The 11 Best Email Marketing Automation Software Tools In 2024
Email marketing is an essential component of any successful business strategy! And, with the ever-growing digital landscape, email marketing automation is not just a nice to have, but it is necessary!
With so many available options, finding the right email marketing automation software for your business can be overwhelming. However, fear not!
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This blog post will explore the best email marketing automation software tools that are making waves. Whether you’re a small business owner or a seasoned marketer looking to enhance your reach and efficiency through automated emails, this comprehensive list covers everything.
So buckle up and get ready to explore the best email automation tools that can elevate your email game to new heights!
Best Overall Email Platform
ActiveCampaign
Best Runnerup Email Platform
Mailchimp
Best Platform for Creatives
Mailchimp
What Are the Best Email Marketing Automation Software Tools?
Email marketing automation takes the heavy lifting out of connecting with your audience. These content automation tools help streamline campaigns, build meaningful relationships, and boost conversions. But which one is right for your needs?
Let’s take a closer look at the top contenders, analyzing what makes each one unique and powerful:
- ActiveCampaign – Best Overall Email Marketing Automation Software
- Mailchimp – Best Runner-Up Email Marketing Automation Software
- ConvertKit – Best Email Marketing Automation Software for Content Creators
- HubSpot – Best Enterprise Email Marketing Automation Software
- Pipedrive – Best Email Marketing Automation Software for Outbound Sales
- Hunter.io – Best Email Marketing Automation Software to Find Emails
- Constant Contact – Best Email Marketing Automation Tool for Customer Support
- Brevo – Best Email Marketing Automation Software for Unlimited Contacts
- Klaviyo – Best Email Marketing Automation Tool for Reporting & Analytics
- Drip – Best Email Marketing Automation Tool for E-Commerce
- Keap – Best Alternative Email Marketing Automation Software
Continue reading to explore an in-depth analysis of each tool, uncovering their unique features, benefits, and how they can enhance your email marketing strategies.
1) ActiveCampaign – Best Overall Email Marketing Automation Software
Overview
ActiveCampaign is a powerful email marketing software tool designed to help businesses streamline their marketing processes and engage with their audience more effectively.
It combines various features such as email marketing, sales automation, and CRM tools to provide a comprehensive marketing solution.
Key Benefits
- Advanced automation workflows to optimize automated email campaigns
- Integrated CRM to manage customer relationships efficiently
- Detailed analytics and reporting for better decision-making
- Customizable email templates for quick campaign setup
- Robust integrations with various third-party applications
Pricing
Pricing starts at $39 for the Lite Plan monthly for solopreneurs, offering a solid foundation for email marketing automation.
ActiveCampaign provides Plus, Professional, and Enterprise Plans for businesses seeking more advanced features. Additionally, it offers Bundles with Sales CRM, with pricing varying based on the number of contacts.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
ActiveCampaign is renowned for its powerful email marketing automation capabilities and robust CRM system. It helps you refine your customer engagement strategy and boost sales efficiency.
2) Mailchimp – Best Runner-Up Email Marketing Automation Software
Overview
Mailchimp is a widely recognized email marketing automation platform that enables businesses of all sizes to create, send, and analyze email campaigns and automations.
Known for its ease of use and friendly user interface, Mailchimp offers various email automation tools to help businesses grow their audience and refine their marketing strategies.
Key Benefits
- Intuitive design and template editor for easy campaign creation
- Robust audience segmentation for targeted marketing
- Comprehensive analytics and insights to track performance
- A/B testing capabilities to optimize campaigns
- Extensive library of integrations with other business tools
Pricing
Pricing starts at $13 per month for its Essentials plan, catering to the minimum requirement of 500 contacts.
For businesses seeking more advanced features and a higher contact range, Mailchimp offers Standard and Premium Plans, with pricing tiers increasing based on the number of contacts.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Mailchimp is a highly accessible and feature-rich email marketing tool, ideal for small to medium-sized businesses venturing into email marketing.
3) ConvertKit – Best Email Marketing Automation Software for Content Creators
Overview
ConvertKit is tailored specifically for bloggers, writers, podcasters, and other online creators.
Its focus is on building solid relationships with your audience through features designed for segmentation and personalized messaging.
Key Benefits
- Subscriber tagging and segmentation for targeted content
- Simple yet flexible automation workflows
- Clean, form-focused landing page builder
- Ability to sell digital products and subscriptions directly
Pricing
ConvertKit pricing starts at $15 per month for up to 300 subscribers, catering primarily to emerging content creators.
It offers a Creator Pro plan for more advanced needs and a Free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, making it accessible to beginners.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
ConvertKit is a top choice for content creators seeking to automate their email marketing efforts efficiently. It combines ease of use with powerful segmentation and automation features.
4) HubSpot – Best Enterprise Email Marketing Automation Software
Overview
HubSpot offers a full suite of marketing, sales, and service email automation software, with its email marketing automation tools being just one component. Build a broader marketing strategy with its integrated CRM system.
This makes it a powerhouse for large businesses needing a centralized platform to manage all customer interactions.
Key Benefits
- Deep integration with HubSpot’s CRM and other tools
- Advanced automation capabilities, including lead scoring
- Extensive reporting and analytics
- Robust A/B testing options
Pricing
HubSpot’s Marketing Hub plan starts at $20 per month for the Starter package, designed for small businesses looking to implement basic marketing strategies.
The Professional and Enterprise plans offer advanced features for larger organizations, with costs scaling based on the number of additional contacts added.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
HubSpot is a powerful email automation tool particularly suited for enterprise-level businesses. It offers robust features for managing and optimizing email campaigns.
5) Pipedrive – Best Email Marketing Automation Software for Outbound Sales
Overview
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM that excels in email marketing automation for outbound sales teams. It’s designed to streamline the sales process, from lead generation to closing deals, by automating repetitive tasks and efficiently organizing leads and sales activities.
Pipedrive’s strength lies in its simplicity and the ability to customize sales processes to fit the unique needs of a team or business.
Key Benefits
- Customizable pipelines for different sales processes
- Email integration and automation for personalized outreach
- Advanced reporting and analytics to track performance
- Visual sales pipeline for easy management of deals
- Activity reminders and follow-up prompts
Pricing
Pricing for Pipedrive starts at $15 per user per month for its Essential Plan, which includes basic CRM and sales automation features. For teams needing more advanced capabilities, Pipedrive offers Advanced, Professional, Power, and Enterprise Plans with additional functionality to cater to various business needs.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Pipedrive is an effective tool for sales teams looking to automate their email outreach and manage their sales pipelines more efficiently.
6) Hunter.io – Best Email Marketing Automation Software to Find Emails
Overview
Hunter.io specializes in helping you find and verify professional email addresses. It integrates with other email marketing platforms to enhance your lead generation and ensure you have valid emails to power your campaigns.
Hunter.io’s simplicity and effectiveness in finding contact information make it a valuable asset for lead-generation campaigns.
Key Benefits
- Find email addresses associated with specific domains
- Bulk email search to find multiple addresses quickly
- Email verification to reduce bounce rates
- Integrations with popular CRMs and email marketing tools
Pricing
Hunter.io’s pricing starts at $49 per month for the Starter Plan, which includes a set number of email verifications and search credits.
The Growth and Business Plans offer increased monthly verifications and search credits for users requiring more extensive capabilities and catering to higher-volume needs.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Hunter.io is a powerful tool for businesses focusing on email marketing and outbound sales efforts, offering precise email search and verification services.
7) Constant Contact – Best Email Marketing Automation Tool for Customer Support
Overview
Constant Contact is a robust email marketing automation tool with exceptional customer support and a user-friendly interface.
It’s designed to help businesses of all sizes easily create, automate, and optimize their email marketing campaigns. It is an excellent choice for those new to email marketing or with limited technical skills.
Key Benefits
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor and email builder
- Extensive library of customizable email templates
- Automated email series for customer engagement and retention
- Real-time analytics and reporting tools
- Integration with various CRM, eCommerce, and social media platforms
Pricing
Constant Contact’s pricing starts at $12 per month for the Lite plan, designed for basic email marketing needs.
Standard and Premium Plans are available for businesses requiring more advanced features. The plans vary based on the number of users, storage capacity, and monthly email-sending limits.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Constant Contact stands out for its strong emphasis on customer support and ease of use, making it excellent for businesses that value accessibility and reliable service.
8) Brevo – Best Email Marketing Automation Software for Unlimited Contacts
Overview
Brevo (formerly SendinBlue) is a robust all-around choice, providing various marketing and automation tools. Its key differentiator is offering unlimited contacts across its pricing tiers, making it a cost-effective option for businesses with large email lists.
Brevo focuses on user-friendly campaign management, and robust analytics makes it a competitive option, especially for businesses anticipating rapid growth.
Key Benefits
- No limits on contact lists, enabling businesses to scale freely
- Intuitive campaign builder for crafting engaging email content
- Advanced segmentation to target emails based on user behavior and preferences
- Comprehensive analytics dashboard to track campaign performance
- Integration capabilities with a wide range of platforms and services
Pricing
Brevo offers straightforward pricing at $25 per month, granting access to its platform with unlimited contacts, which is particularly appealing for growing businesses.
Additional plans, including Business and BrevoPlus, provide enhanced features and are priced according to their additional services.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Thanks to its unlimited contacts policy, Brevo is a compelling choice for businesses prioritizing scalability and outreach potential.
9) Klaviyo – Best Email Marketing Automation Tool for Reporting & Analytics
Overview
Klaviyo is a dynamic email marketing automation platform that is particularly well-suited to eCommerce businesses. It offers a robust freemium model that allows companies to start with basic features at no cost.
Klaviyo is known for its deep analytics and data integration capabilities, allowing users to create highly targeted and personalized marketing campaigns.
Key Benefits
- Deep eCommerce integrations for personalized customer journeys
- Advanced segmentation based on real-time data for targeted campaigns
- Rich feature set in the freemium plan, including automation and reporting
- Customizable email templates for quick and effective campaign creation
- Comprehensive analytics to track and optimize campaign performance
Pricing
Klaviyo’s pricing structure begins at $45 per month for up to 1,500 contacts and 15,000 email sends per month, offering scalability as business needs grow.
The platform also provides combined email and SMS packages, providing more comprehensive communication strategies with different pricing tiers.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Klaviyo is an excellent option for a sophisticated email marketing solution with reporting and analytics. Its strength in integration and data utilization allows for highly effective campaigns.
10) Drip – Best Email Marketing Automation Tool for E-Commerce
Overview
Drip is an e-commerce-focused platform known for its advanced segmentation and workflow personalization capabilities. It helps e-commerce businesses deliver highly tailored customer journeys to increase conversions.
Drip’s strength lies in its deep e-commerce integrations and advanced segmentation capabilities, which allow for highly personalized marketing campaigns.
Key Benefits
- Powerful segmentation based on website and purchase behavior
- Visual workflow builder for complex automation
- Seamless integration with popular e-commerce platforms
- Pre-built e-commerce automation workflows
Pricing
Drip’s pricing starts at $39 per month for up to 1,250 people, with an additional charge of $10 per additional 500 contacts.
This plan includes unlimited email sends, onsite campaigns, and email support, making it scalable for businesses as they grow.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Drip is an indispensable tool for e-commerce businesses aiming to automate their email marketing efforts.
11) Keap – Best Alternative Email Marketing Automation Software
Overview
Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a marketing and sales automation platform with a robust CRM at its core. While more complex, it’s a good alternative if you’re looking for a tightly integrated all-in-one solution beyond just email marketing.
Keap’s integration of CRM capabilities with email marketing tools allows for a highly personalized approach to customer engagement and sales.
Key Benefits
- Integrated CRM to consolidate and streamline customer interactions and data
- Advanced automation features to personalize communication and increase efficiency
- E-commerce capabilities to support sales and payment processing
- Detailed analytics and reporting for insightful campaign tracking
- User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop campaign builders
Pricing
Keap’s monthly pricing starts at $199 for up to 1500 contacts and two users. The platform also offers Max and Ultimate Plans for larger teams, which include advanced workflows and more powerful automations to accommodate growing business needs.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Keap is a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to consolidate their marketing and sales automation processes.
What Is Email Marketing Automation Software?
Email marketing automation software is essential for businesses looking to streamline their email marketing campaigns, improve engagement with their audience, and ultimately drive more conversions.
These tools automate repetitive tasks associated with email marketing, such as sending out emails to new subscribers, following up on customer actions, segmenting audiences based on their behavior, and personalizing content to increase relevance and impact.
A key insight about these marketing automation tools is their ability to integrate with various other platforms and services, including CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and analytics tools. This provides a more holistic view of customer interactions and enables more sophisticated, data-driven marketing strategies.
Furthermore, the rise of AI and machine learning within these platforms has further enhanced their capability to predict user behavior, optimize send times, and tailor content, making email marketing campaigns more effective and less time-consuming to manage.
While these tools’ core functionality centers around automation, the best email marketing automation software goes beyond just sending emails.
It provides comprehensive analytics, allows for detailed segmentation, supports A/B testing, offers customer relationship management features, and includes lead capture and nurturing capabilities, among other functionalities.
These additional features enable businesses to not only automate their email marketing processes but also refine their strategies based on data insights, fostering more meaningful connections with their audience and driving better business outcomes.
How Can Email Marketing Automation Software Benefit You?
Email marketing automation software takes the manual work out of sending large volumes of emails to your subscribers. It lets you design automated sequences of emails (often called workflows) that are triggered by customer behaviors or specific conditions.
For example, a welcome email might be automatically sent when someone signs up for your newsletter. This saves you time while ensuring relevant, personalized communication with your audience.
Here’s how these tools help streamline your marketing:
- Segmentation: They allow you to divide your email list into groups based on demographics, interests, or behaviors. This makes it easy to send the right messages to the right people.
- Personalization: Automation tools allow you to add dynamic content like names, product recommendations, and more, making emails feel tailored to each recipient.
- Behavior-Triggered Campaigns: Set up in advance campaigns that are sent based on user actions, such as visiting a certain website page, abandoning a shopping cart, or making a purchase.
Key Insights
- Increased ROI: Automation can improve lead nurturing, drive sales, and boost your overall email marketing return on investment.
- Time-Saving: Automation frees up the time you usually spend creating and sending emails manually.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Good automation software provides reports and analytics so you can track the performance of your campaigns and make informed decisions.
Buyers Guide: How We Conducted Our Research
We used a thorough multi-step process to find the best email marketing automation software tools. Firstly, we looked at industry reports, expert reviews, and user feedback platforms to identify well-respected market leaders.
We then meticulously evaluated each tool based on the following key factors:
- Pricing: We analyzed the various pricing tiers, examining costs relative to the number of contacts and features offered. We placed importance on affordability and scalability for businesses of different sizes.
- Features: We focused on each platform’s breadth of automation capabilities, ease of use, segmentation options, and overall feature set.
- Ease of Use: We evaluated the learning curve to determine how beginner-friendly or complex each platform is.
- Support: We looked at the support options available, including knowledge bases, tutorials, live chat, and customer service responsiveness. Additionally, we considered any free trial or refund policies.
This comprehensive research methodology enabled us to present a well-rounded guide to help businesses of all sizes find the email marketing automation tool that best fits their needs and budget constraints.
Final Thoughts on Email Marketing Automation Software
Best Overall Email Platform
ActiveCampaign
Best Runnerup Email Platform
Mailchimp
Best Platform for Creatives
Mailchimp
Choosing the best email marketing automation software depends on your business’s specific requirements.
If you’re a solopreneur or have a small list, a platform with a generous free plan or affordable pricing is what you need. Larger organizations may need advanced segmentation, reporting, or CRM integration features.
No matter what stage you’re at, the tools in this guide are strong contenders in the market. They each offer a distinct set of benefits to help streamline your email marketing, boost conversions, and create better customer experiences.
By carefully comparing their features and strengths against your needs, you’ll find the perfect fit to automate and elevate your email marketing strategy.
FAQs for Email Marketing Automation Software
What is the difference between email marketing and email marketing automation?
Email marketing covers the broad practice of sending emails to your audience. Email marketing automation uses software to create workflows that automatically send emails based on triggers and conditions.
What types of emails can I automate?
The possibilities are vast! Common examples include welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, birthday offers, post-purchase follow-ups, win-back campaigns, and much more.
Do I need to know how to code to use automation?
Not usually! Most modern platforms use visual drag-and-drop builders, making it easy to design automation workflows without needing technical skills.
Can I integrate email automation with other tools?
Yes! Look for platforms that integrate with your CRM, e-commerce platform, website analytics, social media, and other tools you use. This creates a seamless flow of data.
How do I measure the success of my automation campaigns?
Most platforms offer reporting features on email marketing metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and unsubscribes. Monitor these to get insights and tweak your campaigns for better performance.
Can I use email automation for specific industries?
Yes, many platforms cater to specific niches, such as e-commerce, SaaS, non-profits, or bloggers. Consider whether a tool has features or templates specifically tailored to your industry.
