Email marketing is a highly effective channel that consistently delivers superior ROI compared to other marketing channels. It's also great for community building and fostering personalized engagement with customers. However, with proper infrastructure for email marketing, businesses may be able to reach subscribers, encourage engagement, build relationships, generate leads, and increase sales.
To help you find the right email marketing platform to achieve your goals, we've compiled a list of the top platforms available today, each with unique features.
What is Email Marketing?
If you're sold on the value of email marketing, you might be wondering what exactly an email marketing platform is and why it's important to use one. Essentially, an email marketing platform is a software that helps you create and manage your email marketing campaigns. These platforms are usually cloud-based SaaS tools that enable you to send various types of email communications, such as newsletters, promotions, and abandoned cart recovery emails, with ease. By using a high-quality email marketing platform, you can streamline your campaigns and maximize their effectiveness.
What are the expected functions of email marketing platforms?
To make your life easier as an email marketer, you need an email marketing platform that can automate your emails and marketing campaigns, as well as create engaging emails for your customers and subscribers. When selecting an email marketing platform, here are six important features to look for:
User Interface
Choose an email marketing platform with an easy-to-use interface and a drag-and-drop email editor. Ensure that the platform has HTML email templates or customizable email templates that showcase your brand.
Segmentation
Look for a platform that offers email segmentation based on demographics, location, behavior, and more. Some platforms use AI and machine learning to fine-tune your email campaigns in real-time.
Personalization
Find a platform that includes merge tags to personalize your email subject lines and copy. Dynamic content allows you to create and send a single email that automatically includes certain content depending on the segment it's being sent to.
Automation
Choose a platform with automation features that can help you save time, such as email scheduling, delivery receipts, engagement tracking, text analytics, role-based account access for your marketing team, and intelligent segmentation.
Testing
Look for a platform with A/B and split testing functionality to test different elements of your marketing emails and ensure that you have the best possible combination of subject lines, copy, calls to action, email design, and format.
Reports and Analytics
Select a platform that includes reporting and analytics to track open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and more.
In addition to these basic features, there are several advanced features available today, such as SMS marketing, website and landing page builders, built-in CRM, website personalization, digital advertising, and chat and chatbot functionality. These features allow you to engage buyers at different points in the buyer’s journey, deliver personalized content, and streamline marketing tasks.
Here's the list of our Top Email Marketing Tools:
1. Omnisend
Omnisend is a comprehensive email marketing automation platform designed specifically for eCommerce brands. It empowers businesses to enhance their newsletters and drive sales through the use of automated emails, segmentation, and SMS capabilities. The platform offers pre-built automations, such as cart abandonment, welcome series, and transactional emails, to facilitate streamlined and efficient buyer engagements.
You may read our full review of Omnisend to learn more.
2. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is an ideal solution for both eCommerce enterprises and content creators. Its user-friendly interface offers a seamless experience, and it's packed with an array of powerful features. These features include opt-in forms, landing pages, email workflows, tagging systems, data management and list segmentation, personalization, automation, and much more. Additionally, ConvertKit provides convenient integrations with other popular platforms, including WooCommerce, PayPal, Stripe, and WordPress, which many creators are already familiar with.
3. Aweber
AWeber is an excellent email marketing platform that caters to teams, small businesses, and entrepreneurs alike. The platform boasts a drag-and-drop email editor, a range of templates, automation and workflows, A/B testing, segmentation, autoresponders, and extensive integrations. AWeber also includes a landing page builder, similar to others on our list. This feature is clean and user-friendly, with a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for anyone to quickly create and deploy a landing page along with an email campaign.
You may read our Aweber full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
4. Sendinblue
Sendinblue is a comprehensive platform that offers various business communication types, such as email, SMS, Facebook, Chat, CRM, and more. The company's primary objective is to assist businesses in connecting with their customers. Sendinblue accomplishes this by automating many of the mundane tasks, allowing you to concentrate on the most important ones. The platform's email builder enables you to create professional-looking emails quickly, but its real power lies in its combination of features. With chat, SMS marketing, Inbox, CRM, and automation, you can effortlessly create smarter and more engaging email campaigns. The platform's Facebook Ads functionality allows you to retarget contacts and attract new leads, further expanding your reach.
You may read our Sendinblue full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
5. GetResponse
GetResponse is one of the top email marketing platforms and is highly popular among marketers across a wide range of industries. The platform offers an array of features, including email automation, customizable templates, segmentation, and personalization options. Additionally, it features a convenient Auto Funnel function that provides pre-built marketing funnels for email campaigns. Overall, GetResponse offers a range of powerful tools designed to drive brand growth, from A/B testing to a comprehensive analytics tool that tracks email campaign performance.
You may read out GetResponse full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
6. MailerLite
MailerLite is a robust contender for small and medium-sized businesses and creators. Its features include the essential elements needed for successful email marketing, such as surveys, automation, pop-ups, and landing pages. Furthermore, MailerLite seamlessly integrates with many eCommerce platforms and marketing tools that you may already be using.
While it may seem understated at first glance, the platform's clean design is what makes it powerful. Every aspect of the platform is optimized for growth, including eCommerce campaign functionality, automation, segmentation, promotional pop-ups, and the ability to create landing pages.
You may read out MailerLite full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
7. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform, particularly suitable for new businesses and beginners. It provides a variety of tools for effective email marketing, such as email automation, data segmentation, templates, personalization, A/B testing, and lead capture forms. While Mailchimp initially only focused on email, it has broadened its services. You can now create a website for free, purchase a domain, run paid ads and landing pages, publish social media posts, and even send printed postcards to any location worldwide.
You may read out Mailchimp full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
8. SendPulse
SendPulse is an all-in-one marketing platform that enables businesses to send emails, SMS, and create chatbots for Facebook and Telegram. With these features combined, it allows brands to provide a more comprehensive and engaging experience for their customers.
By utilizing Automation 360, businesses can send various types of messages separately or combined. The platform offers a suite of email marketing tools, including collecting user information, creating responsive templates, and setting up automated workflows.
You may read out Sendpulse full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
9. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is an excellent email marketing platform that can help you create professional campaigns with ease. It boasts a smart email editor that enables you to customize and design visually-appealing emails that look great on all devices. Additionally, it comes with a range of features that make it an attractive option for small businesses and non-profits, including automation, social marketing tools for lead generation, and the ability to create websites and landing pages. Constant Contact also offers specialized email marketing tools for eCommerce, making it easy to grow your online store. You can easily import contact lists from Excel, Outlook, Salesforce, or any other platform where you store your contacts.
You may read out Constant contact full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
10. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is an economical email marketing platform that's perfect for small marketing teams and creators. It offers all the essential features such as automation, segmentation, triggered emails, email funnels, autoresponders, A/B testing, and scheduling. Moreover, it offers advanced features like conditional content, geotracking, managed deliverability, and multi-user editing. With geotracking, you can see where your subscribers are located, and managed deliverability ensures that your emails land in the inbox. Additionally, multi-user editing allows you to update multiple fields in an email with subscriber information.
You may read out ActiveCampaign full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans.
11. Campaigner
Campaigner is a multi-channel marketing tool that offers advanced email marketing automation and a wide range of features. With Campaigner, you can create email workflows, track conversions, nurture prospects, and personalize your emails.
In addition to its email marketing automation, Campaigner also offers hundreds of responsive email templates to choose from. What sets it apart from other platforms is its sophisticated template management system, which includes restricted access and tagging features to help you organize your templates. Plus, Campaigner has a built-in image editing tool, so you can customize your visual assets without having to switch to another tool.
Campaigner's reporting features are also impressive. Its comprehensive reports include standard metrics like open and click rates, as well as geolocation reporting that lets you see how your campaigns are performing in different locations. Overall, Campaigner is a powerful tool that can help marketers manage campaigns across multiple channels.
12. EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus is a widely used email marketing software that aims to offer a simpler, more intuitive, and better value alternative to its competitors. Its drag-and-drop editor allows you to customize email templates, or you can create your own email designs from scratch. Moreover, the platform also includes a landing page builder that helps you generate leads and expand your email list. EmailOctopus' integration capabilities are particularly attractive for agile brands. With its seamless integrations with Shopify, Gravity Forms, WordPress, and more, it's a great choice for brands looking to achieve ambitious goals.
13. Drip
On our list of email marketing platforms, Drip is one of the more advanced options, making it an excellent choice for eCommerce businesses. Its integration with popular eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento allows you to use your eCommerce CRM data to create personalized marketing campaigns. Segmenting your email list based on different criteria, such as clicks, purchase history, and email opens, allows you to effectively target the appropriate audience with the relevant message.
What sets Drip apart from other email marketing platforms is its integration with SMS marketing. You can send SMS messages for a range of engagements, including abandoned cart reminders and promotional deals, which is a unique feature among email marketing platforms.
14. Keap
Keap is not just a customer relationship management service, it also offers robust email marketing, automation, and sales tools that make it one of the best email marketing platforms on the market. With Keap, you get access to powerful automation and workflow tools, customizable templates for emails, quotes, invoices, and proposals, as well as seamless integration with your favorite business tools and apps. But what really sets Keap apart is its advanced automation and CRM capabilities, which make it easy to turn current customers into repeat customers. If you're a small eCommerce brand with a growing MarTech stack, Keap is the smart choice.
Read our Keap full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans
15. Hubspot
HubSpot enables you to create customized, polished emails without requiring any design expertise. Its integration with HubSpot’s CRM is a standout feature, providing access to precise customer data that can be used to personalize your emails. Additionally, the marketplace offers proven templates for further customization using the drag-and-drop editor, including changes to layout and calls to action.
Read our Hubspot full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans
16. SendGrid
SendGrid is a versatile email marketing platform suitable for businesses of all sizes. It's trusted by over 80,000 brands, including big names like Uber, Airbnb, and Spotify. Its impressive features include design tools, automation, testing, and statistics.
To get started, SendGrid provides a library of responsive templates that you can customize to match your branding. The drag-and-drop tools make it easy to refine the design or start from scratch if you prefer.
SendGrid also simplifies contact engagement. With automated, recurring emails, and subscriber list segmentation, you can send more personalized messages to your audience.
The platform ensures that all your emails are polished and error-free with integrated email testing and inbox render tests. You can eliminate spammy content, fix broken links or buttons, and check how your message displays in various inboxes, giving you peace of mind before sending your emails.
17. Moosend
Moosend's Free plan makes it a great option for small businesses, but even if you're not on the Free plan, it remains one of the most affordable email marketing platforms available.
One of its strengths is its ability to personalize email campaigns by segmenting email lists based on customer behavior. This leads to highly relevant emails that make a significant impact.
Moosend also offers custom sign-up forms that can help grow your email list. And once your list has grown, you can use its automation features to create workflows that ensure your emails are sent at the best possible time.
Read our Moosend full review to learn more about their offers and pricing plans
18. Benchmark
Benchmark is a great option if you need a tool to send personalized messages at scale. Reduce your manual workload and drive more revenue with the ability to create an automated welcome series or follow up with potential customers who have abandoned their shopping carts.
It also includes various tools to test your campaigns' performance, such as A/B testing and engagement reports. One standout feature is its Inbox Checker, which is powered by Litmus. This tool allows you to preview your email in different environments to rule out and fix any possible rendering issues before sending it. This ensures that your emails will look great and be effective in reaching your audience.
19. SMTPs
SMTP's solutions are tailored towards email delivery rather than the visual aspects of creating marketing emails, making it a reliable option for sending and tracking high-volume emails. Its reasonably priced SMTP relay and email delivery services ensure that billions of emails are sent out each month using a secure and reliable platform, helping to ensure that emails are delivered successfully. Additionally, SMTP is a great tool for transactional emails, triggering them quickly and efficiently.
20. Engagebay
EngageBay is an all-in-one platform that provides marketing, sales, and service automation software, catering to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including CRM, email marketing, marketing automation, social media management, appointment scheduling, helpdesk, and more.
One of the standout features of EngageBay is its affordability, making it an attractive option for businesses with limited budgets. The platform also offers a free plan that includes many of its core features, making it a great option for small businesses just getting started.
EngageBay's CRM allows businesses to manage customer data, track leads, and automate their sales processes. The platform also includes email marketing capabilities, with drag-and-drop email editors, personalized email templates, and automated email campaigns.
21. SendX
SendX is a budget-friendly email marketing solution that simplifies designing, scheduling, and tracking email campaigns, while also boosting sales. The platform enables you to upload a pre-approved email list, send out email campaigns, and analyze click and open rates, conversions, and other important metrics through comprehensive reporting. With a powerful rules-based interface, you can automate your email marketing based on user activity and audience segmentation.
22. FreshMarketer
Freshmarketer is a comprehensive marketing automation solution that includes robust email marketing tools to help businesses engage and convert their subscribers into paying customers. With Freshmarketer, you can deliver timely and relevant information through targeted email campaigns that can significantly boost conversions.
Although primarily a CRM platform, Freshmarketer's CRM functionality provides valuable customer insights that strengthen marketing campaigns. The platform also leverages automation to power lead generation and nurturing, send invoices, and generate recurring revenue through email reminders to subscribers.
23. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 provides a comprehensive business ecosystem that replaces multiple services and apps. Its range of tools encompasses communications, project management, customer relationship management (CRM), contact center, and website management. With Bitrix24's email platform, users can leverage webforms, SMS, instant messaging marketing, and Facebook, Instagram, and Google advertising capabilities.
Despite its extensive functionality, Bitrix24 boasts a user-friendly interface. Its built-in CRM enables users to create effective email marketing campaigns with ease.
24. Emercury
Emercury competes strongly in the small-to-medium-sized business market due to its extensive range of features. The platform's HTML editor and drag-and-drop template editor make it simple to personalize messages, forms, and autoresponders. With Emercury's Journey Builder, users can automate lead nurturing through trigger-based actions. Additionally, Emercury offers integration with over 2,000 sales and marketing tools, collaboration apps, customer support platforms, social media, and more, allowing for seamless data synchronization.
25. Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor stands out for its visually stunning email templates and exceptional customer service. The platform's email builder empowers users to customize color schemes and fonts, ensuring brand consistency. Additionally, Campaign Monitor provides access to millions of free photos through Unsplash, making it easy to create standout emails.
For businesses that prioritize segmentation in their email marketing strategy, Campaign Monitor is an excellent choice. The platform allows for the use of existing customer data to create highly targeted segments and personalized emails.
26. Salesforce
Salesforce offers an email marketing platform called Email Studio as part of its product lineup. This tool supports various aspects of email marketing, including audience targeting, message creation, and message automation.
Before crafting your email, Email Studio's drag-and-drop segmentation tools can help you refine your subscriber list, while its intelligence features can identify content likely to boost conversions. Once your list is optimized, customizable templates designed by professionals can be used to create engaging emails for every stage of the subscriber journey.
To ensure optimal delivery timing, Email Studio allows you to create delivery schedules, which helps alleviate your marketing team's workload. While not as feature-rich as other tools, Email Studio may be an attractive choice for Salesforce users who want to avoid adding another third-party tool to their arsenal.
27. Robly
Robly utilizes exclusive technologies to improve engagement and conversion rates for email marketing, making it an email service provider worth considering. The software has proven to be a reliable solution for non-profits, educational institutions, charities, and other industries.
Robly's AI technology, including the unique RoblyID, is a significant draw for businesses. RoblyID analyzes website traffic and automatically adds contact records to email lists, resulting in ten times the typical number of leads. It also complies with CAN-SPAM regulations, ensuring adherence to data protection policies.
Although it may be more challenging to master compared to other platforms, Robly offers a comprehensive solution for automated campaigns with a higher potential for boosting ROI. Once your marketing team overcomes the learning curve, Robly's technology can be a valuable asset.
28. Zoho Campaigns
Zoho Campaigns is a cloud-based suite of solutions that provides email marketers with a range of affordable tools. With pre-designed templates and embedded sign-up forms, marketers can easily create emails in a matter of minutes and automate information tracking.
This software provides customizable templates, email polls, and org-level segmentation to help you personalize your messages. It also offers A/B testing to determine which design, subject line, and style work best for your target audience, making email marketing as efficient as possible.
Zoho Campaigns also offers interoperability, allowing you to create workflows with third-party CRMs such as Zoho CRM to closely monitor your campaigns. While the user interface may not be as seamless as other software tools like MailChimp, Zoho Campaigns is an affordable option that provides all the essential features you need for email marketing.
29. Litmus
Litmus is a comprehensive email marketing solution that offers personalization and collaboration features to maximize the ROI of your campaigns. With its pre-send campaign development, A/B testing, and Litmus Personalize, a proprietary AI-content recommendation tool, it provides robust capabilities to improve email performance.
What sets Litmus apart is its user-friendliness. It's a low-code software that can be used effectively by non-technical team members. You can create error-free and on-brand emails, and achieve your optimization goals for opens and conversions.
The software also solves content challenges by partnering with Kickdynamic to provide content recommendations for weekly campaigns, which can be optimized to keep customer engagement. Marketers can test emails, collaborate on large email volumes, segment campaigns, and scale personalized messages for a brand's contact list. Litmus has worked with various industries, from U.S. banks to advertising agencies and eCommerce businesses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, email marketing is a critical component of any successful digital marketing strategy, and there are many tools available to help businesses create effective campaigns. The 29 tools we have discussed offer a wide range of features and functionalities, from email personalization and A/B testing to automation and analytics. By carefully considering their unique needs and goals, businesses can find the email marketing tool that best suits them and optimize their campaigns to reach and engage their target audience effectively.
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