GohighLevel vs. Vendasta: Which one should I choose? There is no simple answer, but we have reviewed everything about these two CRM tools to determine which one works best for you.
These two have changed the entire course of customer relationships through their seamless integrations and automation. Whether you are a small business or a large business owner, you might need to employ these CRM tools to stay ahead of the competition.
Here is an overview of each platform and its features.
Overview of GoHighLevel and Vendasta
This CRM platform allows small businesses, freelancers, and even agencies to manage customer relationships effectively. GoHighlevel features a wide range of integrations that enable agencies to resell some of the features to small businesses.
GoHighLevel CRM Overview
When you first log in to the platform, all the features are labeled and each section offers a video tutorial to set up your CRM. The first step is setting up the launch pad to integrate different aspects of your business:
- Google My Business
- Stripe
- WordPress
- Team members
It also prompts you to download the mobile app. This allows you to access the platform on your mobile phone.
Next is the reporting dashboard which gives you reports about your business in a simplified way. You can look at the opportunity status, opportunity value, conversion rates, funnel distributions, stage distributions, tasks that your business has started, and manual actions.
All these display numbers help you analyze your business and have an idea of the status of your business all in a single page.
Lead Generation
GoHighLevel features include a funnel and form builder that you can customize. These allow you to create a landing page and a website by dragging and dropping items. You can add videos, pictures, and even different sections to your website or landing page.
The form builder allows you to add buttons where your customers can add their names and emails, which can then be added to the landing page. To add to this, you can set countdowns if you want to create a campaign for a product or service.
GoHighLevel features enable you to add the form to your landing page or website which allows your business to collect leads through email, messages, or even calls. You can also look at the landing page or website you are creating and see whether it is optimized for mobile users on the same platform.
This allows efficient lead generation for businesses and efficient workflows all under one roof, accessible to all team members.
Email Marketing
Another GoHighLevel feature is email marketing automation, which is not only limited to emails, but also messages, Facebook Messenger, phones, and voicemails.
GoHighLevel offers email marketing in a way that has not been used before. In the marketing tab, you can look at the different automations including emails you receive from the leads generation. It offers multiple pipelines under the opportunities tab which allows you to look at the different leads you have automated.
You can send automated emails, look at the email response, and monitor your leads and conversions.
Sales Automation
Sales Automation Sales automation in GoHighLevel makes everything easy with leads and sales. You can set up automated messages and follow-ups, so you can send emails or texts to prospects without having to do it manually. This keeps leads engaged and gets them closer to buying.
SMS Marketing
SMS Marketing Sends texts to customers. It is useful for sending promotions, reminders, or updates. Since most people check their texts daily, it’s a quick way to reach customers and get their attention.
Landing Page
GoHighLevel’s landing page tool lets you build effective pages with a simple drag-and-drop editor. You can choose from ready-made templates or create custom designs. These pages aim to get visitors to act, like signing up or buying something, with clear calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide them.
The pages look good on smartphones and tablets without extra work. You can check how they’ll look before you publish them. The platform also has tools to track how well your pages do, showing you visitor numbers, and how many people take action.
This helps you make your pages better. You can also test your landing page to make sure everything works right before it goes live, so you don’t run into problems. In a nutshell, GoHighLevel makes it easy to create landing pages that get results and give you useful information.
Pipeline Management
Pipeline management lets you track leads through different stages of the sales process. It gives you a visual of where each lead is in the journey so you can manage follow-ups and know which leads are close to buying.
Appointment Scheduling
GoHighLevel has appointment scheduling built in. Customers can book time with you directly through the platform. No more back and forth to set up meetings.
Analytics and Reporting
The platform has analytics so you can track your marketing performance. See how many people visited your landing pages, how many leads were generated, and more.
Multi-Channel Communication
GoHighLevel supports communication through email, SMS, and social media. You can reach your audience where they are most active and increase engagement and conversion. These features make GoHighLevel an all-in-one marketing management tool.
Customer care
Their customer support is fast, responsive, and offers fast resolution to any issues. You can get them through their live chat, email, and also their toll-free number. They also have a dedicated page on their website for users with any queries.
I found their resource section as well as their FAQs section very informative covering an array of topics that anyone might find difficult.
What is Vendasta?
Vendasta serves as a complete CRM tool. It targets businesses that offer digital services to small and medium-sized enterprises. This platform helps marketing agencies and independent software vendors. It also helps media companies manage their client relationships and improve their operations.
Vendasta CRM Overview
One of Vendasta’s star features is its partner marketplace. This gives access to over 250 digital solutions that businesses can sell under their name. Through this marketplace, users can offer more services without having to develop them from scratch. The platform also helps manage customer reviews, keeps an eye on social media, and works with many other software tools to create a smooth workflow.
It focuses on making things automatic and working well with other tools. This helps businesses save time and work better making it a great choice for agencies looking to grow in the competitive online world.
The platform has a marketplace with over 250 digital solutions that businesses can rebrand and resell. This allows them to add to their service offerings without long development times. Vendasta also has tools to invoice and bill, which makes managing finances easier. Users get reports and analytics that give them insights into how well they’re selling and how customers are engaging.
What’s more, Vendasta provides tools to manage customer reviews and keep an eye on social media presence. These are key to boosting online reputation. Its connections with other software create a smooth workflow helping businesses save time and work better.
Key features
Sales and Marketing Automation
These include sales and marketing automation, which makes lead generation and email marketing easier. The CRM system lets users follow customer interactions, keep important data, and create reports to build strong client relationships. It also has tools to deliver digital products, handle invoices, and manage billing, which simplifies sales and payments.
Contact Management
Vendasta lets you organize and manage customer information well. You can keep track of interactions, save key data, and keep detailed profiles for each contact, which helps build strong relationships.
Deal Tracking
This tool lets you watch how sales chances move through different parts of the sales pipeline. You can spot which deals are ongoing, which need follow-ups, and which have closed, which helps make the sales process smoother.
Email Tracking
Vendasta gives you tools to keep an eye on email chats with clients. You can see when people open and click emails, which leads to better follow-up plans and makes sure important messages don’t get missed.
Reporting
The platform has strong reporting tools that give insights into sales performance and how well marketing works. You can make custom reports to look at trends, check how well campaigns did, and find areas to make better.
Integrations
Vendasta works well with many other software apps letting you link your CRM with accounting, marketing, and project management tools. This creates a unified workflow that boosts how well operations run.
Prices
The prices for accessing this platform also differ based on your business goals, team, and the features you want to access.
Features Comparison
After looking at each platform, here is a more specific comparison of the features for each platform, and how similar or different each feature is to each other.
User Interface and Ease of Use
GoHighLevel Ease of Use
GoHighLevel boasts a tidy and user-friendly dashboard. Its drag-and-drop setup allows users to build workflows and landing pages without breaking a sweat even if they’re not tech wizards.
Most people find it pretty straightforward, but getting the hang of tweaking features might take some time. That said, GoHighLevel’s got your back with handy tutorials and a supportive community to help newcomers find their feet.
Vendasta User Interface
Vendasta boasts a sleek interface tailored to agencies. Its smooth navigation includes clear labels for each major tool allowing users to locate what they need. Setting up the platform can be time-consuming when it comes to branding. However, once users become familiar with it, they find the platform easy to use.
People point out that while Vendasta might take more time to master compared to GoHighLevel, it provides more in-depth functionality.
Automation Capabilities
GoHighLevel Automation
GoHighLevel has powerful automation capabilities that allow users to build custom workflows with ease. For example, you could set up a trigger and action that whenever a new lead is added it sends a welcome email.
It even has automated stuff like email sequences, SMS campaigns, and appointment reminders. It has a drag-and-drop interface for creating these workflows so the user can save time on repetitive tasks.
Vendasta Automation Features
Vendasta also offers automation capabilities, but they focus on client relationship management and marketing. Users can set up follow-up sequences for leads and run effective campaigns.
Vendasta enables email marketing automation allowing you to send targeted messages based on customer actions. While setting up automation is straightforward, some users find the interface less user-friendly than GoHighLevel’s.
Both platforms provide useful automation tools but serve different purposes. GoHighLevel excels in detailed workflows and easy setup, while Vendasta concentrates on client management and marketing services. Based on your needs, both platforms offer valuable automation options.
Lead Management and Sales Pipelines
GoHighLevel Lead Management
GoHighLevel has some good lead management to catch and cultivate those leads. You can categorize contacts by interest and activity, and build lead funnels to move them along to a sale.
It sends out emails and SMS reminders automatically, so the communication is always there. It has a dashboard that lets you visually track leads as they progress through the sales pipeline.
Vendasta Sales Pipeline
Vendasta has a great management system for the sales pipeline and maintaining the customer relationship. You could trace the leads from first contact to closing the deal, and you could even tailor the pipeline stages to your liking. Vendasta even has lead scoring, so you know which leads to focus on first because they’re the most engaged and most likely to convert.
GoHighLevel is the lead nurturing automation and the clear vision of the sales process, whereas Vendasta is the client management with its customizable pipeline stages and lead scoring. Both platforms can significantly improve your lead management efforts.
Email Marketing and SMS Features
GoHighLevel SMS Marketing
GoHighLevel also has very powerful SMS marketing capabilities that allow businesses to send out personalized SMS messages. You can have keyword campaigns for immediate responses and have a conversation with the customer.
It has pre-written messages you can send through SMS and lets you schedule SMS to be sent at certain times. It also interfaces nicely with other tools to make it easy to manage.
Vendasta Email Features
Vendasta focuses on email marketing, providing various email templates to create attractive messages. You can even schedule emails to be sent at optimal times and segment the audience so that you can hit certain groups. Vendasta also hooks into other tools to make its email marketing better.
GoHighLevel is very good for SMS marketing with keyword campaigns and two-way messaging, but Vendasta is the best for email marketing with customizable templates and scheduling options. They both have nice integrations, but GoHighLevel is for SMS and Vendasta is for email.
Integrations and Third-Party Tools
GoHighLevel Integrations
GoHighLevel also has some good integration options such as Zapier, Slack, and Google Workspace. GoHighLevel has Zapier integration, so you can automate any task between the two apps. It’s really easy to send data and manage communication with the other apps.
Vendasta Third-Party Tools
Vendasta also integrates with other popular tools such as Google Workspace and social media outlets. These both integrate with other services that make email marketing and client management easier. It might not be quite as versatile as GoHighLevel in terms of custom automation, though.
GoHighLevel and Vendasta both provide helpful integration. GoHighLevel stands out with its strong connection to Zapier for easy automation, while Vendasta provides solid integrations but may not be as customizable. Depending on your needs, either platform can enhance your operations through effective integrations.
Reporting and Analytics
GoHighLevel Reporting
GoHighLevel offers many reporting tools to monitor marketing efforts. This has Attribution Reports (the source of leads) and Conversion Reports (revenue and opportunities). Users can view data through easy-to-read graphs and charts.
It also has Call Reporting and Appointment Reports to see who has called and who has an app and when, as well as integration with Google Ads and Facebook Ads for following the campaign.
Vendasta Analytics Tools
Vendasta has a really good analytics area (client management, marketing effectiveness). There are customizable dashboards available to users that show various metrics such as lead generation, campaign performance, etc. The platform provides insights into email marketing results and social media engagement, helping users make informed decisions based on data trends.
GoHighLevel gives great reports on lead sources and conversions, and Vendasta provides good client management and marketing metrics. They are both very informative, but GoHighLevel is good with sales tracking.
Pricing Comparison
GoHighLevel Pricing Plans
Starter Plan: $97 per month. This plan is ideal for small businesses and includes essential features like email and SMS marketing, funnel building, and CRM functionalities.
Unlimited Plan: $297 per month. This level is made for emerging agencies and provides unlimited sub-accounts, API access, and a white-label desktop application.
Pro Plan (White Label): $497 per month. Under this plan, agencies can white-label the entire platform and sell it as a SaaS product. It has everything in the unlimited plan and more, with advanced customization.
GoHighLevel also provides a free 30-day trial of the service for users to try it out before paying.
Vendasta Pricing Plans
Vendasta has a different price for each of its services.
Basic Plan: Starts around $79 per month, offering essential tools for small businesses, including email marketing and reporting features.
Pro Plan: Pricing varies based on the services chosen but typically starts at about $399 per month. This plan also includes more sophisticated stuff like reputation management and other various marketing tools.
Premium plan: This plan starts at $799/month. The features included in the basic and pro versions are the best for medium and large enterprises.
Custom Packages: Vendasta allows businesses to create custom packages based on their specific needs, which can lead to varying costs depending on selected features.
Vendasta also offers a free trial, allowing potential users to explore its features before purchasing.
GoHighLevel vs. Vendasta Pricing Comparison
GoHighLevel has very straightforward pricing with distinct tiers to accommodate small businesses up to large agencies that need white-label solutions. Well, the Starter Plan is good for the little guys, and the Unlimited Plan is designed for growing agencies.
Vendasta offers flexible pricing with basic and pro plans that can be customized, making it suitable for various business types but potentially more complex in the pricing structure.
But for the agencies that want good automation and CRM, GoHighLevel probably is a better deal because it has more tools for the price. But then again, Vendasta could be more attractive to businesses that are more centered around reputation management and providing customizable services.
Pros and Cons of GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel Pros and Cons
GoHighLevel benefits
- All-in-One Tool: Combines sales, marketing, and CRM features in one platform.
- Affordable Pricing: Provides unlimited everything for very reasonable prices. Good for agencies and small businesses.
- Advanced Automation: Lets users build intricate workflows for lead nurturing and follow-ups.
- Unlimited Use: Like campaigns and contacts, most are limitless.
- Revenue Potential: Agencies can white-label GoHighLevel and market it as their own.
Cons of GoHighLevel
- Learning Curve: Many features can be overwhelming for new users.
- Outdated Training: Some training materials may not be current or helpful.
- Customer Support Issues: Users have reported slow or unhelpful customer service.
- Complex for Simple Needs: Smaller businesses may find the extensive features unnecessary.
Suitability for Different Business Sizes and Industries
GoHighLevel is ideal for marketing agencies, coaches, and small to medium-sized businesses that need an all-in-one solution. It’s perfect for those who are into lead generation and customer management but maybe a little too robust for companies with more simple needs.
Pros and Cons of Vendasta
Vendasta Pros and Cons
Pros of Vendasta
- All-in-One Platform: Vendasta is one of the best services out there that lets agencies host all their clients and sales under one roof because it ties a lot of the marketing tools together.
- Marketplace Access: Users have a marketplace they can use with like 250 tested products so there’s no need to research what will sell well.
- Workflow Automation: The platform does all the work in automating the marketing to reach the customers for the user without having to do it themselves.
- White-Label Options: Vendasta lets agencies white label their services so that they can pretend that they are their own and it makes the agency look that much more credible to the client.
- Strong Support: The majority of people appreciate the excellent customer support that they can rely on to help them succeed.
Cons of Vendasta
- Steep Learning Curve: For someone unfamiliar with digital marketing, it is not always easy to use it for the first time.
- Limited Customization: Other users grumble that the customization is not as wide as they’d like.
- Mobile App Absence: It also lacks an application, so it is difficult to access on the move.
- Integration Challenges: It doesn’t play well with others for some users.
Suitability for Different Business Sizes and Industries
It is good for marketing agencies and for small to medium-sized businesses that want a one-stop shop. It is very friendly for someone who is concentrating on digital marketing and customer relationship management.
However, for the more straightforward kind of business or one requiring a lot of customization, it might not be so great. It is for someone who is looking for a comprehensive system to manage their marketing and improve their relationship with their clients.
Customer Reviews
GoHighLevel Customer Reviews
GoHighLevel generally receives positive feedback from users. Moreso, when it comes to their customer support. According to a user, she was accorded the necessary support that she wanted from one of the staff members.
The same thing also applies to another user. (See the screenshot below).
However, some frustrated users have also lamented about various challenges that they faced while using the tool. One of them, who signed up for the 14-day free trial said that he was unable to render his services with the tool because of failing to gain access when trying to verify his phone number.
Vendasta User Feedback
Vendasta also has good reviews, the marketplace access and automation it provides are very nice. The users like the fact that they can list a lot of products and do not have to do much research, they find it a great tool for keeping up with clients.
However, a user complained that Vendasta is not good when it comes to keeping up with their promises. He was promised free products upon purchase but to date, nothing has been fulfilled.
Another user also complained about how the company coarse her to sign up for the tool. Upon doing so, her expectations were not met.
Which Platform is Better for You?
GoHighLevel
Best For:
- Small to Medium-Sized Businesses: GoHighLevel is great for agencies and businesses who want a complete marketing suite without a lot of additional costs.
- Marketing Agencies: It kicks ass at lead generation, CRM, at marketing automation, it’s perfect for agencies that want to provide high-value services in the most efficient manner possible.
Vendasta
Best For:
- Larger Agencies: Vendasta is more geared toward agencies with many clients and a plethora of services.
- Businesses Focused on Reselling Services: But if your business model is reselling digital products or services, Vendasta’s white-label solutions are very helpful.
Conclusion
Finally, from the review, you can tell that GoHighLevel blows Vendasta away with both its features and pricing.
I’m not saying it’s without a shortcoming, but if you’re looking for something reliable for your business, I’d advise you to go with GoHighlevel.
[…] But building effective sales funnels can be complex, especially when using a feature-rich platform like GoHighLevel. […]