Despite the boom in digital marketing and the various new marketing channels that have opened up for small to medium businesses and startups to utilize, there is nothing quite so direct and effective as email marketing.
However, for email marketing to be successful, you must ensure that the platform you are using is one of the best. Therefore, before signing up for email marketing services, you must evaluate some crucial factors, including what features you get with the service and the different price points. If you’re unsure which email marketing services to consider, then we’ve compiled a list of the best platforms for you to consider.
SendinBlue
What started as a modest digital agency has bloomed into a highly competitive and all-encompassing digital marketing firm. The most prominent feature of SendinBlue that is especially beneficial for small to medium-sized businesses and startups is the numerous services and marketing automation the company provides on a budget. Besides the competitive market pricing, SendinBlue also offers unlimited subscribers on its payment plans.
Pricing:
- Free: up to 300 emails a day and unlimited contacts.
- Lite: starts from $25 a month and 20,0000 emails a day. It includes features such as advanced statistics.
- Premium: starts from $65 a month and includes 200,000 emails per day.
- Enterprise: For advanced marketers with tailored needs. The price may vary depending on additional features.
Pros:
- Numerous marketing channels besides email. This includes SMS marketing.
- A great basic free plan for small business owners and students just getting started with email marketing.
- Top-notch automation features for a relatively economical price range
- Strong CRM system
- Includes Audience segmentation tools for targeted marketing
Cons:
- Limited integrations compared to other platforms
- Analytics reports have the potential for improvement
MooSend
Operational since 2011, MooSend is one of the most versatile email platforms you will come across. Its wide range of services is used by small companies, startups, and even big Fortune 500 companies. With an easy-to-use interface and drag-and-drop campaign editor, MooSend has quickly risen to fame as one of the fastest and easiest ways to grow your business.
Pricing:
- Free Trial: a 30-day free trial that includes all the essential marketing features, except for SMTP Server.
- Pro: starting at $9 with up to 500 subscribers and unlimited emails.
- Enterprise: Custom plan with varying prices depending upon features
Pros:
- Efficient and easy to use optimization features, even for beginners
- Includes countdown emails to persuade the audience into making quick decisions
- High-quality customization templates
- The free trial period includes automation tools to engage the audience.
Cons:
- Loading time can be prolonged in some cases
- The sign-up forms need improvement
Constant Contact
One of the oldest marketing platforms in the market, Constant Contact, started in 1995 and has since grown into a marketing giant with nearly 650,000 customers. In addition to the widely used, email marketing features most companies offer. The platform has numerous features such as surveys and social campaigns that set it apart from its customers. Furthermore, with its wide variety of integrations, Constant Contact is an excellent tool for all types of businesses.
Pricing:
- Free Trial: Both Core and Plus features can be tried for free for 30 days, after which the subscription amount will be refunded.
- Core: starts at $9.99 per month. The final price depends on the number of contacts.
- Plus: it starts at $45 per month. The price is based upon the number of contacts. Plus has all the features of the Core plan and additional features such as personalized kick-off calls and audience segmentation.
- Franchise and Associations: Tailored plans for franchises and associations
Pros:
- Discounts for Non-profit organizations and prepay customers
- Over 400 integrations and application tools for customers to utilize
- Unique features such as social campaigns and surveys
- High-quality tools for event management
Cons:
- Customization features are rather basic, so personalized marketing is a little difficult
- Automation features are somewhat dated and could be improved with upgrades
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an excellent email marketing service for startups, freelancers, and small to medium businesses looking for budget-friendly marketing options that pack a punch. Its most popular features include reporting for email deliverability, its robust email editor, lead management, and campaign management.
Pricing:
- Free: for up to 2000 contacts, this feature has multiple tools to help grow your business.
- Essential: starting at $11 per month for 500 contacts, with numerous additional features.
- Standard: starts at $17 per month and is made for marketing professionals that require data-driven tools.
- Premium: starting at $299 per month based on 10,000 contacts and advanced features.
Pros:
- Free trial and free versions with numerous tools to grow small businesses
- Easy linking with other applications and integrations
- Customizable triggers for sending emails
- Straight-forward interface
Cons:
- Audience segmentation is complex due to poor tagging tools
- Double confirmation on registration can be tedious
ActiveCampaign
One of the most effective email marketing platforms in the market, ActiveCampaign has many tools, optimizations, and automation. The marketing and email automation on this platform is its best feature as ActiveCampaign aims to send fewer but targeted and impactful emails that engage the audience successfully.
Pricing:
- Lite: $9 per month, includes essential features
- Plus: $49 per month, has features in addition to those in Lite package
- Professional: $149 per month, includes custom advanced features for fast
- Enterprise: $259 per month, tailormade for large franchise
Pros:
- Contains one-on-one training and support
- Top of the line automation
- No setup costs and free migration
- Discounts for Non-profit organizations
- Excellent in-built CRM to manage and track sales and customers
Cons:
- A complicated user interface, especially for beginners
- Reporting tools can be challenging to navigate
Get Response
A simplified platform with specific features, Getresponse is used by startups and big businesses like Ikea and Unicef. GetResponse features detailed statistics, integrations, and advanced functions despite its surface simplicity. One of the reasons for the platform’s popularity is GetResponse’s reasonable price range.
Pricing:
- Free: excellent marketing features such as email marketing, website building, and landing pages. Includes up to 500 contacts
- Basic: $15.58 per month, includes numerous features in addition to those in the free plan.
- Plus: $48.38 per month, includes basic plan features as well as other advanced features
- Professional: $97.58 per month with numerous additional unlimited features for e-commerce and funneling
Pros:
- Well-known marketing brand
- Easy to use tools
- Numerous marketing features such as landing pages, conversion funnels, and optimizations
Cons:
- Dated automation create hindrances for fast-paced marketing
MailerLite
Especially suited for beginners, freelancers, SMBs, and startups. The free plan in MailerLite offers numerous high-quality automations that are usually only included in paid plans. Besides free newsletters, users can try features such as audience segmentation and workflow automation for free! The payment plans are also quite affordable as the company firmly believes in having a fair pricing structure.
Pricing:
- Free: features up to 1000 subscribers and 12000 emails
- $10 per month: up to 1000 subscribers and unlimited emails
- $15 per month: 1,001 to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited emails
- $30 per month: 2,501 – 5,000 subscribers and unlimited emails
- $50 per month: 5,001 – 10,000 subscribers and unlimited emails
Pros:
- One of the most reasonable marketing platforms with a feature-packed free plan
- User-friendly interface
- Basic personalizations are offered
Cons:
- Does not include complex automation features
- No comprehensive reporting
AWeber
One of the oldest digital marketing platforms, AWeber claims to have invented the autoresponder that changed the email marketing game. AWeber also has excellent customer service compared to other platforms, so you can tell they are quite ahead in their customer service and marketing.
- Pricing:
- Free: up to 500 subscribers and basic marketing features
- Pro: starting at $16.15 per month, with advanced features.
Pros:
- List segmentation allows users to view and manage their subscribers with ease
- Simplified structure and navigation
- Top-notch tracking features for sales
Cons:
- Some features need updates
Convertkit
Convertkit is known for providing a seamless digital marketing experience. Unlike other platforms that require coding, its simple drag and drop features make campaign management and email marketing a breeze. SMBs and startups can use this powerful platform to increase their productivity and grow efficiently.
Pricing:
- Free: up to 300 subscribers, features basic email marketing tools
- Creator: starting from $15 per month, for up to 300 subscribers, features advanced marketing tools
- Creator Pro: starting from $29 per month for up to 300 subscribers, with customized tools and data-driven features
Pros:
- Powerful automation that can be used to view the entire funnel you have created
- Affordable pricing structure
- Intuitive editor for emails
Cons:
- Features and integrations are fewer compared to other platforms
Drip
If you have a growing e-commerce brand, then drip is especially beneficial for your business. From customizations with a state-of-the-art workflow builder to engaging your audience with automated emails, Drip has it all.
Pricing:
- Email: starting from $19 for 500 contacts and unlimited emails
- Email + SMS: starting from $22 for 500 contacts, unlimited emails, and 200 SMS sends
Pros:
- Does not require prior knowledge of coding
- Visually appealing interface
- Easy to use yet effective tools
- Numerous features for email pruning
Cons:
- Lack of customization tools
- Fewer number of integrations
Conclusion
The old and reliable email marketing is a tried and tested marketing method that is guaranteed to give you great results. No matter your target market, email marketing is one of the most efficient and fast ways to reach the right audience. First, however, you must choose a platform that meets your small business’s needs in terms of marketing so your business can grow smoothly.