Are you looking for the best email automation tools to transform your business?
We understand how much time you spend on your email campaigns every day. Plus, we know you don’t want to perform the same tasks for each individual subscriber.
We’re here to tell you that there’s another way to handle those repetitive marketing processes: email automation.
All you need is the right tools.
That’s why we’re sharing with you the best email marketing automation tools we’ve found. After all, you have more to focus on than sending emails.
Before we dive into that list, though, let’s clarify what email automation is and why it’s so crucial to your business’s success.
What Is Email Automation?
Email automation refers to the process of sending out emails to users automatically, based on specific triggers, schedules, or conditions, without manual intervention.
This is typically achieved using specialized email marketing automation software or tools that allow businesses or individuals to design, schedule, and send out automated email sequences to their subscribers or customers.
We’ll give you an entire list of these tools in just a minute. For now, it’s important to understand the process of email automation.
When you’re using the right tools, you can automatically capture new leads. Then have those leads sent to your mailing list.
And finally, you’ll create and send your automated email campaigns to your leads to transform them into paying customers.
Here’s a great example of an automated email sent to the OptinMonster mailing list.
With just a few minutes of your time, you can have this entire email automation system up and running for YOUR site.
But why would you take those few minutes to do so? Here are just a few of the MAJOR benefits of email automation:
- Save Time: Once you’ve built your email automation system, just sit back and watch your customer base grow.
- Improve UX: No more forgetting to follow up with leads as ALL of your leads will get timely follow-up emails.
- Drive MORE Sales: Watch more email subscribers turn into paying customers automagically.
At the end of the day, there’s literally NO reason NOT to use email automation. Especially since most modern tools make the process EASY.
With these benefits in mind, let’s look at our top email automation tools. And since this is such an in-depth guide, you can use the following table of contents to navigate to the sections that interest you most:
- Email Automation Tools for List Building
- Email Marketing Services with Automation
- Integrated Email Marketing Automation Tools
- Tracking and Monitoring Tools for Email
- Review and Testing Tools
In this section, we share the best email automation tools you can use for everything: list building, email automation, tracking and monitoring, and testing.
Let’s jump right in!
Comparison Chart of the 29 Best Email Automation Tools
Tools |
Brief Description |
Price |
|---|---|---|
| OptinMonster | Premium WordPress plugin for email collection and segmentation. | $9/month (billed annually) |
| RafflePress | Tool for hosting contests and giveaways on blogs and social media. | $39.50/month (billed annually) |
| Constant Contact | Beginner-friendly email marketing automation software with extensive support. | $9.99/month |
| Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) | Combines email marketing services with SMS messages. | $25/month |
| Drip | Designed for drip email process with a focus on simplicity. | $39/month |
| AWeber | Email newsletter service with a focus on follow-ups. | $19/month |
| ConvertKit | Advanced CRM features for professional bloggers. | $9/month |
| ActiveCampaign | Comprehensive email marketing tool with CRM integration. | $9/month (billed annually) |
| MailerLite | Drag & drop editor for email marketing campaigns. | $9/month (billed annually) |
| BombBomb | Focuses on video-powered drip emails. | $33/month |
| Mailchimp | Offers drip emails based on website activity and other triggers. | $11/month |
| Gumroad | Platform for selling digital products with an email feature. | Fee per sale |
| GetResponse | Calendar-integrated email marketing tool with automation features. | $15.58/month (billed annually) |
| Emma | Personalized email newsletter service integrated with CRM data. | $99/month (billed annually) |
| Ontraport | CRM platform with built-in marketing automation. | $79/month |
| HubSpot | Top-rated marketing automation tool with a focus on inbound campaigns. | $45/month |
| Intercom | Offers automated email conversations directly within apps. | $79/month |
| BenchmarkONE | CRM and email marketing tool with tagging features. | $29/month (billed annually) |
| E-goi | Email marketing tool with SMS and voice message capabilities. | $9/month |
| Act-On | Integrates various marketing programs for maximum return. | $900/month (billed annually) |
| LeadSquared | Combines email marketing services with sales activities. | $400/month |
| SAP Sales Cloud (CallidusCloud) | Focuses on lead qualification and scoring. | Contact for quote |
| Marketo | Comprehensive email marketing tool with behavior-based triggers. | Contact for quote |
| GetNotify | Notifies when emails are read by recipients. | Free |
| Campaign Monitor | Offers interactive analytics for email campaigns. | $9/month |
| GoViral (formerly SmartBribe) | Encourages new subscribers to share opt-ins. | Free |
| Litmus | Tool for testing emails on various devices. | $79/month (billed annually) |
| Reach Mail | Compares performance metrics of up to five email campaigns. | $9/month |
| Cakemail | Automated A/B split testing tool for email campaigns. | $8/month |
Email Automation Tools for List Building
1. OptinMonster
OptinMonster is a premium WordPress plugin that gives you the power to automatically collect and segment email addresses. These can be segmented based on the user’s activity, inactivity, cookies, geographical location, and more.
OptinMonster lets you build stunning lead generation forms that are proven to grow your email list.
With its easy-to-use drag and drop builder, 50+ lead generation form templates, and 6 different campaign types, your forms will both work and look great.
It also offers seamless integration with many of the leading email service providers. That means you can exponentially grow your email list with OptinMonster and then send personalized automated emails via your email service provider.
Email Marketing Automation with OptinMonster
OptinMonster also offers a Real-Time Behavior Automation engine. This powerful engine identifies what users are looking for and shows the perfect optin campaign that’s more likely to convert them into customers.
For example, you can:
- Detect when your visitors are actively leaving leave your site to show relevant campaigns to convert
- Show targeted campaigns to visitors based on the area of the site they are visiting
- Recognize how visitors interact with other offers and follow up with new targeted campaigns
- And much more…
In a nutshell, OptinMonster boosts your email list by showing the right optin campaigns to the right people at the right time.
That means you can also collect and tag emails based on the users’ behavior and other available information.
Once you have segmented your email list, the only thing you need to do is integrate OptinMonster with your favorite email marketing service. Then, you can start sending targeted emails.
Features like this make OptinMonster one of the best email marketing automation tools.
Want to know what the end results will look like with OptinMonster? Take a look at a few examples:
- Before using OptinMonster, AdamEnfroy.com was getting just a few email subscribers. With OptinMonster, he added over 3000 subscribers to his list, which brings in $20,000 each month.
- Cosmetic Capital increased leads by 300% using a floating bar optin.
- After switching from another popup software, the Eczema Company saw an instant 2.5X boost in conversions.
Pricing: Starts at $9/month (when billed annually), so it’s perfect for small businesses to get started.
Get Started With OptinMonster Today!
Our conversion experts will design 1 free campaign for you to get maximum results – absolutely FREE! Click here to get started →
2. RafflePress
One of the best ways to increase your email subscriber list is by running contests and giveaways. With RafflePress, you can host these contests on your own blog and social media platforms.
That makes it flexible enough to build campaigns for all of your favorite marketing channels.
Pricing: Starts at $39.50/month (billed annually), but you can get a lifetime license for $499.50!
Email Marketing Services With Automation
3. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is one of the email marketing automation software we always recommend because it’s beginner-friendly and offers quick and easy setup.
You’ll also get lots of support to use this email automation tool. Constant Contact rates highly for world-class support, extensive online training, and webinars to help you succeed.
Constant Contact is a great tool for everyone. Though, suppose you need an automated email marketing service that can help manage event invitations, registrations, and tickets (Email Plus plan). In that case, you’ll be thrilled with this choice.
They also have a website builder run by artificial intelligence (AI) to help you get totally set up. That makes this one of the best AI marketing automation tools at your disposal.
Pricing: Basic plans start at $9.99/month; plans with all the email automation goodies start at $45/month. Pricing varies based on the number of contacts.
If you use Constant Contact, you might be interested in the following article: How to Create a Constant Contact Popup for WordPress.
That resource will have everything you need to grow your Constant Contact email list.
4. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a complete marketing automation software that combines both email marketing services and SMS messages. In addition, they offer a drag & drop builder that you can use to create highly-engaging emails, build automated workflows, and segment users.
You can also use Brevo with OptinMonster to segment your email list and send highly personalized emails to your customers at the right time. Or, you can use OptinMonster to create SMS campaigns and have leads sent directly to your Brevo account.
Or, you can read this helpful post on collecting phone numbers on your website with popups.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $25/month.
5. Drip
As the name suggests, Drip is an app designed for streamlining the drip email process. It’s a surprisingly simple email marketing automation tool that packs quite the punch. The app features email gathering technology, pre-made templates, and drag and drop elements for simple creation.
Pricing: Starts at $39/month.
Want to grow your email list with Drip? Check out this post on making a Drip popup for your website to increase subscribers.
6. AWeber
Did you recently add a bunch of new subscribers to your email list? Well, instead of bombarding them with a bunch of past emails, you can use AWeber’s Follow Up feature to get subscribers up to speed in a hurry.
You can also categorize your AWeber subscribers based on what they opted in to on your website using the “ad tracking” feature + OptinMonster.
If you’re looking for a solid, trusted email newsletter service that’s been around AND has killer support, AWeber is where it’s at.
Pricing: Free plan available, paid plans start at $19/month.
7. ConvertKit
Want some of the more advanced features of a CRM without the price tag? ConvertKit allows you to send targeted autoresponders to subscribers based on their interaction with your emails with Automation Rules. They even have blueprints that you can use to quickly create autoresponder sequences for almost any situation.
You can also use ConvertKit Subscriber Tags + OptinMonster to segment your emails based on on-site behavior.
If you’re a professional blogger who’s looking for a email marketing automation software to run ultra-targeted campaigns, you can’t go wrong with ConvertKit.
Check out this helpful post on creating a ConvertKit popup to grow your leads.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $9/month
Some users have asked what the difference is between OptinMonster and ConvertKit and why they need both. For more information, check out this post on OptinMonster vs. ConvertKit and which is best to grow your list.
8. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign allows you to create drip emails driven by subscriber interaction, behavior, interests, location, history, and more. With this email marketing automation tool, you can automate the entire life cycle of a subscriber or customer, improving customer experiences.
You can also use ActiveCampaign Tags + OptinMonster to activate drip campaigns based on the subscriber’s behavior on your website.
Do you need a tool that handles email automation, comes with a built-in CRM, and performs multi-channel marketing? Then, ActiveCampaign could be the one for you.
Pricing: Starts at $9/month (billed annually).
9. MailerLite
MailerLite features a drag & drop editor, making it easy to set up beautiful email marketing campaigns in minutes. In addition, MailerLite’s advanced targeting features let you personalize, segment, and automate your campaigns.
These advanced targeting features paired with their optimization features will ensure that your campaigns are performing their best.
Better still, you can use MailerLite + OptinMonster to create high-converting MailerLite signup forms and personalize them based on user behavior.
If you’re just starting out, going it alone, or need a simple, intuitive interface, MailerLite just might be the email marketing automation software you’re looking for.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $9/month (billed annually).
10. BombBomb
Text-only emails can be boring. Heck, even images are becoming boring in today’s media-saturated internet landscape. If you want to effortlessly spice up your emails, then you should consider using BombBomb to create video-powered drip emails.
Pricing: Individual plans start at $33/month; team plans start at $49/month per seat.
11. Mailchimp
Mailchimp allows you to send drip emails to follow up based on website activity, abandoned carts, activity or inactivity, and much more. You can also use Mailchimp Groups + OptinMonster to send drip emails based on what the subscriber opted-in for, or even checkboxes that the user selects on your optin form.
Mailchimp could be your choice for email marketing automation software if you need an all-in-one solution for inbound campaigns.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $11/month.
Some users have asked why they would need both Mailchimp and OptinMonster together. For more details, read this post on OptinMonster vs. Mailchimp and which is better for lead generation.
12. Gumroad
Widely known as a place to sell digital products and services, Gumroad has an email feature that lets you gather and store potential customers alongside existing customers. You can then segment based on numerous features and send updates about your products.
Pricing: No monthly fee but you pay a fee for every sale you make.
13. GetResponse
If you’re like most people, your email newsletters are sent at predetermined times. So shouldn’t they be integrated into your calendar then? GetResponse’s autoresponder tool uses drag and drop features to make calendar management a breeze.
You can also send highly targeted autoresponders to subscribers based on how they got on your email list.
If you want email automation tools and responsive templates to create your landing pages, give GetResponse a look.
Pricing: Free plan available, paid plans with email marketing automation features start at $15.58/month (paid annually)
You may want to see these guides to optimize your GetReponse results:
14. Emma
Nobody likes a generalized email newsletter. That’s why Emma is a great email marketing automation software. This powerful tool works with Shopify, Salesforce, and OptinMonster to gather CRM and sales data and personalize emails based on the subscriber.
P6icing: Starts at $99/month (billed annually).
Integrated Email Marketing Automation Tools
15. Ontraport
Ontraport is a CRM platform with marketing automation built in. By combining customer data from the CRM side with marketing automation, Ontraport can segment your prospects and deliver personalized messaging automatically.
The automation builder is flexible and powerful, and Ontraport integrates with email, SMS, and phone marketing and sales.
Pricing: Starts at $79/month.
16. HubSpot
HubSpot is consistently ranked as one of the top marketing automation tools across a spectrum of tasks. One of its top uses involves streamlining email marketing services through automated workflows.
HubSpot can be one of your best assets when it comes to sales and marketing.
Pricing: Free tools available; paid plans start at $45/month.
17. Intercom
Suppose you’re trying to teach your customers/users about your app. In that case, Intercom lets you send automated email conversations directly in the app. This gives them assistance where they’re most likely to see it.
Pricing: Starts at $79/month with custom pricing based on your feature needs.
18. BenchmarkONE
Just like Gmail now uses tags to optimize messages, so does BenchmarkONE. You can create tags and assign them to specific contacts based on their interests and the stage of the funnel they’re currently in.
Pricing: Free plan available for up to 250 contacts; paid plans start at $29/month (billed annually).
19. E-goi
Sometimes you want to move beyond email. With E-goi, you can break up any email campaign by sending out updates via fax, SMS, or even voice message.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans with automation features start at $9/month
20. Act-On
For large companies that have a bunch of different inbound, outbound, and lead nurturing programs running simultaneously, Act-On integrates them together to maximize their return.
Pricing: Starts at $900/month (billed annually).
21. LeadSquared
As the name suggests, LeadSquared streamlines the lead scoring process by automating email marketing services and combining them with sales activities for increased efficacy.
Pricing: Starts at $400/month.
22. SAP Sales Cloud (Formerly CallidusCloud)
Another great lead qualifying tool is SAP Sales Cloud (formerly CallidusCloud). This technology automates the process of identifying promising leads while weeding out ones that are deemed to be unqualified or high-risk/low-reward.
Pricing: Contact for quote.
23. Marketo
Marketo is one of the best overall automated email marketing services currently available. It allows businesses to trigger email campaigns based on 40-plus behaviors, which removes much of the “guessing game.”
Pricing: Contact for quote.
Tracking and Monitoring Tools for Email
24. GetNotify
GetNotify is a free tool that notifies you the instant your email gets read by the recipient. You just send your marketing emails like normal, but add “.getnotify.com” to the recipient’s email address. Your recipient will not see this, and they will not know that you are tracking their opens.
Pricing: Free plan available; other plans are donation-based.
25. Campaign Monitor
What good is an automated email marketing campaign if you can’t automate things like testing, tracking, and optimizing? With Campaign Monitor, you can. It features interactive analytics that are easy to review and act upon.
They have another option called CM Commerce that’s geared towards eCommerce users.
Pricing: Plans for Campaign Monitor start at $9/month, but for better email automation features, you’ll want at least the Unlimited plan ($29/month). Plans for CM Commerce also start at $9/month.
26. GoViral (formerly SmartBribe)
GoViral (formerly SmartBribe) is a 100% free tool that encourages new email subscribers to share your opt-in with their friends. It customizes your thank you page to include a “bonus” incentive for them to share on social media and email. Once they share, they get access to the free bonus.
Pricing: Free.
Review and Testing Tools
27. Litmus
Litmus is one of the top tools to render testing emails on any device. You can test up to 40 clients and devices with one single click, which cuts down on the time it takes for you to review each and every email combination.
Pricing: Starts at $79/month (billed annually), but for automated testing options, you’ll want at least the Plus plan ($159/month, billed annually).
28. Reach Mail
The Reach Mail testing feature lets users compare direct performance metrics on up to five individual email campaigns at once. It also accounts for subject lines, content, and images to show you which emails will perform best.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $9/month.
29. Cakemail
Every email marketer needs an automated A/B split testing tool to improve open rates. With Cake Mail, you can determine which emails will perform best. There’s also a “Spam Assassin” feature to ensure emails don’t end up in spam folders.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $8/month.
That’s it! We hope this article has helped you find the best email marketing automation tools for your business. Check out our list of the best WordPress plugins to find even more.
And be sure to get your email marketing started off on the right foot with a perfect marketing plan and the right ESP for your business!
Pressed for time? No worries. You can always check out these white label email marketing tools to save time.
If you’re interested in getting started with just one, it should definitely be OptinMonster. It has everything sales teams need to capture targeted leads and segment them right into your automated campaign. Sign up for OptinMonster today!
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