Best Email Marketing Software
Designed to maximize sales
Medium
Medium
Good
Mid-level
Covers all phases of email marketing
Easy
Extensive
Limited phone support
Affordable
Multiple templates for automated workflows
Medium
Medium
Excellent
Mid-level
Limited choices make basic campaigns easy
Easy
Limited
Good
Affordable
Extensive segmentation features created for experts
Complicated
Extensive
Good
Expensive
There's no denying the impact email marketing has had on reaching and engaging with customers. With the help of email marketing software, you can easily track and analyze the success of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments to better target your audience. However, there's a sea of email marketing solutions out there, and sorting out the best one for your needs can be challenging.
To make your search easier, we have compared various email marketing vendors based on their pricing, range of features, ease of use, customizability and customer service. In this article, you'll learn how email marketing software works, what factors to consider when choosing one and which platforms made it onto our list of top picks.
Our Top Picks For Best Email Marketing Software
- Drip – Best For E-commerce Platforms
- Mailchimp – Best All-In-One Solution
- ActiveCampaign – Best Automation Features
- Constant Contact – Best For Simple Email Campaigns
- Campaigner – Best For Advanced Audience Segmentation
Best Email Marketing Software Reviews
Best for E-Commerce Platforms: Drip
Why we chose it: Drip was explicitly created to promote the personalization and uniqueness of e-commerce — qualities overshadowed by giant e-commerce marketplaces.
With templates and features designed to maximize sales by making connecting with your customers easier, Drip can help you stand out from big-box sites. One of its best features is the ability to segment your lists based on demographics, behavior, interests or preferences.
Naturally, you won't know if your email marketing campaign was effective until you measure its success. Drip provides detailed reporting on key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates and engagement levels. You can use this information to create customized emails that hit the mark with your target audience.
As you would expect from an email marketing solution focused on e-commerce, Drip integrates with many other major e-commerce channels, including WooCommerce, Shopify and BigCommerce. Therefore, you can create an automated series of emails based on what customers browse and buy in your shop.
Drip's 14-day free trial lets you get a good overview of the software before you commit, but there's no long-term free plan. Prices range from $39 monthly for 2500 contacts to $1,899 monthly for 170,000 contacts. If you have more than 170,000 contacts (lucky you!), you must contact Drip directly for enterprise pricing.
Best All-In-One Solution: Mailchimp
Why we chose it: Mailchimp has specialized tools for just about every aspect of your email marketing, from mapping out the customer journey to post-campaign analysis.
Whether you're sending out a monthly newsletter or targeting multiple segmented lists with daily emails, Mailchip has the tools you need. The software is simple enough to use when first learning about email marketing, but it also provides enough advanced features for the platform to grow with you. This includes features such as A/B testing, automated workflows and segmentation options.
You can start creating your email marketing campaigns with Mailchimp's automation journey builder, and then use their templates to create emails and set triggers. Once your emails hit your customers' inboxes, Mailchimp will let you know how they performed and make customized recommendations for next time.
Mailchimp's free plan is one of its biggest highlights, as it's one of the most generous on the market. You can use the full version of Mailchimp for free — not a feeble, watered-down plan — with as many as 500 subscribers. Paid plans start at $13 monthly and go up to $350 monthly based on the number of subscribers and your chosen features.
Best Automation Features: ActiveCampaign
Why we chose it: With ActiveCampaign, you can create multiple automated workflows to deliver highly targeted messages at the perfect time.
ActiveCampaign is ideal when you want to focus on automating your email marketing. This platform has hundreds of pre-built workflows that let you personalize campaigns for each subscriber. Guided tutorials are available to help you every step of the way, and their customer service gets high marks from customer reviews.
Price-wise, ActiveCampaign isn't the most affordable option, but its mid-range plan is competitive. You can sign up for a 14-day free trial, but you'll have to switch to a paid plan afterward. The entry-level plan starts at $29 monthly, but don't expect much: Its features are minimal, and it comes with ActiveCampaign branding, severely limiting its usability.
ActiveCampaign's email marketing platform is only part of its comprehensive customer management system. It integrates with many third-party tools, such as customer relationship management software, e-commerce platforms and social media channels. As a result, you can connect all of your marketing channels and automate workflows across multiple platforms.
Best for Simple Email Campaigns: Constant Contact
Why we chose it: Constant Contact has an elegant, intuitive user interface that makes it simple to launch email campaigns without much technical knowledge.
If you're a beginner in email marketing, Constant Contact is an excellent choice. Plans begin at at $9.99 per month for a maximum of 500 contacts, and you can test the software extensively with a 60-day free trial. With its drag-and-drop email builder and pre-designed templates, creating emails is easy. The company also offers a comprehensive self-service knowledge base and helpful support staff to ensure a smooth start.
Another area where the platform surpasses its competitors is in integrations. With over 3300 third-party integrations, the software will probably work with whatever system you're using.
On the other hand, Constant Contact lacks the advanced features of many other platforms, so you may quickly outgrow it. For example, while it offers list segregation, you can't personalize emails based on individual variables. You'll have to create different lists for different emails instead, which is a bit clunkier.
As another example, Constant Contact offers a few automation options, but you can't design your own. This lack of complex offerings might be of little consequence for beginners but frustrating if you're looking for more custom options.
Best for Advanced Audience Segmentation: Campaigner
Why we chose it: Campaigner offers powerful personalization, automated workflows and detailed reporting to help you nurture contacts, boost sales and improve conversions.
With an extensive library of advanced features, you can micromanage every aspect of your email campaign. Although the software may be overwhelming for solopreneurs and small businesses, Campaigner is a top-notch option for teams with more complex marketing objectives.
Campaigner enables you to engage with your customers across multiple channels, such as social media and texting. The template management system facilitates seamless collaboration, and detailed reports provide ample opportunities for campaign improvement.
You can customize your messages and fine-tune automatic triggers with a granularity that most other platforms don't provide. Advanced segmentation capabilities let you test your subject lines, automate workflows and optimize results based on analytic reports.
However, Campaigner's comprehensive features come at a higher cost compared to other software. Following a 30-day free trial, prices begin at $59 per month, while the "Essentials" plan costs $179 monthly.
Other Email Marketing Software We Considered
When it comes to email marketing services, there are plenty of options to consider to before making a decision. After exploring numerous possibilities, we found out that while some software tools didn't quite make it onto our "best" list, they still offered enough appealing features to be worthy of mention.
Sendinblue
Sendinblue provides a complete range of tools for managing customer experience, which includes CRM, SMS marketing, landing pages and Facebook ads, alongside email marketing. Although its pricing is competitive, its delivery rate — the percentage of successfully delivered emails — often falls within the mid-70s to mid-80s, making it a less appealing email marketing solution.
Omnisend
Omnisend caters to e-commerce companies by offering an all-in-one email marketing platform with pre-built automation for cart abandonment, transactional emails and lead generation. While Omnisend offers a wide variety of features at a reasonable price point, it falls short compared to other options as it does not support RSS integration. Additionally, it doesn't provide as many features as our top pick for e-commerce email marketing.
EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus is an affordable platform designed to provide simple, effortless email marketing. Its free plan has enough features to be useful, and it's more affordable even at premium levels. However, its limited design options and list segregation capabilities put it out of the running for a top placement.
Email Marketing Software Guide
Despite its relative simplicity, email marketing provides a larger ROI than any other type of marketing. Email campaigns are inexpensive and profitable, making them ideal if you have a limited marketing budget.
Additionally, email is one of the few ways you can speak directly to your customers on your own platform. Social media and other avenues certainly add value to your marketing strategy, but they're no substitute for nurturing and growing your email list.
What Is Email Marketing Software?
Email marketing software allows you to quickly send personalized emails to everyone on a list. You can create email templates based on what your subscribers do. For instance, you can automatically send a thank-you email with a freebie when they sign up for your list.
This type of software will also separate your email list into sections based on certain factors, such as your customers' unique qualities and interests. If you have dog parents on your email list, you may want to send them information on training tips.
Many email marketing platforms also include extras like website builders and social media marketing services. And since the world runs on data, most include metrics that track who opened your emails, if people clicked on your links and other indicators that can help you create better email marketing campaigns.
How Does Email Marketing Software Work?
Email marketing software tracks your customers' actions while on your website and then sends them emails based on what they did. For instance, if they spend a lot of time checking out a product, you can email them when it goes on sale. If they left an item in their cart without checking out, your software could send a follow-up email.
These automated emails are sent out based on "triggers" — specific actions you define. You can have the software send customers a 50% off coupon on their birthdays, or you can send a welcome email with a discount code when they first sign up for your list.
You'll want to know which emails are hitting the mark and which ones your customers ignore. To help with this, the software will run A/B tests — basically, you can send two different emails to different people and see which one gets the best response. You can use this data to make adjustments and send out better emails.
Features Of Email Marketing Software
Of course, the best way to evaluate email marketing software is to compare the features of different platforms. The following are essential features that all top-rated email marketing solutions should include.
Email Editor
Most email marketing software includes an in-platform editor, which is useful for choosing a template to start composing your emails and previewing them before sending them. Drag-and-drop editors are a common customization tool that can easily apply branding, insert images and control how your text appears.
Mailing List Management
Your email subscribers are unique from one another; you'll want to treat them as such. Subscribers may include those who have recently signed up and those who have been there for months or years. Managing your email lists based on factors like these lets you send relevant and targeted emails to your subscribers while maintaining a personal touch.
For example, you may want to send new subscribers informational emails that educate them on your services or products while sending established customers discount offers based on their previous purchases.
Autoresponse
Email marketing software sends emails based on pre-defined triggers, such as when someone signs up for your email list or makes a purchase. You can set parameters for these triggers in the software and use them to implement "drip" campaigns, where subscribers receive emails based on where they are in the customer journey.
With autoresponse tools, your customers will be targeted based on their expressed interests and behaviors instead of you shooting in the dark by sending the same email to everyone on your list. There's no quicker way to get blocked than by sending repetitive, irrelevant emails.
Integrations
Most email marketing software will work with the systems and platforms you already use, such as your CRM software or social media channels. This makes automating workflows across platforms simple.
What To Consider When Choosing An Email Marketing Software Solution
Choosing your email marketing software goes beyond what the platform can do for you. Considering where your business stands now and where you expect it to be in the future can also help you determine the best software option.
Your Marketing Goals
Your marketing goals should be at the forefront of your mind and plans. Are you still in the list-building phase or do you have thousands of subscribers you must reach each week?
For instance, if you're a lifestyle blogger, you might want your subscribers to read your latest article so they'll be motivated to click on your affiliate links. In contrast, if you're running an e-commerce store, you'll probably want your subscribers to buy the hot new item you just stocked.
Once you define your marketing goals, you can compare software based on the features they offer that will help you reach customers. Imagine having a huge subscriber list and wanting to target customers based on past behaviors. In this case, advanced list segmentation features might be a priority for you. But if your list is small and unvaried, a simpler solution with fewer features may work better for your needs and your budget!
Monthly Email Send Volume
Most email marketing software vendors charge a monthly or yearly fee based on the size of your list and the number of emails per month you send. A plan that's reasonable for 1000 subscribers may be too expensive for 100,000.
Make sure you compare prices based on both factors. If you have a smaller list but send many emails, you may get bumped into a higher-tier plan.
Customization Options
Most platforms include templates that offer a jumping pad for creating emails. Some offer endless possibilities for customizing your content, while others have much more limited choices.
If you're just starting to compare your choices, you might prefer a program that keeps things simple with fewer features to tweak and fine tune. On the other hand, if you can do A/B testing in your sleep, you'll want software that puts you in the driver's seat and gives you as many options as possible.
If you're going with a cheap or free plan, be aware that some providers will put their branding on your emails. This can clash with your brand and confuse your subscribers, so you may want to upgrade to a higher-tier plan.
App Integrations
With the rise of SaaS (software-as-a-service), running a business can seem like little more than a never-ending stream of subscriptions. In addition to the expenses associated with various apps, you also have to worry about how they will work together.
Double-check to ensure the software you choose will work with your existing systems. Most offer integrations with popular CRMs, e-commerce platforms and payment processors.
Functionality
Some email marketing software tools are just one piece of a larger marketing solution, while others are singularly focused on running email marketing campaigns. Depending on the scope of your business, you may want software with comprehensive functionality that includes website hosting, e-commerce sites and audience management features, or you could opt for a simplified program that provides basic email marketing tools.
Migrating Customer Data
Implementing a new email marketing software means you'll have to load in any existing data. Make sure your chosen software integrates with your existing database for an easy transfer.
Email Marketing Software FAQ
How We Chose The Best Email Marketing Software
Our methodology for choosing the best email marketing software includes the following factors:
- Ease of use: Not everyone is a marketing professional; we favored platforms that were easy to grasp and start using.
- Data analysis: Analysis tools are essential in order to fully understand what's working and what's not to improve your email marketing campaigns.
- List segmentation: Segmenting your list and sending targeted emails is crucial to reaching your customers at the right time.
- Customization: Emails must be authentic to your brand to be effective, so we looked for providers that offer highly customizable templates.
