Email Marketing: Best Email Marketing Software

Best Email Marketing Software

Business owners are constantly striving to improve their marketing efforts. Email marketing remains a powerful marketing tool, with a return on investment of $42 for every $1 spent. 1 To harness the power of email marketing, it is essential to choose the right software that can take your marketing to the next level.

Email marketing software is much more than just a way to send and track emails. Tools for growing your audience, segmenting your lists, and combining all of your marketing channels turn software into a powerful solution for growing your business and earning more revenue.

We tested the most popular email marketing software on the market and considered price, ease of use, functionality, and more to give you the best option based on your needs.

7 Best Email Marketing Software in 2022

1. GetResponse: Get Started with a Free Marketing Platform

2. Mailchimp: Marketing, Automation & Email Platform

3. ActiveCampaign: Customer Experience Automation Platform

4. MailerLite: Create Email Marketing Your Audience Will Love

5. Hubspot: Best Free CRM Software for Businesses

6. Moosend: Email Marketing Software for Thriving Businesses

7. Drip: The Ecommerce Revenue Engine

1. GetResponse: Get Started with a Free Marketing Platform

GetResponse Pros and Cons

Pros

• A beginner-friendly email marketing platform
• Excellent customer service
• Annual discount available
• Free forever tier available
• Chat available 24/7
• Expanded features like SMS and email chat
• Powerful auto-responder options
• Easy email marketing features
• Improved e-commerce integration

Cons

• Analytics are underwhelming
• Lacks 24/7 phone support

GetResponse Overview

GetResponse is a marketing platform that includes a chat platform as standard. This means that GetResponse can be an ideal solution for marketers and business users in general, with a focus on everything from customer relationship management to landing pages and webinars.

However, behind all this is a marketing platform that offers landing pages and email marketing, as well as a respectable amount of automation, to ensure that your communications and marketing are working well. So after a chat with customers or colleagues via a link in an email or via a chat button on a landing page, you can automatically follow up with the email for responses and upsells as needed.

As if that wasn't enough, there are plenty of great integrations available with other popular third-party platforms, including Salesforce, Slack, WordPress, and Facebook, as well as several eCommerce platforms and payment gateway options like Magento, Shopify, Etsy, and more. , Stripe, and PayPal.

While the free tier only has 500 contacts, the cheapest paid tier for GetResponse allows up to 1,000 subscribers. For more customers, the price then increases according to the number of people you need to reach. At any given level, even free, there are an unlimited monthly number of emails sent that are supported.

A paid tier of subscription is a requirement, along with support via email and chat, to get chat functionality.

While the cost may appear a bit high compared to other providers, be aware that this assumes a single-core user and is only charged for that, rather than all users being charged each month as is that few other providers do, making it potentially more competitive. Furthermore, the inclusion of other marketing tools makes it a potentially powerful platform for users who can take advantage of these functions.

1. Mailchimp: Marketing, Automation & Email Platform

Mailchimp Pros and Cons

Pros

• Free-forever plan (up to 2,000 contacts)
• Easy to build and customize campaigns
• Clear reporting that helps optimize future sends
• Integrates with hundreds of software platforms

Cons

• Pricey for larger contact lists (more than 15k subscribers)
• Very limited phone support
• Not designed for advanced marketing teams

Mailchimp Overview

Mailchimp is the best overall email marketing software because it has the features most businesses need, without being overly complicated or confusing. Businesses can schedule campaigns, A/B test copy, and receive reports that include open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and more. Plus, it has some of the most generous free-forever plans of the software we've tested.

Mailchimp is the perfect tool for any business looking for an easier way to send email to its customers. It has an easy-to-use email editor, and once you upgrade to the first paid plan you get access to more advanced tools like A/B testing and a multi-step journey. Users will enjoy easy-to-understand reporting that helps them determine what is working and what is not. Things like open rates and click-throughs are easily identified so that business owners know whether readers are responding to the content.

Aside from its free plan, there are also three paid plans, which vary in cost based on how many subscribers you have (nonprofits receive a 15% discount):

• Essentials: $9.99 to $270 per month
• Standard: $14.99 to $540 per month
• Premium: $299 to $1,190 per month

Mailchimp is the perfect tool for any business looking for an easier way to send email to its customers. It has an easy-to-use email editor, and once you upgrade to the first paid plan you get access to more advanced tools like A/B testing and a multi-step journey. Users will enjoy easy-to-understand reporting that helps them determine what is working and what is not. Things like open rates and click-throughs are easily identified so that business owners know whether readers are responding to the content.

2. ActiveCampaign: Customer Experience Automation Platform

ActiveCampaign Pros and Cons

Pros

• Great automation features that simplify customer interactions
• Helpful, friendly, and fast customer support
• All plan levels include data migration and implementation services
• CRM with sales automation included for free (For a limited time)
• Has 850+ integrations with the most popular software

Cons

• The learning curve can be a challenge
• The Lite plan is very limited (and includes ActiveCampaign branding)
• Plans quickly jump in price with the number of contacts

ActiveCampaign Overview

ActiveCampaign is the best email marketing software for automation because it has hundreds of pre-built automation that help you personalize campaigns for each customer. There are help guides throughout the platform for when you're getting things set up, plus ActiveCampaign's customer support is fast and friendly.

ActiveCampaign is a Customer Experience Automation (CXA) software with email capabilities. Because it is designed to manage contacts and the sales process, it offers more than 850 integrations.

There is a 14-day free trial to test the software. After that, you have to subscribe to one of the four paid plans, which you can pay monthly or annually. The discount on paying annually ranges from 15% to 40% depending on the plan. The cost of each plan also depends on how many contacts you have (nonprofits get 20% off).

• Lite: $15+ per month
• Plus: $70+ per month
• Professional: $159+ per month
• Enterprise: $279+ per month

You can get a plan and adjust it for your number of contacts while still getting the basic features of the plan. For example, you can get the Lite plan with 500 contacts, but increase it to 100,000 contacts for $405 a year. The Plus, Professional, and Enterprise plan to enhance your platform's customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities.

ActiveCampaign helps businesses build automation that is optimized to drive engagement with customers, which gives it an edge in this category. The interface is easy to use, intuitive, and includes resources for any questions you may have during the process. It also includes sales automation so that your marketing and sales processes can work together to generate more revenue.

3. MailerLite: Create Email Marketing Your Audience Will Love

MailerLite Pros And Cons

Pros

• Drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to design emails
• Free plan for up to 1,000 contacts
• Email support
• Lots of email templates to choose from

Cons

• Doesn’t include CRM functionalities (Though it allows for integration)
• Limited integrations
• Need to provide a lot of company information to get an account set up

MailerLite Overview

MailerLite is the easiest email marketing software to use as it has a drag-and-drop interface that makes it fun and intuitive to create the design you want. Simplicity is at the heart of the company's mission, which is why the software has a clean and streamlined look.

MailerLite has designed a superior user-friendly platform, which makes it the best choice for ease of use. Should users experience any problems, there is email support to answer and troubleshoot any questions.

It offers a free forever plan that includes 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails. If you need more bandwidth or want more advanced features (like the ability to remove the MailerLite branding), there's a paid plan. The cost depends on how many customers you have. You can pay monthly or annually, but with the annual plan, you get 30% off. Nonprofits also get 30% off. Here is the cost breakdown:

• Up to 1,000 contacts: $10 per month
• 1,001 to 2,500 contacts: $15 per month
• 2,501 to 5,000 contacts: $30 per month
• 5,001 to 10,000 contacts: $50 per month

MailerLite includes everything you need for email marketing, without cluttering your system with advanced features. It's a perfect fit for businesses looking for a straightforward approach to email marketing that they can master in days, not months.

4. Hubspot: Best Free CRM Software for Businesses

HubSpot Pros and Cons

Pros

• Full marketing suite with CRM, social media, blogging, as well as email marketing capabilities
• The email health tab helps keep deliverability rates on track
• Only pay for the contacts you are marketing to
• Track leads throughout their buying journey
• Helpful online training resources

Cons

• Does not have a free-forever plan or a low-cost plan
• Not for businesses strictly looking for email marketing tools
• Difficult to integrate a separate CRM, like Salesforce or Pipedrive
• The steep learning curve to fully unlock the marketing potential

HubSpot Overview

HubSpot is the best all-in-one marketing suite because it has great tools and reporting for all your marketing campaigns across different channels (website, social, email marketing, and more). You can store all of the contact information with HubSpot's CRM and attract an audience through lead forms, live chat, and online ads.

HubSpot is a leader in CRM services that includes email marketing. The platform can handle everything from email, social media posts, and blog publishing, making it the top platform for an all-in-one marketing solution.

There is a 14-day free trial, and then you have to subscribe to one of their three paid plans. While storing unlimited contacts is free, once the number of emails you email exceeds the amount included, you'll need to pay an additional fee. Save 10% on the first two plans if you pay annually (the Enterprise plan must be paid annually).

• Starter (up to 1,000 contacts): $50 per month
• Professional (up to 2,000 contacts): $800 per month
• Enterprise (up to 10,000 contacts): $3,200 per month

HubSpot aggregates all your marketing activities in one place so you can get a centralized view of how contacts interact with your website, Google ads, social media, and email marketing. It provides insight into the buyer's journey, helping business owners better tailor their marketing efforts for success. The platform includes a robust training platform that not only reviews how to use the system but also highlights best practices for successful marketing campaigns.

5. Moosend: Email Marketing Software for Thriving Businesses

Moosend Pros and Cons

Pros

• Lowest plan costs
• Option to pay only when you send emails
• Easy to customize templates or use one from the template library

Cons

• Can’t send emails from a Gmail or Hotmail address
• Less-sophisticated user interface
• Limited integrations

Moosend Overview

Moosend is the best affordable option, not only because its paid plans have some of the lowest prices on the market, but also because you can pay based on the number of subscribers or the number of emails sent. Which option is the cheapest for you? Plus, its tools are user-friendly and make it easy to get engaging and timely emails to your audience.

Moosend is a cost-effective platform that gives users the option of receiving bills: by customers or by email. Phone support is included which can help if you have trouble customizing one of the many templates provided.

Moosend's free Forever plan includes 1,000 subscribers, as well as a Pro plan and an Enterprise plan with tiered pricing. You will need to contact Moosend for Enterprise plan pricing. The cost of the Pro plan is decided based on the number of subscribers. The cost is listed below if you pay monthly, but you'll receive a 20% discount for annual billing. If you're a nonprofit, you'll also get a 25% discount.

• Up to 2,000 subscribers: $10 per month
• 2,001 to 2,500 subscribers: $20 per month
• 2,501 to 5,000 subscribers: $30 per month
• 5,001 to 8,000 subscribers: $40 per month

You can choose to pay for the number of emails sent (includes unlimited customers), which Moosend calls credits. For $1, you get 1,000 credits, which is the equivalent of 1,000 emails sent. With this option, you get the same features that are included in the Pro plan, such as landing pages and transactional emails.

Moosend is one of the cheapest email marketing tools on the market, but it's good enough to satisfy most email marketing campaigns for small businesses, winning our spot for the most affordable option. This allows you to pay by either the number of subscribers or the number of emails sent, so you can choose which option is most cost-effective for your business.

6. Drip: The Ecommerce Revenue Engine

Drip Pros and Cons

Pros

• Simple yet powerful drip campaigns
• Easy to set up and use
• Excellent customer support
• Sophisticated contact list segmentation

Cons

• Lacks a few key integrations
• No drag-and-drop functionality for designing templates
• Support is only available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST

Drip Overview

Drip is the best email marketing software for e-commerce businesses because of its sophisticated workflow combined with advanced list segmentation. This combination means that customers receive personalized emails triggered by their buying behavior on your site and timely follow-ups based on how they interact with your email.

Designed to improve the online user experience for buyers, Drip is the best email marketing software for e-commerce companies. Its user support is available to help you set up and use the service. We especially like how you can segment your lists so that users get the best possible experience from your website and email alerts.

Drip has a 14-day free trial and a plan that ranges from $19 to $1,599 per month depending on how many contacts you have in your account. Here are some price points:

• Up to 500 contacts: $19 per month
• 501 to 2,000 contacts: $29 per month
• 2,001 to 2,500 contacts: $39 per month
• 2,501 to 3,000 contacts: $49 per month

For contacts exceeding this number, it is best to get the details directly from the website. The tier scale goes up to 140,000 contacts for $1,599 before you need to contact them for custom enterprise pricing.

Drip is built for e-commerce, which means that its workflows, email templates, and lead generation forms are designed with e-commerce best practices in mind. It includes advanced segmentation and optimization that allows you to over-target your campaigns to increase user engagement.

What is Email Marketing Software?

Email marketing software enables users to create, send and track emails to their subscriber lists. Using the software makes it easy to create well-designed emails, and also allows you to view key metrics like open rates and click-through rates. Advanced platforms allow you to send automated messages based on user behavior, which increases the likelihood of engagement as email is more personalized to their interests.

Email marketing is an effective marketing tool for almost any industry. For example, an e-commerce store may automate a follow-up email if a user leaves an item in their cart, reminding them to make a purchase. A SaaS product can encourage users to showcase a product and follow up consistently based on whether the lead leads them to their offer. While email marketing is by no means new technology, it has proven its effectiveness year after year in industry reports.

What is the cost of email marketing software?

Email marketing software usually has variations of plans depending on the number of contacts you have. The cost of the lowest-priced plan usually ranges from free to $50 per month. The highest-priced plan can cost thousands of dollars per month. Most plans have a free trial of at least two weeks and offer discounts to users who pay annually.

How much you pay depends on how many features you need and how actively you engage in email marketing. This is because most software charges either by the number of emails in the database or by the number of emails you send. Therefore, it is important to keep a close eye on your activity to monitor whether your monthly costs are increasing.

Does CRM Software Include Email Marketing?

Some CRM software provides you with the functionality to email contacts within a database. However, it does not have the robust set of features that software dedicated to email marketing would have. The email marketing tools in CRM are really for people who only need to send emails occasionally and don't need to design or automate campaigns.

If you want to increase engagement with your customers through automation or get more advanced reporting, it makes sense to get a separate email marketing software from your CRM.

What is usually included in email marketing software?

Almost all email marketing software allows you to design emails, upload contacts, schedule email campaigns, and view data about the performance of your emails. Advanced software lets you A/B test aspects of email, segment your contact list by interests, and automate email based on how the contact interacts with any of your marketing channels. There are also usually lead generation capabilities such as putting lead forms on your site and creating landing pages to get more customers into the database.

Credit: Investopedia