Omnisend has emerged as a popular choice for businesses seeking a comprehensive email marketing solution, particularly those with e-commerce aspirations. It aims to provide a unified platform encompassing email, SMS, and automation capabilities. Let’s delve into its features, pricing, and overall suitability.

Omnisend Email Marketing Functionality

Omnisend offers several pricing tiers, each unlocking a different level of features and functionality.

Free Plan: This entry-level tier is surprisingly robust for businesses just starting. It typically includes:

• Email marketing with Omnisend branding.
• Up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends per month.
• Basic email builder with pre-designed templates.
• Segmentation based on basic criteria.
• Automation workflows for welcome series, abandoned cart recovery (limited).
• Reporting on basic email performance.

Standard Plan: Moving up, the Standard plan removes Omnisend branding and significantly expands capabilities. Key features often include:

• Unlimited email sends.
• More advanced segmentation options, allowing for targeting based on customer behaviour, purchase history, and more.
• Enhanced automation workflows with more triggers and actions, including browse abandonment and post-purchase sequences.
• SMS marketing capabilities with a set number of free SMS credits per month.
• Customer support via email.

Pro Plan: The Pro plan caters to businesses with more sophisticated marketing needs. It typically offers:

• Priority customer support.
• Advanced reporting and analytics.
• More SMS credits per month.
• Integration with Google Customer Match and Facebook Custom Audiences.
• Advanced automation features like A/B testing for workflows and dynamic content.
• Web push notifications.

Enterprise Plan: Designed for high-volume senders and larger organisations, the Enterprise plan provides custom solutions with dedicated support, flexible sending limits, and advanced features tailored to specific requirements. This often includes features like a dedicated IP address and more in-depth consultation.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does Omnisend Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

Omnisend employs a tiered pricing structure, primarily based on the number of contacts.

• Free Plan: As the name suggests, this tier has no monthly cost. However, it’s limited in terms of contacts, sends, and features.
• Standard Plan: Pricing for the Standard plan typically starts from around £13 per month for up to 500 contacts, increasing as your contact list grows.
• Pro Plan: The Pro plan generally starts from approximately £80 per month for up to 500 contacts, with the price scaling with the number of subscribers.
• Enterprise Plan: Pricing for the Enterprise plan is bespoke and requires contact with Omnisend’s sales team to determine the cost based on individual needs.

It’s important to note that SMS credits are often charged on top of the monthly subscription fee, although some credits are usually included in the Standard and Pro plans.

Omnisend generally offers good value for money, particularly for e-commerce businesses. The Free plan is an excellent starting point for small businesses or those new to email marketing, providing a solid foundation of features without any upfront cost. The Standard plan unlocks crucial automation and segmentation tools at a competitive price point.

The Pro plan offers more advanced functionalities that justify the higher cost for businesses with more complex marketing strategies and larger customer bases. While the cost can escalate as your contact list grows, the platform’s robust features and integrated SMS capabilities can lead to a strong return on investment through improved customer engagement and sales. However, businesses that primarily rely solely on basic email marketing without the need for advanced automation or SMS might find cheaper, albeit less comprehensive, alternatives.

Take a look at where Omnisend sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

Omnisend: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Strong E-commerce Focus: Features are tailored for online shops.	Can Become Pricey: Costs can increase significantly with list growth.
Integrated SMS Marketing: Unified platform for email and SMS.	Learning Curve: The platform’s extensive features might take time to master fully.
Robust Automation: Powerful workflows for various customer journeys.	SMS Costs: Additional charges for SMS beyond the included credits can add up.
Advanced Segmentation: Allows for highly targeted campaigns.	Template Customisation: While templates are available, deep customisation might require some technical knowledge.
User-Friendly Interface: Generally intuitive and easy to navigate.	Reporting Complexity: While detailed, the reporting could be more user-friendly for basic users.
Good Free Plan: Offers significant value for starting businesses.

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Omnisend Best Suited For?

Omnisend is particularly well suited for:

• E-commerce Businesses: Its features, such as abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, and transactional emails, are specifically designed to drive online sales. Small to medium-sized online retailers will find the Standard and Pro plans particularly beneficial.
• Businesses Seeking Omnichannel Marketing: Companies looking to leverage both email and SMS marketing within a single platform will find Omnisend’s integrated approach highly efficient.
• Growing Businesses: The scalable pricing structure and feature-rich plans make Omnisend a good choice for businesses expecting their contact list and marketing needs to expand.
• Marketers Comfortable with Automation: Businesses that want to automate key customer communication flows to improve efficiency and personalisation will appreciate Omnisend’s powerful automation capabilities.

While other businesses can certainly use Omnisend for their email marketing needs, its core strengths and feature set are most aligned with the requirements of e-commerce operations.

Conclusion

Omnisend presents a compelling email and SMS marketing platform, especially for e-commerce businesses in the UK. Its tiered structure offers options for businesses of various sizes and needs, with a surprisingly generous free plan for those just starting out. The integration of SMS marketing is a significant advantage, allowing for a more holistic customer engagement strategy. While the cost can increase with a growing contact list, the robust automation, advanced segmentation, and e-commerce-centric features generally provide good value for money for businesses looking to drive sales and build stronger customer relationships. However, businesses with very basic email marketing needs might explore simpler and potentially cheaper alternatives. Overall, Omnisend is a strong contender in the email marketing landscape, offering a powerful suite of tools within a relatively user-friendly interface.

Omnisend Competitors

• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where Omnisend sits in the top ten.

MailerLite has certainly made a name for itself as a user-friendly and affordable platform, particularly for those just starting out or on a tighter budget. It offers a good range of features without being overly complicated, which can be a real strength.

MailerLite Email Marketing Functionality

MailerLite operates on a freemium model with several paid tiers that unlock more advanced features and higher subscriber limits. Here’s a breakdown of what you can generally expect at each level.

Free Plan:

• Subscribers: Typically limited to around 1,000 subscribers.
• Emails per month: Often capped at around 12,000 emails.
• Key Features:
  • Drag-and-drop email builder: For creating visually appealing emails without needing to code.
  • Basic email automation: Setting up simple automated workflows, such as welcome emails.
  • Landing pages: Creating standalone pages to capture leads.
  • Forms and pop-ups: Tools for growing your email list on your website.
  • Segmentation: Basic options for dividing your audience based on certain criteria.
  • Reporting and analytics: Tracking key metrics like open rates and click-through rates.
  • 24/7 email support: Even free users typically have access to support via email.

Growing Business:

• Subscribers: Scales up significantly, allowing for tens of thousands of subscribers depending on your needs.
• Emails per month: Higher sending limits, often unlimited sending to your subscriber base.
• Includes everything in the Free Plan, plus:
  • More advanced automation: Building complex workflows with triggers, delays, and conditional content.
  • Dynamic content: Personalising email content based on subscriber data.
  • A/B split testing: Experimenting with different subject lines, content, and send times to optimise campaigns.
  • Custom HTML editor: For those who prefer more control over their email design.
  • Facebook integration: For audience syncing and ad campaigns.
  • Multiple triggers and actions in automation.

Advanced:

• Subscribers: Even larger subscriber capacities.
• Emails per month: Usually unlimited sending.
• Includes everything in the Growing Business Plan, plus:
  • Multiple users: Allowing team access to the account.
  • Facebook Custom Audiences: More advanced integration with Facebook advertising.
  • Promotion pop-ups: More sophisticated pop-up options for capturing leads.
  • Preference centre: Allowing subscribers to manage their communication preferences.
  • Dedicated IP address (in some higher-end versions): Can improve deliverability for very large senders.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does MailerLite Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

MailerLite’s pricing is primarily based on the number of subscribers you have. Here are some typical “from” prices to give you an idea:

• Free Plan: £0 per month (with the aforementioned limitations).
• Growing Business: Prices often start from around £9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. As your subscriber list grows, the price increases incrementally. For example, you might expect to pay around £19 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, and so on.
• Advanced: Pricing for the Advanced tier will be higher, reflecting the additional features and user capacity. It might start from around £39 per month for a similar subscriber count as the lower tiers, but the value lies in the added functionalities.

It’s important to check their website for the most up-to-date pricing as it can be subject to change. They usually offer monthly and annual billing options, with discounts often available for annual commitments.

In our opinion, MailerLite offers excellent value for money, particularly for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. The free plan is surprisingly generous and allows you to get to grips with email marketing without any upfront cost. As your needs grow, the paid tiers remain competitively priced compared to many other platforms offering similar features.

The user-friendly interface means you’re less likely to need to hire a specialist just to manage your email campaigns, saving you money in the long run. The inclusion of landing page and form builders in even the lower tiers is a significant plus, as these are often offered as separate add-ons with other providers.

However, larger enterprises with very complex automation needs or a requirement for highly bespoke integrations might find that MailerLite’s more advanced features, while robust, may not be as extensive as some of the more enterprise-focused platforms.

Take a look at where MailerLite sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

MailerLite: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
User-friendly interface	Advanced automation might not be as granular as some competitors
Competitive pricing, especially for smaller lists	Reporting and analytics, while good, could be more in-depth
Generous free plan	Fewer direct integrations with some niche platforms
Good range of features in lower tiers	Customisation options for some templates can be limited
Integrated landing page and form builders	Phone support is typically not available on lower tiers
Reliable deliverability

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is MailerLite Best Suited For?

MailerLite is particularly well-suited for:

• Small businesses and startups: The affordable pricing and ease of use make it an excellent choice for those with limited budgets and resources.
• Bloggers and content creators: The landing page and form features are ideal for building an email list and nurturing subscribers.
• E-commerce businesses: The platform offers features like product blocks in emails and automation for abandoned carts, making it useful for online shops, especially smaller ones.
• Non-profits and charities: The free and lower-tier plans can be very beneficial for organisations with tight budgets.
• Individuals and solopreneurs: The intuitive interface and comprehensive features allow individuals to manage their email marketing effectively.

While larger businesses can certainly use MailerLite, those with highly complex automation requirements, a need for very granular reporting, or numerous direct integrations with enterprise-level software might eventually outgrow it and need to consider more specialised (and often more expensive) alternatives.

Conclusion

Overall, MailerLite is a strong contender in the email marketing landscape, especially for those who prioritise ease of use, affordability, and a solid set of core features. It provides excellent value for money and is a particularly attractive option for smaller businesses, startups, and individuals looking to build and engage with their audience through email. While it might not have the most cutting-edge advanced features of some of its pricier competitors, it delivers a reliable and effective email marketing experience without breaking the bank. It’s a platform that empowers users to create professional-looking campaigns and build meaningful connections with their subscribers.

MailerLite Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where MailerLite sits in the top ten.

Mailchimp has been a prominent name in the email marketing game for quite some time now, but is this for good reason? It offers a range of features and functionalities that cater to businesses of all sizes, though the value proposition can shift depending on your specific needs and how deep your pockets are.

Mailchimp Email Marketing Functionality

Mailchimp operates on a tiered subscription model, each offering a different level of access to its tools. Here’s a breakdown of what you can generally expect at each level.

• Free Plan: This is often the entry point for many. It typically includes basic email creation and sending capabilities, marketing CRM, Mailchimp branding on emails, and a limited audience size (often around 500 contacts). You’ll usually have access to single-step automations. It’s a good way to dip your toes in and get a feel for the platform.
  
• Essentials Plan: Moving up a notch, this tier usually removes the Mailchimp branding and increases the audience limit. You’ll gain access to more advanced email templates, customer journey builders with a few steps, A/B testing for subject lines, and more detailed reporting. This plan is often suitable for growing businesses that need more sophisticated tools than the free option.
  
• Standard Plan: This plan builds on the Essentials offering with more advanced automation capabilities, including branching logic and multi-step journeys. You’ll typically get access to retargeting ads, behavioural targeting, and more in-depth insights and reporting. This tier is generally aimed at businesses looking to personalise their marketing efforts and scale their campaigns.
  
• Premium Plan: At the top end, the Premium plan offers Mailchimp’s full suite of features. This often includes advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, priority support, and higher sending limits. It’s designed for larger organisations with complex marketing needs and a significant contact list.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does Mailchimp Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

Mailchimp’s pricing is primarily based on the number of contacts in your audience and the chosen plan. It’s worth noting that these are “from” prices and can increase significantly as your audience grows.

• Free Plan: As the name suggests, this tier has no monthly cost, though it comes with limitations on audience size and features.
  
• Essentials Plan: Expect starting prices to be in the region of £10-£20 per month for a smaller audience (e.g., 500 contacts). This will increase as your contact list grows.
  
• Standard Plan: Prices typically start from around £50-£70 per month for a similar small audience, again scaling with your contact numbers.
  
• Premium Plan: This is the most expensive option, with starting prices often upwards of £200 per month, and can run into the thousands for very large audiences.

It’s crucial to use Mailchimp’s pricing calculator to get an accurate estimate based on your specific audience size. They also sometimes offer pay-as-you-go options for users who send infrequently.

The value for money that Mailchimp offers really depends on your business’s size and marketing maturity. 

For very small businesses or individuals just starting with email marketing, the Free Plan can be a fantastic entry point to learn the ropes and build a small list without any upfront cost. However, the Mailchimp branding can look a bit unprofessional, and the limited features might quickly become restrictive as you grow.

The Essentials Plan provides a decent step up in functionality and professionalism, and for businesses with a growing but still relatively small list, it can offer good value. The removal of branding and the addition of A/B testing are significant improvements.

The Standard Plan starts to become more of an investment. While the advanced automation and targeting features are powerful, smaller businesses might find the cost a bit steep if they’re not fully utilising these capabilities. For businesses with a clear strategy for leveraging these features to drive sales and engagement, it can represent good value.

The Premium Plan is undoubtedly a significant expense and is generally only justifiable for larger organisations with complex needs and a substantial return on investment from sophisticated email marketing. Smaller businesses are unlikely to find the cost worthwhile.

Overall, Mailchimp can offer good value, particularly at the lower and mid-tiers, provided you actively use the features available. It’s essential to carefully consider your needs and budget and compare Mailchimp with other email marketing platforms to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Take a look at where Mailchimp sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

Mailchimp: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
User-friendly interface, especially for beginners	Pricing can become expensive as your list grows
Robust automation capabilities at higher tiers	Free plan has Mailchimp branding and limited features
Wide range of integrations with other platforms	Customer support can be slower at lower tiers
Good selection of templates and design tools	Can feel feature-heavy for very basic users
Strong reporting and analytics

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Mailchimp Best Suited For?

Mailchimp’s versatility means it can cater to a broad range of businesses, but it particularly shines for:

• Small to Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs): The Free and Essentials plans are often ideal for SMBs that are growing their email marketing efforts and need a user-friendly platform with essential features.
• E-commerce Businesses: The platform’s integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and its features like abandoned cart emails and product recommendations make it a strong contender for online retailers.
• Content Creators and Bloggers: Building an email list to share updates and content is crucial for creators, and Mailchimp’s list management and campaign tools are well-suited for this purpose.
• Marketing Agencies: The platform’s scalability and features can accommodate the needs of agencies managing email campaigns for multiple clients.

However, very large enterprises with highly complex and bespoke needs might find that other, more specialised platforms offer better value and more tailored solutions, despite the Premium plan. Similarly, individuals or very small businesses with extremely basic needs might find simpler and cheaper alternatives available.

Conclusion

Mailchimp remains a solid and popular choice for email marketing, offering a comprehensive suite of features that can scale with your business. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for beginners, while its more advanced automation and segmentation tools cater to more sophisticated marketers. However, the cost can become a significant factor as your audience grows, and it’s crucial to carefully evaluate the different tiers to ensure you’re paying for the features you genuinely need. For many small to medium-sized businesses and e-commerce ventures, Mailchimp provides a good balance of functionality and ease of use, making it a valuable tool in their marketing arsenal. Just be sure to keep a close eye on your contact list growth and the associated pricing implications.

Mailchimp Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where Mailchimp sits in the top ten.

Klaviyo has certainly made a name for itself in the realm of email marketing, particularly for e-commerce businesses. It offers a robust set of features designed to help businesses segment their audience, automate their communication, and ultimately drive sales. Let’s delve into the specifics.

Klaviyo Email Marketing Functionality

Klaviyo’s pricing structure is primarily based on the number of contacts and the number of email sends. They offer a few core tiers, with increasing features and sending limits as you move up. Please note that specific pricing can change, so it’s always best to check their official website for the most up-to-date information.

Free Plan:

• Price: £0 per month
• Contacts: Up to 250 profiles
• Email Sends: Up to 500 email sends
• Key Features:
  • Email marketing
  • SMS marketing (limited)
  • List growth and segmentation
  • Basic reporting
  • Integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and others.
• Functionality: This tier allows small businesses or those just starting to dip their toes into email marketing to experience Klaviyo’s core functionalities. You can build email lists, create and send campaigns, and segment your audience based on basic criteria.

Starter Plan (Email):

• Price: Starts from approximately £17 per month (for up to 500 contacts and unlimited email sends). Price increases with the number of contacts.
• Contacts: Starts at 500, scales up.
• Email Sends: Unlimited
• Key Features (in addition to Free):
  • Advanced segmentation (e.g., purchase history, website activity)
  • Automation and flows (e.g., welcome series, abandoned cart emails)
  • A/B testing
  • Custom branding
  • More detailed reporting and analytics.
• Functionality: This is where Klaviyo’s power starts to become more apparent. The automation capabilities are crucial for engaging customers at the right time with the right message. Advanced segmentation allows for highly targeted campaigns, which can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates.

Starter Plan (Email & SMS):

• Price: Starts from approximately £38 per month (for up to 500 contacts and includes SMS credits). Price increases with the number of contacts and SMS credits needed.
• Contacts: Starts at 500, scales up.
• Email Sends: Unlimited
• SMS Sends: Included credits, top-ups available.
• Key Features (in addition to Email Starter):
  • SMS marketing capabilities
  • Combined email and SMS automation flows.
• Functionality: This tier unlocks the potential of omnichannel marketing, allowing businesses to reach their customers via both email and SMS for a more integrated experience.

Growth Plan:

• Price: Custom pricing based on the number of contacts and email/SMS volume.
• Contacts: Scalable to larger audiences.
• Email Sends: Unlimited
• SMS Sends: Custom volume.
• Key Features (in addition to Starter Email & SMS):
  • Dedicated success manager
  • Advanced reporting and analytics
  • More sophisticated segmentation options
  • Priority support.
• Functionality: Designed for businesses with a significant customer base and more complex marketing needs. The dedicated support and advanced features can help optimise larger-scale campaigns.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does Klaviyo Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

Klaviyo offers a few core plans, with increasing features and sending limits as you move up. 

• Free Plan
• Starter Plan (Email): Starts from approximately £17 per month (for up to 500 contacts and unlimited email sends). Price increases with the number of contacts.
• Starter Plan (Email and SMS): Starts from approximately £38 per month (for up to 500 contacts and includes SMS credits). Price increases with the number of contacts and SMS credits needed.
• Growth Plan: Custom pricing, based on the number of contacts and email/SMS volume

Klaviyo is on the pricier side compared to some other email marketing platforms, especially as your contact list grows. However, the value for money is largely tied to how effectively a business utilises its advanced features, particularly segmentation and automation.

For smaller businesses with limited budgets and simpler needs, the free plan offers a decent starting point. The Starter plans become worthwhile for businesses that are serious about leveraging data-driven email marketing and automation to increase revenue. The advanced segmentation capabilities alone can justify the cost for e-commerce businesses with a good understanding of their customer data.

The Growth plan is likely only cost-effective for larger businesses with a substantial customer base where the dedicated support and advanced analytics will have a significant impact on their marketing performance.

Take a look at where Klaviyo sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

Klaviyo: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Powerful Segmentation: Granular options based on behaviour, purchase history, and more.	Higher Pricing: Can be expensive as your contact list grows.
Robust Automation: Highly customisable flows for various customer journeys.	Steeper Learning Curve: More features can mean a more complex interface for some.
Excellent E-commerce Integration: Seamless connection with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.	SMS Pricing: Can add up depending on usage.
Strong Focus on Data: Enables highly personalised marketing.	Can Feel Overkill: For very small businesses with basic needs.
Good Reporting and Analytics: Provides insights into campaign performance and customer behaviour.
Omnichannel Capabilities: Email and SMS marketing in one platform.

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Klaviyo Best Suited For?

Klaviyo is particularly well-suited for:

• E-commerce Businesses: Its deep integrations with e-commerce platforms and focus on transactional data make it an excellent choice for online retailers of all sizes. The ability to segment based on purchase history, browsing behaviour, and more is invaluable for driving sales.
• Businesses with a Strong Focus on Customer Data: If your business collects a significant amount of customer data and wants to leverage it for personalised marketing, Klaviyo provides the tools to do so effectively.
• Businesses Ready to Invest in Sophisticated Marketing Automation: For companies looking to automate key customer touchpoints and create complex, personalised customer journeys, Klaviyo’s flow builder is a significant asset.
• Growing Businesses: While the pricing can be a consideration, Klaviyo’s scalability means it can grow with your business and provide increasingly powerful tools as your marketing needs evolve.

It is less ideal for:

• Businesses with Very Basic Email Marketing Needs: If you only need to send occasional newsletters to a small list without much segmentation or automation, a simpler and potentially cheaper platform might suffice.
• Businesses Operating Outside of E-commerce: While Klaviyo can be used for other types of businesses, its core strengths and integrations are heavily geared towards e-commerce.ystem they are not looking to replace. In these cases, a dedicated email marketing platform might offer a more cost-effective solution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Klaviyo is a powerful and feature-rich email and SMS marketing platform that excels in its ability to leverage customer data for highly targeted and automated campaigns. While it can be more expensive than some alternatives, particularly as your contact list expands, the depth of its features and its seamless integration with e-commerce platforms often justify the cost for businesses serious about driving revenue through personalised marketing.

For e-commerce businesses looking to move beyond basic email blasts and implement sophisticated segmentation and automation strategies, Klaviyo is undoubtedly a strong contender. However, smaller businesses with very basic needs might find its complexity and pricing to be more than required. Ultimately, the “value for money” proposition hinges on a business’s ability to effectively utilise Klaviyo’s advanced capabilities to achieve its marketing goals.

Klaviyo Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where Klaviyo sits in the top ten.

HubSpot’s Marketing Hub offers a comprehensive suite of tools, and its email marketing functionality is certainly a key part of that. It’s more than just a simple email blaster; it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with the rest of the HubSpot ecosystem, particularly the CRM, to create more personalised and effective campaigns.

HubSpot Marketing Hub Email Marketing Functionality

HubSpot provides a robust set of features for email marketing. We have delved into the specifics of what email marketing features you can expect at each tier, to give you a clearer picture of the value proposition at each price point.

Free:

• Marketing Emails: Send up to 2,000 marketing emails per calendar month. These emails will include HubSpot branding.  
• Drag-and-Drop Email Editor: Basic editor to create visually appealing emails.  
• Basic Personalisation: Use contact properties like name to personalise emails.
• Contact Management: Access to HubSpot’s free CRM to store and manage contacts.  
• List Segmentation: Create up to 5 active lists and 1,000 static lists. Segmentation is limited to form submission data, contact property information, and marketing email activity.  
• Forms: Create basic forms to capture leads, which automatically feed into your CRM. HubSpot branding is included.  
• Basic Automation: One automated email action is allowed (e.g., a follow-up after a form submission).  
• Website Activity Tracking: See what pages your contacts are visiting on your website.
• Reporting: Basic reporting on email performance (opens, clicks, etc.).  
• Live Chat: Engage with website visitors in real-time (HubSpot branded).  

Starter (Starting from approximately £18 per month):

• All Free Features, Plus:
• Increased Email Sending Limits: Higher sending limits than the free tier.
• Remove HubSpot Branding: You can remove HubSpot branding from your marketing emails and forms.
• Marketing Automation: Up to 10 automated actions are available, allowing for simple follow-up sequences.
• Ad Management: Connect up to two ad accounts and create website retargeting audiences. Limited to simple website audiences.
• List Segmentation: Increased limits on active lists (typically around 10-25, depending on the specific package) and static lists. More advanced segmentation criteria become available beyond the free tier.
• Reporting Dashboards: Up to 10 standard reporting dashboards.
• Custom Properties: Create custom fields to store more specific information about your contacts.

Professional (Starting from approximately £780 per month):

• All Starter Features, Plus:
• Significantly Increased Email Sending Limits: Much higher limits suitable for growing businesses.
• Advanced Marketing Automation: Create sophisticated multi-step workflows triggered by a wider range of behaviours and contact properties (up to 300 workflows).
• A/B Testing: Test different versions of your emails to optimise performance.
• Dynamic Personalisation: Personalise email content based on more complex criteria and data.
• Campaign Management: Organise and analyse the performance of your marketing campaigns.
• SEO Tools: Get recommendations and insights to optimise your content for search engines.
• Social Media Management: Connect up to 50 social media accounts, schedule posts, and analyse performance.
• Lead Scoring: Automatically score leads based on their engagement and demographics to prioritise your efforts.
• Custom Reporting: Create and customise your own marketing reports and dashboards.
• Teams: Organise your HubSpot users into teams for better collaboration and reporting.
• Landing Pages: Create professional landing pages to capture leads (HubSpot branded on the Starter tier is removed here).
• Blog: Create and manage a blog directly within HubSpot.
• Standard Contact Scoring: Up to 5 contact scoring properties.
• Calculated Properties: Create up to 25 calculated properties based on contact data.
• Email Health Reporting: More detailed insights into your email deliverability and engagement.

Enterprise (Starting from approximately £3,000 per month):

• All Professional Features, Plus:
• Highest Email Sending Limits: Designed for large organisations with extensive email marketing needs.
• Advanced Marketing Automation: Even more sophisticated automation capabilities and higher workflow limits (up to 1,000 workflows for 300 teams).
• Predictive Lead Scoring: AI-powered lead scoring to identify your most promising leads.
• Multi-Touch Revenue Attribution: Understand which marketing efforts are driving revenue.
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Tools: Features to help you target and manage key accounts.
• Custom Objects: Create custom data structures beyond contacts, companies, deals, etc., for more tailored data management.
• Hierarchical Teams: More advanced team structure management.
• Behavioural Event Triggers and Reporting: Trigger automation and analyse performance based on specific user actions on your website or app.
• Webhooks: Integrate HubSpot with other applications in real-time.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Enhanced security and user management for larger teams.
• Standard Sandbox Account: A separate environment to test new features and integrations without affecting your live data.
• Increased Limits: Higher limits on lists, workflows, reporting, and other features.
• Custom Reporting: Up to 500 custom reports.
• Target Accounts Home: Dedicated workspace for managing target accounts.
• Ad Conversion Events: Sync up to 100 ad conversion events.
• Field-Level Permissions: Control user access to specific data fields.

This detailed breakdown should help you assess which HubSpot Marketing Hub tier best aligns with your business’s current needs, growth plans, and budget for email marketing and broader marketing activities. We also recommend reading our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does HubSpot Marketing Hub Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

HubSpot Marketing Hub comes in several tiers, each with different pricing structures and feature sets:

• Free: Offers basic email marketing features, contact management, and CRM functionality. It’s a good starting point for very small businesses or those just dipping their toes into email marketing. However, it has limitations on the number of marketing emails you can send per month and lacks more advanced features.
• Starter (Starting from approximately £18 per month): This tier includes more features and higher limits, but automation and more sophisticated segmentation are still limited.
• Professional (Starting from approximately £780 per month): This is where you unlock more advanced features like marketing automation, advanced segmentation, and A/B testing. The pricing jumps significantly at this level.
• Enterprise (Starting from approximately £3,000 per month): Offers the full suite of HubSpot’s marketing capabilities, designed for larger organisations with complex needs.

The value for money depends heavily on the size and needs of your business.

• Free: For very small businesses with basic needs, the free tier offers decent value to get started.
• Starter: If you need to send more emails and want some basic automation, the Starter tier can be worthwhile.
• Professional and Enterprise: These tiers offer significant power and functionality, but they come with a substantial cost. For businesses that will actively use the advanced automation, segmentation, and reporting features, and who already use or plan to use the HubSpot CRM, the value can be excellent. The integration streamlines workflows and provides a holistic view of customer interactions. However, for businesses solely focused on email marketing and not leveraging the broader HubSpot ecosystem, the cost might be higher than dedicated email marketing platforms offering similar features. You need to consider if the integrated nature of HubSpot justifies the price.

Take a look at where HubSpot Marketing Hub sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

HubSpot Marketing Hub: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Seamless CRM Integration: Unifies marketing and sales data for better targeting and personalisation.	Cost: The Professional and Enterprise tiers can be quite expensive, especially for smaller businesses.
Powerful Automation Capabilities: Allows for sophisticated lead nurturing and customer communication workflows.	Complexity: The platform can be overwhelming for new users, with a steep learning curve for the more advanced features.
Robust Segmentation: Enables highly targeted email campaigns based on various criteria.	Feature Overlap: If you only need email marketing, you might be paying for a lot of features you don’t use in the higher tiers.
User-Friendly Drag-and-Drop Editor: Makes email creation accessible to non-technical users.	Email Design Limitations (in lower tiers): While the editor is user-friendly, advanced customisation might require some coding knowledge, particularly in the lower tiers.
Comprehensive Analytics and Reporting: Provides valuable insights into email performance.	Minimum Contact Requirements (in paid tiers): Some paid tiers have minimum contact requirements which can impact the overall cost for smaller lists.
Scalability: The platform can grow with your business needs.

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is HubSpot Marketing Hub Best Suited For?

HubSpot Marketing Hub’s email marketing capabilities are best suited for businesses that:

• Already use or plan to use the HubSpot CRM: The tight integration offers significant advantages in terms of data management, personalisation, and automation.
• Value a unified marketing and sales platform: If you want to manage your email marketing alongside other marketing activities like social media, SEO, and content marketing, HubSpot provides a central hub.
• Require advanced automation and segmentation: Businesses looking to implement sophisticated lead nurturing workflows and highly targeted campaigns will find HubSpot’s capabilities very useful.
• Are willing to invest in a comprehensive marketing platform: If you see email marketing as part of a broader inbound marketing strategy and are prepared for the cost, HubSpot can be a powerful tool.
• Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and larger enterprises: While the free and starter tiers can suit very small businesses, the real power of HubSpot’s email marketing shines through in the Professional and Enterprise tiers, which are more accessible to growing SMBs and larger companies with more complex needs.

It might be less ideal for very small businesses with extremely limited budgets who only need basic email broadcasting functionality, or for businesses that already have a deeply entrenched CRM system they are not looking to replace. In these cases, a dedicated email marketing platform might offer a more cost-effective solution.

Conclusion

HubSpot Marketing Hub offers a powerful and well-integrated email marketing solution, particularly for businesses invested in the HubSpot ecosystem. Its strengths lie in its seamless CRM integration, robust automation, and sophisticated segmentation capabilities. While the cost can be a significant factor, especially for the more advanced tiers, the value for money can be excellent for businesses that fully leverage its features and the unified platform. However, businesses solely focused on email marketing should carefully weigh the cost against dedicated email marketing platforms to ensure it aligns with their budget and specific needs. Overall, if you’re looking for an email marketing tool that works hand-in-glove with a CRM and provides a comprehensive marketing solution, HubSpot Marketing Hub is certainly a strong contender.

HubSpot Marketing Hub Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where HubSpot Marketing Hub sits in the top ten.

GetResponse has been around the block a bit and offers a fairly comprehensive suite of tools that go beyond just sending out your newsletters. They’ve got different tiers, each with its own set of bells and whistles.

GetResponse Email Marketing Functionality

Here’s a breakdown of what you get depending on which level you opt for:

• Free: This is a good starting point for those just dipping their toes in. You can have up to 500 contacts and get basic email marketing features like newsletters, autoresponders (one scenario), landing pages (one), and website builder (one page). It’s quite limited but enough to get a feel for the platform.
  
• Email Marketing (Starting Price: Around £15 per month): This tier ramps things up a bit. You get unlimited newsletters, more advanced autoresponders (up to five scenarios), unlimited landing pages, basic segmentation, and the website builder (up to three pages). You can also run basic email scheduling and personalisation. This is a solid foundation for small businesses starting to build their email list.
  
• Marketing Automation (Starting Price: Around £49 per month): This is where things get more sophisticated. You unlock visual workflow builders for more complex automation sequences, advanced segmentation based on behaviour and tags, lead scoring, website tracking, and e-commerce integrations. You also get access to webinars (up to 100 attendees). This tier is aimed at businesses looking to nurture leads and automate more of their marketing efforts.
  
• E-commerce Marketing (Starting Price: Around £81 per month): Tailored for online shops, this tier includes features like abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, transactional emails, and more advanced e-commerce segmentation. You also get more webinar capacity (up to 300 attendees).
  
• GetResponse MAX (Custom Pricing): This is the top-tier offering with advanced features like dedicated support, deliverability consulting, custom reporting, and higher limits across the board. It’s designed for larger businesses with more complex needs.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does GetResponse Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

As mentioned above, the starting prices for the paid tiers are roughly:

• Email Marketing: £15 per month
• Marketing Automation: £49 per month
• E-commerce Marketing: £81 per month

It’s important to note that these are starting prices and will increase based on the number of contacts you have. GetResponse typically offers discounts for annual subscriptions, which can bring the overall cost down. They also have a flexible pricing structure, allowing you to adjust your plan as your list grows.

For smaller businesses and individuals just starting with email marketing, the Free plan offers a decent entry point to understand the basics. However, the limitations quickly become apparent.

The Email Marketing tier provides good value for money for small to medium-sized businesses that need more than just basic newsletters. The unlimited landing pages and increased autoresponder capabilities are particularly useful.

The Marketing Automation tier offers significant power for lead nurturing and more targeted communication. If you’re serious about automating your marketing and have a growing customer base, this tier is likely worth the investment.

The E-commerce Marketing tier is specifically designed for online retailers and includes features that can directly impact sales. If you run an e-commerce business, the targeted features here offer good value.

The GetResponse MAX tier is for larger organisations with specific needs and the budget to match. The custom support and advanced features justify the higher cost for those who require them.

Overall, GetResponse offers a range of plans that cater to different needs and budgets. The value for money is generally good, particularly in the Email Marketing and Marketing Automation tiers for growing businesses.platforms.ng. The Premier tier, while feature-rich, is likely only justifiable for larger organisations with complex needs and a higher marketing budget.

Take a look at where GetResponse sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

GetResponse: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Comprehensive feature set across tiers	The user interface can sometimes feel a bit cluttered
Good automation capabilities, especially in higher tiers	Pricing can increase significantly with list growth
Decent landing page builder included	Some advanced features can have a steeper learning curve
Webinar functionality integrated (higher tiers)	Reporting, while adequate, could be more in-depth
Good range of integrations available	Free plan is quite limited
Responsive customer support (depending on tier)

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is GetResponse Best Suited For?

GetResponse is a versatile platform that can be suitable for a range of businesses, including:

• Small to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs): The Email Marketing and Marketing Automation tiers offer a good balance of features and price for growing SMBs looking to build their email list and automate marketing tasks.
• E-commerce Businesses: The dedicated E-commerce Marketing tier provides specific tools for online retailers to recover abandoned carts, promote products, and segment customers based on purchase behaviour.
• Marketing Agencies: The platform’s automation and segmentation capabilities can be valuable for agencies managing email campaigns for multiple clients.
• Solopreneurs and Bloggers: The lower-tier plans offer a cost-effective way to build an audience and communicate with subscribers, although the limitations of the Free plan should be considered.

It might be less ideal for very large enterprises that require highly customised solutions, although the GetResponse MAX tier aims to cater to this segment. Businesses solely focused on basic newsletter sending might find simpler and potentially cheaper alternatives.

Conclusion

GetResponse is a solid contender in the email marketing landscape. It offers a good range of features across its different pricing tiers, with particularly strong automation capabilities in the mid to upper levels. While the interface can occasionally feel a bit busy and the cost can escalate with list growth, the platform generally provides good value for money, especially for small to medium-sized businesses and e-commerce operations looking to grow and automate their email marketing efforts. It’s worth exploring their free plan to get a feel for the platform before committing to a paid subscription.

GetResponse Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where GetResponse sits in the top ten.

Constant Contact has been a familiar name in the email marketing landscape for quite some time, often touted for its user-friendliness and broad appeal. But how does it stack up in today’s market, and is it the right fit for your business? Let’s delve into its features, pricing, and overall value.

Constant Contact Email Marketing Functionality

Constant Contact offers a tiered approach to its features, catering to different needs and budgets. Here’s a breakdown.

Lite Plan:

This is the entry-level offering, focusing on the essentials.

• Key Features: Email creation and sending (including a drag-and-drop editor and templates), contact list management, basic reporting (opens, clicks, bounces), and integrations.
• Functionality: Suitable for businesses just starting with email marketing and needing a simple way to communicate with their audience. Segmentation options are limited in this tier.

Standard Plan:

This tier builds upon the Lite plan, offering more advanced features for growing businesses.

• Key Features: Everything in Lite, plus more advanced segmentation (based on engagement, contact details, etc.), automation (welcome emails, birthday emails), surveys, polls, and more detailed reporting.
• Functionality: Allows for more targeted campaigns and automated workflows to nurture leads and engage customers more effectively.

Premium Plan:

The top-tier plan is designed for businesses with more sophisticated marketing needs.

• Key Features: Everything in Standard, plus advanced automation (customer journey builder), A/B testing for subject lines and content, dynamic content, multi-step automation, and priority support.
• Functionality: Enables highly personalised and complex marketing strategies, allowing for in-depth optimisation and customer journey management.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does Constant Contact Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

Constant Contact’s pricing is primarily based on the number of contacts you have. This means as your subscriber list grows, so does your monthly fee.

• Lite: Prices typically start from around £8 per month for up to 500 contacts.
• Standard: Prices generally begin at approximately £24 per month for up to 500 contacts.
• Premium: Expect starting prices from roughly £60 per month for up to 500 contacts.

It’s important to note that these are starting prices and will increase as your contact list expands. Constant Contact often offers discounts for annual subscriptions.

The value for money offered by Constant Contact is a bit of a mixed bag. Its user-friendly interface and extensive template library are definite pluses, making it accessible for those new to email marketing. The Standard and Premium tiers offer a good range of features that can significantly enhance your marketing efforts.

However, compared to some of its competitors, particularly at the higher contact tiers, Constant Contact can appear to be on the pricier side. While the features are robust, businesses with large subscriber lists might find more cost-effective solutions elsewhere that offer similar or even more advanced functionalities.

For smaller businesses or those just starting, the Lite plan can be a reasonable entry point. However, as their needs grow, they’ll need to carefully weigh the cost of upgrading against the benefits and the pricing of alternative platforms.ng. The Premier tier, while feature-rich, is likely only justifiable for larger organisations with complex needs and a higher marketing budget.

Take a look at where Constant Contact sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

Constant Contact: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Very user-friendly interface	Can be more expensive than competitors, especially at scale
Extensive library of email templates	Some advanced features are locked behind higher-tier plans
Good range of integrations with other platforms	Reporting in the lower tiers is relatively basic
Reliable email deliverability	Segmentation in the Lite plan is quite limited
Decent customer support

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Constant Contact Best Suited For?

Constant Contact is generally best suited for:

• Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs): Especially those that value ease of use and a wide selection of templates.
• Businesses new to email marketing: The intuitive interface makes it easy to get started without a steep learning curve.
• Organisations that rely heavily on events and need event management tools (available in higher tiers).
• Businesses that appreciate a good balance of features and support.

It might be less ideal for:

• Businesses with very large email lists: The cost can become prohibitive compared to other platforms.
• Businesses requiring highly advanced and granular automation from the outset.
• Organisations on a very tight budget that need a feature-rich free or very low-cost option.

Conclusion

Constant Contact remains a solid and dependable email marketing platform, particularly for those who prioritise ease of use and a good selection of templates. Its tiered structure offers options for businesses at different stages of growth, with the Standard and Premium plans providing increasingly sophisticated features.

However, potential users should carefully consider their budget and the size of their contact list, as the cost can escalate as their needs expand. While it offers good value in terms of user-friendliness and reliability, businesses with large audiences or very specific advanced automation requirements might want to explore alternative platforms to ensure they are getting the most cost-effective solution for their needs. Overall, Constant Contact is a strong contender, especially for SMBs looking for a user-friendly and feature-rich email marketing tool.

Constant Contact Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where Constant Contact sits in the top ten.

Campaign Monitor has established itself as a solid contender in the email marketing landscape, offering a range of features aimed at businesses of various sizes. Let’s delve into its offerings to see if it stacks up as a valuable tool for your email marketing needs.

Campaign Monitor Email Marketing Functionality

Campaign Monitor structures its offerings into several tiers, each unlocking increasing levels of features and functionality. Here’s a breakdown:

Basic

This entry-level tier provides the essentials for getting started with email marketing. Key features include:

• Drag-and-drop email builder: An intuitive interface for creating visually appealing emails without needing coding knowledge. You can easily add text, images, buttons, and other elements.
• List management: Tools for importing, segmenting, and managing your subscriber lists. Segmentation allows you to target specific groups based on criteria like demographics or engagement.
• Personalisation: The ability to address subscribers by name and use dynamic content to tailor emails. For example, you could show different product recommendations to different customer segments.
• Reporting and analytics: Basic insights into email performance, such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. This helps you understand what’s working and what isn’t.
• Automation basics: Simple automated workflows, such as welcome emails for new subscribers.

Unlimited

Stepping up to the Unlimited tier unlocks more advanced features for growing businesses:

• Unlimited email sends: Send as many emails as you need without worrying about quotas (subject to fair usage policies).
• Advanced segmentation: Create more sophisticated subscriber segments based on a wider range of criteria, including past purchase behaviour and website activity.
• Automation journeys: Build complex, multi-step automation workflows to nurture leads, onboard customers, and re-engage inactive subscribers. For instance, you could set up a series of emails triggered by a specific action on your website.
• Priority support: Access to faster and more responsive customer support.

Premier

The top-tier offering is designed for sophisticated marketers with demanding needs:

• Advanced reporting: In-depth analytics, including engagement heatmaps and deliverability insights.
• Premier support: The highest level of support with dedicated account management for larger clients.
• Send-time optimisation: Campaign Monitor analyses past engagement data to automatically send emails at the optimal time for each subscriber, maximising open rates.
• Transactional emails: The ability to send automated, triggered emails for actions like order confirmations and password resets via their Transact add-on.
• Email previews: See how your emails will render across various email clients (e.g., Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail) and devices before sending.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does Campaign Monitor Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

Campaign Monitor’s pricing is primarily based on the number of subscribers you have and the chosen tier. 

• Basic: Plans start from around £7 per month for up to 500 subscribers with a limited number of sends. Prices increase as your subscriber list grows.
• Unlimited: Prices for the Unlimited tier typically begin at approximately £23 per month for up to 500 subscribers, offering unlimited sends.
• Premier: The Premier tier starts at roughly £199 per month for up to 500 subscribers, including all features and premium support.

It’s important to note that these are starting prices and will scale upwards as your subscriber count increases. They also offer a pay-as-you-go option for users who send infrequently.

Campaign Monitor offers a robust set of features, particularly at the Unlimited and Premier tiers. The drag-and-drop builder is user-friendly, and the automation capabilities are powerful. However, the pricing, especially as your list size grows, can become relatively expensive compared to some other email marketing platforms.

For smaller businesses with basic needs, the Basic plan might offer reasonable value initially. However, as your marketing efforts become more sophisticated and your list expands, the cost can be a significant consideration. The Unlimited tier provides excellent features for the price, offering a good balance for growing businesses that need more advanced automation and unlimited sending. The Premier tier, while feature-rich, is likely only justifiable for larger organisations with complex needs and a higher marketing budget.

Take a look at where Campaign Monitor sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

Campaign Monitor: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
User-friendly drag-and-drop email builder	Can become expensive as subscriber list grows
Powerful automation capabilities (Unlimited+)	Basic reporting in the entry-level tier
Excellent segmentation options (Unlimited+)	Transactional emails require a separate add-on
Good deliverability rates	Some competitors offer more generous free plans
Strong focus on design and aesthetics	Limited built-in CRM functionality
Reliable customer support	Price structure might not suit very small businesses

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Campaign Monitor Best Suited For?

Campaign Monitor is particularly well suited for:

• Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs): Especially those looking for a user-friendly platform with robust automation and segmentation capabilities as they scale. The Unlimited tier often hits a sweet spot for these businesses.
• Marketing agencies: The platform’s client management features and design focus make it a good choice for agencies managing email campaigns for multiple clients.
• Businesses that prioritise design and branding: The platform offers excellent tools for creating visually appealing and on-brand emails.
• E-commerce businesses: The advanced segmentation and automation features can be leveraged for targeted product recommendations, abandoned cart recovery, and post-purchase follow-ups.

While smaller businesses with very tight budgets might find the entry-level Basic plan sufficient initially, they may outgrow it quickly or find more cost-effective options elsewhere for basic needs. Large enterprises with highly complex CRM requirements might find Campaign Monitor lacks some of the integrated functionality offered by more enterprise-focused platforms.

Conclusion

Campaign Monitor is a capable and well-designed email marketing platform that offers a strong feature set, particularly in its Unlimited and Premier tiers. Its user-friendly interface and powerful automation tools make it a compelling option for businesses looking to elevate their email marketing efforts. However, the cost can be a significant factor, especially as subscriber numbers increase.

Ultimately, the decision of whether Campaign Monitor is the right choice for you will depend on your specific needs, budget, and the scale of your email marketing activities. If you value ease of use, sophisticated automation, and visually appealing emails, and your budget allows for it, Campaign Monitor is certainly a platform worth considering. However, it’s wise to compare its pricing and features against other providers to ensure it aligns perfectly with your business requirements

Campaign Monitor Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where Campaign Monitor sits in the top ten.

Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, has positioned itself as an all-in-one marketing platform, with email marketing being a core component of its offering. They aim to cater to a wide range of businesses with various tiers and functionalities.

Brevo Email Marketing Functionality

Brevo offers several pricing tiers, each unlocking a different set of features and sending allowances. Let’s break them down:

Free Plan

This is their entry-level offering, typically allowing a limited number of contacts and email sends per month. Functionality is understandably basic but includes:

• Contact management and segmentation.
• Drag-and-drop email builder.
• Basic email templates.
• Transactional email capabilities.
• SMS marketing (pay-as-you-go).
• Marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts.
• Limited reporting.

Starter Plan (typically around £19 per month, price may vary based on sending volume)

This tier builds upon the free plan by increasing sending limits and removing the Brevo logo from emails. Key additions often include:

• Higher sending volumes.
• No-code automation workflows.
• More advanced reporting and statistics.
• Email support.

Business Plan (typically around £49 per month, price may vary based on sending volume and features)

This plan targets businesses with more sophisticated needs. Features often include:

• Advanced segmentation.
• Landing page builder.
• Marketing automation with more advanced workflows.
• Multivariate A/B testing.
• Access for multiple users.
• Priority support.
• Phone support.

BrevoPlus (custom pricing)

This enterprise-level plan offers tailored solutions with advanced features, higher sending limits, and dedicated support. Features often include:

• SLA (Service Level Agreement).
• Custom integrations.
• Advanced reporting and analytics.
• Dedicated account manager.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does Brevo Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

The pricing structure of Brevo appears competitive, particularly at the lower tiers. 

The Free Plan is a decent starting point for very small businesses or individuals just dipping their toes into email marketing. It allows for list building and basic campaign execution without upfront costs.

The Starter Plan (typically around £19 per month) offers good value for growing businesses that need to send more emails and benefit from basic automation. The removal of branding is a significant plus for presenting a professional image.

The Business Plan (typically around £49 per month) represents a step up in cost but unlocks powerful features like landing pages and advanced automation, making it suitable for businesses serious about their marketing efforts. Whether it represents good value depends on the extent to which a business utilises these advanced functionalities. If you’re not leveraging the landing page builder or sophisticated A/B testing, you might find other platforms offer similar core email marketing features at a lower price point.

BrevoPlus (custom pricing) is aimed at enterprises with specific needs and the budget to match. The custom pricing reflects the tailored nature of the offering.

Overall, Brevo offers reasonable value for money, especially at the lower tiers. The Free and Starter plans provide a good balance of features for their respective price points. The Business plan’s value is more dependent on a business’s specific requirements for advanced marketing tools.

Take a look at where Brevo sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

Brevo: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Comprehensive platform with multiple marketing tools	The sheer number of features can be overwhelming for beginners
Competitive pricing, especially for lower tiers	The user interface, while improving, can sometimes feel a bit cluttered
Robust automation capabilities	Reporting may lack the depth of some specialist platforms
Decent email deliverability rates	Customer support responsiveness can be inconsistent according to some users
Good range of templates available	Some advanced features might require a steeper learning curve
Transactional email and SMS capabilities integrated	Pricing can escalate significantly with higher sending volumes and tiers
Landing page builder in higher tiers

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Brevo Best Suited For?

Brevo’s tiered structure makes it suitable for a wide range of businesses.

Small Businesses and Startups: The Free and Starter plans are excellent for those on a tight budget who need essential email marketing tools and basic automation. The integrated SMS functionality can also be a bonus for direct communication.

Growing Businesses: The Business plan is well-suited for companies looking to scale their marketing efforts with advanced segmentation, automation, and the ability to build landing pages. The multi-user access is also beneficial for teams.

E-commerce Businesses: The platform’s transactional email capabilities are crucial for order confirmations, shipping updates, and password resets. The segmentation features can be used to target customers based on purchase history.

Marketing Agencies: The multi-user access and the range of features in the Business and BrevoPlus plans can be attractive for agencies managing multiple clients.

Businesses Seeking an Integrated Platform: For companies that want to consolidate their marketing tools (email, SMS, chat, CRM, landing pages) into a single platform, Brevo offers a compelling solution.

Conclusion

Brevo presents a solid and versatile option for email marketing, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses. Its tiered pricing structure allows businesses to start at a comfortable level and scale as their needs grow. The integration of multiple marketing channels within one platform is a significant advantage for efficiency.

However, potential users should be mindful of the platform’s complexity, which might be daunting for absolute beginners. While the pricing is competitive at lower levels, it’s essential to carefully assess the features needed in the higher tiers to ensure value for money. Overall, if you’re looking for a comprehensive marketing platform with a strong focus on email and the ability to expand into other channels, Brevo is certainly worth considering. Just be sure to have a good poke around the interface and perhaps take advantage of their free plan or a trial to see if it truly fits your business.

Brevo Competitors

• Omnisend
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where Brevo sits in the top ten.

ActiveCampaign stands out in the crowded email marketing landscape by offering a comprehensive suite of features that extend well beyond basic broadcasting. It aims to be a central hub for customer communication and automation.

ActiveCampaign Email Marketing Functionality

ActiveCampaign has aimed for a comprehensive approach, trying to be more than just an email marketing platform. They offer a genuine marketing automation and CRM hybrid in their higher tiers, which is a significant differentiator and contributes to the breadth of their functionality.

Here’s a summary of ActiveCampaign’s features and functionality across its tiers:

Lite:

• Email Marketing: Broadcasts, autoresponders, triggered emails for basic campaign management.
• Marketing Automation: Basic automation builder for simple workflows (e.g., welcome series).
• Segmentation: Allows grouping contacts based on various criteria for targeted emails.
• Forms: Tools to create signup forms for website integration.
• Landing Pages: Basic builder for creating dedicated campaign pages.
• Chat: Live chat functionality to engage with website visitors.

Plus (includes Lite features, plus):

• CRM: Contact management, lead scoring to prioritise prospects, and sales automation tools.
• Deeper Integrations: Enhanced connectivity with platforms like Shopify and Salesforce.
• Custom Branding: Ability to apply your brand to emails and landing pages.
• SMS Marketing: Send text messages to contacts (additional cost may apply).
• Conditional Content: Personalise email content based on contact data.
• Advanced Automation: Split testing within automations, visual automation maps for complex workflows.

Professional (includes Plus features, plus):

• Site Tracking: Monitor contact activity on your website.
• Attribution: Understand which marketing efforts are driving results.
• Predictive Sending: Optimise email send times for better engagement.
• Predictive Content: AI-powered content recommendations for personalisation.
• Win Probability: Predict the likelihood of a lead converting.
• Automation Health: Monitor the performance of your automations.
• In-depth Reporting: Detailed analytics on campaign performance and contact behaviour.

Enterprise (includes Professional features, plus):

• Custom Reporting: Tailored reports to meet specific business needs.
• Custom Mailserver Domain: Enhanced control over email sending reputation.
• Unlimited Users: Allows access for your entire team.
• Dedicated Support: Priority support and account management.
• Enhanced Security and Compliance: Advanced features for data protection.

ActiveCampaign offers a remarkably broad range of functionality, especially when you look beyond the entry-level Lite plan.

What strikes us is how they’ve managed to integrate email marketing so tightly with sales-focused features like the CRM and lead scoring in the higher tiers. This isn’t just about sending emails; it’s about managing the entire customer lifecycle, from initial contact to potential sale and beyond.

The inclusion of features like landing page builders, forms, and even chat in the lower tiers provides a solid toolkit for lead generation and engagement right from the start. As you move up the pricing ladder, the depth of the automation capabilities truly shines. The ability to create complex, branching workflows based on a wide array of triggers and conditions is impressive. Features like split testing within automations and automation maps offer a level of sophistication that many other platforms reserve for their top-tier offerings.

Then you layer on the more advanced analytics in the Professional plan – site tracking, attribution, and predictive features – and you’re looking at a platform that allows for highly data-driven marketing. This moves beyond simply sending emails and delves into understanding customer behaviour and optimising campaigns for better results.

While the sheer volume of features can feel a bit overwhelming initially, particularly for newcomers, it ultimately provides a powerful and scalable solution. Businesses can start with the essentials and gradually unlock more advanced functionality as their needs and expertise grow.Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

Take a look at our analysis and comparison of the features of the top ten email marketing platforms.

How Much Does ActiveCampaign Cost (And Is It Worth It?)

ActiveCampaign offers four main pricing tiers, each unlocking increasing levels of features and functionality. It’s worth noting that the pricing itself scales based on the number of contacts you have. The prices mentioned below are indicative for 1,000 contacts and are based on monthly billing. Annual billing typically offers a discount.

Lite:

• Price: Starting from approximately £23 per month.
• Features: Email marketing (broadcasts, autoresponders, triggered emails), marketing automation (basic automation builder, goal tracking), segmentation, forms, landing pages, chat (live chat).
• Functionality: This tier provides a solid foundation for businesses looking to move beyond simple email blasts. The basic automation allows for welcome series and simple follow-ups. Segmentation enables more targeted messaging. The inclusion of landing pages and chat is a nice touch for lead generation and engagement.
• Value for Money: For smaller businesses or those just starting with automation, the Lite plan offers good value, providing essential tools at a reasonable entry point.

Plus:

• Price: Starting from approximately £46 per month.
• Features (in addition to Lite): CRM (contact management, lead scoring, sales automation), deeper integrations (including Shopify, Salesforce), custom branding, SMS marketing, conditional content, advanced automation (split testing, automation maps).
• Functionality: The Plus tier significantly expands the capabilities, particularly with the integrated CRM. This allows for a more holistic view of customer interactions and enables sales-driven automation. Features like lead scoring and SMS marketing can be very valuable for nurturing leads and driving conversions. Advanced automation features offer more sophisticated customer journeys.
• Value for Money: For businesses that need CRM functionality integrated with their email marketing and want more advanced automation capabilities, the Plus plan offers strong value for money.

Professional:

• Price: Starting from approximately £115 per month.
• Features (in addition to Plus): Site tracking, attribution, predictive sending, predictive content, win probability, automation health, in-depth reporting.
• Functionality: This tier focuses on providing deeper insights into customer behaviour and optimising marketing efforts based on data. Site tracking allows you to see how contacts interact with your website, while predictive features aim to improve engagement and conversion rates.
• Value for Money: This plan is best suited for established businesses with a significant volume of contacts and a strong focus on data-driven marketing and sales alignment. The price jump is considerable, so it’s only worthwhile if you can fully leverage the advanced analytics and predictive features.

Enterprise:

• Price: Custom pricing (typically significantly higher than Professional).
• Features (in addition to Professional): Custom reporting, custom mailserver domain, unlimited users, dedicated support, enhanced security and compliance features.
• Functionality: The Enterprise tier is designed for large organisations with complex needs, requiring scalability, dedicated support, and enhanced security.
• Value for Money: The value proposition here depends entirely on the specific needs of the enterprise. The custom pricing reflects the tailored nature of the plan.

Take a look at where ActiveCampaign sits on our ranking of the most cost-effective email marketing platforms.

ActiveCampaign: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Powerful Automation: Highly customisable automation builder for complex workflows.	Price: Can become expensive as your contact list grows, especially for higher tiers.
Integrated CRM: Seamlessly combines email marketing with sales CRM features in higher tiers.	Complexity: The sheer number of features can be overwhelming for beginners.
Strong Segmentation: Offers granular segmentation options based on various data points.	Learning Curve: Mastering the advanced automation and CRM features takes time and effort.
Good Deliverability: Generally regarded as having strong email deliverability rates.	Tiered Features: Some essential features are locked behind higher-priced tiers.
Extensive Integrations: Connects with a wide range of other business tools.	Customer Support: While generally helpful, response times can vary for lower-tier users.
Landing Page Builder & Forms: Useful tools for lead generation.
SMS Marketing: Available in higher tiers for multi-channel communication.

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is ActiveCampaign Best Suited For?

ActiveCampaign is a versatile platform that can cater to a wide range of businesses, but it particularly shines for:

• Small to Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) with Growth Ambitions: Businesses that are looking to move beyond basic email marketing and implement more sophisticated automation and CRM processes will find the Plus and Professional tiers particularly beneficial. The integrated CRM is a significant advantage for sales-focused SMBs.
• E-commerce Businesses: The strong integrations with platforms like Shopify, coupled with features like segmentation based on purchase history and abandoned cart automation, make ActiveCampaign a powerful tool for online retailers.
• Businesses Focused on Lead Nurturing: The advanced automation capabilities and lead scoring features are ideal for businesses with longer sales cycles that require nurturing leads through targeted communication.
• Marketing Agencies: The platform’s flexibility and scalability can accommodate the diverse needs of marketing agencies managing multiple clients.
• Businesses That Value Data-Driven Marketing: The advanced reporting and analytics features in the Professional tier are well-suited for businesses that want to deeply understand their customer behaviour and optimise their campaigns accordingly.

While smaller businesses with very basic needs might find the Lite plan sufficient, they should be prepared for the platform’s inherent complexity compared to simpler email marketing tools. Start-ups with tight budgets might want to carefully consider whether they will fully utilise the more advanced features before committing to a higher tier.

Conclusion

ActiveCampaign is a robust and feature-rich email marketing platform that offers significant power and flexibility. While the pricing can become a consideration as your contact list grows and you move up the tiers, the value for money is generally strong, especially for businesses that actively utilise the automation and CRM capabilities.

The platform’s strengths lie in its powerful automation builder, integrated CRM (in higher tiers), and strong segmentation options. However, its complexity and tiered feature structure mean that it might not be the best fit for absolute beginners or businesses with very basic email marketing needs.

For UK businesses looking to scale their marketing efforts, nurture leads effectively, and integrate their email marketing with sales processes, ActiveCampaign is a compelling option worth serious consideration. Just be prepared to invest the time in learning the platform to unlock its full potential.

ActiveCampaign Competitors

• Omnisend
• GetResponse
• Brevo
• HubSpot Marketing Hub
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• Klaviyo
• MailerLite
• Campaign Monitor

Check out our comparison of the best email marketing software, and see where ActiveCampaign sits in the top ten.