When Google discontinued Optimize in September 2023, it orphaned the largest user base in A/B testing history. Optimize wasn't the most powerful tool, but it was free, it integrated with Google Analytics, and it was enough for most sites. Its users have been hunting for a replacement ever since — and most of the obvious candidates cost hundreds of dollars a month.
Here's an honest map of the field.
What made Optimize special (and what to look for)
- A real free tier — not a 14-day trial.
- A visual editor — build tests without a developer.
- GA integration — analyze experiment traffic in the analytics you already use.
- Low setup cost — one snippet and you're testing.
The contenders
ProveLift — best for stores and small businesses
ProveLift keeps the Optimize formula: free plan, visual editor, split-URL tests, and a GA4 integration that pushes every exposure into your GA4 property as an event (so any report can be segmented by variant). It adds what Optimize never had: guardrailed statistics that stop you calling winners too early, SRM alerts, revenue tracking — and server-side price testing for WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Magento, which no client-side tool offers. Paid plans are priced for small businesses, not enterprises.
VWO — best for mid-market CRO suites
VWO bundles testing with heatmaps, recordings, surveys and funnels. It's a mature, capable platform; its free tier is limited, and paid testing plans are typically quoted in the hundreds of dollars per month. If you'll actually use the whole research suite, it can be worth it. Full comparison: ProveLift vs VWO.
Optimizely — best for enterprises with engineering teams
The category pioneer, now an enterprise digital-experience platform sold on annual contracts. Superb feature-flagging SDKs for product teams — but there's no free plan, no self-serve signup, and it's dramatically oversized for a typical Optimize refugee. See ProveLift vs Optimizely.
Convert — best for agencies
Convert Experiences is a privacy-focused testing tool with strong agency workflows. Closest in spirit to the smaller tools, but its pricing targets established CRO teams rather than a single store finding its feet. See ProveLift vs Convert.
AB Tasty — best for enterprise marketing teams
A polished European enterprise suite blending experimentation with personalization. Like Optimizely, it's a sales-led purchase with pricing to match.
How to choose in five minutes
- You run an online store → you want revenue-based results and (uniquely) price testing: ProveLift.
- You have a dedicated CRO team and budget → VWO or Convert.
- You're an enterprise buying a platform → Optimizely or AB Tasty.
- You mainly miss "free and simple" → ProveLift's free plan is the closest thing to Optimize that still exists.
Whichever you pick, don't stay in limbo: every month without testing is a month of decisions made on gut feeling. Start free with ProveLift — setup is one snippet, just like the old days.