Which Is the Best Email Marketing Software in 2023: An Expert Comparison

Email marketing remains a powerful tool to engage your target audience and bolster your business. It allows you to send personalized messages to your subscribers at scale and track the results of your campaigns in real-time. But with so many email marketing solutions on the market, selecting the perfect fit for your business needs can be challenging.

NEXT BASKET offers a next generation ecommerce platform seamlessly integrating with top email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, MailerLite, and HubSpot. Our platform provides a holistic perspective of your customers and their interactions with your brand, enabling you to craft laser-focused and high-impact email marketing campaigns.

Popular email marketing software solutions on the market

Are you looking for the best email marketing software solutions in 2023? We’ll explore some of the top performers, their pros and cons, and how they rank in several metrics, including deliverability, integrations, pricing, third-party integrations, and ease of use.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced marketer, understanding these tools can help you choose the right platform and drive your email campaigns.

Below, we will review some popular email marketing platforms to consider for your campaigns.

HubSpot

HubSpot is a versatile digital marketing platform that includes email marketing among its solutions to cater to businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations. The platform offers an extensive range of functionalities to manage email marketing and other customer journey steps in one place.

Pros	Cons
A comprehensive suite of email marketing tools	Costlier for small businesses
Powerful email marketing service	Some features may have a steeper learning curve
User-friendly interface
Scalable for ecommerce businesses of all sizes

HubSpot is an ideal platform for businesses of all sizes that need a robust and scalable email automation solution. It offers integration with other apps and marketing tools, automated email capabilities and customizable templates for targeted marketing.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a widely popular email marketing software, perfect for small businesses and beginners. It boasts a user-friendly design and several features for sending, automating, and monitoring emails.

The platform emphasizes simplicity and allows users to create newsletters, set up email automation, design landing pages, and even build websites.

Pros	Cons
Easy to navigate	Not as easily scalable as some competitors
Wide range of features	Some key features may have limitations
Affordable pricing, including a free plan

Mailchimp is a perfect email marketing platform for small businesses and beginners. Although quite affordable and straightforward, it may not be as easily scalable as some competitors, and certain advanced features could have limitations.

MailerLite

MailerLite is an emerging email marketing software ideal for small businesses and users on a budget. The platform’s email automation features allow you to collect email addresses and send direct mail to your subscribers at the right time, every time.

Pros	Cons
Highly cost-effective	It may not scale as quickly as some other options
Wide range of features	Certain features might have limitations
Free plan available
User-friendly

MailerLite is an easy-to-use email marketing platform for small businesses and budget-conscious users. Its robust and straightforward features make engaging with subscribers and growing your customer base simple.

Constant Contact

Constant Contact is a user-friendly email marketing platform that offers a variety of features, including email creation, marketing automation, tracking, and more. The platform stands out with its assortment of email templates and resources to help you craft effective email marketing campaign.

Pros	Cons
Easy to use	It may not be as easily scalable as some alternatives
Numerous templates and resources	Certain features could be limited
Affordable pricing
Robust customer support

Constant Contact is an ideal email automation solution for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. It provides email segmentation and robust analytics to create effective email campaigns and engage with prospective customers.

Omnisend

Omnisend is a versatile email marketing platform that offers various features, from email marketing to SMS marketing, automation, tracking, and more. Omnisend’s appeal is further enhanced by its integrations with ecommerce platforms and different marketing tools.

Pros	Cons
Robust email marketing features	Potential for higher costs
Numerous integrations	Some features may require a learning curve
Reliable customer support

Omnisend is excellent in many ways, but it can be expensive, and some features might take a little time to learn. However, if you run an online store and need an email marketing tool that’s flexible and comes with good support, Omnisend is a solid choice.

Campaigner

Campaigner is a comprehensive email marketing platform best suited for experienced marketers and large businesses. Its intuitive tools, like a drag-and-drop editor, customizable templates, and list segmentation features, allow users to run complex email marketing campaigns efficiently.

Pros	Cons
Powerful email marketing features	Potentially higher costs
Numerous advanced features	Certain features may have a steeper learning curve
Robust customer support

Campaigner boasts many features, including email creation, automation, and tracking. Its advanced functionalities, such as dynamic segmentation and predictive analytics, are what sets it apart.

Choosing the right email marketing software

With so many email marketing software options, picking the right one can be a real puzzle. To help you make the best choice, we will discuss different solutions, how much you can personalize them, and what they offer.

We’ll also look at how easily the email software solutions work with other tools and integrations and how they measure up side by side.

Deliverability and inbox placement rates

Deliverability and inbox placement rates are essential for online stores because they directly impact the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Deliverability measures the percentage of emails sent to the recipient’s email servers without being bounced back or blocked. A high deliverability rate means many emails successfully reach the intended recipients.

On the other hand, inbox placement rates measure the percentage of delivered emails in the recipient’s primary inbox. A higher inbox placement rate is desirable because it ensures your emails are more likely to be seen and read by your audience rather than filtered into spam or other folders. Various factors, such as the quality of your email list, can influence deliverability and inbox placement rates. However, your email automation software plays an important role in determining these rates.

HubSpot stands out with the highest deliverability and inbox placement rates. It boasts a solid deliverability rate of 77%, while its inbox placement rate falls at about 84%. Mailchimp is another strong contender, offering reliable deliverability with rates at 79%. MailerLite, Constant Contact, Omnisend, and Campaigner lag slightly behind, with lower deliverability rates between 70% and 79%.

Email automation and personalization capabilities

Email automation simplifies email marketing by setting predefined workflows and rules to automatically send emails to specific recipients precisely when needed or in response to specific triggers.

Personalization, on the other hand, involves tailoring the content of your emails to individual recipients based on their preferences, behaviors, and demographic information.

Below is how each platform performs in email automation and personalization capabilities:

•  HubSpot and Omnisend offer the most robust automation and personalization tools. They have various advanced marketing automation features, including conditional logic, dynamic content, segmentation, personalization tokens, and product recommendations.

• Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact, and Campaigner offer more straightforward email automation and personalization functionality. These platforms support basic automated email campaigns, such as welcome series and abandoned cart emails. They also provide fundamental personalization features, including segmentation and personalization tokens.

For those seeking top-tier email automation and personalization capabilities, HubSpot and Omnisend present compelling choices. However, if budget constraints or basic requirements are a priority, Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact, or Campaigner may offer more cost-effective solutions.

List management and segmentation features

What is list management? In general, list management involves a series of procedures for gathering information about your subscribers.

List management involves:

• Maintaining and growing email lists.
• Ensuring data accuracy.
• Managing subscriber preferences and permissions.

Audience segmentation, on the other hand, divides your email list into specific groups or contact lists based on criteria like subscriber behavior, demographics, engagement history, or preferences. This allows you to send tailored content to different segments, increasing your email campaigns’ relevance and effectiveness.

HubSpot and Omnisend provide the most advanced list management and segmentation capabilities, affording users the following functionalities:

• Custom fields: The platforms allow users to create custom fields for collecting diverse customer data, such as interests, purchase history, and demographics.

• Dynamic segmentation: Users can leverage dynamic segmentation to categorize subscribers based on their behavior. For instance, you can create a segment to classify subscribers who have opened emails within the last 30 days but haven’t engaged with any links.

• Conditional logic: The platforms enable the creation of intricate segmentation rules through conditional logic. For example, users can design segments that show subscribers who have opened at least two emails in the past week and have visited the website at least once in the past month.

In contrast, Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact, and Campaigner offer more basic list management and segmentation features. They allow users to create custom fields and list groups based on static criteria like location, age, and interests. Users can also employ dynamic contact management to categorize subscribers based on specific events such as email opens, clicks, and unsubscribes.

Integration and compatibility with other platforms and tools

Email automation software that readily integrates with customer relationship management systems (CRM) and other marketing platforms can considerably improve sales and marketing. 

Below is how each platform ranks in integration and compatibility:

• HubSpot offers extensive integration capabilities supporting over 1,000 apps and services, including website builders. This includes seamless connections to customer relationship management (CRM) software, ecommerce platforms, and social media networks. Additionally, the platform provides the flexibility of a robust application programming interface (API), enabling custom integrations tailored to specific business requirements.

• Mailchimp delivers a robust integration framework, connecting over 250 apps and services, covering essential areas like CRM software, ecommerce platforms, and social media posts. Furthermore, Mailchimp extends its integration potential by offering compatibility with Zapier, providing access to over 5,000 additional apps and services.

• MailerLite facilitates integration with several apps and services and supports Zapier applications. It also offers access to over 5,000 apps and services to enhance connectivity.

• Constant Contact offers a comprehensive integration portfolio, linking with over 5,000 apps through the Zapier platform. This covers critical areas like CRM software, ecommerce platforms, and social media networks.

• Omnisend enhances integration potential by supporting over 130 apps and services. The platform also facilitates connections through Zapier, granting users access to a rich selection of supplementary apps and services.

• Campaigner offers compatibility with several apps and services, including CRM software, ecommerce platforms, and social media networks. It also aligns with Zapier, expanding connectivity options to other apps and services.

Although all the software solutions offer a wide range of ecommerce integrations and compatibility with other platforms and marketing channels, HubSpot has more integrations and is the most powerful API. This makes it the best option for businesses that need to integrate their email marketing with many other platforms and tools.

A/B testing and optimization tools

A/B testing is a great tool to help you determine what works best on your ecommerce website and make  decisions. The tool enables you to randomly show different versions of variables like email subject lines, content and calls to action to different segments of website visitors. Then, you determine which version has the most significant impact.

Below is how each platform ranks in A/B testing and optimization tools:

• HubSpot and Omnisend offer the most comprehensive A/B testing and optimization tools. These platforms empower you to conduct thorough A/B testing across various facets of your email marketing strategy, ranging from the subject line and content to design. Moreover, they provide an array of optimization tools, like heatmaps and scrollmaps, designed to enhance your email click-through rates and conversion. These tools aid in fine-tuning your personalized email marketing campaigns for optimal performance and engagement.

• Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaigner all offer basic A/B testing and optimization tools. They allow you to A/B test your email subject lines and content but provide fewer other optimization tools than HubSpot and Omnisend.

• MailerLite offers the most limited A/B testing and optimization tools of all the software listed above. The platform only allows you to A/B test your email subject lines and content. However, it also has other optimization tools, such as click maps and open rates, which can help improve your email click-through and conversion rates.

Overall, HubSpot and Omnisend have the best A/B testing and optimization tools. Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaigner are also great options to consider. MailerLite, on the other hand, is a little limited.

Analytics and reporting capabilities

Analytics and reports are helpful because they give you insights into how well your email campaign is doing. They show you how recipients interact with your emails and give you ideas on how to make improvements.

Below is how each platform ranks in analytics and reporting capabilities:

• HubSpot and Omnisend stand out as the industry leaders in offering robust analytics and reporting tools tailored for email marketing. These platforms provide extensive metrics for thorough monitoring, encompassing vital parameters such as email open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, unsubscribes, conversions, and even ecommerce revenue. Users benefit from the flexibility to craft custom reports aligned with their specific business requirements, while the inclusion of prebuilt reports, including email campaign performance reports and email list growth reports, simplifies the analytical process.

• Mailchimp offers analytics and reporting tools covering essential metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, unsubscribes, and conversions. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that Mailchimp’s reporting capabilities, while strong, reach a different level of comprehensiveness achieved by HubSpot and Omnisend.

• Constant Contact, Omnisend, and Campaigner offer more reliable analytics and reporting tools, including a range of key metrics and the flexibility to create customized reports. The platforms further extend convenience through the availability of prebuilt reports.

• MailerLite, in contrast, provides a more basic set of analytics and reporting tools. The platform allows tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounces, and unsubscribes, although the options for report customization are limited.

Overall, HubSpot and Omnisend are at the forefront, delivering the most extensive analytics and reporting capabilities. Their comprehensive offerings cater to diverse business needs, enabling users to monitor various metrics and create tailored reports.

Pricing models and affordability

When deciding how much to spend on email automation software, ask yourself, “Do I have many active contacts in my marketing database, or am I planning to send several emails to only a few contacts?” This is important because most platforms typically price their plans based on the number of contacts or how many emails you send monthly.

Below is how each platform ranks in pricing and affordability:

• HubSpot has a freemium pricing structure, with paid plans from $18 per month. The free plan supports up to 2,000 email subscribers per month, while the paid options provide access to advanced features such as email health insights, A/B testing, and higher sending limits.

• Mailchimp adopts a similar freemium model, with paid plans starting at $13 per month. The free plan supports up to 500 contacts email subscribers and offers a monthly email-sending cap of 1,000. Paid subscription options provide advanced features like prebuilt email templates, reporting and analytics, and up to 150,000 monthly sending limits.

• MailerLite takes the lead in affordability, with paid plans starting at $9 per month. Its free plan allows up to 1,000 email subscribers and a 12,000 monthly email-sending limit. Opting for paid plans unlocks advanced features like email automation templates, multiple automation triggers, and unlimited monthly emails.

• Omnisend also has a free plan that supports up to 250 contacts and a monthly sending limit of 500. The standard plan at $16 per month is best for growing and medium-sized businesses, while the pro plan at $59 per month is best for high-volume senders who want to combine the powers of email and SMS.

• Constant Contact and Campaigner don’t provide free plans. Their paid plans start at $12 and $59 per month, respectively, with Campaigner offering 30-day free trial periods for its premium plans.

When considering the best platform in terms of pricing and affordability, MailerLite and Mailchimp take the top spots as the most cost-effective email marketing software. They offer free plans and paid options starting at less than $15 monthly.

Customer support and training resources

Reliable customer support is important because you can resolve issues quickly and effectively. Most email marketing platforms offer excellent customer support and lots of training resources.

Below is how each platform ranks in customer support and resources:

• HubSpot leads in providing customer support and a wealth of training resources. The platform offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat. It also provides a comprehensive knowledge base and plenty of online courses.

• Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact, Omnisend, and Campaigner also deliver commendable customer support and training resources. Users can expect 24/7 customer support through email and live chat, complemented by extensive knowledge bases and various online courses.

HubSpot is the best choice if you prioritize exceptional customer support and training resources. If your business has budget constraints, MailerLite or Mailchimp offers solid options, while Omnisend or Campaigner have more advanced features.

User experience and ease of use

The best email automation software should be easy to use and provide a good user experience. 

Below is how each platform ranks:

• HubSpot boasts a user-friendly interface characterized by a clean and modern design. It’s a breeze to navigate, making finding the features you need easy. The platform also extends its support with various tutorials and resources to facilitate your software journey.

• Mailchimp is renowned for its user-friendly interface and simplicity. Creating and sending transactional emails, managing subscribers, and tracking results are easy tasks. The platform also offers templates and tools for crafting visually appealing and engaging emails.

• MailerLite caters to users of various skill levels, from novices to seasoned marketers. It offers an interface that’s both user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Navigation is smooth, and there are helpful tutorials and resources to get you up and running.

• Constant Contact presents a user-friendly interface loaded with useful features. Tasks like email creation, subscriber management, and result tracking are straightforward. The platform also provides a range of templates and tools to enhance your email design.

• Omnisend moves toward a more advanced interface, yet it remains user-friendly, even for beginners. It includes a drag-and-drop editor and many assistance resources, including tutorials, documentation, and a live chat support team.

• Campaigner stands out with its powerful and feature-rich interface. However, it poses a learning curve for beginners. The platform compensates with various support resources, including tutorials and access to a live chat support team.

HubSpot and Mailchimp emerge as the leaders in user experience and ease of use among the software options presented. Both offer user-friendly interfaces packed with helpful features and resources.

MailerLite and Constant Contact also provide a good user experience, catering to users of all levels with simplicity and an array of assistance resources. Omnisend and Campaigner, while more advanced, require more familiarity to navigate effectively.

Security and data privacy measures

Because emails often contain sensitive information about your clients, consider choosing email automation software with strict security and data protection measures in place. HubSpot, Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact, Omnisend, and Campaigner all take a comprehensive approach to security and data privacy.
They employ encryption access controls and undergo regular audits to safeguard your data. Furthermore, these best email marketing services adhere to GDPR compliance and hold certifications such as SOC 2 Type II or ISO/IEC 27001.