Optimizely is the better fit for large companies with developers, high traffic and a budget for an enterprise contract, especially if they want web tests and feature-flag tests on one platform.
VWO, now sold under the Wingify name, suits mid-size teams that want A/B testing plus heatmaps, session recordings and surveys from one vendor.
Neither tool publishes prices, but public buyer data puts VWO's typical contract well below Optimizely's.
We have not used either tool ourselves. This comparison draws on each vendor's pricing pages and docs, checked in November 2026, plus real tests from our test database that show what each tool is used for.
If you buy VWO through our link, we may earn a commission. Optimizely does not pay us.
| Optimizely | VWO (Wingify) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model (as of November 2026) | Not published; every plan individually packaged | Not published; Growth, Pro and Enterprise tiers quoted by sales |
| Test types | A/B/n, multivariate, multi-page, bandits, server-side via Feature Experimentation | A/B, split URL, multivariate (Pro and up), multi-page, cross-domain, feature flags as a separate product |
| Stats engine | Sequential Stats Engine with false discovery rate control; fixed-horizon and Bayesian on the new results page | SmartStats: Bayesian with sequential correction and Bonferroni correction |
| Heatmaps and recordings | Not built in; via Contentsquare and Hotjar integrations | Behavior Analytics module: heatmaps, recordings, funnels, form analytics, surveys |
| Best for | Enterprises with dedicated experimentation and engineering teams | Mid-size stores and SaaS teams that want testing and research in one tool |
Price and plans
As of November 2026, Optimizely shows no prices.
Its plans page says, "Every Optimizely plan is individually packaged," and sends you to a demo request. Expect a negotiated annual contract.
The only public estimates come from third parties.
CRO agency SplitBase estimates entry-level Optimizely plans at about $36,000 a year, with large packages above $200,000. SplitBase does not name its sources, so treat these as rough figures.
VWO also hides prices now. As of November 2026, the Wingify pricing page lists Growth, Pro and Enterprise plans for web experimentation without prices.
Multivariate and cross-domain testing start on Pro; SSO, self-hosting, API access and 24x7 support are on Enterprise.
Contract data from Vendr, based on 102 VWO purchases, shows a median of $16,330 a year and a range from $7,820 to $35,790. VWO also offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card. Optimizely lists no trial for Web Experimentation.
So on budget alone, VWO is the cheaper of the two for most teams.
If neither price works, Convert publishes its prices; see our Convert vs Optimizely comparison.
Editors and test types
Both tools have a visual editor for no-code changes and a code editor for developers.
The bigger difference is reach beyond the browser.
Optimizely has two experimentation products. Web Experimentation is the client-side tool marketers use.
Feature Experimentation is "a feature flagging and experimentation platform" for websites, apps and APIs, built on open-source SDKs.
Web Experimentation supports A/B/n, multivariate and multi-page tests.
VWO's experimentation page lists A/B, multivariate, split URL, multi-page, cross-domain and device-specific tests.
It also has an AI assistant, Wingz, that drafts hypotheses and variations from a prompt, and a separate Feature Management product for flags.
Split URL tests are useful for full redesigns.
Kasper Dolk tested a new theme with a BOGO offer against the old theme and saw revenue per visitor rise +41.85% (from £1.08 to £1.54).
Optimizely's published customer tests show the developer-heavy, high-traffic work it is built for.
A retailer added recommendations on zero-result searches and gained +2.74% revenue.
A footwear site put one size filter above the fold for +2% revenue per visitor.
Small lifts like these only pay off at large traffic volumes.
Stats engines
Optimizely's Stats Engine uses sequential testing with always-valid p-values, according to its deep dive, so you can check results as they come in.
It also controls the false discovery rate across all metrics in a test.
The new A/B results page adds a choice of sequential, fixed-horizon frequentist or Bayesian analysis, plus CUPED variance reduction.
That page supports only manual A/B tests, not multivariate or Stats Accelerator experiments.
VWO uses one engine, SmartStats. Wingify's December 2024 update describes it as Bayesian with a sequential testing correction and Bonferroni correction for multiple variations.
It calls a variation a winner at 95% probability of improvement, and you can set the minimum detectable effect, false positive rate, power and a region of practical equivalence.
Both approaches aim to stop the same mistake: calling a test early.
Ruben added a doctor endorsement badge to a product page and saw +17% conversion rate after one week at 99.6% probability, yet the test ended flat.
Our guide to Bayesian vs frequentist testing explains the trade-offs.
Bayesian output is easier to explain to a founder.
Kasper Dolk's test of showing a testimonial versus none lifted revenue per visitor +7.10% (€5.36 to €5.74), the kind of result that reads well as "probability to beat control."
@DaveDiederen
OptimizelyOptimizely
@kasper_dolk@kasper_dolkOptimizelyHeatmaps, recordings and surveys (VWO Insights)
This is where the tools differ most. VWO sells a research module, now called Wingify Behavior Analytics.
Its help center lists heatmaps, session recordings, funnels, form analytics and on-page surveys.
The pricing page sells it in its own Growth, Pro and Enterprise tiers.
Growth keeps data for one month and covers 5 forms; Enterprise keeps three months and adds mobile app heatmaps and recordings.
Ask for it in your quote if you want it.
Optimizely has no built-in heatmaps or recordings. It relies on partners: zone-based heatmaps powered by Contentsquare, and a Hotjar integration that, per Optimizely's docs, currently supports only Hotjar Recordings and Feedback, with heatmap support still on the roadmap. Either way, you pay a second vendor.
Research tools matter because they feed the test pipeline: watch behavior, form a hypothesis, then A/B test it.
Our customer research guide covers that loop. Dave Diederen changed above-the-fold USPs to the points heatmaps showed buyers engaging with and gained +7.28% revenue per visitor.
If you already pay for Hotjar or Contentsquare, VWO's bundle matters less. Our heatmap tools roundup compares standalone options.
Who should pick which
Pick Optimizely if:
- You have millions of monthly visitors and a dedicated experimentation team.
- You want marketers testing in the browser and engineers testing behind feature flags on one platform.
- You already use Optimizely's CMS or commerce products.
- You need error control across many metrics and many concurrent tests.
Optimizely is not for small or mid-size stores, low-traffic sites, or teams that want to start without a sales cycle.
A cart banner removal worth +$5.5M revenue shows the scale its pricing assumes.
Not every idea wins at that scale either: a head-to-toe outfits carousel cut add to cart by 6.07%.
Pick VWO if:
- You want testing and behavior research under one contract.
- You run several tests a month on steady mid-size traffic.
- You want a 30-day trial before you talk price.
- You need split URL tests for redesigns and theme changes.
VWO is not for buyers who want public, month-to-month pricing, or teams wary of a vendor in transition.
Wingify agreed to merge with AB Tasty in January 2026 and relaunched under the Wingify brand in September 2026, so plan names may keep shifting.
On Shopify, its setup guide says the script does not run on checkout pages.
Low-traffic sites should be careful with both. No stats engine fixes a sample that is too small; check your sample size before you sign.
For more options, see our full reviews of Optimizely and VWO, and the wider A/B testing tools roundup.