Ninety-nine percent of email users check their inbox every single day. 

That’s more high-intent traffic than any other avenue or platform you can use to reach your audience.

When people sign up for your email list, they are giving you permission to sell them. You can market to them for as long as you want until they unsubscribe.

Today, some small businesses have fallen into the trap of believing that email marketing isn’t beneficial. Don’t be one of them.

Eighty-one percent of small businesses see great results when they use email to acquire customers, giving them a key competitive advantage.

Let’s look at the best email marketing software you can use to achieve your goals.

1. Best Email Marketing Software for Multi-Channel Marketing: Omnisend

Omnisend is a popular marketing tool that caters primarily to small e-commerce businesses. It helps put everything in one place including your:

• SMS marketing
• social media marketing
• email marketing

A study performed by Dot Digital shows the importance of email marketing in the e-commerce niche. They found that email yields an approximate 42 dollar return on every dollar spent. 

With Omnisend, you can easily create emails using a variety of templates and drag-and-drop editing tools—perfect for new and novice marketers.

This email marketing software is also great at helping you increase conversions by using discount codes, scratch cards, and various informative add-ons (like PDFs).

Key Features:

• Pre-built templates for attractive emails without coding or advanced email knowledge.
• Workflows that help you replicate top-converting email strategies.
• Lead generation pop-ups that increase ROI.
• Analytics dashboard for fixing mistakes and identifying opportunities.

Pricing:

One of the best features of Omnisend is its pricing structure. It’s free for up to 500 emails per month (perfect for small businesses) and 60 text messages. This includes automation, recommended workflows, and A/B testing.

2. Best Email Marketing Software for Free Users: MailChimp

At one time, MailChimp was exclusively used as an email newsletter platform. 

Today, it’s a complete CRM platform that allows you to design landing pages, email capture forms, and much more. Its range of features helps small businesses stay organized and execute marketing strategies.

However, be warned. MailChimp does have limitations on the number of lists you can create and how accurately you can segment your audience. 

This requires you to have a firm understanding of your customer avatar.

Key Features:

• Loaded with hundreds of integrations (for sites like Shopify).
• Boasts a CRM product suite of automation tools, behavioral targeting, and more.
• Provides appointment booking.

Pricing:

If you need an email marketing tool to help you scale on a low budget, MailChimp is a great option. When you are just starting out, you can access its wide range of features for free.

However, when your list is scaling and you’re ready to start spending, you can purchase plans for up to 10,000 emails a month. With email users expected to climb to 4.6 billion by 2025, now’s the time to act.

3. Best Email Marketing Software for Segmentation: ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is the best email marketing tool for selling products to lots of different target audiences. 

Its segmentation capabilities allow you to easily separate your contacts into lists and customize your marketing for hyper-personalization (which reduces opt-out rate by 50 percent.)

Using “[Name]” at the beginning of an email simply isn’t effective anymore. You need to actively write a copy that caters to an individual’s specific pain points and concerns.

ActiveCampaign helps you organize your list, target effectively, and create emails that convert.

Key Features:

• Design and write emails that convert for specific audiences.
• Personalize emails based on various audience segmentation variables.
• A/B test to identify what converts and what doesn’t.
• Landing page builder.

Pricing:

While ActiveCampaign doesn’t offer a free plan, it is transparent and upfront with its costs. For $9 per month, you get email automation, content creation support, unlimited sending, templates, newsletters, and data-backed reporting.

4. Best Email Marketing Software for Scaling Up: Drip

An average cart abandonment rate of 69.82 percent leads to missed sales opportunities that small businesses can’t afford to lose. 

When you want to scale, Drip is one of the highest recommended platforms out there. It has plans for businesses of all sizes, so your spending will only grow as you do.

The cost is uniquely catered to you based on the size of your list at the time you subscribe.

If you’re simply “dabbling” into email marketing, you can get started with Drip. If you already have a list of 10,000 email subscribers that you want to start making use of, don’t worry, they have a plan for you too.

Key Features:

• The editor has both templates and drag-and-drop features.
• Data insights provide behavior-based automation.
• Email and website integrations.
• Industry-leading customer service.

Pricing:

Drip offers a 14-day free trial and, from there, it determines how much you pay based on the size of your list.

For example, at $19 per month, you can have 1,500 contacts and unlimited emails. At $209 per month, you can have up to 15,000 contacts and unlimited emails.

5. Best Email Marketing Software for Email Design: Stripo

Not every business needs complicated email software. Stripo does one thing and does it well.

It’s an email builder designed to integrate with other platforms like GetResponse and MailChimp. Use Stripo to access beautiful templates that allow you to create on-brand marketing messages. 

Key Features:

• Thousands of templates in paid plans.
• Simple to use and easy to get started.
• Offers HTML options for those who can code.
• Integrates with other email marketing tools for automation.

Pricing:

Stripo offers a “free for life” plan that provides access to free email templates, learning software, and email support. From there, you’ll have to upgrade to the basic plan of $15 per month.

6. Best Email Marketing Software for Lead Generation: OptinMonster

At one time, OptinMonster was nothing more than a WordPress plugin. 

Today, it’s a standalone email marketing tool with many features like opt-ins, pop-ups, triggers, templates, testing tools, integrations, and analytics.

It’s the best option for businesses that want to generate leads simply because of the versatility of the campaigns you can run. Examples include an exit-intent popup, floating bar, or fullscreen slide-in. 

They have a lot of gamified options as well. If most of your target audience is Gen Y or Z, their attention spans are between 8-12 seconds. Not quite long enough to read an email. 

Gamification increases retention times, click-throughs, and conversions.

Key Features:

• Great drag-and-drop templates.
• Extensive integrations.
• Gamified emails.
• HTML and Java editing.

Pricing:

OptinMonster is so much more than an email marketing software. At just $9 per month for the basic plan, you gain unlimited access to marketing campaigns, segmentation, integrations, and a website if you don’t already have one.

7. Best Email Marketing Software for Contests and Promotions: Wishpond

Wishpond is one of the most comprehensive email marketing tools we’ve looked at so far. If you can dream it, they offer it. 

Wishpond has integrations for e-commerce, email marketing, and automation.

It also has a comprehensive landing page builder loaded with features including promotions, and a dashboard for implementing social media growth into your email marketing. 

The tool also offers online forms for you to do surveys and ask your audience what they’d like to see or hear more of. It’s a great option for small businesses with high-ticket offers.

Key Features:

• Landing page builder with templates and customizations.
• Easy-to-design contests and promotions.
• Referral suite with lead captures, generation options, pop-ups, and link sharing.

Pricing:

Wishpond is $75 per month for the basic plan.

This price tag comes with a red flag: don’t use this tool if you don’t already have an established email list of at least 100 people.

8. Best Email Marketing Software for Automation: Sendinblue

Sendinblue’s goal is to help you automate email marketing to save costs and protect your bottom line. It offers a comprehensive CRM, email templates, landing pages, and even social media integration—all in one place.

Email has a 60 percent conversion rate compared to social media’s 12.5 percent, but it can take a long time to design and execute a successful strategy. With Sendinblue’s guidance, you can truly have the “best of both worlds” with this email marketing tool.

Automation is the main thing that stands out about Sendinblue with its great workflow, targeted campaigns, triggers, and lead scores.

Key Features:

• Integrations with e-commerce platforms.
• Automation elements.
• WordPress plugin with a 4.5-star rating.
• Free CRM system.
• Multi-channel marketing.

Pricing:

Affordability takes centerstage with Sendinblue. Their free plan contains an email template library, email personalization, design tools, campaigns, and up to 300 emails a day. From there, the light plan is $25 per month with no sending limits.

9. Best Email Marketing Software for Funnels: GetResponse

Sometimes you need to build your sales funnel before you build an email list, and that’s what GetResponse is all about. You can build your entire funnel using its email marketing software, and even implement a live chat feature on your site.  

Key Features:

• Powerful automation enables detailed list segmentation.
• Plenty of testing options to figure out what converts.
• Funnel and landing page builder.
• Live chat, social media, and SEO features.

Pricing:

GetResponse has a complicated pricing structure simply because of everything it offers. If you simply want to send emails and build one landing page, you can use the free plan for up to 500 contacts. If you want to unlock the automation and segmentation features, you’ll need to get their “Marketing Plan” at $48 per month.

10. Best Email Marketing Software for Content Creators: ConvertKit

According to ConvertKit, creatives sent 16 billion emails in 2021. That’s 530 every second.

How do you get noticed among all that noise?

When you want your personal brand to stand out, ConvertKit’s features will appeal to your audience. It offers a landing page builder, solid deliverability, and support for content creators.

The downsides are limited templates, lack of reporting, and a hefty price tag.

Key Features:

• Run targeted campaigns.
• Sell digital products and build your subscriber/follower base.
• Simple to use and super basic.

Pricing:

ConvertKit offers a free plan but it’s incredibly limited. From there, your email list determines a price. When you hit 3,000 subscribers you need to upgrade to a $49 per month plan, allowing you to use funnels and sequences. To get newsletters and any decent data reporting, you’ll have to purchase a premium plan.

Frequently Asked Questions About Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses 

What's the best email marketing software for small businesses?

Omnisend is the best email marketing tool for small businesses because it combines the right amount of features with an attractive price. Through it, you can execute a multi-channel marketing strategy and scale your revenue. 

Is email marketing beneficial to small businesses?

Email marketing is an incredible tool for small businesses and personal brands. Its average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent means that you are likely to see great business success from investing in high-quality and well-written emails.

Can my small business use email marketing software for automation?

Absolutely, tools like Sendinblue and Drip offer great email automation and triggers that help you make the most of your marketing efforts without requiring lots of time and attention. 

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Conclusion: Email Marketing Software Drives Real Results

It’s clear that email marketing software can help small businesses grow. 

When someone subscribes to your email list, you have their permission and it shows that they’re interested in whatever it is you offer.

Why not make the most of their engagement and sell to them?

Use the best email marketing software to build your list, increase your conversions, and ultimately, generate more revenue. 

Which email marketing software have you used? What do you like most about it?