Top 14 Email Automation Tools to Supercharge Your Business in 2023

With years of experience running online businesses and websites, we understand the time-consuming nature of crafting emails for customers, leads, and subscribers.

As a business owner, your time is precious. It’s essential to concentrate on expanding your business rather than merely writing emails. Fortunately, email automation tools can assist you in achieving that.

However, with the multitude of tools available, selecting the right one can be challenging. That’s why we have tested several options, evaluating their ease of use, pricing, and ability to personalize emails.

While we primarily use Drip at CanadaCreate, we have thoroughly researched other alternatives suitable for small business owners.

In this article, we will present the best email automation tools we’ve discovered. These tools will enable you to save time while still sending personalized emails to each recipient.

Top 3 Email Marketing Automation Tools

In a rush? Here are our top three recommendations for the best email marketing tools.

How We Evaluate and Review Email Automation Tools

In our reviews, we prioritize tools that genuinely contribute to business growth, rather than just flashy features.

Marketing expert Neil Patel succinctly highlights the key aspects:

The main factors I consider in email marketing are:

1. Segmentation: The aim is to create personalized and relevant email campaigns for each recipient.
2. Personalization: By tailoring your email content, you foster a human connection with your contacts, which can enhance click-through rates, increase open rates, and drive more conversions.
3. Provide Value: Ensure that the content of your email is valuable and relevant to your audience’s interests, avoiding any appearance of a sales pitch.

Neil Patel – Expert in Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship

We utilize many of the tools mentioned here on a daily basis for our own websites, allowing us to understand their functionality firsthand. We employ them to send welcome emails to new customers, remind users about abandoned carts, and promote special offers.

We also explored popular tools that we tested to determine if they truly deliver on their promises. We analyzed online reviews to assess their real-world performance, ensuring we recommend tools that are dependable, user-friendly, and offer great value.

1. Constant Contact

Constant Contact is the leading email marketing automation tool, preferred by over 600,000 businesses. Our in-depth review covers its features and benefits extensively.

Constant Contact categorizes your audience into four groups: highly engaged, moderately engaged, minimally engaged, and all others.

While this segmentation may not be as precise as some other tools, it is beneficial for beginners looking to distinguish their most loyal customers.

It boasts one of the most intuitive interfaces we’ve encountered. From the moment you begin the free trial, it provides a straightforward setup experience.

You can select from hundreds of customizable templates and designs. Whether you need an attractive email for newsletters or a straightforward announcement, there’s a template that suits your requirements.

Advantages of Constant Contact:

• Automatic audience segmentation allows for efficient targeting.
• A wide range of customizable templates to align with your brand.
• Robust analytics tools to evaluate the success of your campaigns.

Disadvantages of Constant Contact:

• They do not provide unlimited email sends.

Pricing:Constant Contact offers plans ranging from $12 to $80 per month, depending on the number of contacts. They also provide a 30-day free trial. Use our Constant Contact coupon code to receive a 20% discount on your purchase.

Reasons for choosing Constant Contact: We recommend Constant Contact for beginners because it effectively covers the fundamentals of email marketing. The platform assists with list building, automating campaigns, and creating mobile-responsive emails, making it ideal for newcomers.

For more details about the tool, please read our Constant Contact review.

2. Brevo

Brevo is an email marketing application that allows unlimited contacts on any subscription plan. We explored its features, which you can find in our comprehensive Brevo review.

The tool includes contact segmentation capabilities, enabling you to target specific groups of subscribers. You can engage them with tailored content by filtering contacts based on previous interactions, stated interests, purchase history, and more.

It ranks as our second choice because it is one of the few platforms that provides unlimited contacts from the start, which is beneficial for expanding your email list.

A limitation of Brevo is that multi-user access is restricted to higher-tier plans, which may hinder collaboration for users on lower-tier subscriptions.

Advantages of Brevo:

• All plans include unlimited contacts.
• Marketing automation features allow you to send targeted emails to specific segments at optimal moments in their customer journey.
• The predictive sending feature optimizes email delivery times for each individual recipient.

Disadvantages of Brevo:

• Multi-user access is not available on lower-tier plans.

Pricing Information:Brevo offers a free plan with unlimited contacts and allows up to 300 email sends per day. Paid plans range from $9 to $18 per month.

Reasons for selecting Brevo:We selected Brevo because it provides unlimited contacts across all plans, making it perfect for growing businesses. Its segmentation and predictive sending capabilities enable you to effectively reach the right audience at the most opportune times.

For more details, you can check out our comprehensive Brevo review.

3. HubSpot

HubSpot ranks among the most cost-effective and versatile marketing automation tools, securing a spot in our top three. We created a HubSpot account for this review and explored all its features, which you can find in our HubSpot review.

HubSpot enables you to send automated emails immediately after a user completes a pop-up or embedded form, allowing you to nurture leads effectively from the start. You can also segment your audience and personalize your emails to ensure they reach the intended recipients.

Starting at just $15 per user per month, you can manage up to 1,000 marketing contacts to launch your campaigns.

A limitation of HubSpot is that its lower-tier plans permit only 10 automated actions, which may suffice initially but could restrict your growth. To unlock additional features, an upgrade to the Marketing Hub Professional plan is necessary.

Advantages of HubSpot:

• 1,000 marketing contacts, providing ample opportunity for expansion.
• The email tool integrates seamlessly with CRM contacts for efficient data management.
• Automation capabilities for nurturing leads through email and engaging users who have submitted their information via a form.

Disadvantages of HubSpot:

• Limited to 10 automated actions in lower-tier plans, with a significant price increase for the next tier.

Pricing Information:HubSpot provides a free plan to help you get started. The Marketing Hub Starter plan is available for $15 per user per month. For additional marketing contacts and unlimited automated actions, consider the Marketing Hub Professional plan at $800 per month.

Reasons to choose HubSpot:We selected HubSpot for its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. With its powerful automation capabilities and smooth CRM integration, it offers essential tools for nurturing customer relationships.

For more information, check out our detailed review of HubSpot.

4. Drip

Drip stands out as one of the top email automation tools available, thanks to its sophisticated features. It goes beyond simple personalization by utilizing liquid tags to tailor emails based on user behavior, location, and other characteristics.

This was a key factor in our decision to transition from Mailchimp to Drip at CanadaCreate, as it enabled us to deliver more personalized content to our cherished audience.

It’s important to note that Drip is pricier than some alternatives, starting at $39 per month for 2,500 subscribers. However, we believe it is a worthwhile investment for businesses seeking enhanced functionality.

Advantages of Drip:

• Intelligent segmentation can automatically categorize your audience.
• Liquid tags enable the creation of dynamic content tailored to various user attributes.
• Drip integrates all product data from your WooCommerce store, allowing you to make product recommendations or send upsell emails.

Disadvantages of Drip:

• It may be more costly compared to other options on this list.

Pricing: Drip offers plans starting at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, with prices increasing as your subscriber base expands. You can also apply our Drip coupon code for a 14-day free trial.

Why choose Drip: We selected Drip for its robust personalization capabilities that allow for dynamic and highly relevant email content. Its intelligent segmentation makes it a top choice for businesses looking for effective automation solutions.

5. FunnelKit Automations

If you’re using WooCommerce and want to enhance your store’s performance through email marketing, FunnelKit Automations is the perfect solution. We have tested it across various WooCommerce stores – check out our FunnelKit review for more insights.

What we appreciate about this tool is its ability to run automated email campaigns directly within WordPress.

Here, you can effortlessly import pre-designed sequences for abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, win-back campaigns, and lead nurturing. All emails are pre-written and can be customized using the visual builder. Additionally, you can create targeted audiences based on purchased items or average order value.

One drawback is that the setup process can be more complex, as you might need to utilize an SMTP service to ensure your emails are delivered successfully. Additionally, FunnelKit advises against using Gmail or Outlook as your email service providers, which may require you to switch to a different option.

Advantages of FunnelKit:

• Easily integrates with WordPress, WooCommerce, and popular applications such as WPForms and Slack.
• Offers a variety of email sequence templates, including those for abandoned cart recovery, welcome sequences, and newsletters.
• The visual builder allows for easy customization of your automation to meet your specific needs.

Disadvantages of FunnelKit:

• The setup process can be more intricate compared to other alternatives.

Pricing Information:FunnelKit Automations starts at $99.50 per year, while the combined package of FunnelKit Automations and FunnelKit Funnel Builder is priced at $249.50 per year. The latter includes a sales funnel builder designed to enhance your website’s conversion rates.

Reasons for selecting FunnelKit Automations:We selected FunnelKit Automations due to its smooth integration with WordPress and WooCommerce. It also provides a wide range of email templates and a visual builder, making it easy to create successful campaigns, even for those without prior experience.

For more details about the platform, check out our review of FunnelKit Automations.

6. Omnisend

Omnisend is considered one of the top eCommerce marketing automation tools available. We created an account and explored all its features, which you can discover in our detailed Omnisend review.

This tool enhances your targeting capabilities, automates sales processes, and ensures consistency in your brand messaging. It operates seamlessly across various channels, including email, SMS, and web push notifications.

A standout feature that sets Omnisend apart is the smart campaign booster. This feature automatically resends email campaigns that have not been opened or clicked, allowing you to effectively reach subscribers who may have missed the initial opportunity.

One downside of Omnisend is its contact limit. The highest pricing plan permits only up to 2,500 contacts, whereas competitors like Brevo provide higher contact limits at more affordable rates.

Advantages of Omnisend:

• The Campaign Booster increases engagement by automatically resending messages to recipients who haven’t opened them.
• Pre-built workflows facilitate communication with customers and encourage them to make purchases.
• You can create unlimited custom events to serve as triggers for your email workflows.

Disadvantages of Omnisend:

• The contact limit is lower compared to other tools on this list.

Pricing details:Omnisend offers a free plan for up to 250 contacts, with paid subscriptions ranging from $16 to $59 per month.

Reasons for choosing Omnisend: We selected Omnisend for its intelligent campaign enhancement features and robust multi-channel marketing capabilities. Its ready-to-use workflows simplify automation and enhance marketing efforts for eCommerce businesses.

To discover more, visit our detailed review of Omnisend.

7. AWeber

AWeber is a comprehensive email marketing platform that includes all the necessary features for sending automated campaigns and email blasts. We’ve extensively tested AWeber and documented our findings in our review.

What we appreciated about AWeber is its behavioral automation, which allows you to easily monitor and engage with your most active subscribers.

For instance, you can initiate specific campaigns based on email opens and link clicks, enabling you to deliver targeted content to those who engage with your communications.

One drawback is that the user interface can seem somewhat outdated and cumbersome. Nonetheless, AWeber offers a Canva integration to simplify the design process.

Advantages of AWeber:

• Behavioral automation that allows engagement with subscribers based on their interactions.
• Email tagging allows you to organize your subscribers into various segments based on their engagement.
• Create email templates using Canva directly within AWeber.

Drawbacks of AWeber:

• The platform features an outdated interface that can feel cumbersome.

Pricing Information: You can begin with a free plan, and paid subscriptions range from $12.50 to $899 per month.

Utilize our AWeber coupon code for a 33% discount on your purchase.

Reasons for choosing AWeber: If you enjoy designing emails with Canva, AWeber is an excellent option. Its behavioral automation and email tagging features enable you to create highly targeted and engaging marketing campaigns.

8. MailerLite

MailerLite is among the most user-friendly email marketing platforms available. We conducted an in-depth review of its features, which you can explore in our MailerLite review.

The drag-and-drop editor simplifies the email creation process by allowing you to use pre-designed blocks or dynamic content for personalization.

You can establish automated workflows to connect with the right audience at the optimal time. For more advanced capabilities, MailerLite provides multi-trigger automation, enabling up to three triggers within a single automation, which creates multiple entry points.

Unfortunately, live chat support is limited to users on the Advanced plan, which may be a drawback for those on lower-tier plans.

Advantages of MailerLite:

• The intuitive drag-and-drop editor with customizable content blocks simplifies the process of creating personalized emails.
• Includes a built-in email verification tool to help clean and optimize your mailing list.
• Multivariate testing enables you to experiment with up to 8 variations of the same campaign to determine the most effective approach.

Disadvantages of MailerLite:

• Live chat support is restricted to users on the Advanced plan.

Pricing:MailerLite offers a free plan for sending up to 12,000 emails per month. Paid plans start at $9 and go up to $18 per month, providing unlimited email sending.

Reasons for choosing MailerLite: We selected MailerLite due to its easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, dynamic content blocks, and multivariate testing capabilities. These features make it perfect for beginners aiming to create successful email marketing campaigns effortlessly.

9. Kit (Previously ConvertKit)

With Kit (formerly ConvertKit), you don’t have to create a new email list for every project launch or sale. It provides segments and unique tags to categorize subscribers based on custom form fields, location, or other criteria, allowing for easy management and targeting of specific audiences.

Kit includes a lead-scoring feature that evaluates the quality of your leads. For instance, if a customer hasn’t opened your last five emails, you can reduce their score. Conversely, if they visit your pricing page or click on a link, you can increase their score. This allows you to concentrate on your most engaged leads.

However, we found the analytics to be somewhat limited. Detailed insights such as open and click rates are only accessible in the top-tier Creator Pro plan.

Advantages of Kit:

• Lead-scoring feature to identify and connect with your most active leads.
• Automatically group subscribers using custom form fields, simplifying segmentation.
• All plans include unlimited landing pages, opt-in forms, and email broadcasts.

Disadvantages of Kit:

• Comprehensive analytics are restricted to higher-tier plans.

Pricing: Kit is free for up to 10,000 subscribers. Paid plans start at $25 and go up to $50 per month, with costs increasing as your subscriber count grows.

You can also use our Kit coupon for a discount.

Reasons for choosing Kit: If you are a content creator or an online business owner, Kit’s features can assist you in effectively managing and engaging with your subscribers.

10. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign features an intuitive automation builder and visual map that simplifies the creation of workflows. You can easily set up triggers and actions to initiate events, allowing for efficient management and optimization of your automation processes.

With ActiveCampaign’s conditional content feature, you can customize email sections based on specific user attributes. This enables you to effectively target your audience, such as displaying event information exclusively to local subscribers or adjusting content according to the sales stage.

It’s important to note that ActiveCampaign does not offer a refund policy, so be sure to take advantage of the 14-day trial to determine if it meets your requirements.

Advantages of ActiveCampaign:

• User-friendly automation builder with a variety of triggers, including those related to eCommerce, email campaigns, and sales activities.
• Personalized email content based on specific user attributes through conditional content.
• AI-powered content generation tool designed to streamline the email writing process.

Disadvantages of ActiveCampaign:

• Lacks a refund policy, making it essential to test the service during the free trial before making a commitment.

Pricing Information: Subscription plans range from $15 to $145 per month, and a 14-day free trial is available for new users.

Reasons for selecting ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign effectively combines user-friendliness with advanced personalization options, making it an excellent choice for businesses of any size.

If you’re searching for alternatives to ActiveCampaign, explore our curated list of the top ActiveCampaign substitutes.

11. GetResponse

GetResponse offers template-based autoresponders that enable you to implement effective workflows such as welcome series, post-purchase follow-ups, abandoned cart reminders, webinars, events, and sales promotions. These templates help you save time by eliminating the need for manual adjustments.

You can also conduct A/B tests to try out different subject lines and email content. Just create two versions of your email, and GetResponse will compare their performance to identify the most effective one.

One drawback is that not all automation templates are accessible in every plan. Premium plans include exclusive features like drip campaigns.

Advantages of GetResponse:

• A diverse selection of automated email templates, including follow-ups and post-purchase communications.
• In addition to emails, you can design lead magnets, opt-in forms, sales pages, and webinar funnels.
• Integration with Google Analytics for monitoring campaign performance.

Disadvantages of GetResponse:

• Certain automation templates are exclusively available in premium plans.

Pricing Information: GetResponse provides a free plan, with paid subscriptions starting at $13.20 per month and reaching up to $82.90 per month.

Reasons for choosing GetResponse: We selected GetResponse due to its extensive range of email templates and user-friendly A/B testing features. It is ideal for businesses looking to streamline their email marketing efforts and enhance performance with minimal hassle.

12. EngageBay

EngageBay is a comprehensive automation platform that combines sales, marketing, and customer support operations into one cohesive system.

It provides a wide array of tools, including template builders, email workflows, and marketing automation features. Its email autoresponder can leverage data from its integrated CRM, allowing you to send more tailored messages based on past interactions with your customers.

For those interested in EngageBay, we advise selecting one of the two premium plans, as the free and lower-tier options lack automation capabilities.

Advantages of EngageBay:

• A unified CRM and email automation solution that removes the need to purchase these functionalities separately.
• Email automation integrates with the CRM to provide a cohesive customer experience.
• Utilize predictive lead scoring to identify and engage with qualified leads effectively.

Drawbacks of EngageBay:

• Automation features are restricted to higher-tier subscription plans.

Pricing:EngageBay provides a free plan for up to 250 contacts, with paid plans ranging from $12.74 to $101.99 per user per month.

Reasons for choosing EngageBay: EngageBay’s all-in-one platform is ideal for businesses looking to streamline their operations and manage everything from a single interface.

13. Moosend

Moosend is one of the most cost-effective email marketing services, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious businesses.

During our evaluation of Moosend, we found its feature that tracks email bounces on each list particularly useful. This functionality helps maintain a clean contact list, boosting open rates and enhancing your sender reputation.

It’s important to note that transactional emails, such as order confirmations and shipping notifications, are only available in the Enterprise plan. Therefore, if your business operates on the Pro version, you won’t be able to send these types of emails.

Advantages of Moosend:

• Offers a free 30-day trial and competitive pricing, along with pre-built automation templates and a user-friendly automation workflow designer.
• Optimize your email lists to enhance deliverability.
• Utilize email heatmap analytics to understand user interactions with your emails.

Drawbacks of Moosend:

• Transactional emails are not included in non-Enterprise plans.

Pricing Information:Moosend provides a 30-day free trial. The Pro plan starts at $7 per month for up to 500 contacts, with additional Moosend+ (Pro with add-ons) and Enterprise plans available at custom pricing.

Reasons for selecting Moosend:Moosend is budget-friendly and packed with features, making it perfect for cost-conscious businesses. Its list optimization and email heatmap analytics significantly enhance email performance.

14. OptinMonster

No email automation strategy is complete without a lead generation tool, and we recommend OptinMonster for this purpose.

OptinMonster is the leading lead-generation plugin for WordPress, enabling you to automatically collect and categorize email addresses. It has helped us boost our email subscribers by 600%. You can segment new subscribers based on various attributes such as cookies, user activity, location, and more.

It features a user-friendly visual builder for creating effective opt-in forms, complemented by exit-intent technology that engages visitors right before they leave your site, encouraging them to take action.

For more information, read our comprehensive review of OptinMonster.

Advantages of OptinMonster:

• Design engaging spin-to-win coupon wheels to enhance user interaction.
• Seamlessly integrates with all major email marketing platforms.
• Conduct A/B testing on different opt-in campaigns to optimize conversion rates.

Disadvantages of OptinMonster:

• There is no free version available.

Pricing Information:OptinMonster pricing starts at $9.97 per month and goes up to $49.97 per month. All subscription plans include unlimited campaigns, unlimited subscribers, and no transaction fees.

Reasons for recommending OptinMonster:OptinMonster is user-friendly and offers robust targeting and segmentation capabilities, making it perfect for businesses aiming to enhance conversions and effectively grow their email lists.

Additional Tool: WP Mail SMTP

It’s important to note that WordPress, by default, sends emails using the PHP mail function, which frequently results in messages being marked as spam. This occurs because PHP mail lacks adequate authentication, causing deliverability challenges.

WP Mail SMTP is the top SMTP plugin for WordPress users, ensuring that your emails reach the inbox instead of the spam folder.

We utilize WP Mail SMTP on all our websites; check out our detailed WP Mail SMTP review for more information.

It employs an SMTP server to authenticate the sender effectively, enhancing email deliverability and ensuring your messages are noticed.

For additional information, refer to our guide on resolving the WordPress email sending issue.

Advantages of WP Mail SMTP:

• Seamlessly integrates with various email marketing services such as Brevo and SendLayer.
• Provides open and click tracking to monitor which recipients engage with your emails.
• Intelligent email routing allows you to send messages through different providers based on criteria like content and subject line.

Disadvantages of WP Mail SMTP:

• The setup process can be somewhat technical, but we offer a comprehensive guide on how to configure it in our article addressing the WordPress email sending issue.

Pricing:A free version is available. The Pro version starts at $49 per year and can go up to $399 per year, with higher-tier plans supporting more sites.

Reasons for selecting WP Mail SMTP:WP Mail SMTP is a must-have for small businesses using WordPress. It guarantees that critical emails, such as password resets and shipping notifications, successfully reach your customers’ inboxes.

What Is the Best Email Automation Tool for Small Businesses?

For an all-in-one email marketing automation solution, we highly recommend Constant Contact.

With over 600,000 businesses relying on it, Constant Contact is user-friendly and ideal for beginners. It offers hundreds of customizable templates and facilitates easy audience segmentation, making it perfect for list-building and campaign automation. However, it does not provide unlimited email sends.

If you need unlimited contacts right from the start, Brevo is a fantastic option. It’s designed for growing businesses and includes features like segmentation and predictive sending, allowing effective audience targeting. Keep in mind that multi-user access is available only in higher-tier plans.

HubSpot is another excellent option. Starting at $15 per user per month, it offers robust email automation, segmentation, and CRM integration. While lower-tier plans restrict automated actions, upgrading unlocks more advanced capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions About Email Automation

Now that you are familiar with the top email automation tools, let’s address some common questions about email automation.

Comprehensive Guides to Email Marketing

• How to Create a Free Business Email Address in Just 5 Minutes
• Email Marketing Mistakes That WordPress Users Should Avoid
• How We Utilize a Video Membership Site to Expand Our Email List
• Reasons to Avoid Using WordPress for Sending Newsletter Emails
• Steps to Email All Registered Users in WordPress
• How to Inform Subscribers About New Posts in WordPress

We hope this article has helped you discover the ideal email automation tool for your small business. Additionally, consider exploring our list of effective strategies to rapidly grow your email list or our detailed guide on building an email list in WordPress.

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