Collect and own your subscribers — without an ESP
emcognito isn't another email platform. It's the collection layer: drop in a publishable key to capture signups and lead metadata on any static site, confirm them with double opt-in, then pipe verified subscribers into your own stack with a REST API and signed webhooks. You own the list — pair it with any sender, or none.
Free during beta · your data is portable (CSV + API anytime) · no lock-in
How it compares
An honest look at where emcognito fits next to an all-in-one ESP, a generic form backend, and building it yourself. Each tool wins at something different.
| Capability | emcognito | Mailchimp embedded forms | Formspark form backend | Roll your own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works on a static site (no backend) | ✓publishable key | ✓embed builder | ✓form action | ~you build it |
| Double opt-in (confirmed consent) | ✓built in | ✓yes | ✗generic forms | ~build it |
| Lead metadata on signup | ✓provider, spend, region, workload, notes | ✓custom fields | ~generic fields | ~build it |
| Bounce / complaint suppression | ✓automatic | ✓it sends | ✗— | ~build it |
| Signed webhooks on events | ✓HMAC + retries | ~complex | ✓form webhooks | ~build it |
| REST API to read/write your list | ✓/v1 + secret key | ✓large API | ✗— | ✓it's yours |
| Own the list — CSV + API export, no lock-in | ✓anytime | ~lives in their silo | ~submissions only | ✓fully |
| Your branding on the form (not theirs) | ✓your markup | ~free-tier branding | ✓your markup | ✓your markup |
| Is it a sender / ESP? | ✗by design — pair any sender | ✓yes | ✗no | ✗no |
| Free tier | ✓free beta | ~limited | ~limited | ✓your infra cost |
When emcognito is the wrong tool
Positioning only works if it's honest. Reach for something else when:
You want to send campaigns
emcognito collects and confirms; it doesn't send newsletters or run automations. If you want an all-in-one sender, use Mailchimp / Kit / Buttondown — and let emcognito feed them via webhook.
You just need a contact form
If it's a generic "email us" form with no list, no confirmation, and no subscriber API, a form backend like Formspark is simpler and a better fit.
You want zero third parties
If owning every byte matters more than the time cost, roll your own — just budget for double opt-in, suppression, consent records, and key management.
Questions developers ask
Is emcognito a replacement for Mailchimp?
No — and that’s intentional. Mailchimp sends and automates; emcognito collects, confirms, and hands you the list via CSV, REST, and webhooks. Use them together: collect with emcognito, send with whatever you like.
Why not just roll my own signup?
You can — but a real one needs double opt-in, bounce/complaint suppression, confirmed-consent records, CSV export, key management, and unverified-subscriber expiry. emcognito packages all of that behind a Stripe-style key.
What does "own your list" actually mean?
Your verified subscribers are exportable as CSV and readable over the /v1 REST API at any time. If you leave, you leave with the full list. No silo, no re-permissioning.
It’s in beta — should I trust it with signups?
It’s free during beta with no SLA yet — we’d rather say that plainly. Email delivery, the portal (passkey + magic-link login), and the API are the parts we’ve hardened. Your data stays portable the whole time.