In today's digital age, crafting and sending newsletters is an essential strategy for businesses, content creators, and marketers looking to engage with their audience effectively. With numerous platforms available, selecting the right one can be daunting. Here, we'll delve into some of the top newsletter companies akin to Mailchimp and Beehiiv, exploring their websites, pricing structures, and user reviews. With so many newsletter companies out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your needs. In this article, we'll review the top newsletter companies, including their features, pricing plans, and pros and cons.
1. Mailchimp
Website URL: mailchimp.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: Up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month. Includes basic features like email marketing, landing pages, and social posting.
Essentials: Starts at $13/month for 500 contacts. Adds features like removing Mailchimp branding, custom templates, and basic automation.
Standard: $20/month for 500 contacts with advanced automation, A/B testing, and more in-depth analytics.
Premium: $350/month for advanced features including multivariate testing, enhanced support, and higher automation capabilities.
Review:
Mailchimp is renowned for its user-friendly interface, making it an excellent choice for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses. It offers a vast array of integrations, which facilitates the management of marketing campaigns across multiple channels. However, its recent pricing changes have been a point of contention, with users feeling that the cost has risen without commensurate enhancements in features. The platform's CRM capabilities are also somewhat limited compared to dedicated CRM tools but suffice for basic marketing needs. The free plan is quite generous for those starting out, but once businesses scale, the costs can escalate rapidly.
2. Beehiiv
Website URL: beehiiv.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: Ideal for those starting out, with basic features but no cost until you exceed 2,500 subscribers.
Pro: $42/month, includes advanced features like custom domains, additional automation, and premium support.
Paywall: Custom pricing for monetization features tailored for content creators looking to implement a subscription model.
Review:
Beehiiv stands out for its creator-focused approach, offering tools specifically designed to help grow and monetize newsletters. It's praised for its ease of use, the ability to customize email designs thoroughly, and robust analytics. Beehiiv's referral program is particularly noted for driving subscriber growth, a feature not as emphasized in platforms like Mailchimp. The pricing structure is straightforward, making it attractive for individual creators or small teams. However, its feature set might not be as extensive for businesses needing broader marketing automation solutions. The support from Beehiiv, especially for its paying customers, is often highlighted as exceptional.
With so many newsletter companies out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your needs.
3. MailerLite
Website URL:
mailerlite.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: For up to 1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails, with basic features like newsletters and landing pages.
Growing Business: Starts at $10/month for 1,000 subscribers, adds automation, advanced reporting, and removes branding.
Advanced: Custom pricing for enterprises, offering priority support and extra customization options.
Review:
MailerLite is celebrated for its simplicity and affordability, making it a go-to for small businesses and solopreneurs. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, and the platform offers good deliverability rates. While it doesn't match Mailchimp's vast ecosystem of integrations, it provides enough for most small to medium businesses. The free plan is particularly generous, allowing for a substantial number of subscribers without cost, which is a significant advantage over competitors. However, users occasionally mention limitations in advanced automation features compared to higher-tier platforms
4. ConvertKit
Website URL:
convertkit.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: Up to 1,000 subscribers, basic features for creators.
Creator: $9/month for up to 300 subscribers, includes unlimited landing pages, forms, and email broadcasts.
Creator Pro: $29/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, with advanced features like commerce integrations and subscriber scoring.
Review:
ConvertKit is tailored for creators, bloggers, and podcasters, providing tools to sell digital products directly through newsletters. Its user interface is straightforward, with a focus on helping creators grow their audience. The automation capabilities, though not as complex as Mailchimp's, are well-suited for creators' needs. ConvertKit has a strong community feel, with resources and support designed for digital creators. However, for businesses outside the content creation niche, its features might feel restrictive. Reviews often praise its customer support and the simplicity of setting up sequences for new subscribers.
5. Omnisend
Website URL:
omnisend.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: Up to 250 contacts, limited features but includes basic email automation.
Standard: $16/month for up to 500 contacts, enhances automation and provides access to more channels like SMS.
Pro: $59/month for up to 500 contacts, offering advanced segmentation, A/B testing, and more personalized customer journeys.
Review:
Omnisend is particularly noted for its ecommerce-specific features, integrating seamlessly with platforms like Shopify. It offers not just email but also SMS marketing, providing a multi-channel approach which is vital for ecommerce businesses. Users appreciate the platform's focus on automation tailored for online stores, like abandoned cart emails. However, the pricing can be steep for small businesses not heavily invested in ecommerce, and some users report a learning curve due to the platform's in-depth features. The customer support and educational resources are generally well-regarded.
6. Substack
Website URL:
substack.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: up to 1,000 subscribers
Paid: 10% commission on paid subscriptions
Review:
Substack is a unique newsletter platform that allows creators to monetize their newsletters through paid subscriptions. It offers a simple and intuitive interface, customizable templates, and advanced features like automation and personalization. Substack's pricing plan is innovative, and its customer support is highly rated.
7. Sendinblue
Website:
sendinblue.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: up to 2,500 subscribers and 500 emails per day
Lite: $25/month (up to 10,000 subscribers and 10,000 emails per day)
Premium: $49/month (up to 50,000 subscribers and 50,000 emails per day)
Review:
Sendinblue is an all-in-one marketing platform that offers a range of features, including email marketing, SMS marketing, and CRM. Its newsletter platform is user-friendly, customizable, and offers advanced features like automation and A/B testing. Sendinblue's pricing plans are competitive, and its customer support is highly rated.
8. MailerLite
Website URL:
mailerlite.com
Pricing Plan:
Free: up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month
Paid: $10/month (up to 10,000 subscribers and 120,000 emails per month)
Review:
MailerLite is a popular newsletter platform that offers a range of features, including customizable templates, automation, and A/B testing. Its interface is user-friendly, and its pricing plans are competitive. MailerLite's customer support is highly rated, and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
9. Campaign Monitor
Website URL:
campaignmonitor.com
Pricing Plan:
Basic: $9/month (up to 500 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month)
Unlimited: $29/month (up to 10,000 subscribers and 50,000 emails per month)
Review:
Campaign Monitor is a powerful newsletter platform that offers advanced features like automation, A/B testing, and personalization. Its interface is user-friendly, and its pricing plans are competitive. Campaign Monitor's customer support is highly
Conclusion
Choosing the right newsletter platform depends largely on your specific needs, be it scalability, integration with other tools, or focus on content creation or ecommerce. Mailchimp offers a broad spectrum of tools for growing businesses, Beehiiv caters specifically to creators with growth in mind, MailerLite provides an affordable, user-friendly option, ConvertKit is creator-focused, and Omnisend excels in ecommerce marketing automation. Each platform has its strengths, and by considering the reviews, pricing, and feature sets outlined, you can make an informed decision tailored to your marketing goals. Remember, while these platforms can significantly boost your outreach, the quality of content and engagement strategy remains paramount.