Why Marketing Teams Are Switching from Optimizely to Autonomous Optimization
Optimizely is an enterprise-grade experimentation platform for large development teams. But what if you just need conversion optimization without the complexity?
Context First
Optimizely Is Not What You Think
What Optimizely IS
Honest strengths and what they do well
- An enterprise experimentation platform for large organizations with dedicated teams
- Best-in-class for feature flags, server-side testing, and complex experiments
- Powerful when you have developers, data scientists, and experimentation specialists
What Optimizely is NOT
Where there's room for a better solution
- Not simple - requires significant technical expertise
- Not autonomous - everything is manual and developer-dependent
- Not built for marketing teams who just need conversion optimization
We believe in honest comparisons. Optimizely is a solid tool—but it might not be the right fit for everyone.
The Reality
What Optimizely Requires
Developer Resources
Requires developer involvement for setup, implementation, and experiment deployment. Not self-service.
60-80 Hours Monthly
Between developers, data analysts, and managers - significant ongoing time investment required.
Multiple Specialists
Most enterprises have dedicated experimentation teams: developers, analysts, and program managers.
Technical Complexity
Feature flags, server-side testing, complex integrations. Built for technical teams, not marketers.
The CroPilot Advantage
What CroPilot Does Instead
No Developers Needed
Add one script tag. AI handles everything else. No developer involvement required ever.
5 Minutes Setup
Install tracking script and you are done. No complex integrations or technical setup.
Just Marketing Team
No data scientists, no developers, no analysts. Just your marketing team and AI.
Simple Optimization
Focus on conversions, not feature flags. AI optimizes what matters: revenue and signups.
Compare & Decide
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CroPilot | Optimizely |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 4-8 weeks |
| Developer Required | No | Yes - ongoing |
| Monthly Time Investment | 5 minutes | 60-80 hours |
| Test Creation | 100% AI Automated | Manual + Developer |
| Technical Complexity | None | Very High |
| Pricing | $49-499/mo | Custom ($2,000-10,000+/mo) |
| Feature Flags | No | Yes |
| Best For | Marketing teams without developers | Enterprise dev teams |
Setup Time
CroPilot
5 minutes
Optimizely
4-8 weeks
Developer Required
CroPilot
No
Optimizely
Yes - ongoing
Monthly Time Investment
CroPilot
5 minutes
Optimizely
60-80 hours
Test Creation
CroPilot
100% AI Automated
Optimizely
Manual + Developer
Technical Complexity
CroPilot
None
Optimizely
Very High
Pricing
CroPilot
$49-499/mo
Optimizely
Custom ($2,000-10,000+/mo)
Feature Flags
CroPilot
No
Optimizely
Yes
Best For
CroPilot
Marketing teams without developers
Optimizely
Enterprise dev teams
An honest assessment
Who Should Use Each?
Choose CroPilot If You:
Do not have developers available for optimization work
Just need conversion optimization, not feature flags
Want results without technical complexity
Have a marketing team, not an experimentation team
Need setup in minutes, not months
Want to pay $49-499/mo, not $2,000-10,000/mo
Choose Optimizely If You:
Have dedicated development and data science teams
Need feature flags and server-side testing
Want to run complex multi-variate experiments
Have enterprise budget and resources
Are comfortable with 4-8 week implementation
Need full control over every technical detail
No developers needed. No complex migration.
Switching from Optimizely Is Simple
- 1
Sign Up
Create your CroPilot account. No sales calls or enterprise contracts required.
2 min - 2
Add Script
One line of code. No developer meetings or sprint planning needed.
3 min - 3
AI Starts Testing
AI analyzes your site and creates optimization tests automatically. No setup.
Instant - 4
See Results
Simple dashboard shows what is working. No data science degree needed.
Ongoing
Total setup time: Less than 15 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
CroPilot focuses purely on conversion optimization. If you need feature flags or complex server-side experiments, Optimizely is likely better. We focus on making CRO simple and autonomous for marketing teams.
Yes. CroPilot requires zero developer involvement. Just add our tracking script and AI takes over. You can run both platforms simultaneously during transition if needed.
Optimizely typically costs $2,000-10,000+ per month with custom enterprise contracts. CroPilot is $49-499/mo with transparent pricing and no sales calls required.
CroPilot is simpler by design. If you have a dedicated experimentation team running complex multi-variate tests, Optimizely offers more control. But 90% of companies just need conversion optimization that works.
Your Optimizely data stays in Optimizely. We recommend finishing active experiments there, then starting fresh with CroPilot for autonomous testing going forward.
Yes. We handle sites with millions of monthly visitors. The difference is simplicity, not scale. We just make it work without requiring a team of specialists.
Try Autonomous Optimization
Get enterprise conversion optimization without the enterprise complexity. No developers. No data scientists. Just results.