The Best Email Marketing Software of 2024
- Campaign Monitor: Best for Simplicity
- MailerLite: Best for Selling Paid Subscriptions
- Drip: Best for E-Commerce
- Brevo: Best for Marketing Through Other Channels
- Zoho Campaigns: Best Affordable Email Marketing Software
- Mailchimp: Best for All-in-One Marketing
- Constant Contact: Best for Customer Support Options
- GetResponse: Best for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
- ActiveCampaign: Best for Automated Email Marketing
- Keap: Best for CRM Tools
Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business
Best for Simplicity
Campaign Monitor
4.8
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
No (free trial available)
Starting price
$12
per month
Key features
Drag-and-drop editor, create branded and segmented emails, SMS marketing, automations, reports and analytics
No (free trial available)
$12
per month
Drag-and-drop editor, create branded and segmented emails, SMS marketing, automations, reports and analytics
Expert Take
Features
Campaign Monitor’s features are great for businesses who want a simple platform to get up and running. Users can create marketing emails easily with the drag-and-drop editor or choose from the myriad of responsive templates available for a variety of purposes. You can even segment email subscribers and send personalized campaigns or reminders of events or promotions.
Pricing
Campaign Monitor’s pricing structure is straightforward, as you can see what you’ll pay each month based on your tier and number of email subscribers. The price is higher than its competitors, however, which may not be the best fit for businesses just starting out. Prices are $12 per month for the Lite plan, $29 per month for the Essentials plan and $159 per month for the Premier plan.
But for those wanting more advanced features like e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, the cost might be worth it. Campaign Monitor does offer a free trial so that you can see whether the value will offset the costs. With the free trial, you can send emails to up to five recipients.
Customer Service
Campaign Monitor has limited customer support compared to its competitors—you won’t get 24/7 access or live chat support. You can submit a support ticket once you’re logged into your account. For those on the Premier plan, users can call during business hours.
Otherwise, you can access the company’s online help center, video guides and knowledge base, much like other competitors.
Reputation
Campaign Monitor is a verified company on Trustpilot, though it doesn’t have as many reviews compared to other providers on our list. Still, customers seem to be happy overall with the service, citing quick response times. Some however, mention that email responses weren’t as personalized.
Pros & Cons
- Simple-to-use interface and templates
- Pay-per-campaign plan available
- Accessible tracking tools
- No 24/7 customer support
- SMS marketing only available as an add-on
- No live chat
Best for Selling Paid Subscriptions
MailerLite
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
Yes
Starting price
$10
per month
Key features
Templates and builders for email, website and landing pages; e-commerce integrations
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Yes
$10
per month
Templates and builders for email, website and landing pages; e-commerce integrations
Expert Take
We picked MailerLite not only for its e-commerce capabilities but the ability for digital creators or knowledge-based businesses to set up paid newsletter subscriptions.
Features
The usual features at MailerLite are those that many competitors offer, like email campaign templates, website builders and automation triggers. How it stands out is in its ability for businesses to set up paid newsletter subscriptions. While there are other platforms available, you won’t need to pay a service or transaction fee—with the exception of what you pay Stripe to process credit card payments.
Even if you’re not interested in selling paid subscriptions, MailerLite’s drag-and-drop interface and ability to set up automated e-commerce email campaigns make it a worthy contender.
Pricing
MailerLite offers a free tier for up to 1,000 email subscribers. You are, however, limited in some functionalities like newsletter templates, landing pages and the amount of emails you can send each month.
Upgrading to the paid Growing Business plan for $10 per month can offer a lot of value if you want to create more e-commerce campaigns and paid newsletters or if you anticipate attracting a higher number of email subscribers. This tier is best suited for businesses that are looking to scale their operations, as most features are available at an affordable rate.
Customer Service
Although you do get 24/7 customer service, the avenue of support you get will differ depending on the tier you’re on. Free users only get support for the first 30 days. If you want more than personalized, you’ll have to upgrade to the Advanced or Enterprise tiers. You can also go the DIY route by looking at MailerLite’s video tutorials and knowledge base.
Reputation
MailerLite is a user-friendly and reputable email marketing software provider. The company claims it’s worked with over 650,000 customers for their email marketing needs and has earned rave reviews from customers. Trustpilot’s reviews mention that MailerLite may be hard to set up initially, but customer service was helpful in helping with technical issues.
Learn more: Read our full MailerLite review.
Pros & Cons
- E-commerce functionalities for all paid plans
- Free version available
- Unlimited websites and landing pages for paid plans
- Full access to email automation templates for Advanced and Enterprise tiers
- Indefinite 24/7 live chat support only for Advanced tier
- Custom HTML editor only available on higher tiers
Best for E-Commerce
Drip
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
No (free trial available)
Starting price
$39
per month
Key features
Custom emails and segment function; drag-and-drop workflow builder and automations
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
No (free trial available)
$39
per month
Custom emails and segment function; drag-and-drop workflow builder and automations
Expert Take
Features
Drip is specifically geared towards e-commerce businesses, with features like advanced customer personalization and segmentation tools and one-click integrations with your online store and marketing apps. Plus, you will get prebuilt automated campaigns, email templates and other features to help drive more sales like product discounts, abandoned cart reminders and post-sale engagement.
What makes it easier for e-commerce businesses is that Drip integrates with over 100 apps, especially e-commerce ones like BigCommerce, Shopify and WooCommerce. Users can look at their dashboard for insights on how their campaigns and sales fared through Drip’s analytics.
Pricing
Drip only has one pricing tier and fluctuates based on the number of people on your email list and how many emails you send each month. It is more expensive compared to some of its competitors, but you may appreciate that Drip is solely focused on helping e-commerce businesses. As such, even if you’re just starting out or have been in the e-commerce space for a while, you may have a higher chance of using all available features. In other words, you’re more likely to squeeze as much value out of your plan.
Customer Service
Drip offers email support during business hours, and those with 6,000 or more email subscribers get live chat support as well. Other competitors offer the same types of support, though if you want to speak to someone on the phone, you’re out of luck. Users can troubleshoot any issues using Drip’s user manual or API documentation.
Reputation
The email marketing software company appears to have earned its reputation providing servers for ecommerce companies. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of customer reviews out there, but ones we’ve found mentioned Drip’s interface was easy to use, although some complained about the price and initial learning curve
Learn more: Read our full Drip review.
Pros & Cons
- Send unlimited monthly emails
- Integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify
- Transparent pricing model
- No free tier
- Pricing higher than some competitors
- No live chat support for under 6,000 subscribers
Best for Marketing Through Other Channels
Brevo
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
Yes
Starting price
$9
per month
Key features
Create and customize email campaigns, SMS and WhatsApp marketing, landing page builder, automation and advanced segmentation
On Brevo's Website
Yes
$9
per month
Create and customize email campaigns, SMS and WhatsApp marketing, landing page builder, automation and advanced segmentation
Expert Take
Features
Brevo offers the usual features other competitors do, such as a drag-and-drop editor, A/B testing, landing page builder and automations. What makes Brevo stand out is that you can send unlimited emails if you’re on a paid plan —there are no daily limits. Plus, you can add SMS and WhatsApp campaigns in addition to email.
Even if a smaller business only uses the free plan, Brevo provides useful functions. This plan limits a company to sending 300 emails per day, but it can still use the drag-and-drop editor.
Pricing
Brevo starts at $9 per month and while that’s low compared to other competitors, their pricing structure can get confusing. For example, the Free and Starter tier comes with the Brevo logo in all communications and users need to pay an additional monthly fee to take it out. Users also need to pay for more landing pages, push notifications and SMS/WhatsApp marketing capabilities. If you move up to the Business plan for $18 per month, you unlock marketing automation, AI predictive sending, landing pages, A/B testing and advanced statistics.
With the add-ons and pricing based on the number of email subscribers you have, the fees can add up fast.
Customer Service
Brevo’s customer service options are fairly standard compared to its competitors. Customers can email support 24/7 after logging into their account. Like others, you’ll only be able to receive phone support on Brevo’s highest-paid tier. For those who prefer to fix issues themselves, you can always access the knowledge base or ask your questions in the community forum.
Reputation
Brevo has hundreds of thousands of customers and the company boasts sending over 140 million emails daily. With this volume, it may be safe to assume it’s a fairly solid company. Brevo is also rated 4.3 out of five stars on the third-party review site Trustpilot.
Pros & Cons
- Free tier available
- Real-time statistics and advanced segmentation for all tiers
- SMS and WhatsApp marketing available
- Unlimited contacts only for higher tiers
- Brevo’s branding on free and lower tiers
- Landing pages only available on Business tier and higher
Best Affordable Email Marketing Software
Zoho Campaigns
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
Yes
Starting price
$4
per month
Key features
Segmentation, unlimited emails, drag-and-drop workflows
Yes
$4
per month
Segmentation, unlimited emails, drag-and-drop workflows
Expert Take
Features
Zoho Campaigns is part of Zoho’s suite of business tools, from CRM to bookkeeping. Their email marketing software offers simple email marketing tools, making it a great fit for smaller businesses that are looking to get started in their marketing efforts.
You’ll find drag-and-drop workflows, segmentation and email templates. The Professional tier gives you more advanced features like pop-up forms, advanced segmentation and options to control the timing of sent emails. Zoho Campaigns is sufficient as long as you’re only interested in the basics of email marketing.
Pricing
Zoho Campaigns offers some of the lowest pricing among our list of the best email marketing software companies. Yes, you’ll pay more as the number of email contacts increases, but it’s still lower than what other companies might offer. There are only two paid tiers and each has its own transparent pricing structure: $4 per month for the Standard plan and $6 per month for the Professional plan. The free tier is also generous in its offerings—you get up to 6,000 emails per month, up to 2,000 email contacts and basic email templates.
Customer Service
While you won’t get 24/7 customer service, you do get more ways to access support compared to competitors. For one, you get live chat and phone support for all paid tiers—other companies only offer these options for their highest-paid tiers. Of course, you can contact the company via email.
Zoho Campaigns also has an online knowledge base, webinars and a community forum where you can ask questions.
Reputation
As part of Zoho, Zoho Campaigns offers a solid reputation alongside the company’s other tools. You’ll find thousands of customer reviews online raving about the company and its affordable price point.
Pros & Cons
- Competitive pricing
- Unlimited emails for all paid tiers
- Pay-as-you-go pricing available
- Advanced email delivery features only available on higher tiers
- Advanced e-commerce features for higher tiers only
- No 24/7 support
Best for All-in-One Marketing
Mailchimp
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
Yes
Starting price
$13
per month
Key features
Pre-built email templates, audience segmentation, analytics and reporting, social media posting, automation builder
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
Yes
$13
per month
Pre-built email templates, audience segmentation, analytics and reporting, social media posting, automation builder
Expert Take
Features
As one of the more popular email marketing software providers, Mailchimp offers useful features. All paid tiers come with A/B testing, landing pages, pre-built templates and segmentation. Depending on what tier you choose, you can also access generative AI features, multi-step automations and custom reports.
Mailchimp offers a free tier, though it limits you to 500 contacts and up to 1,000 emails per month. Unless you also need other features like advanced analytics and A/B testing, the free tier might be a good way to test out Mailchimp for a while before committing.
Pricing
The company’s paid tiers do seem pricier compared to other competitors, but you do get more advanced features like social media marketing channels. The first paid plan is the Essentials tier, which costs $13 per month. After that is the Standard plan for $20 per month. The prices start to jump once you have more than 500 email contacts, which is a lower amount of contacts than what you’d find elsewhere. Mailchimp also offers a Premium plan for $350 per month, which is going to be best for businesses with more robust teams.
Customer Service
The free tier does offer email support, but only for the first 30 days. All paid tiers get email and live chat support. For businesses that would like guidance, the Standard and Premium tiers offer personalized onboarding.
There is 24/7 customer email support, though Premium customers can also contact a representative by phone. Mailchimp’s online knowledge base is easy to navigate—guides are sorted by topic, and there are plenty of video tutorials available.
Reputation
As a large company, Mailchimp has over 12 million businesses using their services. That’s not to say all customers love it. Many customers on Trustpilot report mixed messages about how easy the platform was to use and email deliverability. Some also mentioned the price point felt high.
Learn more: Read our full Mailchimp review.
Pros & Cons
- 24/7 email support for all paid tiers
- Free basic plan available
- Landing pages available for all tiers
- Price can be higher than other competitors
- Advanced audience insights only available on higher tiers
- Phone support only with Premium account
Best for Customer Support Options
Constant Contact
4.2
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
No (free trial available)
Starting price
$12
per month
Key features
Create and schedule emails, A/B testing, automations, marketing CRM, SMS marketing, e-commerce capabilities
On Constant Contact's Website
No (free trial available)
$12
per month
Create and schedule emails, A/B testing, automations, marketing CRM, SMS marketing, e-commerce capabilities
Expert Take
Features
What stands out about Constant Contact is its suite of CRM tools that not many competitors offer. You can use their tools to sell products and services, but you can also keep in touch with email contacts through segmentation by customer and their behavior on your website or e-commerce platform.
Depending on the paid tier, you’ll also get some decent email tools like AI content recommendations and subject line testing. There are also reporting tools like heat map engagement and automation tools where you can resend emails to non-opens. Businesses that really need to get granular or are serious about using their email marketing to drive sales may find these features extremely useful.
Pricing
Each paid tier is based on the number of email contacts you have and the features you want to be part of your email marketing arsenal. There are overage fees if you send over your allotted amount—it could be beneficial to pay for extra emails instead of having to wait until the next month. Pricing starts at $12 per month for the Lite plan, $35 per month for the Standard plan and $80 per month for the Premium plan.
Pricing jumps after the first 500 contacts, which can add up as your business grows. That being said, consider the fact that you are paying more for CRM tools that you may not find with other email marketing software.
Customer Service
All customers can search through Constant Contact’s knowledge base, watch free webinars and ask online community questions. There is also live chat and phone support—though it’s not 24/7—and drop-in sessions where you can ask one of Constant Contact’s trainers about its features.
Users on the Premium tier receive priority support.
Reputation
Constant Contact has received mostly positive reviews on Trustpilot and G2. Most cite how easy it was to use their email marketing features and create emails. Overall, it’s a reputable company and worth taking a look at if it ticks off all the boxes on your must-have features.
Learn more: Read our full Constant Contact review.
Pros & Cons
- AI tools for all tiers
- Marketing campaign calendar and builder tool
- Some CRM tools included for all tiers
- Free SMS campaigns included only with Premium plan
- Limited number of emails sent per month
- A/B testing only for email subject lines
Best for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises
GetResponse
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
Yes
Starting price
$19
per month
Key features
Autoresponders, email and landing page templates, segmentation, e-commerce capabilities
On Get Response' Website
Yes
$19
per month
Autoresponders, email and landing page templates, segmentation, e-commerce capabilities
Expert Take
Features
One of GetResponse’s standout features is that all paid users get a free onboarding or migration support session. This feature could be useful for standard business owners or smaller organizations looking to get up and running quickly.
Other useful features include the ability to create websites and landing pages (in addition to emails), set up integrations and API endpoints, and utilize automations. Higher tiers grant access to e-commerce tools like cart abandonment emails and sharing recommended products. There are even event-based workflows that could be useful for businesses looking to further create personalized content.
Pricing
GetResponse offers useful functions for the price you pay—unlimited emails, sales funnels and easy-to-use email templates would be beneficial to just about any business. Each paid tier is easy to understand, and their names summarize which businesses are best suited for each. If all you’re looking for is a simple way to email your customers, the Email Marketing tier at $19 per month is cost-effective, but the pricing jumps once you decide to add automation into the mix. The next plan (Marketing Automation) comes in at $59 per month and the Ecommerce Marketing plan is $119 per month.
Customer Service
Unless you’re on the highest-paid tier, you’re not going to get a dedicated support manager. However, all customers get 24/7 live chat and email support. GetResponse also has a knowledge center separated by topic, a webinar library and API docs. The knowledge center also offers marketing advice to help you sell and promote your business offerings.
Reputation
GetResponse has hundreds of thousands of customers and boasts a 99% email deliverability rate, which could prove its steady reputation. Third-party review sites like G2 and Trustpilot rate this company as average, with mixed results in customer service and available features.
Learn more: Read our full GetResponse review.
Pros & Cons
- 24/7 live chat support for all tiers
- Onboarding session for all tiers
- Tools available to convert customers and increase sales
- Limited e-commerce tools for lower tiers
- SMS marketing only available with Enterprise plan
- No automations with free tier
Best for Automated Email Marketing
ActiveCampaign
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
No (free trial available)
Starting price
$15
per month
Key features
Multi-step automations, email and landing page templates, segmentation, AI automations, CRM, integrations, reporting and analytics
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
No (free trial available)
$15
per month
Multi-step automations, email and landing page templates, segmentation, AI automations, CRM, integrations, reporting and analytics
Expert Take
Features
ActiveCampaign offers features useful to solo operations or larger businesses. It provides templates, automations and a user-friendly email design tool to help you personalize email marketing campaigns. You can even choose from more advanced features depending on what tier you choose, such as A/B testing, predictive sending or conversion tracking.
If your business is looking for more than just an email marketing solution, ActiveCampaign does offer some CRM add-ons with features like pipeline management, automated one-to-one emails and AI tools to predict the likelihood of a sale.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign’s basic Starter plan for $15 per month lacks a lot of the features you’d want when it comes to getting more nuanced insights into data and AI tools. While some businesses may not consider it a dealbreaker, landing pages are not offered unless you upgrade to the Plus plan for $49 per month or the Pro plan for $79 per month. Even the higher tiers are limited in the number of users you can have. For those wanting to integrate ActiveCampaign with other CRM tools, the Enterprise tier can get expensive fast at $145 per month.
Customer Service
ActiveCampaign offers live chat for all its paid tiers during their business hours. You can also submit a help ticket and a representative will help address your question. For Pro and Enterprise plans, you get free onboarding services.
There are also virtual and in-person workshops you can attend to learn more about how to use ActiveCampaign. Much like other competitors, there are video tutorials and a help center available.
Reputation
ActiveCampaign is a large company with thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of customers. It’s got some decent reviews—of the tens of thousands of reviews, customers have mentioned liking the automation features and helpful guides.
Learn more: Read our full ActiveCampaign review.
Pros & Cons
- A/B testing for emails and automations for most plans
- CRM and AI automation tools
- Advanced reporting features for most plans
- No free tier
- Basic plans cost more than some competitors
- Low number of users on paid plans
Best for CRM Tools
Keap
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Free version
No (free trial available)
Starting price
$299
per month
Key features
Email and text marketing, automations, customer pipeline, CRM, reporting, accept and manage payments
On Keap's Website
No (free trial available)
$299
per month
Email and text marketing, automations, customer pipeline, CRM, reporting, accept and manage payments
Expert Take
Features
Keap is an all-in-one suite of tools, including email marketing, e-commerce and contact management software. Its powerful automation features, drag-and-drop templates and concierge services make it an option worth considering. You get up to one year of personalized implementation support for all tiers—a one-to-one business mapping session, calls with a strategy manager and help with building automations.
Of course, there’s the usual email marketing and advanced CRM features, and all tiers include SMS marketing tools. Keap’s CRM tools are much more robust than its competitors, providing tools like contact segmentation, custom fields, access to automation history and sales pipelines.
Pricing
Keap is the most expensive email marketing software on our list when it comes to the first payable tier ($299 per month), but some may find that the benefits outweigh the costs. You get a high level of support for the higher cost, though prices will start jumping for every hundred subscribers after the base price. Unless you need a high level of customization and your business prefers an all-in-one solution to market and sell your offerings, you can find other lower-priced options.
Customer Service
Aside from the one-to-one implementation support, you’ll find the usual—an online help center, webinars and a user community. You also get 24/7 chat (though live chat is only during business hours) and phone support during business hours.
Reputation
Keap has been around for a while but it’s getting mixed reviews from its customers on G2 and Trustpilot. While most seem satisfied about the email provider’s automation features and its ease of use, some wish there were more features available.
Learn more: Read our full Keap review.
Pros & Cons
- Personalized onboarding and strategy sessions for one year
- CRM and contact management tools included in plans
- Advanced text messaging and email marketing tools
- Pricier than other competitors
- Can come with a moderate learning curve
- Only two users included in base price
Compare Top Email Marketing Software
Methodology
We evaluated some of the most popular email marketing services according to the pricing and features they offer for small and medium businesses (SMBs). We then scored these contenders across four categories of features with 26 different metrics that were weighted to favor features that small business owners find valuable in a provider.
Some of the factors that we used for our rankings:
Decision Factor | Scoring Weight | Description |
---|---|---|
Expert analysis | 20% | Our team of experts ranked a series of criteria including standout features, value, popularity and ease of use. |
Value | 35% | We considered the monthly subscription plan and the seat or user limit for each tier. |
General Features | 30% | Some features we compared included email send volume, image libraries, social media integrations, marketing automations and A/B testing. |
Additional Features | 15% | Additional features considered include onboarding processes for new users, email tracking, analytics/reporting, SMS marketing, and integration with social media platforms. |
What Is Email Marketing Software?
Email marketing software platforms are designed to enable you to easily create and send marketing emails to leads and customers. They provide features to help you manage your contacts, segment audiences and track interactions with your emails. They can also help you stay compliant with your email marketing efforts by ensuring you only send marketing emails to those who have subscribed and agreed to receive communications from you.
Many email marketing programs include tools, such as drag-and-drop email editors, landing page builders, custom forms for your sites for lead generation and workflow automation. All of these tools help you create digital marketing campaigns. Then run various reports to help you see what you need to tweak to better interact with your audiences, such as click-through rates and open rates.
How To Choose the Best Email Marketing Software
Choosing the best email marketing software comes down to what your team needs. The most basic email marketing tool will help you create, send and track emails. For more advanced features, consider an email marketing platform that offers more than email sends. Look for all-in-one solutions that let you create landing pages, set up web intake forms and include automation to make your job easier.
Consider these factors to choose the right tool for you:
- Send volume: Do the send limits and their corresponding price points make sense for your business plans for the near future?
- Migration: Can you easily migrate customer data from an existing platform into the new one?
- Integrations: If you need to, can you use your email list for retargeting ads on social media and around the web? Does the platform work with your existing CRM, online store and other systems?
- Design: Do the available templates and customization options fit your brand? Do the free themes and templates include features that serve your needs?
- Ease of use: How easily can you create and send an email or set up an automation? Will you need to hire an email specialist, designer or coder to build emails?
- Autonomy and customization: How much control do you have over the look and feel of your emails and newsletters? Does the platform have the functionality you need? Will your customers see the software’s logo on your emails?
- Contact limit: Consider how many email subscribers you have, as some email marketing software have different pricing based on the number of contacts. Does the pricing make sense? Does it offer enough value based on the features available?
- Marketing features: Will you take advantage of all or almost all of the features available? Will any of them help you be more effective in your business’s marketing efforts?
Essential Email Marketing Software Features
Not all email marketing software offer every single feature available. Look for these key features:
- Email creation and contact management: Users should expect to be able to craft emails to send to their subscribers. Plus, you’ll want to find email marketing software that segments your customers into several categories to help personalize messages.
- Design templates and design tools: You can choose from drag-and-drop editors or editors that let you customize the look of your emails using HTML. Many email marketing software offer templates to help speed the process up or to help you maximize your goals, like aiming for the best click through rate possible.
- Reporting tools: Being able to see basic reports and email marketing metrics is important in order to review information like email open rates and the effectiveness of your calls to action.
- Customization options: Depending on the tier you choose, you may get some or a wide variety of customization options like branding, layouts and other ways to change the look of your emails and landing pages.
- Automation or AI: While many email marketing software will have some sort of automation, such as setting up a series of emails for certain audiences, not all will have AI features. Some of these AI features could help gauge the best times to send emails or craft better content, but it may not be as necessary as other features.
Ease of Use
You want to use an email marketing software that you and your team are able to use easily. Choosing the option that comes with advanced features will not matter if your business is unable to take full advantage of those features. Consider signing up for a trial to learn how to schedule emails and other relevant tasks before committing.
Customer Service
Glitches happen, and understanding the level of customer service you want is important when picking an email marketing software company. Most will offer support via their online knowledge base or video tutorials. If you want more personalized service, you may find companies that offer email, live chat or phone support.
Send Limits
Some email marketing software allow users to send unlimited emails, whereas others impose limits and may charge if you go over that amount. Think about the number of email subscribers you have and intend on attracting, as well as how often you want to communicate to them.
How Much Does Email Marketing Software Cost?
Company | Starting Monthly Price |
---|---|
Campaign Monitor |
|
MailerLite |
|
Drip |
|
Brevo |
|
Zoho Campaigns |
|
Mailchimp |
|
Constant Contact |
|
GetResponse |
|
ActiveCampaign |
|
Keap |
|
Email marketing software varies wildly in price, depending on the level of plan you choose. There are free plans that limit your sends per day or month and low-cost plans that could run you around $5 to $10 per month with similar limitations on sends or on the size of your contact list. The average cost of email marketing platforms for up to 500 contacts is around $20 per month (based on Forbes Advisor’s top 10 list).
6 Tips To Improve Your Email Marketing Strategy
Improving your email marketing strategy starts with the tools and how you use them to achieve your business goals. Some best practices include:
- Use email marketing tools: Tools like the ones mentioned on our best of list can help you automate much of your marketing by capturing emails and sending targeted messages. Plus, you can take advantage of tools and integrations like landing page builders or CRMs.
- Proactively build your list: There are more ways to collect emails aside from after having an interaction with them. Consider encouraging others to sign up to your email list by offering an incentive, like a discount code, free trials or free digital downloads.
- Segment email lists by user intent: By segmenting your email subscribers, you can create more personalized emails and marketing campaigns. Categories you can segment include purchase history and website interactions.
- Engage your readers consistently: Some ways to encourage email open and click through rates could mean crafting enticing email subject lines, creating a clear call to action and optimizing send times.
- Measure your email marketing efforts: Checking relevant metrics in your email marketing campaigns will help you see what does and does not work. Some things you can check are email open rates, click-through rates and bounce rates. Use this intel to improve your email marketing strategy.
- Remove bounced emails: Do not be surprised if some emails bounce. Removing the faulty addresses will help increase the chances of your emails being read.
Learn more: Explore our full guide on Email Marketing Tips to Grow Your Business
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best email marketing platform?
Which email marketing platform is best for your business depends on your goals and needs. Most platforms offer basic features including newsletters, landing pages, automations, audience segmentation and reporting. To find one that stands out for you, look for differences in pricing, integrations and additional features, such as website builders and social media ads.
Is email marketing effective?
Yes, email marketing is an effective marketing tool. It offers a cost-effective way to engage customers and has the potential to generate a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing methods.
How can you make money with email marketing?
The most obvious way you can make money using email marketing is by sending transactional emails to sell specific products. You can also use historical purchase data to send timely reminder emails for customers to stock up on a product they bought before. Promotional emails can encourage customers to save money with a promo code. You can even use your emails or newsletters to promote other businesses’ products or services, use the space for upselling or include sponsored content.
How can you get email lists for marketing?
You can capture your own emails by placing pop-ups or sign-up forms on your website, obtaining emails from existing customers or through other methods such as social media campaigns. Some businesses choose to purchase email lists, though it may not result in engaged subscribers.
What is email marketing automation?
Email marketing automation is a series of automated tasks that help your business with capturing emails and sending emails (or a series of them) based on triggers like the date or subscriber behavior.