You need an email marketing service provider. After all, email has a higher ROI than any other marketing channel.
The only problem? There are many email marketing tools to choose from.
The best tool for the job depends on your needs.
In this post, I'll be comparing the best email marketing services and sharing recommendations for various use cases towards the end.
I've been testing and using these types of tools for well over a decade. And I have years of experience using quite a few on this list. Let's go!
The best email marketing services – top picks
We'll explore the full list of email marketing services in a moment. For those short on time, here's a comparison of my top picks.
| Tool | Best For | Key Features | Why We Recommend It |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Best overall | Drag-and-drop editor, visual automation, segmentation, A/B testing, Free plan | Easy to use, reliable deliverability, versatile for beginners and creators. |
| Moosend | Ease of use | AI product recommendations, advanced segmentation, automation, landing pages | Very simple workflow, powerful personalization, quick to get started. |
| GetResponse | Full-stack marketing | Email campaigns, landing pages, webinars, automation | All-in-one marketing platform, great for growing businesses needing more than email. |
| Omnisend | Ecommerce automation | Ecommerce templates, email + SMS + web push, automation | Tested – perfect for stores, interactive email features, multi-channel campaigns. |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Bloggers & creators | Visual automation, sequences, tagging, landing pages | Clean, creator-focused interface, easy tag-based segmentation, simple automation. |
| Brevo | Low-volume / affordable | Drag-and-drop editor, transactional emails, SMS, automation | Cost-effective per email, handles transactional + marketing emails, easy to use. |
1. MailerLite
MailerLite is the best email marketing service for most users. This is thanks to its feature-rich free plan, extensive feature-set, and affordable paid plans.
've used MailerLite across several different projects and what I've always appreciated is how simple everything feels. The interface is clean, the learning curve is minimal, and you can get campaigns up and running quickly.
But despite the simplicity, there's quite a bit of functionality under the hood.
You get a drag-and-drop email builder with a good selection of templates, along with tools for managing subscribers, creating segments, and tracking engagement. It's easy to see how subscribers interact with your emails and remove inactive contacts when you want to keep your list healthy.
MailerLite also includes a visual automation builder that makes it easy to create automated email sequences. You can design emails directly inside the automation workflow, which keeps everything organized in one place.
Another thing I like about MailerLite is their account approval process. New accounts are reviewed before sending is enabled. It might slow things down slightly when you first sign up, but it helps reduce spam on the platform and contributes to strong deliverability overall.
You'll also find features like A/B testing, RSS-to-email campaigns, and detailed reporting included.
Overall, MailerLite strikes a great balance between simplicity and functionality. It's easy enough for beginners to get started quickly, but still powerful enough for bloggers and creators who want to build automated email funnels.
Oh, and there's a free plan. A REALLY good one.
Key features:
- Drag and drop editor
- Visual automation builder
- Email builder
- Templates
- Subscriber management
- Split testing
- RSS emails
- Landing page & opt-in form builder
- Transactional emails
- Website builder
- Email verifier
Pros:
- Superb delivery rates
- Easy to use
- Very affordable (much cheaper than most other providers)
- Generous free plan
Cons:
- Self-service support only on the free plan
- Some recent confusion relating to the classic version of their software
Pricing:
A free starter plan is available with access to most features and limited support. You'll get a free trial of premium features. Paid plans starting at $10/month which offers access to all features. Annual discounts available.
Read our MailerLite review.
2. Moosend
Moosend is one of the best all-round email marketing platforms on the market. It stands out for its ease of use, excellent support, and powerful personalization and segmentation features.
During my tests, what stood out to me was how much functionality is packed into it without making the interface feel overwhelming.
At its core, Moosend includes all the features you'd expect from an email marketing service. There's a drag-and-drop email builder, a selection of customizable templates, campaign scheduling, and a visual automation builder for creating email sequences.
The editor itself is straightforward to work with, and it's easy to build campaigns quickly without needing any design experience.
Where Moosend really starts to stand out, though, is with its segmentation and personalization features.
You can segment your audience based on a wide range of data points including demographics, subscriber activity, and purchase behavior. This makes it easy to send more targeted campaigns instead of blasting the same message to your entire list.
While testing the platform, I also came across Moosend's product recommendation engine. It uses AI to suggest products within your emails based on previous customer behavior. Things like items they've viewed or purchased.
And yes, one feature genuinely caught me off guard: weather-based personalization. Moosend can use real-time weather data to adjust recommendations based on a subscriber's location. It's a pretty unique approach to personalization that you don't see in many email marketing tools.
Moosend also includes landing page and form builders, which makes it possible to capture subscribers and manage campaigns from the same platform.
Overall, Moosend offers an impressive mix of ease-of-use and advanced features, particularly for businesses that want to run more personalized email campaigns.
Key features:
- Email templates
- Newsletter editor
- Automation workflows
- AI-powered product recommendations
- Subscriber management and segmentation
- Landing page builder
- CRM
- Reporting & analytics
Pros:
- Very easy to use
- Outstanding support
- Best-in-class personalization and segmentation capabilities
- Scalable ‘pay as you go' pricing model
Cons:
- Interface can feel slightly dated compared to newer platforms
- Some advanced ecommerce features require integrations
- Template library could be larger
Pricing:
Moosend offers a generous free trial. You can try it out for free with no credit card required for 30 days, but you'll be limited to one landing page and form. The Pro plan starts from as little as $9/month but prices increase based on the number of subscribers you have. Larger enterprises can reach out to Moosend for a custom plan quote.
Read our Moosend review.
3. GetResponse
GetResponse is a veteran amongst email marketing services. And I've used it for a good many projects over the years.
While there was a time when they were losing ground to other email marketing tools, they have really stepped up their game by adding a slew new features.
While their core email marketing product has always been strong, the addition of visual marketing automation, landing pages, webinars, CRM, and other new features has helped GetResponse become more of an all-in-one platform.
There is a great selection of email templates, which are organized by industry. Split testing is available for your newsletters too. The visual email builder is drag and drop and has built-in preview functionality & spam scoring.
Contact management offers easy filtering, list hygiene, and reporting. You'll find a visual automation builder that's functional, and like ActiveCampaign, comes with automation templates to get you up and running.
Out of all of the features GetResponse offers, what impressed me most was their Conversion Funnel feature. Together with their other features, they've created a platform that gives you everything you need to build an entire sales funnel.
This includes ad creation to fill your funnel, the creation of your landing pages, webinar creation, exit-intent popovers, sales page creation, ecommerce integrations & payment processor integrations. You can also build your own store within the platform.
And since you can do this within a single tool, analytics & reporting are exceptionally convenient.
The only issue I have with GetResponse is it's convoluted pricing. It seems designed to confuse. For example, some basic automation functionality such as segmentation, and on-site tracking isn't available until you get to the higher plans.
Key features:
- Drag and drop email creator
- Free stock photos and GIFs
- Templates
- Newsletters
- Autoresponders
- Design tools
- Transactional emails
- Perfect Timing and Time Travel delivery
- Automations
- Dynamic content
- Customer segments
- A/B testing
- Website builder
- Landing pages and signup forms
- SMS
- Live chat
Pros:
- All-in-one marketing platform
- Advanced marketing features
- Really useful auto funnel tool
Cons:
- Might be overkill for some users
- Confusing pricing structure
Pricing:
Plans start at $12.30/month (paid annually) with access to basic features. Higher plans unlock more features. Unfortunately not all automation features are available until you get to those higher plans.
A free plan is available with limited features for up to 500 contacts.
Read our GetResponse review.
4. Omnisend
Omnisend is the best marketing automation platform for ecommerce stores. It doesn't just handle email marketing – it also handles SMS and web push notifications.
What I immediately noticed was that Omnisend is only designed for ecommerce stores. From product-focused email templates to advanced automation workflows, everything is geared towards helping ecommerce brands drive more sales from their subscriber lists.
Creating campaigns is straightforward thanks to the drag-and-drop email editor. You can start with one of the pre-designed templates and customize it using content blocks for products, images, buttons, and other elements.
What stood out to me while testing Omnisend were the interactive elements you can add to emails. Things like product pickers and scratch cards make campaigns feel a little more engaging than the typical promotional email.
Segmentation is also a strong point. You can target subscribers based on behavior, purchase history, and engagement with previous campaigns. This makes it easier to send highly relevant emails instead of sending the same promotion to your entire list.
Omnisend also includes powerful automation tools that are particularly useful for ecommerce. You can create automated sequences for things like abandoned carts, welcome emails, and post-purchase follow-ups.
Alongside email marketing, the platform also includes landing pages, signup forms, and popups for growing your list.
Overall, Omnisend feels like a strong all-in-one marketing platform for ecommerce brands that want to combine email, automation, and segmentation in a single tool.
What if you don't run an ecommerce store? You'll need to look elsewhere. But if you do run an ecommerce software, this is built specifically for your exact business model.
Key features:
- Email templates
- Shoppable emails
- Drag & drop email builder
- Segmentation
- Subscriber history
- Campaign booster
- AB testing
- Reports
- Click maps
- SMS
- Push notifications
Pros:
- Designed specifically for ecommerce marketing
- Interactive email elements help campaigns stand out
- Strong automation features for ecommerce workflows
- Includes list-building tools like forms and popups
- Combines email and SMS marketing in one platform
Cons:
- Can only be used by ecommerce stores
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Pricing:
Omnisend has a free plan as well as 2 paid plans. The free forever plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month. If you need a little more flexibility, paid plans start from as little as $16/month.
Read our Omnisend review.
5. Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Kit is an email marketing platform designed specifically for bloggers, creators, and online publishers.
While many email marketing tools try to cater to every type of business, Kit takes a more focused approach. The platform is built around the needs of creators who want to grow an audience and sell digital products.
After spending time using the platform, what stands out most is the simplicity of the overall workflow.
The interface is clean and easy to navigate, and most of the core tools are built around a visual automation system. You can create email sequences, forms, and landing pages, then connect them together inside the automation builder.
One thing I particularly like is how everything can be edited directly from the automation workflow. With many email marketing tools, you have to jump between different sections of the dashboard to edit emails, forms, or sequences. With Kit, you can open and edit those elements without leaving the automation builder.
Tagging and segmentation are also very straightforward. Instead of relying heavily on traditional list-based segmentation, Kit uses tags to organize subscribers and trigger automation rules.
You'll also find built-in signup forms and landing pages that can be used to grow your list. While dedicated landing page builders offer more flexibility, it's a convenient option to have built into the platform.
Reporting is intentionally simple. You get a clear overview of subscriber growth, campaign performance, and form conversions without being overwhelmed with data.
That simplicity does come with a few trade-offs. For example, the email editor is quite minimal compared to some other platforms, and there's no traditional drag-and-drop email builder. I've used this on the odd project for a long time and the limitations of the email editor do annoy me every so often.
And one thing that I've learned over the years is that Kit often make small changes that don't make sense. I also wish they focused a bit more on improving their core email product. But the additional features (e.g. creator network) are genuinely useful and aren't offered by other platforms.
Bottom line? Kit is a great fit for bloggers and creators who want a straightforward email marketing platform with powerful automation features but without the complexity of more advanced marketing tools.
Key features:
- Visual automation builder
- Email sequences and autoresponders
- Tag-based subscriber management
- Signup forms and landing pages
- Creator-focused email editor
- Broadcast email campaigns
- Subscriber segmentation and tagging
- Integrations with creator tools and platforms
- Reporting and subscriber growth tracking
Pros:
- Designed specifically for bloggers and creators
- Visual automation builder is easy to understand and use
- Tag-based system makes segmentation straightforward
- Clean interface with minimal learning curve
- Built-in forms and landing pages for list growth
Cons:
- No traditional drag-and-drop email builder
- Reporting is fairly basic compared to some competitors
- Advanced filtering options are somewhat limited
- Not ideal for ecommerce-heavy email marketing
Pricing:
A free plan is available for up to 10,000 subscribers with limited features. Paid plans start from $39/month for up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited email sends. Yearly discounts available.
Read our Kit review.
6. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is one of the most powerful email marketing platforms available, with a feature set that extends well beyond basic email campaigns.
I've spent quite a bit of time using the platform and the standout feature is the automation builder. It's easily one of the most powerful visual automation tools I've tested, allowing you to create highly sophisticated workflows based on subscriber behavior, site activity, and dozens of other triggers.
Because of that flexibility, there's a bit more of a learning curve compared to simpler tools. Well, I say a bit. It's pretty significant.
But if you're willing to spend some time learning the platform, the level of control you get is impressive.
When it comes to building emails, ActiveCampaign includes a drag-and-drop editor along with a selection of templates to get started quickly. You can send standard broadcast emails, create automated sequences, run A/B tests, or send RSS-based campaigns.
Contact management is another area where ActiveCampaign stands out.
You get detailed contact profiles that show a full history of how each subscriber has interacted with your emails, website, and automations. Features like site tracking and event tracking make it possible to build extremely targeted campaigns based on user behavior.
Segmentation is also very flexible. You can filter contacts based on a wide range of conditions, and combine that with features like dynamic content and split testing to optimize your campaigns.
Beyond email marketing, ActiveCampaign also includes CRM functionality, sales automation tools, and messaging features that allow you to communicate with visitors directly on your website.
But who is it for? ActiveCampaign is best suited for marketers and businesses that want advanced automation and deep customer insights rather than a simple newsletter tool.
Key features:
- Visual automation builder
- Contact management
- Email templates
- Drag and drop editor
- RSS emails
- Timed campaigns
- A/B testing
- Pre-built automation sequences
- Site and event tracking
- Live chat
- CRM
Pros:
- One of the most powerful automation builders available
- Extremely flexible segmentation and targeting
- Deep contact data and behavioral tracking
- Combines email marketing with CRM and sales tools
- Highly scalable for growing businesses
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve than simpler email platforms
- Interface can feel overwhelming for beginners
- Higher pricing compared to many entry-level tools
Pricing:
Plans start at $19/month for their lite plan which includes all the important email & automation features most people will need. Increase your plan to unlock site messaging, custom domains, CRM, SMS marketing, and more.
Read our ActiveCampaign review.
7. Brevo
Brevo stands out as an email marketing service that delivers incredible value without sacrificing functionality. It's especially well suited to infrequent email senders due to it's send-based pricing.
Before I even started testing the platform, I was floored by the pricing. In particular, how much functionality is included considering the low price point. And it's not just an email marketing tool. It's got more of an all-in-one feature set now.
For creating campaigns, Brevo includes a drag-and-drop email builder along with a selection of templates to help you get started quickly. The editor is easy to use and makes it simple to build newsletters, promotional emails, and automated messages without needing design experience.
Brevo also includes a solid marketing automation system. You can create workflows triggered by actions such as email engagement, website activity, or contact data. This makes it possible to send more targeted messages and automate parts of your marketing.
One feature that makes Brevo stand out is its support for transactional email.
Transactional emails are the messages your website sends automatically. Things like account confirmations, password resets, and order receipts. If you run an ecommerce store or a membership site, this can be extremely useful because it allows you to manage both marketing emails and system emails from the same platform.
I use the transactional email feature to handle contact form message deliveries on some of my sites. I pair it with KaliForms and it integrates well. It provides a far more reliable way of getting notified of new emails without having to rely on WordPress itself.
Another difference with Brevo is how pricing works. Instead of charging based on the number of subscribers in your list, Brevo prices plans based on the number of emails you send each month. If you don't send emails very frequently, this can make it a particularly cost-effective option. However, I would recommend sending emails frequently to maintain your domain sender reputation.
Bottom line? Brevo offers a surprisingly deep feature set, especially when you consider the pricing and the number of tools included.
Key features:
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Email templates
- Marketing automation workflows
- Transactional email capabilities
- A/B testing for campaigns
- Spam testing tools
- Audience segmentation
- Landing pages and signup forms
- SMS marketing
- Campaign analytics and reporting
Pros:
- Includes both marketing and transactional email
- Pricing based on emails sent rather than subscriber count
- Strong automation features for the price
- Clean, modern interface that's easy to use
- Includes additional channels like SMS marketing
Cons:
- Automation workflows are limited to 2,000 contacts on lower-tier plans
- Email templates are somewhat limited compared to some competitors
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Pricing:
Send up to 300 emails per day for free with limited features. Go for the Lite plan in order to send 20,000 emails per month, and unlock more features. Higher plans unlock even more features, and “Pay as you go” style pricing is available.
8. AWeber
AWeber is one of the longest-running email marketing platforms, and it's improved quite a bit since the early days.
In fact, it was the first email marketing service I ever used. After revisiting the platform more recently, it's clear that a lot has changed. The interface feels more modern and the feature set has expanded significantly.
At its core, AWeber focuses on making email marketing straightforward without stripping away important functionality.
The platform includes a drag-and-drop email builder along with a large library of templates. With hundreds of templates available, it's easy to find a starting point for newsletters, promotions, and automated emails.
Subscriber management is also fairly flexible. You can tag contacts, filter subscribers based on activity or other data points, and track how people interact with your campaigns.
AWeber also includes split testing so you can experiment with different subject lines, email content, and layouts to improve performance.
Automation is available as well, although it works a little differently compared to some other platforms. Instead of a visual workflow builder, automation is configured through rules and sequences. Some users may prefer a visual system, but the approach AWeber uses is relatively easy to understand once you get familiar with it.
Another thing worth mentioning is the wide range of integrations. Because AWeber has been around for so long, it connects with a large number of third-party tools and platforms.
The platform has also introduced some additional features in recent years, including web push notifications that allow you to reach subscribers outside of their inbox.
Now, like any other email marketing service, it's not without its flaws. While the interface has been modernised, the UI does feel a bit dated in places and the automation setup isn't as visual as some other platforms.
Overall, AWeber offers a reliable and well-rounded email marketing platform that balances simplicity with a solid set of features.
Key features:
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Large library of email templates
- Email broadcasts and autoresponders
- Subscriber tagging and segmentation
- Split testing for campaigns
- Email analytics and reporting
- Marketing automation sequences
- Web push notifications
- Signup forms and landing pages
- Wide range of integrations
Pros:
- Large template library with hundreds of options
- Easy-to-use email builder
- Reliable platform with a long track record
- Strong integration ecosystem
- Additional channels like web push notifications
Cons:
- Automation setup isn't as visual as some competing platforms
- Interface can still feel slightly dated in places
- Advanced automation features are more limited than platforms like ActiveCampaign
Pricing:
Free plan available for 500 contacts. Paid plans start from $19/month for 500 contacts and unlimited email sends.
Read our AWeber review.
9. Hostinger Reach
Hostinger Reach is a beginner-friendly email marketing platform with some of the strongest AI functionality that I've seen. This is partly because it was built specifically with AI in mind. It wasn't tacked on as an afterthought.
What stood out most in my tests was how quickly you can go from idea to a finished campaign. Instead of starting with a blank template, you can describe the type of email you want to send and the AI builder generates a complete draft for you.
From there, you can tweak the copy, adjust the layout, and schedule your campaign.
The editor itself is clean and easy to use. It uses a drag-and-drop style interface with pre-built blocks for images, buttons, text sections, and other common elements. It's not the most advanced editor I've used, but that's clearly intentional. Everything is designed to keep the workflow simple.
Another feature I found interesting while testing the platform was the AI segmentation. Instead of manually building segments using filters, you can describe the audience you want and Reach will create the segment automatically.
Automation features are fairly lightweight right now, but you can set up basic sequences such as welcome emails and simple follow-ups. Reporting includes the usual metrics like open rates, clicks, and engagement so you can see how each campaign performs.
The silver lining here is that the lightweight automations keep simple and easy to use. With a VERY clean UI.
It's important to consider that Hostinger is primarily a web hosting provider. The upside here is that if you host your website with them, you can easily sync your website and email list. There are also other tools you can use such as a website builder and a no-code AI app builder.
A common thread through all of their tools (Reach included) is how they've embraced AI to make everything easier.
If you decide to use Reach, I'd recommend adding your branding in the settings first. That way, their AI will be able to generate fully branded email templates without you having to customize them.
Overall, Reach feels like it's designed for bloggers, creators, and small businesses that want a simple way to create campaigns quickly without dealing with overly complex marketing tools.
Key features:
- AI email builder that generates full campaign drafts
- AI-powered audience segmentation
- AI subject line suggestions
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Pre-built email templates
- Basic email automation (welcome emails and follow-ups)
- Campaign scheduling
- Contact list management
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Integration with WordPress and Hostinger's website tools
Pros:
- One of the fastest ways to create a complete email campaign thanks to the AI builder
- Clean, beginner-friendly interface that's easy to learn
- Add your branding and AI will generate an email template entirely customized to your brand
- AI segmentation makes list targeting easier for non-technical users
- Pricing is very competitive compared to most email marketing tools
- Works particularly well if you already use Hostinger products
Cons:
- Automation features are not as advanced as other platforms.
- No established template library. Templates are generated by AI which uses AI credits (but not many).
- Ecosystem integrations are still growing
Pricing:
Hostinger Reach includes a free plan with basic sending limits. Paid plans start at a low monthly price and scale based on subscriber count, making it one of the more affordable options for smaller lists. Massive discounts available for yearly plans.
10. Drip
Drip position themselves as an ecommerce CRM, and while they do that job incredibly well, they are one of the all-round best email marketing services I've tested.
So, if you don't run an ecommerce store, don't let their focus on ecommerce put you off – the platform is well suited to a variety of business types.
Create drip email campaigns, individual broadcasts, or use their robust visual automation builder. One particularly great feature is the ability to split test within automations.
You can send simple emails that do a good job of getting out of the promotions tab, or use their visual email builder for branded emails.
They have plenty of reporting functionality available. And for those of you with ecommerce sites, you'll find ecommerce specific reports that are actually useful.
Drip isn't just for ecommerce though. It's a good option for other types of businesses and it offers excellent email deliverability.
My main gripe? The UI. While the UI is quite good I found it to be weirdly confusing in parts. Some features are hidden behind toggle switches. And that's fine. It really is. But it's not always obvious which buttons are toggle switches.
Key features:
- Drip campaigns
- Broadcasts
- Split tests
- Automation builder
- Email builder
- Reporting
- CRM
- On-site tracking
- Segmentation & personalization
- Forms & popups
Pros:
- Strong ecommerce-focused feature set
- Powerful email automation builder
- Good value if you're running multiple sites
Cons:
- Entry-level pricing is much higher than the likes of MailerLite and Moosend
- Pricing in general is quite high and I don't feel you get that much extra for your money compared to other platforms
- While the UI is generally quite good, some features are hidden behind toggle switches that aren't obvious
Pricing:
Plans start from $39/month for 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends.
11. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is an all-in-one digital marketing platform built for small businesses. It offers a good balance of affordability, ease of use, and sophistication.
When you sign up for Constant Contact, you get access to all the core email marketing tools and features that you'd expect, including a drag and drop email editor and hundreds of professionally-designed pre-made email templates.
The editor is super beginner-friendly and flexible. Customizing your templates is a breeze and you can even add action blocks to your emails that invite your customers to buy a product or make a donation.
Constant Contact also offers plenty of automations. At the most basic level, you can set up automatic welcome, anniversary, and birthday emails. If you want to create more complex automations, you can build automated drip campaigns targeted to your different audience segments.
You can trigger email sequences based on things like how recipients interact with your previous emails. For example, you might choose to resend emails with a modified subject line out to contacts that don't open them the first time.
Once your campaign is up and running, real-time analytics let you see who's opening and clicking your emails as soon as they interact with them.
Constant Contact also gives you access to basic list management features. You can upload contacts from Excel, Outlook, Salesforce, or anywhere else with ease.
Another feature I like about Constant Contact is the survey tool. You can create surveys and polls to collect feedback from your audience and embed them in your emails (or share them on your website) in a few clicks. You don't see this too often.
In addition to all the core email marketing features, Constant Contact also gives you access to tools to help with other areas of your marketing operations. This includes landing page tools, paid ad tools, SMS marketing features, social media marketing features, and more.
Key features:
- Branded email templates
- Sign-up forms
- Landing pages
- Social media inbox
- Reports
- Live chat support
- List-growth tools
- List management tools
- Dynamic content personalization
- Automations
- Customer segments
- Survey tool
- Paid ad tools
Pros:
- Good balance of affordability and features
- Ideal for small businesses
- Easy-to-use
Cons:
- Automation features are only included in the higher priced plan
Pricing:
Starts at $12/month. Get started with a free trial.
12. Sendlane
Sendlane is a relative newcomer to the email marketing service space, when compared to some on this list. That said, they have a rich feature set.
You can do all of the basic campaigns, and newsletters. Choose from a selection of email templates, or build your own with the drag and drop email builder. Use tags and custom fields to segment your list, and view real-time analytics.
Sendlane has a particularly well-refined visual editor for creating emails. It's drag and drop with a slick user interface.
Like some other platforms on this list, you'll find that some features are locked behind higher plans. Although, some plans are only available on certain list sizes.
Regardless, Sendlane has a lot to offer and is really sticking it to some of the more established email marketing heavy-hitters with it's deep feature set. Give it a try for yourself!
Key features:
- Email templates
- Drag and drop email builder
- Custom fields and tags
- Real-time analytics
- Visual editor
- Send time optimization
- Automatic list cleaning
- Visual automation builder
- Pre-built sequences
Pros:
- Advanced features
- Easy-to-use dashboard
- Good support options
Cons:
- High starting price
- SMS and email features are priced separately
- No free plan is available
Pricing:
Plans start at $99/month while additional features are available on higher level plans.
13. SendX
SendX is one of the newer email marketing software tools on the market.
Despite competing with a lot of established brands, they've come out of the gates swinging with a feature-rich platform that is a lot more affordable than some of their competitors. In fact, on a per subscriber basis, it beats most platforms on this list.
The interface is simple and easy to find your way around, and it's easy to manage your contacts. Unsubscribed and bounced contacts are easy to find. In your contact history you can see a timeline of their activity.
Campaigns can be setup as a newsletter, or a drip campaign. You can also A/B test your campaigns, or trigger campaigns based on site activity.
They have a drag and drop email builder and a reasonable selection of templates you can use.
SendX doesn't have a visual automation builder yet (it's on their product roadmap). What they do have is a rule-based if X happens then Y happens style system.
If you have any issues integrating SendX with other tools, you can use Zapier to open up the ability to connect to 1,500+ other apps.
Key features:
- Drag and drop email builder
- Templates
- Newsletters
- Drip campaigns
- A/B testing
- Rule-based automations
- Zapier integration
- Landing page and popup builder
- Email heat maps
- Team collaboration
- Stock photos
Pros:
- Budget-friendly
- Easy-to-understand pricing model
- Full-featured easy to use solution
Cons:
- Lacks some advanced features like spam scoring
- No visual drag-and-drop builder
- Few third-party integrations are available
Pricing:
Plans start from $9.99/month for up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited email sends.
14. HubSpot
HubSpot's email software tools are part of their comprehensive marketing platform, designed to help businesses create, send, and analyze email campaigns effectively.
This email marketing toolset has a user-friendly interface and helps users craft visually appealing emails using drag-and-drop editors and pre-designed templates.
You can use the software's A/B testing capabilities to optimize email performance and track open rates, click-through rates, and conversions you get.
You can also segment your contact lists for targeted messaging and set up automated email workflows to nurture leads.
Finally, integration with HubSpot's CRM allows for personalized content based on customer data thus further improving conversion rates.
Just remember that while HubSpot offers a lot for free, it's designed to get you into their ecosystem and upsell you to expensive paid plans. Once you're in that ecosystem, it's difficult to get out of it.
Think of it like the Apple of the digital marketing world. But even more expensive.
Key features:
- Drag and drop email builder
- Pre-built sequences
- Email templates
- Custom fields and tags
- Intuitive visual editor
- Campaign send time optimization
- Real-time analytics
- Visual automation builder
Pros:
- All-in-one solution
- Plenty of customizable free templates
- OpenAI-powered email headline and copy generation
- Advanced automation and marketing features
- Conversion and lead capture features included
Cons:
- Gets very expensive if you decide to upgrade to a paid plan
- Free version is heavily limited in some areas
- Takes some time getting used to the tool, especially if you have no experience with any other email marketing software.
Pricing:
You can get HubSpot's email software for free, and a paid plan is available for more advanced users and larger businesses.
Features to look for in email marketing software
As you can see, there are many different email marketing software solutions out there — some of which have more advanced features than others. Here are some key features to look out for when you're comparing your options.
Email templates
Templates are a staple feature of email marketing platforms. Most services will provide you with a library of professionally-designed, ready-made templates that you can use in your email marketing campaigns. These templates are typically fully customizable so you can change the content, layout, and design as needed.
Ideally, you should look for an email marketing solution that gives you a wide range of templates to choose from. That way, it'll be easier to find a template for the specific type of marketing or transactional email you want to send.
At a minimum, there should be templates for common types of emails like welcome emails, newsletters, offers and discounts, customer feedback forms, events, and re-engagement emails.
Email editor
Another core feature to look for is an email editor. Most email marketing solutions will have some kind of built-in drag and drop email editor that you can use to put together professional-looking newsletters in an intuitive interface complete with a real-time preview.
The best email marketing services will offer powerful, flexible editors with tons of useful widgets and modules that you can drop in to spice up your emails.
At a minimum, you should be able to add images, buttons, videos, and text — these are the core components of any email.
However, some platforms will go beyond the basics and enable you to add advanced widgets like countdown timers, product recommendation tables, and other interactive elements. These kinds of widgets can help to incentivize your customers to take action and improve your email conversion rates.
You'll also want to make sure you choose an email marketing platform with a responsive editor. This ensures the emails you design will look great on any screen — mobile or desktop. It should offer complete customization, be easy to use, and ideally also let you add your own HTML code if needed.
Automations
You'll almost certainly want to use automated email sequences in your marketing campaigns, which is why it's important to choose software that offers sophisticated automation capabilities.
Almost all email platforms will support simple automation like autoresponders and triggered welcome emails. However, if you want to create more complex and sophisticated workflows, you'll want to look for a platform that offers a visual automation builder.
Automation builders enable you to create your own automation paths by connecting trigger events to conditional control steps and actions. The best automation builders will be easy to use and integrate seamlessly with the platform's email editor so you can build out your whole campaign from one interface.
Contact management
Contact or list management features are also super important. In order to send out targeted emails to your subscribers, you'll need a way to segment your list.
Contact management features allow you to categorize your subscribers and create custom audience segments based on properties like geographic location, interests, and previous actions. You can then send out personalized messages to each of these segments individually in order to run highly targeted campaigns.
Depending on the email platform you use, you should also be able to add tags to individual subscribers, add or remove subscribers from your list (or import them from an external file), identify and remove fake sign-ups, etc.
The best platforms will offer built-in list cleaning features that filter out all the unwanted contacts from your list to help improve your email deliverability rates.
Opt-in forms and landing page builder
If you plan on using your email marketing platform to capture leads as well as to send out emails, look for an ‘all-in-one' platform that provides a range of other marketing tools in addition to the core email features.
Of these additional tools, the most important two features to look out for are opt-in form and landing page builders.
Form builders enable you to create high-converting opt-in forms. Your website visitors can fill out these forms in order to join your mailing list.
Landing page builders enable you to create the pages on which you host your opt-in forms with no coding required. They're typically beginner-friendly and have a drag-and-drop interface. Most platforms will also offer landing page templates that you can customize in the builder.
However, it is worth noting that “all-in-one” tools will not offer in-depth form & landing page functionality in the same way as a dedicated tool such as Instapage.
A/B testing
If you want to drive the best possible results from your email campaigns, you need to constantly test, refine, and hone your email marketing strategy. And the best way to do that is by running A/B testing campaigns.
Many email marketing service providers will give you access to A/B testing (or split testing) tools that you can use to compare two variations of your emails and see which one performs the best.
For example, you might create two versions of the same email with a different subject line. Each variation can then be sent out to a portion of your subscribers. 50% of recipients might receive email A, and the other 50% email B.
Your email marketing platform can then monitor the results to see which email subject line generates the best open rates and then select that variation for use in the future.
Analytics and reporting tools
It's also important to keep an eye on the data when you're running email marketing campaigns so you can see what's working and what isn't, and measure your performance against your marketing goals.
The best email marketing software solutions will provide robust analytics and reporting features that give you an in-depth view of all the most important metrics and key performance indicators.
You'll probably want to keep an eye on things like average open rates, clicks, subscriber/unsubscribe rates, bounce rates, deliverability, etc. And speaking of deliverability…
Good deliverability
The last thing you want when running an email campaign is for the carefully crafted marketing messages you create to bounce or end up confined to your recipient's spam folder. That's why deliverability is so important.
Email deliverability refers to the ability of an email service provider to deliver emails to the recipient's inbox, without bouncing or getting rerouted to the spam folder.
The best email service providers will have a stellar sender reputation and an infrastructure in place that ensures maximum deliverability. Ideally, you'll want to choose a service provider with an average overall delivery rate of at least 99%.
However, you should also remember that your email service provider isn't the only factor that impacts deliverability. Things like poor list hygiene (failing to maintain your list and clean out cold/inactive subscribers), using URL shorteners, and making it difficult for recipients to unsubscribe can all negatively impact deliverability.
Integrations
And of course, don't forget to think about integrations. It's unlikely that your email marketing software will be the only tool in your marketing arsenal, so it's important to make sure it integrates well with the rest of your marketing stack.
For example, if you want to automatically import new subscribers from your WordPress website to your email marketing platform, it'll need to integrate well with WordPress. Most email marketing platforms have their own dedicated WP plugin for this reason. You might also want to hook it up to your automation software, CRM, etc.
Many email marketing platforms offer hundreds. Or even thousands of integrations with all the most popular marketing and sales tools.
However, if your email marketing platform doesn't offer native integration with another tool in your stack, you may still be able to connect it via Zapier, as long as it offers Zapier integration. Make sure you're clear on this before you buy.
Final thoughts
Email marketing has a higher ROI than any other marketing channel. It's not just important for businesses – it's critical.
With all the tools we've discussed in this post, you'll be able to find an email marketing tool that aligns perfectly with the needs of your business.
Everything from simple sending of email newsletters to all-in-one platforms to power your entire sales funnel. For example, some providers offer marketing automation, landing pages, and live chat on top of their core email functionality.
The best part is most of these email marketing services offer free trials, and most of them won't require a credit card to get started. So try a few and see what you think – ultimately it's your opinion that matters most.
Finally, if you also need help with transactional emails, check out our comparison of transactional email services.
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