Last Updated on November 23, 2021 by Adam Enfroy
Email marketing software gives you the highest return on investment (ROI) among marketing channels – $38 for every $1 spent.
Plus, there are 1.5 billion active Gmail users – all of them could be potential customers.
How do you get started with email marketing today and what tool do you use?
The best email marketing services, software, and platforms all have different price points and features.
Most of these tools are great – you just need to find the best match for you.
In this guide, I researched and ranked the best email marketing service providers to help you:Pick the best one for you based on your needsSave you the most money.
Listen while you read: After our real and honest testing, here’s a video with our top 3 email marketing platforms and a preview of their dashboards:
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links that I receive a small commission for at no cost to you. However, these are merely the tools I fully recommend when it comes to email marketing. You can read my full affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy.Table of ContentsWhat is the Best Email Marketing Software?
To choose from the best email marketing software, research price, reliability, technical support, template designs, ease of use, deliverability, automation, integrations, and any additional features you need.
The best email marketing software should allow you to design emails easily, segment your list, personalize your messaging, and view analytics reports. And they should most importantly hit users’ primary inboxes.
In the end, email marketing is about sending the right message to the right user at the right time.
Here are my picks for the best email marketing software and services to try this year:ActiveCampaign.Constant Contact.HubSpot.Sendinblue.Moosend.Mailerlite.GetResponse.Pabbly.ConvertKit.Omnisend.Gist.Automizy.AWeber.Mailigen.Benchmark.SendPulse.MoonMail.Ontraport.Campaign Monitor.MailChimp.Mailjet.1. ActiveCampaign.Best Email Marketing Software ($9/month)
ActiveCampaign is #1 on my list as it is the best overall email marketing software due to its advanced automation features and deliverability.
As the smartest tool on this list, machine learning plays a key role. With Predictive Actions, ActiveCampaign answers tough questions about your customers to automatically take action for you and lead them down the sales funnel.
ActiveCampaign also integrates with 850+ other apps like Facebook, Shopify, WordPress, and a whole lot more.
Automating your list segments is intuitive, and you can build list triggers and move users based on dynamic email content, sales follow-ups, and more.
Email workflows are robust and easy to manage. All of this data syncs with their built-in CRM to provide sales teams with advanced lead scoring.
Their lead scoring system is flexible too. If you’re not familiar with lead scoring, it’s a way to award points to individual email subscribers based on the actions of your choosing. Then once they hit a point threshold, they either enter a new automation funnel or can be contacted by your sales team.
Here are the steps: First, you select your engagement metrics. These could be anything from an email open or click, all the way to a content download or consultation request.Next, you add your lead scoring rules and points based on these conditions. These should be set based on the level of effort and propensity to convert.Maybe an email open is worth two points, and a link click is worth five points. Or actions like non-opens or unsubscribes are worth negative points. Once a subscriber reaches a pre-determined point threshold, subscriber data flows to the Deals CRM where they enter a new stage of automation:
It’s a great system that large companies use to nurture email leads in the most personalized way possible.
Another strong selling point is email deliverability, ranking higher than all other platforms on this list. Their email sends are the least likely to be marked as spam and have the best chance of hitting primary inboxes on Gmail and Outlook.
Pricing is based on the account features and the size of your email list.Lite: $9/monthPlus: $49/monthProfessional $129/monthEnterprise: $229/month
All plans come with a 14-day free trial.
Overall, ActiveCampaign is the best tool if you’re looking for the best email marketing, CRM, and automation tool in one place.
Get started with ActiveCampaign.2. Constant Contact.Best Email Marketing Service for Small Business ($16/month)
Constant Contact has been in the email marketing space since 1995, taking the name Constant Contact back in 2004. In 2015, they became a part of Endurance International Group, a powerhouse that other companies including Bluehost, HostGator, and Domain.com.
As stated on their website, the company’s ultimate goal is to help small businesses navigate the promise, power, and potential of the web.
They feature 100+ modern, mobile-optimized templates to engage and convert customers, real-time reporting and analytics, and bonus features like coupons, polls, and events.
One of their most unique features is event management and the ability to manage invitations, registrations, and tickets:
Email deliverability is above average and one of the highest among email service providers at over 90%.
Constant Contact pricing is tiered based on the number of email contacts in your list. Their paid plans start at $18/month for up to 500 contacts.
Their drip campaigns are easy to use and intuitive. You can create simple sequences, but can’t combine conditions or use advanced filtering.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for niche features like event management and also want top-notch email deliverability, Constant Contact is the choice for you. They are my #2 choice for email service providers this year.
You can get started today and take 10% off your first 12 months with my link below.3. HubSpot.Best Email Marketing Software for Marketers (Free – $50/month)
HubSpot is the most integrated marketing package on the market. Using their email marketing software is one of the easiest ways to design, optimize, and send fantastic looking emails. They provide a ton of custom features and you can pick and plan and upgrade whether you’re a small business or large enterprise.
When creating an email, you either use one of their pre-made email templates or start from scratch. These templates allow you to add text, images, buttons, dividers, and all different kinds of assets and layouts.
I found their email editor the easiest to use on the market. It’s much faster and more user-friendly than other tools on this list:
Once you’re happy with your email design, preview it based on different recipients, devices, or email clients like Gmail, Apple Mail, and Office 365.
This tool is super useful. Email subject lines, preview text, and the content itself can look very different based on the end user’s email client. These previews ensure your emails look great in any inbox.
Personalization is another strength with HubSpot. Like standard tools, you personalize content based on common merge tags like the recipient’s first name. HubSpot takes it a step further.
You can also personalize content based on a user’s device, list segment, and geographic location. Plus, you can A/B test your subject lines and content to make sure you maximize your email open rates and click rates.
Next, when you’re ready to hit send and publish your email, you can use their Smart Send functionality. This feature allows you to adjust your send time to maximize engagement.
After sending your email, it’s time to view your metrics. The HubSpot analytics dashboard gives you data on your opens and clicks, plus unique information on the amount of time spend viewing your email.
Viewing whether subscribers Read, Skimmed, or Glanced at your email is one of the best reporting tools to observe how engaging your email content is:
For example, you may see that subscribers are only glancing at your emails for a short time. This data helps you know which types of email content need to be improved.