In today's fast-paced digital world, it's important to stay in touch with your customers. Email marketing is one of the best ways to engage with your audience. The good news is that there are lots of free email marketing tools that can help you build and execute your email marketing strategy.
After reviewing over 20 email marketing apps with free plans, here are five standout options that suit various use cases and business types, helping you level up your campaigns without spending a dime.
Key criteria for choosing the best free email marketing service
When evaluating free email marketing services, several factors are crucial:
- Subscriber and send limits: Generous free plans allow for thousands of free sends per month.
- Email templates and customization: A variety of professional templates and a user-friendly editor are essential.
- Audience segmentation: Delivering targeted emails to the right audience is key to success.
- Automation: Automate your email marketing efforts as your business grows.
- Scalability: The ability to grow from a free plan to a paid one with additional features and higher limits.
- Full email marketing features: Comprehensive tools that cater to various email marketing needs.
Each tool on this list was selected based on key factors such as ease of use, essential features, automation options, and scalability. These tools are designed to support both beginners and seasoned marketers in building effective email campaigns.
By connecting these email marketing tools with Albato, you can unlock even greater potential. Albato enables seamless integration with over 800+ popular apps, allowing you to automate workflows, synchronize data, and enhance your marketing strategies effortlessly. From CRM platforms to project management tools, Albato ensures your email campaigns are not only effective but also fully aligned with your broader business goals.
MailerLite
MailerLite got some pretty cool features for experienced email marketers. It doesn't have any pre-made email templates on the free plan, but it makes up for it with some pretty slick, pre-designed content blocks that make it easy to create engaging emails. You can add countdown timers, product details, videos, and more, so you can build custom campaigns with ease.
Pros:
- Pre-built content blocks
- Automation and segmentation features
- Affordable upgrade options
Cons:
- No pre-made email templates on the free plan
Pricing: Free for up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month.
With Albato, you can connect MailerLite to hundreds of other apps, making it easy to automate tasks like syncing new subscribers across your favorite tools.
HubSpot
HubSpot really shines when it comes to segmentation. They offer a free plan that includes up to 2,000 emails per month, 10 active lists, and comprehensive reporting. It integrates seamlessly with HubSpot's CRM, making it a powerful tool for growing businesses.
Pros:
- Generous free plan
- Excellent segmentation features with CRM integration
Cons:
- Limited email templates
- Higher costs as you scale
HubSpot’s email tool allows you to get started quickly, and its AI features simplify the process even further. You can seamlessly connect HubSpot with other apps using Albato, enabling you to automate email marketing tasks and streamline your workflows.
Brevo
Brevo, rebranded from Sendinblue, offers a comprehensive suite of marketing and sales tools. It includes a CRM, email, SMS, WhatsApp, web push, and Facebook Ads campaigns, all within a streamlined interface.
Pros:
- Goal-oriented email automation
- Broad feature set
- Unlimited contacts
Cons:
- Strict 300 email/day send limit
Pricing: Free for unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails per day.
Brevo’s automation and segmentation features are generous, even on the free plan. Connect Brevo with other tools using Albato to streamline subscriber management and simplify campaign creation.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a popular choice for businesses planning to scale their email marketing efforts. Its free plan includes a landing page builder, customer journey mapping, list segmentation, retargeting ads, and A/B testing.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Comprehensive features for growth
- Scalable pricing
Cons:
- Limited free plan compared to others
Pricing: Free for up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month.
Mailchimp’s easy-to-use editor is ideal for both new and experienced marketers. With Albato, you can connect Mailchimp to other tools, automating subscriber management and enhancing your marketing workflows.
ExpertSender
ExpertSender is a powerful choice for businesses focused on advanced automation and data-driven email marketing. It offers AI-driven segmentation, omnichannel messaging, predictive analytics, and A/B testing to optimize engagement.
Pros:
- Advanced automation and personalization
- AI-driven audience segmentation
- Supports omnichannel campaigns (email, SMS, web push)
Cons:
Higher learning curve for beginners
Pricing: Custom pricing based on email volume and business needs.
ExpertSender’s robust automation and data insights make it ideal for scaling businesses. With Albato, you can integrate ExpertSender with other tools, streamlining customer interactions and maximizing campaign performance.
Simple tips for your first email marketing campaign
Here are a couple of suggestions that will help you launch a successful email marketing campaign.
1. Set clear goals. Before sending any emails, define your objectives. Are you looking to increase sales, boost engagement, grow your subscriber list, or drive traffic to your website? Setting measurable goals helps you craft targeted campaigns and track success effectively. For example, if your goal is to increase conversions, focus on persuasive copy and strong calls to action.
2. Know your audience. Understanding your audience is key to sending emails that resonate. Use customer data, surveys, and engagement metrics to learn their preferences, pain points, and interests. Segment your list based on demographics, past interactions, or buying behavior to deliver more relevant content that increases engagement.
3. Build an organic email list. Growing an email list naturally ensures higher engagement and fewer spam complaints. Use opt-in forms on your website, offer incentives like free resources or discounts, and promote sign-ups through social media. Never buy email lists, as they lead to poor deliverability, low engagement, and potential legal issues.
4. Write a great subject line. Your subject line is the first thing recipients see, so make it compelling. Keep it short, clear, and action-oriented. Personalization, urgency, or curiosity can boost open rates. For example, “John, your exclusive discount expires tonight!” is more engaging than “Limited-time offer.”
5. Personalize your emails. People respond better to emails that feel tailored to them. Use the recipient’s name, recommend products based on past behavior, and send personalized birthday or anniversary emails. Advanced personalization techniques, like dynamic content, can further increase engagement by displaying relevant offers or content based on user preferences.
6. Focus on one clear CTA. Every email should have a single, clear call to action (CTA) that guides readers toward the next step. Whether it’s “Shop now,” “Download the guide,” or “Sign up today,” make it stand out with contrasting colors and persuasive text. Too many CTAs can overwhelm recipients and reduce conversions.
7. Test and improve. A/B testing helps refine your email strategy. Experiment with different subject lines, layouts, images, and CTAs to see what resonates most with your audience. Test one element at a time and analyze the results to continually improve performance.
8. Track results. Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and unsubscribe rates. These insights help identify what’s working and what needs adjustment. If engagement is low, revisit your subject lines, content, or audience segmentation.
9. Make it mobile-friendly. More than half of emails are opened on mobile devices, so ensure your emails are responsive. Use a mobile-friendly design, short paragraphs, and large buttons for easy interaction. Test your emails on different devices before sending them out.
10. Follow email laws. Compliance with email marketing regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM is essential to maintain trust and avoid penalties. Always include an unsubscribe link, get explicit consent before sending marketing emails, and be transparent about how you use customer data. Respecting these guidelines enhances your brand’s credibility and ensures better email deliverability.
Summing up
These five email marketing tools have great features on their free plans, with something for everyone from advanced marketing automation to comprehensive CRM integration. Whether you're a small business, a blogger, or an eCommerce store, these platforms can help you build and execute effective email marketing campaigns. This'll help you automate tasks, boost your productivity, and make your marketing strategies more effective.
If you want to take your marketing to the next level, Albato can help you to streamline workflows by automating data transfers between your favourite tools—CRM, email automation, ad platforms, and more—without needing developer support. This means less manual work, faster campaign execution, and better data-driven decision-making.
Spend less time on manual tasks and more on scaling your campaigns—get started today.
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