I first started an email list on WPBeginner using Mailchimp. After using it for over 13 years, I switched our email marketing service to Drip.
I also use many other email marketing services across my different companies depending on my team’s needs.
A big lesson I learned is that not every marketing tool is created equal. You’ll need to choose the right tool based on your niche, budget, and requirements.
This is why I’ve put together this guide to help you easily find the best email marketing services for all kinds of businesses. Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or someone starting an online store, this list will help you choose the right email tool to grow your audience and business.
Why Trust My Recommendations?
Hi, my name is Syed Balkhi. I’m the founder of WPBeginner and CEO of Awesome Motive. I have created numerous bootstrapped software companies. Today, over 30 million websites use my software.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve used countless email marketing tools on my personal blogs and my business websites.
Here’s why you can trust my recommendations:
- Hands-On Experience: I’ve personally used all the email marketing tools listed in this article across my businesses and projects.
- Comprehensive Testing: My team and I rigorously test each service for ease of use, deliverability, automation features, and overall value.
- Community Feedback: Through WPBeginner, I’ve helped thousands of users choose the right email marketing service and gathered their feedback to ensure these tools meet real-world needs.
- Transparency: I only recommend services based on real data, user experiences, and the value they provide. I don’t recommend tools that I wouldn’t use myself.
This guide is the result of years of experience, thorough testing, and feedback from the WPBeginner community. I’m confident it will help you find the best email marketing service to grow your audience and take your business to the next level.
Quick Pick – The Best Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses
If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at all my recommended email marketing services.
What Makes the Best Email Marketing Service?
Now that you know what to look for in an email marketing service and how I tested each platform, let’s dive into the reviews. I’ve carefully selected the best tools based on real-world performance, features, ease of use, and value for money.
Each email marketing service on this list excels in specific areas, whether it’s automation, deliverability, or budget-friendly pricing. I’ll share what I liked about each tool, where it shines, and how it can help you grow your audience and business.
Let’s get started!
1. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is my top choice for email marketing services, particularly for small businesses and beginners. I’ve found it to be the easiest platform even if you’re completely new to email marketing.
I appreciated how quickly I could set up my first email campaign. Its email templates make designing professional emails simple, but formatting can be tricky at times, especially when using several images. I really liked the error-checking feature, which helps you avoid common mistakes like forgotten placeholder text or links.
Constant Contact also includes advanced features like list segmentation, email automation, surveys, coupons, and A/B testing. Its integration with Shopify and WooCommerce is particularly helpful if you run an online store.
Recently, they introduced generative AI, but I find it very limited.
Pros of Constant Contact
Why do I recommend Constant Contact? I recommend Constant Contact because it’s incredibly easy to use while offering all the tools you need to grow your email list and increase engagement. Its support team and in-person seminars make it valuable for small businesses.
Pricing: Constant Contact offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required). Paid plans start at $12/month.
For WPBeginner users: Use my Constant Contact coupon code to get 20% off for 3 months. Plans start at $10.20/month.
My Experience: If you’re starting with email marketing, I believe Constant Contact is a great place to begin. When I tested it, I found it offers all the right features for beginners. My personal favorite is its error-checking feature that fixes common mistakes like forgotten placeholder text or links. See my complete Constant Contact review for more details.
👉 Start With Constant Contact 👈
2. Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is one of the best options for businesses on a budget. I like how Brevo combines email marketing, SMS campaigns, CRM, and automation into one powerful platform.
The biggest highlight for me is Brevo’s free plan, which allows you to have unlimited contacts and send up to 300 emails per day. While this is limited for high-volume needs, it’s still one of the most generous free plans on the market.
Brevo also comes with advanced features like email automation, landing page building, live chat, and Facebook ads integration. I find these tools incredibly valuable for growing businesses that want an all-in-one solution.
However, Brevo doesn’t offer as many email templates as Constant Contact, and live chat and phone support are limited depending on your plan. Plus, bulk SMS rate is comparatively higher than their competitors.
Pros of Brevo
Why do I recommend Brevo? I recommend Brevo because it combines powerful features with a generous free plan. It’s an excellent option for growing businesses that need email automation, CRM, and transactional email capabilities without breaking the bank.
Pricing: Brevo offers a free plan with 300 daily emails and unlimited contacts. Paid plans start at $9/month for Starter.
My Experience: I’ve tested Brevo’s free plan and I believe it’s the best solution if you’re looking for an email service that comes with a free plan. Its advanced features like CRM and automation workflows make it a great tool for businesses on a budget that want to scale their email marketing efforts. For more details, see my Brevo review.
3. HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the most powerful tools I’ve used for email marketing, especially when combined with its customer relationship management (CRM) platform. It’s more than just an email service; it’s a complete solution for growing your business.
While using HubSpot, I loved how easy it was to create custom newsletters using their drag-and-drop builder. The email templates were sleek and helped me quickly design professional emails without needing advanced technical skills.
What makes HubSpot unique is its integration with the HubSpot CRM. You can personalize emails based on subscriber data like location, device type, or list segmentation. With automation features and A/B testing, it gives you everything you need to boost engagement.
However, while HubSpot’s free plan is excellent for small businesses, I noticed that it becomes quite expensive as you scale up or need more advanced tools.
Pros of HubSpot
Why do I recommend HubSpot? I recommend HubSpot because it combines email marketing, CRM, and advanced tools into one seamless platform. If you want to grow your business and need features like personalization, automation, and A/B testing, then HubSpot is a great choice. Its free plan is also one of the best for small businesses.
Pricing: HubSpot’s free plan allows up to 2,000 emails per month and includes its CRM. Paid plans start at $15/month when billed annually.
My Experience: I found HubSpot as an excellent platform for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution to manage their email marketing and customer relationships effectively. For more information, see my HubSpot review.
4. Omnisend
Omnisend is my top pick for eCommerce businesses that want an omnichannel marketing automation solution. It combines email, SMS, and web push notifications in one easy-to-use platform.
One thing I really like about Omnisend is its generous free plan. Unlike other platforms that limit features, Omnisend gives you pre-built automation workflows, subscriber segmentation, A/B testing, and performance reports right out of the box.
While using Omnisend, I loved the pre-built automation workflows tailored specifically for eCommerce. These include cart abandonment emails, welcome series, and cross-sell campaigns that can boost your revenue significantly.
It also integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, and other popular platforms. Plus, with built-in SMS marketing, you don’t need to use a separate tool to send SMS campaigns globally.
However, Omnisend is primarily built for eCommerce, which means its features may feel limited for other types of businesses.
Cons of Omnisend
Why do I recommend Omnisend? I recommend Omnisend for eCommerce businesses looking to maximize their revenue through automated marketing. Its pre-built workflows, along with SMS and web push notifications, make it ideal for reaching customers across multiple channels.
Pricing: Omnisend’s free plan includes up to 250 subscribers with email, SMS, and web push notifications. Paid plans start at $16/month.
My Experience: I’ve used Omnisend for eCommerce campaigns, and its pre-built automation workflows have saved me a lot of time. It’s an excellent choice for online store owners who want to drive sales and grow their businesses. For more details, see my full Omnisend review.
5. Campaigner
Campaigner is one of the most advanced email marketing solutions I’ve tested. It’s packed with powerful automation tools that help you nurture subscribers through every step of the conversion funnel.
What I love about Campaigner is its easy-to-use visual workflow builder. You can create both simple and complex automation workflows for welcome series, cart abandonment, re-engagement campaigns, and more. Plus, it combines email and SMS into one platform, allowing you to reach customers on their preferred channels.
When I tried Campaigner, I was impressed with its customization options. You can set up advanced personalization like geolocation, purchase behavior, and dynamic content.
Campaigner also includes 900+ responsive email templates, making it quick and easy to create beautiful email campaigns. Combined with features like A/B testing, conversion tracking, and list hygiene tools, it’s an excellent choice for growing businesses.
However, its advanced tools can feel overwhelming for beginners, and some premium features, like SMS automation, require higher-tier plans. I also found their customer support response times to be slower than expected.
Pros of Campaigner
Why do I recommend Campaigner? I recommend Campaigner for advanced email marketers who need powerful automation tools and customization options. With its visual workflow builder, dynamic content, and robust tracking, it’s a great tool for creating high-converting campaigns.
Pricing: Campaigner starts at $59/month and offers a free 30-day trial to explore all its features.
My Experience: I’ve tested Campaigner’s advanced automation tools, and they’re among the best I’ve seen for creating personalized, high-performing email and SMS workflows. It’s an excellent solution for businesses looking to scale their email marketing efforts.
Why do I recommend Drip? I recommend Drip for eCommerce businesses that need powerful email automation, advanced segmentation, and revenue tracking. Its visual workflow builder, revenue attribution, and multichannel features (including SMS) make it an excellent choice for growing online stores.
Pricing: Drip offers a free trial, and paid plans start at $39/month, including all the features. SMS notifications are also included in every plan, helping you connect with customers on multiple channels.
My Experience: I’ve used Drip for years to run high-performing campaigns for WPBeginner and other businesses. Its advanced segmentation, revenue attribution, and automation tools help me connect with my audience effectively and drive measurable results. For more details, see the case study I wrote when switching from Mailchimp to Drip.
7. Moosend
Moosend is an affordable email marketing service designed for small businesses and freelancers. It offers an impressive set of tools, including email marketing automation, list-building features, landing pages, and conversion optimization tools.
One of the things I like most about Moosend is its marketing automation, which is included even in the basic plans. With the visual workflow designer, you can create personalized subscriber journeys based on user behavior, making it easy to nurture leads.
Moosend also stands out for its detailed analytics. You can track opens, clicks, bounces, product views, purchases, and even predicted demographic data. Combined with A/B testing, heatmap analytics, and AI product recommendations, Moosend helps you optimize email campaigns effectively.
Why do I recommend Moosend? I recommend Moosend for small businesses and freelancers looking for an affordable email marketing tool with automation features. It has tools like A/B testing, analytics, and product recommendations, which you typically only find in higher-priced platforms.
Pricing: Moosend offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $9/month and include automation workflows, landing page builders, and AI tools.
My Experience: I’ve tested Moosend and like it for its affordability and automation tools. It’s ideal for small teams and freelancers who need advanced features without breaking the bank. However, its email deliverability and support may fall short for larger businesses.
Bonus: More Email Marketing Platforms
Now that I’ve covered my top picks for the best email marketing services, there are some additional email marketing tools that you may want to check out.
Bonus #1. AWeber
AWeber is one of the oldest and most trusted email marketing platforms for small and medium businesses. Its easy-to-use tools make it a good choice for managing email lists, creating campaigns, and tracking results.
One of the things I like about AWeber is its wide range of ready-to-use email templates and the ability to customize them easily. You can quickly set up automated workflows, manage your lists, and send personalized emails using tag-based segmentation.
AWeber also integrates seamlessly with WordPress and popular plugins like MemberPress for membership sites and lead generation tools. If you’re a blogger, the automatic RSS-to-email feature is great for updating subscribers with new content.
Additionally, AWeber supports AMP emails, which allow subscribers to interact directly within the email. Features like A/B testing and detailed email tracking make it easier to optimize your campaigns.
Why do I recommend AWeber? I recommend AWeber for small businesses and bloggers who want reliable email tools with easy automation, customizable templates, and solid integrations. Features like RSS-to-email and AMP support make it an excellent option for content creators.
Pricing: AWeber offers a free plan for up to 500 subscribers, with paid plans starting at $12.50/month. Annual and quarterly plans come with additional savings.
My Experience: I’ve tested AWeber for managing email lists and creating automated campaigns. It’s easy to use, especially for bloggers and small businesses. While pricing increases with larger lists, AWeber remains a reliable choice for content creators. For more details, see my AWeber review.
Bonus #2. Kit (Formerly ConvertKit)
Kit is an email marketing platform for professional bloggers, authors, and content creators. It’s extremely easy to use and offers powerful tools to grow your audience and increase conversions.
One of my favorite Kit features is its ability to offer content upgrades and incentives seamlessly with signup forms. This is perfect for driving targeted signups and delivering value to your audience.
Kit makes email automation simple with its intuitive autoresponders and smart workflows. You can easily segment your audience into interested readers, subscribers, and paying customers. This helps you send highly personalized emails that feel authentic and boost conversions.
The platform also allows you to sell digital products and subscriptions directly. This is a huge benefit for creators looking to monetize their audience without using third-party tools.
Kit includes A/B testing, detailed analytics, and customizable email templates. However, its free plan has limited features, and the advanced tools, like subscriber engagement scoring and Facebook audience syncing, are only available in the Creator Pro plan.
Overall, Kit is an excellent choice for bloggers and creators who want to build a dedicated audience and monetize their email lists.
Pros of Kit
Why do I recommend Kit? I recommend Kit for bloggers, authors, and creators who want advanced email marketing features. It’s easy to use, helps with audience growth, and includes tools to monetize content through paid newsletters and digital product sales.
Pricing: Kit offers a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers. Paid plans start at $9/month (billed annually), with advanced tools included in the Creator Pro plan.
My Experience: I’ve used Kit to build email lists and send targeted campaigns. Its tools for content upgrades, segmentation, and monetization make it ideal for creators who want to grow and engage their audience effectively.
Bonus #3. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms, largely because of its forever-free plan. While I no longer recommend it as a top choice due to better alternatives, its sheer popularity makes it worth mentioning in this list. For details, see my article on using Mailchimp with WordPress.
Mailchimp offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop email builder, basic autoresponders, and simple audience segmentation. It also supports geolocation-based segmenting and delivery time optimization based on the subscriber’s time zone.
For WordPress users, Mailchimp integrates easily with plugins and platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento. If you’re just starting, their free plan can be appealing, but it comes with limited features.
One of the biggest limitations I noticed is Mailchimp’s marketing automation tools. While they’ve tried to include advanced features, Mailchimp alternatives like HubSpot or Kit are far more powerful and flexible.
Mailchimp’s support options include email, live chat, and a knowledge base. However, their support response times tend to be slow compared to providers like Constant Contact.
Pros of Mailchimp
Why do I recommend Mailchimp? Mailchimp is ideal for beginners who need an easy-to-use platform with a free plan. However, it lacks the advanced tools found in other platforms like HubSpot and Kit, making it less suitable for long-term growth.
Pricing: Mailchimp’s free plan includes basic tools. Paid plans start at $13/month, with pricing increasing as your subscriber list grows. Advanced features like multivariate testing and comparative reporting are only available on higher-tier plans starting at $350/month.
My Experience: I’ve tested Mailchimp extensively and think it’s a decent option for beginners and small businesses. While it’s user-friendly, its limited automation tools and expensive pricing make it less competitive compared to providers like Constant Contact and HubSpot. For details, see why I switched away from Mailchimp.
Final Thoughts: Which Is the Best Email Marketing Service?
Are you still wondering which email marketing service is best for you? The right choice depends on your business goals and the features you need.
For instance, small businesses may need an affordable solution with easy automation, while eCommerce stores require advanced segmentation and revenue tracking.
Here are my top three picks for the best email marketing services based on my testing, personal experience, user feedback, and pricing.
I have also highlighted who they are best suited for so you can confidently choose the right platform for your needs.
1. Constant Contact
🏆 Best for Small Businesses
Constant Contact is my top recommendation for small businesses looking for an easy and reliable email marketing solution. It offers a beginner-friendly interface, a large variety of templates, and great customer support. With features like email automation, list segmentation, and A/B testing, Constant Contact helps you engage subscribers effectively. I’ve personally used it for projects where simplicity and results were key.
2. Brevo
🏆 Best for Budget-Friendly Email Marketing
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is my top choice for budget-conscious users who need a reliable email marketing platform with powerful features. Its free plan allows you to manage unlimited contacts, and you can upgrade as your business grows. Brevo’s advanced automation tools, SMS marketing capabilities, and CRM integrations make it a versatile solution. I love its value for money, especially for small businesses and startups.
3. HubSpot
🏆 Best for Businesses & Advanced Marketing
HubSpot is the best email marketing platform for businesses that need advanced tools for automation, CRM, and customer engagement. Its seamless integration with the HubSpot CRM allows you to create highly personalized campaigns that drive results. I recommend HubSpot for businesses and marketers who want an all-in-one platform to handle email, sales, and marketing.
If you run an online store or eCommerce website, then I recommend using Omnisend or Drip, which offer the best eCommerce email marketing software.
Many of my eCommerce business websites use Drip for email marketing. I have found its personalization and automation features well worth the money.
Pro Tip: Get More Email Subscribers, Fast!
Once you’ve picked the best email marketing service for your business, the next step is to grow your email list quickly and efficiently. Over the years, I’ve tested countless strategies and tools to boost email subscribers.
My #1 recommendation is OptinMonster. I co-founded OptinMonster back in 2013 because I needed a solution to grow my own email lists on WPBeginner and other sites.
Today, it’s the leading conversion optimization toolkit, trusted by over 1.5 million websites.
OptinMonster seamlessly integrates with all the email marketing services I’ve mentioned in this guide. It helps you convert abandoning visitors into subscribers and customers using targeted popups, slide-ins, and other proven tools.
Some of the biggest brands in the world, like McAfee, Experian, TripAdvisor, and Pinterest, use OptinMonster to grow their email lists, and I do, too.
You can read my full OptinMonster review for more details on how it works.
Here are some other tools I recommend to boost your email list growth:
- WPForms – I use WPForms across my sites to create contact forms, surveys, and polls. It integrates seamlessly with all popular email marketing platforms and is trusted by over 6 million website owners.
- SeedProd – If you want to create high-converting landing pages, then SeedProd is the tool to use. It’s my go-to landing page builder because it integrates effortlessly with email marketing services and helps you capture leads faster.
- LiveChat.com – I use LiveChat on several of my sites to connect with visitors in real time and collect their emails directly through chat.
- ChatBot.com – Automate your lead generation with smart chatbots. It integrates with email marketing tools to collect and organize emails effortlessly.
- RafflePress – I’ve seen amazing results using RafflePress for viral giveaways and contests. It’s an excellent tool for quickly growing email lists through word-of-mouth marketing.
Using these tools, I’ve grown my email lists into millions of subscribers across various businesses. Whether you’re starting or looking to scale, these tools can help you supercharge your email marketing growth.
Bonus Tip: Improve Your Email Deliverability
Even the best email marketing tools won’t be effective if your emails don’t land in your subscribers’ inboxes. While all the platforms I’ve shared in this article have excellent deliverability rates, there are a few steps you can take to improve yours even further.
1. Use a Professional Email Address
When I first started, I made the mistake of using generic email addresses like Gmail or Hotmail. Over time, I realized that email platforms like Gmail and Outlook use smart algorithms to identify spammy emails, and your sender address is a key factor they analyze.
Always use a professional email address (like yourname@yourcompany.com). Not only does this improve your brand’s credibility, but it also significantly boosts email deliverability.
2. Send Targeted Emails Based on Interests
One of the best lessons I learned early on is that sending the same email to everyone doesn’t work. Personalization is key to higher open rates and engagement. Platforms like Constant Contact and HubSpot make it easy to group your subscribers into segments like active users, non-active users, or those interested in specific topics.
I always recommend starting with a personalized welcome email to introduce your brand and learn about your subscribers’ preferences. From there, you can segment users based on their activity and interests. Sending highly targeted campaigns ensures better engagement, which improves future deliverability.
3. Make It Easy to Unsubscribe
While you want to keep subscribers, it’s important to give them a clear way to unsubscribe. Trust me, this is better than having your emails marked as spam. Email providers notice spam complaints, and that can hurt your overall sender reputation.
For even more proven tips, check out this step-by-step email marketing guide. It walks you through creating campaigns that not only get delivered but also get results.
Email Marketing Software FAQs
Over the years, I’ve helped thousands of users choose the right email marketing platform for their businesses. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions I’ve come across.Can I do bulk email marketing from my Gmail or Outlook?
Which is the best free email marketing service?
How much does email marketing cost?Can email marketing help with SEO?
Which is the best email marketing app for Shopify?
Which is the best email marketing platform for WordPress?
I hope this guide has helped you choose the best email marketing service for your needs and budget. I’d love to hear about your experience, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
