How to Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform

Email platform pricing is usually based on subscriber count or email volume. Key considerations: current list size and growth projections, whether pricing includes inactive subscribers, cost per additional subscriber tier, and email send limits. Some platforms get very expensive at scale - model out costs at 2x and 5x your current list.

Email automation turns one-time setup into ongoing results. Essential automations: welcome sequences for new subscribers, abandoned cart emails for e-commerce, drip campaigns for lead nurturing, and re-engagement campaigns. More advanced needs include behavioral triggers, scoring, and multi-channel sequences. Match automation complexity to your actual needs.

Your emails are worthless if they land in spam. Deliverability depends on: the platform's reputation and infrastructure, your sending practices and list hygiene, authentication setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and dedicated IP options. Ask vendors about their deliverability rates and what they do to maintain them.

Building beautiful, mobile-responsive emails shouldn't require a developer. Evaluate: drag-and-drop email builder quality, mobile preview and testing, template library variety, HTML editing capabilities if needed, and landing page builders. Create a test email during your trial to evaluate the actual experience.

Your email platform should connect to: your website/landing page builder, CRM system, e-commerce platform, webinar tools, and ad platforms for audience syncing. Native integrations are more reliable than Zapier for high-volume data syncing. Also check API quality if you have developer resources.

Our testing revealed clear winners: Mailchimp remains excellent for beginners with generous free tier and easy setup. ConvertKit is purpose-built for creators and offers powerful automations. ActiveCampaign delivers enterprise-level automation at SMB prices. Klaviyo dominates e-commerce with deep integrations. Brevo offers great value with SMS and chat included.