Top 10 best email marketing software for small business

Drip

Drip is an email marketing platform designed specifically for e-commerce businesses. It excels at customer segmentation and automation, allowing you to create targeted campaigns based on customer behavior and purchase history. Drip boasts a user-friendly interface with a drag-and-drop builder for crafting professional emails.

Price and rating

Drip has a pay-as-you-go pricing structure based on the number of contacts you have. Plans start at $39/month for 2,500 contacts and scale up from there. Review sites praise its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for e-commerce businesses. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Drip has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• powerful automation: Create personalized email sequences based on customer behavior and preferences;
• advanced segmentation: Segment your audience based on purchase history, demographics, and website activity;
• e-commerce focused features: Recover abandoned carts, trigger win-back campaigns, and recommend products based on past purchases;
• easy-to-use interface: Drag-and-drop email builder and a visual workflow for automation make Drip beginner-friendly;
• integrations: Connects with popular e-commerce platforms and marketing tools.

Cons:

• limited free trial: No free plan available, only a 14-day free trial;
• pricing: Can be expensive for businesses with large contact lists.

Campaigner

Campaigner is a comprehensive email marketing solution geared toward small to large businesses. It offers robust features for segmentation, automation, and analytics, allowing you to create data-driven email campaigns that resonate with your audience. Campaigner stands out for its scalability and ability to handle complex email marketing needs.

Price and rating

Campaigner employs a tiered pricing structure based on features and the number of contacts. Basic plans start around $59/month for 5000 contacts, with advanced features requiring higher tiers. Campaigner is generally praised for its powerful features but may lack the affordability of some competitors. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Campaigner has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• advanced segmentation & targeting: Segment your audience based on demographics, website behavior, purchase history, and more to create highly targeted campaigns;
• multi-channel marketing: Integrate email marketing with social media and other marketing channels, which helps boost the response rate of email campaigns by 15% or greater;
• detailed analytics & reporting: Track campaign performance with in-depth reports and gain insights into subscriber engagement;
• scalability: Campaigner can handle large email lists and complex marketing needs, making it suitable for growing businesses;
• customizable workflows: Design personalized email journeys using a drag-and-drop interface for automation.

Cons:

• learning curve: The platform’s extensive features can have a steep learning curve compared to simpler tools;
• limited free plan: Campaigner offers a 30-day free trial, but no permanent free plan exists.

Systeme.io

Systeme.io is an all-in-one marketing platform designed for all kind of businesses. It combines features for email marketing, landing pages, sales funnels, online courses, and even e-commerce within a single platform. This makes Systeme.io a convenient option for users who want a unified solution for managing their online presence.

Price and rating

Systeme.io offers a generous free plan that allows you to connect up to 2,000 subscribers and create 3 sales funnels. Paid plans start at $27/month for increased contacts, storage, and features. Systeme.io is generally praised for its affordability and comprehensive features, but some reviews mention limitations in advanced functionality. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Systeme.io’s rating sits around 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• all-in-one platform: Manage email marketing, sales funnels, landing pages, courses, and e-commerce all under one roof;
• free plan: Generous free tier allows you to try the platform and build a basic sales funnel;
• easy to use: Drag-and-drop interface and intuitive design make it beginner-friendly;
• automation features: Automate email sequences, workflows, and marketing campaigns;
• built-in sales funnels: Create effective sales funnels to capture leads and convert them into customers.

Cons:

• limited advanced features: May not offer the same level of depth or customization as some specialized email marketing platforms.

Snov.io

Snov.io isn’t exactly an email marketing platform in the traditional sense; it’s a lead generation and email outreach suite designed to help businesses find and connect with potential customers. Snov.io excels at prospecting for email addresses, verifying their validity, and managing outreach campaigns. It integrates with various CRM and email marketing tools to streamline your sales pipeline.

Price and rating

Snov.io utilizes a credit system where credits are spent on functionality like email finding, verification, and sending emails through their built-in email sequencer. Free plans grant a limited number of credits, with paid plans starting around $39/month for increased credits and features. Customer reviews highlight Snov.io’s effectiveness in lead generation but note limitations in advanced email marketing automation. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Snovio holds a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• powerful lead generation: Find valid email addresses of potential customers based on domain names, company names, or keywords;
• email verification: Ensure your outreach emails reach real inboxes and avoid bounces;
• multi-channel outreach: Combine email sequences with built-in email finder and verification tools;
• CRM integration: Connects with popular CRM platforms to streamline your sales workflow;
• free plan available: Limited functionality but allows you to test the platform before committing.

Cons:

• limited email marketing automation: While it offers email sequences, Snov.io lacks the advanced marketing automation features found in dedicated email marketing platforms;
• credit system: Can be confusing for new users, and credit costs can add up quickly for high-volume campaigns.

Netcore Email API (formerly Pepipost)

Netcore Email API, formerly known as Pepipost, is a cloud-based email-sending platform designed to help businesses improve email deliverability. It focuses on ensuring your emails land in inboxes and avoid spam folders. Netcore Email API offers features like real-time email analytics, spam testing, and API integration for sending bulk emails programmatically.

Price and rating

Netcore Email API employs a pay-as-you-go pricing model based on the number of emails sent. They offer a free plan with limited emails per month, with paid plans starting around $25/month for higher volumes. While user reviews praise its deliverability rates, some mention a lack of marketing automation features. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Netcore Email API has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• improved email deliverability: Increase inbox placement rates and avoid spam folders with advanced deliverability tools;
• real-time analytics: Track email performance with detailed reports on opens, clicks, and bounces;
• spam testing: Identify potential spam triggers in your emails before sending;
• scalability: Send large volumes of emails reliably with robust infrastructure;
• API integration: Integrate email-sending functionality seamlessly into your existing applications.

Cons:

• limited marketing automation: Focuses on sending emails, not marketing automation features like drip campaigns or customer segmentation;
• technical knowledge required: Setting up and utilizing the API requires some technical expertise.

Success.ai

Success.ai is an AI-powered email marketing platform that helps businesses of all sizes craft and manage email campaigns, personalize emails, warm up their sender reputation, and track results. It utilizes artificial intelligence to automate tasks, optimize email content, and improve campaign performance.

Price and rating

Success.ai offers a tiered pricing structure based on the number of contacts and features. Plans start at $33/month for 1,200 contacts and go up from there. Success.ai is generally praised for its AI-powered features and ease of use, but some users note limitations in advanced email automation capabilities. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Success.ai has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on review sites.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• AI-powered email writing: Generate personalized email content based on recipient data and campaign goals;
• automated email campaigns: Create automated email sequences based on triggers and customer behavior;
• warmup sender reputation: Gradually increase email sending volume to improve sender reputation;
• advanced analytics: Track campaign performance with detailed insights and identify areas for improvement;
• easy-to-use interface: Drag-and-drop email builder and intuitive design make it user-friendly.

Cons:

• limited advanced automation: While it offers automated sequences, Success.ai may not have the same level of customization as some high-end email marketing platforms;
• pricing: Can be expensive for businesses with large contact lists.

GoZen Growth

GoZen Growth positions itself as a comprehensive sales enablement tool that encompasses both email marketing and cold outreach automation capabilities.

It emphasizes email marketing features, such as customer segmentation, workflow automation, and lead generation forms, and cold outreach features, such as email warmup, in-built lead finder, and smart campaigns to increase email deliverability.

Price and rating

GoZen Growth utilizes a pay-as-you-go pricing structure based on the number of contacts you have. Plans are reported to be budget-friendly compared to some competitors, with a basic plan starting around $29/month for a limited number of contacts. User reviews are generally positive, highlighting affordability and ease of use, but some may mention a lack of advanced features. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, GoZen Growth has a rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• 2-in-1 Sales Automation Tool: GoZen Growth is the only tool that combines email marketing automation and cold outreach automation features;
• affordable pricing: Compared to some competitors, GoZen Growth offers budget-friendly plans suitable for startups and small businesses;
• drag-and-drop email builder: Create professional-looking emails with a user-friendly interface;
• customer segmentation & targeting: Segment your audience based on demographics and behavior for personalized campaigns;
• marketing automation: Automate email sequences based on triggers and customer interactions;
• gamified popups: Engage website visitors with interactive popups to capture leads and grow your email list.

Cons:

• limited public reviews: Being a newer platform, GoZen Growth may have fewer publicly available reviews compared to established players.

Instantly.ai

Instantly.ai is a cold email outreach platform designed to help businesses improve their lead generation and sales efforts. It focuses on sending personalized cold emails at scale while maintaining good deliverability rates. Instantly.ai offers features for email warmup, lead finding, email tracking, and analytics to optimize your cold email outreach campaigns.

Price and rating

Instantly.ai uses a credit system, where credits are used to send emails and access additional features. Free plans allow for a limited number of emails per month, with paid plans starting around $29/month for increased credits and functionality. Customer reviews generally emphasize its effectiveness for cold email outreach but may mention limitations in traditional email marketing features like customer segmentation or complex automation workflows. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Instantly.ai holds a rating of around 4.4 out of 5 stars on review sites.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• effective cold email outreach: Automate personalized cold email sequences and follow-ups to generate leads;
• email warmup tools: Safely warm up your email address to improve deliverability and avoid spam filters;
• lead finding features: Discover potential leads based on keywords, domains, or social media profiles (depending on plan);
• email tracking & analytics: Track email opens, clicks, and replies to measure campaign performance and optimize outreach strategies;
• free plan available: Allows you to test the platform and its basic functionalities.

Cons:

• limited traditional email marketing features: While offering cold email automation, Instantly.ai lacks features like customer segmentation or complex marketing automation workflows found in dedicated email marketing platforms;
• credit system: Can be confusing for new users, and credit costs can add up quickly for high-volume campaigns.

Close.io (for email communication, not CRM focus)

While Close.io is primarily a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, it also offers built-in email communication features specifically designed to enhance sales outreach. It integrates seamlessly with CRM functionality, allowing you to manage your sales pipeline and email communication on one platform. Close.io emphasizes speed, ease of use, and features like powerful email automation and real-time communication tracking.

Important note

It’s important to clarify that Close.io isn’t a full-fledged email marketing platform like the previous ones we’ve covered. Its email features are geared toward sales communication and team collaboration within a CRM environment.

Price and rating

Close.io offers tiered pricing plans based on the number of users you have. Plans typically start around $35/month per user, with higher tiers offering additional features. While user reviews praise its ease of use and effectiveness for sales teams, some might mention limitations in advanced marketing automation features compared to dedicated email marketing platforms. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, Close.io receives an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• integrated CRM & email communication: Manage your sales pipeline, contacts, and email outreach all within one platform;
• powerful email automation: Automate email sequences based on triggers and customer interactions;
• real-time communication tracking: Gain insights into email opens, clicks, and replies for better communication management;
• unified inbox: Manage all your email communication from a central location;
• easy-to-use interface: User-friendly design simplifies email management and team collaboration.

Cons:

• CRM focus: While offering email functionality, Close.io is primarily a CRM and may lack features found in dedicated email marketing platforms like advanced segmentation or campaign reporting;
• limited free plan: Close.io offers a limited 14-day free trial, but no permanent free plan exists.

GMass: Mail merge for Gmail

GMass is a powerful email marketing extension designed to work seamlessly within your Gmail environment. It allows you to send personalized email campaigns, automate follow-ups, and track campaign performance directly from your Gmail account. GMass integrates with Google Sheets, enabling you to leverage spreadsheets for mail merge functionality and personalize emails with dynamic content based on your data.

Price and rating

GMass offers free trial along with paid plans. The free trial includes all features and a 50-email daily limit for seven days Paid plans start around $18 per month and offer  unlimited emails and campaigns, advanced tracking features, and options for scheduling emails and link tracking. User reviews generally commend GMass for its user-friendly interface, affordability, and effectiveness in sending personalized email campaigns. According to Capterra, TrustRadius, and G2, GMass enjoys a rating of around 4.6 stars on review platforms.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• Gmail integration: Works directly within your Gmail interface for a familiar and convenient experience;
• mail merge with Google Sheets: Personalize email content with dynamic data from your Google Sheets;
• email campaign automation: Automate email sequences and follow-ups to streamline your outreach;
• email tracking & analytics: Track email opens, clicks, and replies to measure campaign performance;
• free plan available: Limited functionality but allows you to test the platform before committing.

Cons:

• limited features compared to dedicated platforms: While powerful for its category, GMass may lack some advanced features found in dedicated email marketing platforms like complex marketing automation workflows