Best Email Marketing Software for Startups

Best Email Marketing Software for Startups

Startups often start with a limited budget to search for venture capitalists and angel investors to help take their innovative company off the ground. The good news is that startups can find these investors through email marketing at an incredible return of $44 for every $1 spent.

Written By Jason Rowse - Digital Marketing Expert

Updated: 09/02/2021

#1 Pick Overall - Best Email Marketing Software for Startups:

MailerLite- Automation, segmentation, A/B testing, all at an affordable price. 

The best email marketing software for startups is low cost, features include, automation, segmentation, A/B split testing, subscriber growth, and customizable templates. 

As you build your startup, it's important to build social proof to get people interested in the product or service you are looking to offer. This will make it easier for investors to see where the potential for this startup lies.

Here are the Top 5 Email Marketing Software for Startups

Software
Features
Price
  • Free plan with multiple features for bloggers
$10/m
  • Complete webinar marketing solution
$10.50/m
  • Flexible Plans
$9.99 /m
  • Marketing Automation
$15/m
  • Sms marketing tools
$25/m

Best Email Marketing Services For Startups For 2021 - Full Analysis

We have reviewed the Top 10 best email marketing software for startups to help grow your startup into a full-on business. We include features that focus on increasing more leads to gain social proof and features like automation, segmentation and A/B split testing to help nurture relationships with prospects looking to invest.

1. MailerLite- Easy to use with great deliverability rates

As a newer software on the market, they offer surprisingly advanced features at a low cost. 

Best For

  • 24/7 customer service that is reportedly very good
  • Create and design a landing page hosted on your domain
  • Marketing automation included in the free plan
  • Adding Facebook and Twitter directly to your email

Price 

  • Free plan you can use forever, including email automation with 1000 contacts and 12000 emails
  • 2500 Contacts: $15 p/m

Comments 

  • Drag and drop editor
  • E-commerce Campaigns
  • A/B split testing
  • Subscriber Management
  • Email automation could be better, but it gets the job done.

Editor’s Note: MailerLite offers all the features your startup needs at the best value for money. 

Bottom Line: 

MailerLite offers subscriber management. This allows you to categorize your contacts into various segments, which is beneficial for sending relevant content to different subscribers.

Read MailerLite Full Review

2. GetResponse - Offers more than the average email marketing software

GetResponse

This software will benefit startups looking for other forms of inbound marketing, including creating and monitoring Google, Facebook, and Instagram ads.

Best For

  • All-in-one Marketing platform
  • A Startup that wants not only advanced automation but also marketing

Price 

  • Free 30-Day Trial
  • 1000 Contacts: $15 p/m

Comments 

  • Landing Pages
  • Advanced Automation 
  • Lead Generation tools to turn cold leads into happy customers
  • Paid Ads
  • CRM

Editor’s Note: This email marketing software offers tools that can help promote your startup on other social platforms.

Bottom Line:

GetResponse has an impressive workflow builder with powerful automation that allows you to add a range of conditions and triggers. 

Read GetResponse Full Review

3. MailChimp- Best for when you are first starting out

MailChimp can be seen all over the place, and that's understandable since they offer a wide variety of features at an affordable price. 

Best For

  • Starting on a tight budget
  • 24/7 Email & Chat Support
  • Customer Journey builder 

Average Price 

  • Free plan up to 2000 contacts 
  • 100 000 Contacts: $14.99

Comments 

  • Behavioral Targeting
  • Send Time optimization  
  • A/B Testing 
  • Custom Templates
  • Custom Branding 
  • Email Automation, not the greatest. I wouldn't recommend it if that is your primary focus.

Editor’s Note: MailChimp offers the best free option plans. Features include signup forms, a landing page builder, and an email broadcast feature.

Bottom Line: 

MailChimp offers a built-in CRM that helps you build a better relationship with your subscribers. You can set up triggered automated emails based on specific segments and tags. 

Read Mailchimp Full Review

4. ActiveCampaign - Best Email Marketing Software for Advanced Users

ActiveCampaign

This software is one of the most powerful email marketing software, offering some of the best automation features at a premium price. 

Best For

  • Startups with a big budget
  • Powerful email automation
  • Users who are experienced in email marketing 

Price 

  • 14 Day Free Trial
  • 1000 Contacts: $25 p/m (Limited Features) 

Comments 

  • Send text messages
  • Build landing pages
  • Split test different campaigns
  • Tons of integration options
  • Great CRM 

Editor’s Note: ActiveCampaign is one of the best email marketing software offering advanced automation features that every startup needs.

Bottom Line: 

On top of having fantastic automation, they also have an 89.3% deliverability rate, which is essential when contacting potential investors. 

Read ActiveCampaign Full Review

5. SendinBlue- Affordable All-In-One Platform

SendinBlue offers a unique feature that allows you to send SMS/Text messages directly to your subscribers. 

Best For

  • Advanced features at an affordable price
  • Transactional emails and SMS
  • Advanced segmentation 

Price 

  • Free, unlimited contacts with up to 300 emails per day
  • 10 000 Emails per day: $25 p/m 

Comments 

  • Google analytic integration
  • SMS Marketing
  • Facebook Ads
  • Open & Click through reports
  • Send time optimization

Editor’s Note: SendinBlue offers sophisticated tools at an affordable price. 

Bottom Line: 

SendinBlue is easy to navigate, and their editor allows you to build a design from scratch. With this feature, you can customize campaigns that are directed at investors or potential customers.

Read SendinBlue Full Review

6. ConstantContact- Best deliverability rates

ConstantContact has been around for a long time and has over 650,000 customers making it one of the most used email marketing software.

Best For

  • Survey & Social Campaigns
  • Event management
  • Basic users who aren’t looking for over the top features

Price 

  • 60 Day free trial (US & CAD)
  • 30 Day free trial for the rest of the world
  • 500 Contacts: $20 p/m 

Comments 

  • Shop-able landing pages
  • Customizable templates
  • Tracking & Reporting
  • Industry-Specific Templates
  • Not the best for email automation   

Editor’s Note: This email marketing tool has an incredible 91.5% deliverability rate.

Bottom Line: 

ConstantContact is a basic software at a higher cost, but it's high deliverability rates make it well worth purchasing. 

Read ConstantContact Full Review

7. ConvertKit- Popular Amongst Bloggers

ConvertKit

Every startup should have a blog since it helps connect your audience to your product or service.

Best For

  • Quick & responsive support
  • Easily add and remove subscribers
  • Creating a landing page without a website

Price 

  • The free plan includes 1000 contacts with limited features
  • 1000 Contacts: $29 p/m, with two more additional features 

Comments 

  • Unlimited landing pages and forms
  • Sell digital products and subscriptions
  • Free migration from another software
  • Automated funnels and sequences 

Editor’s Note: ConvertKit offers unlimited landing pages and forms, allowing you to connect with a wide variety of audiences. 

Bottom Line: 

ConvertKit is all about getting your message across in a simple way and not with over-the-top campaigns. This software screams. "Less is more."

Read ConvertKit Full Review

8. AWeber- Delivers Great Reports

aweber

AWeber does a great job at educating beginners on their platform with in-depth articles, videos, and even podcasts. 

Best For

  • A/B Split testing
  • Email Web Analytics
  • Ready-to-send email templates

Price 

  • 500 Contacts: $19.99

Comments 

  • List management tools
  • Sales Tracking
  • Overall Reports
  • 24/7 email & chat support 

Editor’s Note: AWeber has three different mobile apps. Startups can conveniently check their stats, lead captures, and email organization.

Bottom Line: 

Aweber has the basic tools your startup needs to run a successful campaign. What makes them great is that they offer phone, chat, and email support, ensuring you will never be stuck having to figure things out on your own. 

Read AWeber Full Review

9. BenchMark- Best User-Friendly Software

With over 100+ employees worldwide, BenchMark offers exceptional support.

Best For

  • Easy to navigate the software
  • Online Support, loads of videos to watch
  • Free Spam testing 

Price 

  • The free plan includes unlimited contacts but only 250 emails per month
  • 1000 Contacts: $23 p/m

Comments 

  • Wide variety of templates available
  • Fast drag-and-drop editor
  • Built-in-image editor
  • Not the best deliverability rates

Editor’s Note: This software boasts an incredible resource library filled with various videos, webinars, and eBooks. 

Bottom Line: 

BenchMark offers high-quality templates, automation, lead generation, reporting, and integration with the bonus of having easy-to-use software. 

Read Benchmark Full Review

10. Moosend- Most affordable option for E-commerce

Moosend offers a pay-as-you-grow model with all features included in all of their plans. 

Best For

  • Affordable Prices
  • Compare client tracking
  • Advanced application programming interface 

Price 

  • Free forever 1000 contacts with limited features
  • 1000 Contacts: $8 p/m 

Comments 

  • Transactional emails
  • SMTP server
  • Landing pages
  • Ecommerce AI
  • Reporting & Analytics

Editor’s Note: If your Startup is focused on e-commerce, you can significantly benefit from their powerful AI tools. 

Bottom Line: 

Moosend is extremely affordable, and you can sign up for 1000 free contacts without inserting your credit card details. 

Read Moosend Full Review

How do you choose the Best Email Marketing Software for your Startup?

The best email marketing software for startups should be low cost and should focus on the following aspects:

  • Capture new leads and nurture them into potential investors
  • Target investors looking to fund new startups
  • Build social proof by targeting potential future customers 
  • Create awareness campaigns, bring more attention to your startup 

What makes Email Marketing Software for Startups great?

Price: Startups are on a tight budget and generally funded by the owner of the beginning.

Automation: Create automated workflows triggered by specific actions.

Segmentation: Split investors, potential investors, and potential customers into different categories that ensure each segment receives content relevant to them.

A/B Testing: Split test different campaigns on different audiences to gauge which campaign performs the best. 

Summary 

We have reviewed 10 of the best email marketing software for startups. In the reviews, you can see that some software stands out far better than others.

MailerLite, GetResponse, MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, and SendinBlue are by far the best tools for startups looking for a successful email marketing strategy. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is Email Marketing still effective? 

Yes, email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies that you can implement at a low cost. 

2. How can I get better Email Open Rates? 

By promoting content relevant to your subscribers, testing out different campaigns, using the A/B split testing, and studying your reports and analytics. 

4. Why get Started with Email Marketing? 

Startups making use of email marketing can easily engage with current and potential investors. They can also utilize automation, segmentation, A/B testing, and reporting to build compelling campaigns to engage with a larger audience and bring awareness to their business.