, more focused product and does not attempt to reproduce every enterprise feature available in larger platforms.

VWO: best for growing optimisation teams

VWO is suited to businesses that want website experimentation alongside a broader set of optimisation and research capabilities. It may be a logical step for teams that have outgrown a simple testing tool and want more of their CRO workflow in one platform.

Advantages: established platform, visual experimentation and a broader optimisation toolkit.

Limitations: the breadth and commercial positioning may be more than a small business needs for occasional tests.

Optimizely: best for enterprise experimentation

Optimizely Web Experimentation is designed for organisations running established, high-volume experimentation programmes. It provides a visual editor, custom code, advanced targeting and workflows suited to larger teams.

Advantages: mature experimentation capabilities, visual and code-based changes, targeting and enterprise controls.

Limitations: it is likely to be excessive for a small business looking mainly to replace Google Optimize's accessible visual testing.

GrowthBook: best for developer-led experimentation

GrowthBook is a strong option for technical product teams that want feature flags, warehouse-connected analysis and experimentation across frontend, backend and product experiences. It offers free cloud and open-source starting points, while paid plans add capabilities including visual editing.

Advantages: developer-friendly implementation, feature flags, flexible data infrastructure and free starting options.

Limitations: teams wanting an immediately accessible no-code replacement may find its technical model less straightforward.

AB Tasty: best for enterprise marketing and product teams

AB Tasty combines website experimentation with personalisation capabilities for larger organisations. It is most relevant to teams running an ongoing, structured optimisation programme rather than occasional small-business tests.

Advantages: visual experimentation, personalisation and features intended for mature optimisation teams.

Limitations: enterprise scope and pricing are unlikely to suit every former Google Optimize user.

Google Optimize vs FreeCROTool

If you're looking for a Google Optimize replacement, the first question is usually whether it can cover the features you relied on. While FreeCROTool isn't intended to recreate every aspect of Google Optimize, it does provide the functionality most small businesses need to continue running practical A/B tests.

Feature Google Optimize FreeCROTool
Visual A/B testing ✓ ✓
No-code visual editor ✓ ✓
Custom CSS & JavaScript ✓ ✓
Google Analytics reporting ✓ ✓
Multi-page test support ✓ ✓ With custom code or managed service
Built-in exit intent & inactivity triggers Not built in ✓
Built-in announcement bars & popups Not built in ✓
Optional done-for-you test building ✗ ✓
Free plan ✓ Before sunset ✓

This comparison focuses on the features most small businesses typically used in Google Optimize rather than every enterprise capability.

See FreeCROTool in Action

The video below shows how FreeCROTool lets you create a simple A/B test, edit a page visually, switch between variants, and prepare changes for testing without writing code for simple visual tests.

What Small Businesses Lost When Google Optimize Closed

Google Optimize made experimentation accessible to marketers, founders and small teams. Its biggest value was not every advanced capability; it was the ability to make a sensible website change, compare it with the original and measure whether it improved results.

FreeCROTool focuses on that practical gap. Non-technical users can create common single-page tests visually, while developers can use custom JavaScript and CSS. More complex journeys can be implemented through custom code or the managed service.

What can you test?

Use case Visual Editor Custom Code Managed Service
Headline tests ✓ ✓ ✓
CTA text/colour changes ✓ ✓ ✓
Image changes ✓ ✓ ✓
Exit intent popups ✓ ✓ ✓
Inactivity-based transforms and popups ✓ ✓ ✓
Single-page landing page tests ✓ Best fit ✓ ✓
Multi-page funnel support ○ Tracking support ✓ ✓ With custom code or managed service
Checkout journey tests ○ Tracking support ✓ ✓
Custom JavaScript/CSS experiments ✗ ✓ Best fit ✓

✓ Supported   ○ Useful for tracking, not the main way to transform multiple pages   ✗ Not the best fit

This means FreeCROTool can work as a simple Google Optimize replacement for smaller tests, while still leaving room for developer-led experiments and multi-page funnel testing when your ideas become more advanced.

Examples of practical tests

Learn more about how FreeCROTool works or explore additional A/B testing use cases and examples.

Is FreeCROTool the Right Google Optimize Alternative for You?

FreeCROTool is designed for small businesses, marketers and developers that want an affordable visual testing platform without the cost and complexity of a large enterprise suite. It is a particularly good fit when you want to test practical website changes, measure the outcome through Google Analytics and retain the option to use custom code or implementation help when a test becomes more complex.

Create your free account or contact us if you would like help planning your first experiment.

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