Many entrepreneurs find that connecting with potential customers online is challenging. It can feel like shouting into a void. And even if you reach people, it’s hard to know if they’re interested in your products.
Email newsletter software offers an all-inclusive solution.
It’s no surprise that 87% of brands view email marketing as critical to their success. You can send automated emails to thousands of customers in one go, customize emails and segment them between audiences, and monetize your newsletters by selling digital products.
For growing businesses, the right email newsletter software can be a game-changer. However, it can be time-consuming, as there are so many options to consider.
Fortunately, this guide narrows down the best options on the market, with details of pricing, pros, and cons – and the top features to look out for. Read on to discover the best email software on the market for entrepreneurs.
An Overview of the Best Email Newsletter Software for Business Owners
We’ll deep dive into what newsletter software is and a comparison of different newsletter software below. But if you're here for quick answers, here’s a summary of the options:
Best For | Key Feature | Pricing | |
---|---|---|---|
Mailmodo | Entrepreneurs looking to create custom emails tailored to their brand | Email gamification tools, such as quizzes, polls, and spin-the-wheel games | Paid tiers start from $39 per month (billed annually) for 500 contacts. No free tier, but there is a free trial. |
Beehiiv | Adding sponsored advertising to your email newsletters | Internal system to add sponsored ads to your emails (available on the paid tiers). | Free tier with unlimited emails to 2,500 subscribers, but limited features. Paid tiers start at $39 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. |
AWeber | Startups looking for stylish and simple email design tools | Smart designer tool generates newsletter styles from your website | Free tier for up to 500 subscribers. Paid tiers start at $12.50 per month (billed annually). |
ConvertKit | Growing your audience with support from other creators | Monetization options for entrepreneurs, including cross-promotion with other creators | Free tier for up to 10,000 subscribers, but limited features. Paid tiers start at $25 per month (billed annually). |
Mailchimp | All-in-one platform for launching email marketing alongside social media | All-inclusive online marketing tools, including email marketing, SMS, and more | Free tier for up to 500 contacts, with limited automation tools. Paid tiers start at $13 per month. |
Campaign Monitor | Agencies, as well as businesses with segmented audiences | Tools to deliver automated loyalty programs | Paid tiers at $11 per month for 500 contacts. No free tier, but there is a free trial. |
Brevo | Combined email marketing and CRM tool | Additional messaging tools, including WhatsApp and SMS | Free tier with up to 300 emails per day. Paid tiers start from $9 per month for 5,000+ emails per month. |
Omnisend | Ecommerce entrepreneurs looking to use customer data from their stores in their email campaigns | Integration with ecommerce sites, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and more | Free tier is limited to 250 contacts and 500 emails per month. Paid tiers start at $16 per month, with 500 contacts and 6,000 emails per month. |
What is Email Newsletter Software?
Email newsletter software allows you to send out bulk emails to subscribed audiences. You can use these marketing newsletters to:
- 🏷️ Offer discounts
- 📢 Announce sales and promotions
- 🆕 Showcase a new product or service
- 📰 Share articles from your blog
- 💬 Connect with your customers
This helps you to foster new clients and hold the interest of your current customers.
You can segment your audiences to ensure they receive the most relevant email newsletters. For example, you could set up different campaigns tailored to new subscribers and customers who have already bought your online course.
Emails can also be automated to send upon certain triggers. For example, if someone buys your course, you can send them a 'next steps' email. You can learn more about creating high-converting post-purchase email flows in this great tutorial video by Kasey Luck.
Features to Look for in Email Newsletter Software
Not all email newsletter software is created the same, and some the features can differ among the different options. Here are the top features to look for when choosing an email newsletter software:
Email automation
Automation tools save valuable time. The best email newsletter software will allow you to set up automated email sequences. So, whenever your customers make a purchase or don’t open a marketing email, you can automatically send a follow-up message.
Segmentation
Email newsletter software should allow you to segment your emails between audiences. This becomes essential as your audience grows. According to Hubspot, segmented emails are opened 30% more than unsegmented ones. That’s along with a 50% increase in clickthroughs.
For example, some customers may be interested in your dropshipping course, while others would prefer to read about your upcoming ecommerce eBook.
Analytics tools
These tools allow you to review the performance of your email newsletters and wider email campaigns. This gives you the insights you need to improve your campaigns and understand what’s working (and what’s not).
Integrations
From social media to tracking your results, integrations ensure your email newsletters aren’t kept in a bubble. This helps you to actually convert customers and make sales through your emails.
AI features
Whilst they’re not always a must-have, generative AI tools can streamline creating your ideal email newsletter. You can use this to generate text for your email message, as well as code for your templates.
Customization options
Customizing your emails ensures your customers are kept engaged. For example, some tools like Mailmodo feature gamified widgets, including spin-the-wheel games, to encourage more interest from subscribers.
8 Best Email Newsletter Software Options for Entrepreneurs
There’s no one-size-fits-all email marketing tool. It all depends on your business. Each tool on this list offers something different for entrepreneurs, from messaging to gamification tools.
Here are the top picks for newsletter email software for entrepreneurs:
1. Mailmodo
This all-inclusive email newsletter software has lots of features to streamline your email marketing and engage new and existing customers. The drag-and-drop builder is easy to use. Plus, there are plenty of email templates to get started with right away.
Customization is a major strength of Mailmodo. Use generative AI to create custom email designs and copy, or leverage segmentation to appeal to different audiences with prebuilt campaigns and flows.
Mailmodo provides innovative gamification tools for emails, including spin-the-wheel games and quizzes to increase engagement.
If you want to drill down into your audience, engage with customers using games, and leverage the benefits of generative AI, you’ll love the options on offer.
Pricing
Mailmodo’s pricing plans are designed to scale with your business needs.
The Lite tier starts at $39 per month (billed annually) for 500 contacts. This goes up to $199 per month (billed annually) for 50,000 contacts. The Pro tier starts at $79 per month (billed annually) for 500 contacts. It goes up to 200,000 contacts at $639 per month (annually).
The Max tier starts at $159 per month (billed annually) for 500 contacts. This can be increased to over 250,000+ contacts, but you’ll need to contact sales for pricing. The pricing for all tiers increases if you pay monthly.
Mailmodo also offers a 21-day free trial.
Pros
- Transparent, detailed pricing that can be tailored to your needs
- Generative AI tools for creating custom templates and more
- Unique tools to gamify your email newsletters, including quizzes, polls, and more
- Tools to gather customer reviews from your emails
- Automate transactional emails and more
Cons
- Pricing can be expensive if you have a high number of contacts
- Potentially limited in terms of social media integrations
2. Beehiiv
This email newsletter software makes email monetizing simple. You can set up a paid newsletter or join the internal ads system to enable sponsored ads in your emails. The email builder is relatively limited and text-heavy, but this could be a positive for newcomers to email marketing.
Pricing
Beehiiv features a free tier with unlimited sending to 2,500 subscribers. The paid tiers start with the Scale tier at $39 per month (billed monthly) for up to 1,000 subscribers, which adds monetization options and AI, among other tools.
Pros
- Option to monetize your newsletters through sponsored ads
- Other monetization options make it easy to earn money from newsletters
- Streamlined email builder is intuitive for newbies
Cons
- Limited customization options
3. AWeber
Automate beautiful emails with AWeber, a great tool for startups and small businesses. If you’re looking for email newsletter design software, then this is a good place to start. The built-in smart designer tool uses ideas from your website to create tailored email newsletters.
Pricing
AWeber offers a free tier, but it’s limited to just 500 subscribers. The cheapest paid tier starts at $12.50 per month (billed annually), which covers 1 email list, 3 landing pages, and 3 email automations. Pricing increases with the number of subscribers.
Pros
- Smart designer tool makes it simple to generate bespoke newsletter styles
- AI writing tools help you create effective text
- Automated emails can respond to customer behavior and new content from your website
Cons
- Limited email templates
- Limited features compared to other platforms on the list
4. ConvertKit
With options to sell digital products, cross-promote with other creators, develop paid newsletters, and more, ConvertKit is another great option if you’d like to monetize ASAP. Create automations with the intuitive visual builder and make beautifully-designed emails without any code.
Pricing
The free tier covers up to 10,000 subscribers and allows you to sell digital products. However, it’s not the best choice for free email newsletter software, as the automation features are limited. Paid tiers start with the Creator tier, which costs $25 per month (billed annually) for up to 1,000 subscribers.
Pros
- Monetization options for entrepreneurs
- Options to cross-promote other content creators through the new Creator Network
- Features free landing page designer
Cons
- Text-heavy newsletter designs can be restrictive
- Free tier has limited automation features
5. Mailchimp
Arguably the most famous email newsletter software, Mailchimp provides an all-in-one platform with plenty of additional tools. If you’re looking to launch email marketing alongside social media, SMS campaigns, and more, this is the one for you.
Pricing
Looking for free email newsletter software? Mailchimp offers a free tier, but again with limited automation tools. There are three paid tiers, with Essentials being the cheapest at $13 per month for 500 contacts. Pricing increases with the number of contacts.
Pros
- All-inclusive set of online marketing tools to quickly start your business
- 130+ flexible templates to suit your brand
- AI-powered tools for your emails, including dynamic product recommendations
Cons
- Pricing can quickly become expensive for smaller businesses looking to scale
- Lots of unnecessary features if you only want email marketing
6. Campaign Monitor
With a myriad of personalization options, Campaign Monitor is a great option for businesses with segmented and diverse audiences – as well as agencies looking for a platform to manage client accounts.
Pricing
Campaign Monitor offers a free trial, but not a full free tier. The Lite tier starts at $11 dollars per month for 500 contacts. The Essentials tier starts at $19 per month, and the Premier tier starts at $149 per month.
Pros
- Lots of features for agencies, including a white-label version for clients to use
- Options to develop loyalty programs through automation
- SMS marketing features
Cons
- Large jump in the pricing for the advanced tier
7. Brevo
As a combined email marketing and CRM tool, Brevo is another good choice if you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing tool. Whilst it doesn’t feature social media tools, it’s worth a try if you’re looking to add messaging to your marketing toolbox.
Pricing
Brevo offers a free tier with up to 300 emails per day. The Starter tier starts from $9 per month, and the Business tier starts from $18 per month, both for 500 contacts. In these tiers, you can send 5,000+ emails per month. Pricing increases with email volume.
Pros
- Multi-platform marketing, with email newsletter, WhatsApp marketing, and SMS tools
- Vast integrations with digital tools, including Zoom, Stripe, and Zendesk
- Advanced analytics tools, including click heatmaps
Cons
- Expensive pricing as your business scales
- WhatsApp/SMS features may not be useful for all email marketers
8. Omnisend
Leverage customer data from your ecommerce store with Omnisend. This email newsletter software is a great choice for ecommerce entrepreneurs, as it links up with your online stores, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and more.
Pricing
Omnisend’s free tier is limited to 250 contacts and 500 emails per month. The cheapest Standard tier is $16 per month, with 500 contacts and 6,000 emails per month. The cheapest Pro tier costs $59 per month, offering 2500 contacts and unlimited emails. These prices increase with the number of contacts.
Pros
- Integration with ecommerce tools to link with your online store
- Email builder automatically adds your branding to your emails
- Tailored for ecommerce with discount codes and easy-to-insert product listings
Cons
- Aimed predominantly at ecommerce businesses, so could be less suitable for other business types
Whop + Mailmodo = the Ultimate Email Newsletter Combo for Entrepreneurs
With its diverse tools and intuitive email builder, Mailmodo is our number one choice for email newsletter software. That’s thanks to its broad customization tools. Mailmodo offers lots of unique ways to build your following and engage customers. But what about monetization?
That’s where Whop comes in. (Yes, you really can make money with newsletters – here are 11 insider secrets)
Although some newsletter email software provides monetization tools, you’re limited to the choices on the platform. Some offer sponsored ads, others allow you to sell products from ecommerce stores, but these come with hefty monthly tier fees.
On Whop, you can sell everything from ebooks to online courses. Why not sell access to your exclusive online community?
Our Mailmodo integration means you can create engaging emails for your audience and funnel them through to your own whop hub. There they can access all your digital products in one streamlined space, and even chat with other newsletter readers in a private community (should you wish to offer that option).
No need for multiple expensive platforms - you can do it all with Whop.
It takes just five minutes to set up your Whop account. With Mailmodo integration, you can send out monetized newsletters and draw in new sales. Get started today.