3 Best Free Email Marketing Tools and Services Lookinglion

Starting with email marketing on a tight budget-while trying to figure out which tools are going to give you the best bang for no bucks-is tough. There are hundreds of options out there, each having different features and pros and cons for every platform. As a beginner, this will make you confused for sure, but you don’t have to. In this article, I will provide you with the best free email marketing platforms of today while exploring their features, what is included in their free plans, and any other tips to save on upgraded plans whenever one needs more features in the future.

Before diving into these free tools let’s first understand what is email marketing, and how it works.

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is a simple, effective way to reach out to your audience. You send targeted messages, like promotions or helpful tips, to people who’ve signed up to hear from you. This helps you build relationships, attract new customers, and boost sales.

Why It’s Effective:

• High ROI: Here, average revenue: for each dollar spent $36.
• Widely Used: Email marketing is used by 68% of businesses.

How it Works:

• Build Your List: Give something back to the people, something they’d be willing to accept: free samples, coupons, e-books, etc.
• Send Great Emails: Use email marketing tools to create attractive, informative emails. Segment your audience to send tailored content.
• Track and Improve: Just as with any other email marketing campaigns you should keep an eye on factors like open rates and click-throughs.

3 Best Free Email Marketing Tools Lookinglion

1. GetResponse

GetResponse Platform

GetResponse has earned its title as an all-in-one online marketing platform, providing a little bit more than simple email marketing. The platform is known for its solid tools, it is ideal in case you need something beyond simple email campaigns. Its free plan, known as GetResponse Free Forever, covers the basics but also brings in some nice extras like a website builder, which is great for beginners who want a solid online presence fast.

The free plan in GetResponse allows you to have up to 500 contacts, up to 2,500 emails per month, and pre-designed templates to streamline your emails. You can also create landing pages and sign-up forms. The free version has a very basic taste of the renowned automation capabilities in GetResponse. The user interface is pretty straightforward, with a drag-and-drop email editor to let you personalize your emails.

If you want to pay for a plan, 4 major pricing tiers start at $19 per month for the basic plan. Secondly, GetResponse often provides discount codes, especially on holidays or during promotions, which may be useful in case you want to save on premium plans come with features like autoresponders, advanced analytics, or more advanced automation.

The perfect thing I discovered when I reviewed GerResponse is that it has an excellent deliverability rate. Also, it allows you to connect with over 200 integrations and supports you 24/7 in 8 languages. Feel free to read our complete GetResponse review to find out all the platform’s strong features.

The Key Features of GetResponse

• Drag-and-drop email editor
• AI email generator
• 200 pre-designed templates
• Automation workflows & Autoresponders
• List segmentation
• A/B testing
• Landing pages & websites
• Over 200 Integrations
• Analytics and Reporting.

Pros:

• Free Plan
• Budget-friendly
• Easy-to-use interface
• Customizable templates
• Excellent deliverability
• 24/7 Support

Cons:

• No Phone Support

Coupon Tip: Before upgrading, check for GetResponse coupon codes to get discounts on annual plans or to unlock extra features on premium tiers.

2. AWeber

The AWeber platform

AWeber is another popular brand in the email marketing world, and it’s been around for quite some time. It’s pretty well known for its reliable service and ease of use for beginners. Drag-and-drop email editor: One of the major selling points of AWeber is how intuitive making and designing is. With AWeber, you can manage up to 500 subscribers and send up to 3,000 emails per month on the free plan. You also get access to the core email marketing tools of this platform, inclusive of 700 ready-to-use templates, among others, and a free landing page builder.

AWeber’s free plan fits small businesses and freelancers just starting to use email marketing. Paid versions start at $15.00 a month for more advanced features that include things like 1 Custom segment, Advanced message analytics, and more. AWeber also regularly offers discounts and coupon codes that can reduce the cost significantly especially when you bill annually.

Not only that, but the platform enables you to integrate with over 750 integrations and provides 24/7 responsive support. When it comes to deliverability rate, we found that AWeber has an acceptable deliverability rate you can rely on. Read our full AWeber review.

The Key Features of AWeber

• Drag-and-drop email editor & AI writer
• 700 pre-designed and mobile-friendly email templates
• Autoresponder
• Tagging and segmentation
• Landing page builder & templates
• Around 750 Integrations with third-party apps
• Analytics and Reporting.

Pros:

• Free Plan
• Budget-friendly pricing
• Easy-to-use interface
• Acceptable Deliverability Rate
• Many Integrations
• 24/7 Support

Cons:

• No Free Trial is Available
• Limited Marketing Automation

Coupon Tip: AWeber often has coupon codes and promotions, especially around major holidays, which makes it a good idea to check for these before upgrading.

3. SendPulse

SendPulse Platform

SendPulse is popular for its multi-channel marketing capability, through email, SMS, and web push notifications, which makes it a great choice for businesses that would want to reach users on different platforms. On the free plan, SendPulse allows 500 subscribers with up to 15,000 emails per month, along with access to some automation features and a selection of templates.

The SendPulse user interface is tidy and easy to use. Its drag-and-drop email builder and super simple workflow builder for basic automation are perfect for creating welcome sequences, or even just simple drip campaigns. This free version also includes 3 sender email addresses and 1 domain, 1 website, or bio link page, and 100 verifications with the email verifier.

Read Also: 5 Best Cheap Email Marketing Platforms in 2024

Paid plans start at $8 a month for those looking for more serious features and grow rather quickly in terms of subscribers. Occasionally, SendPulse offers a fixed discount of 20% on its yearly plans and 10% off on 6-month plans, so it is worth taking advantage of these discounts if you need a paid plan.

It is a really good option for those on an extremely tight budget, looking for a tool with which to engage an audience omnichannel and drive conversions. SendPulse provides many integrations besides the capability to reach out to support via email and live chat in 5 languages.

In terms of deliverability, I would say that SendPulse has acceptable deliverability; I have received good results while testing. Read the full SendPulse review.

The Key Features of SendPulse

• Drag-and-drop editor & 100 pre-designed templates
• AI generator
• Automation 360
• Segmentation
• Chatbots
• CRM
• Landing page builder
• SMS & Viber marketing
• Analytics and Reporting.

Pros:

• Free Plan
• Budget-friendly pricing
• Easy-to-use interface
• Acceptable Deliverability Rate
• Pay-as-you-go service
• 24/7 Support

Cons:

• Limited free plan
• Fewer Templates

Coupon Tip: SendPulse provides coupon codes for seasonal discounts, which can reduce the cost of annual plans or provide trial periods for upgraded features.

More Free Email Marketing Tools and Services

4. Moosend

Moosend Platform

Moosend is an intuitive email marketing platform with extreme simplicity and a rich feature set. It allows you to create automated workflows, design great-looking emails, and manage subscriber lists in seconds. Different from other free plans, Moosend doesn’t provide an ongoing free plan but a 30-day free trial that gives temporary access to all its premium features so you can get a complete feel for the platform.

Moosend’s paid plans start at just $9 per month after the trial. This price tier covers all core email marketing features, and unlimited emails, and allows you to have up to 1,000 subscribers. They offer a discount of 20% on yearly subscriptions, which allows you to lock in some savings. In addition you can use a promo code for extra savings.

The interface of Moosend is clean and easy to work with; it features an intuitive drag-and-drop editor for creating emails and landing pages. It’s great for both beginners and experienced marketers; no technical skills are needed to set up campaigns or automation.

It also boasts powerful automation capabilities, allowing you to build workflows based on your behavior-for example, abandoned cart reminders and welcome series will be quite a good fit for eCommerce and small businesses. Make sure to read the full review.

The Key Features of Moosend

• Drag-and-drop email builder
• Over 90 ready-made templates
• Real-time analytics and reporting
• Segmentation tools for personalized targeting
• 17 Integrations with popular platforms (e.g., WordPress, Shopify)
• Landing page builder and customizable templates
• Advanced personalization tools

Pros:

• 30-day free trial with access to all features
• Budget-friendly entry-level pricing
• Easy to use for both beginners and pros
• Advanced automation for scaling marketing efforts
• Excellent customer support via live chat and email

Cons:

• No ongoing free plan after the trial
• Limited template & integrations compared to some competitors

5. MailChimp

MailChimp platform

MailChimp is one of the most popular online email marketing services, and its key target audience is small businesses and startups, all because of its ease of use and brand popularity. The free version allows up to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month with access to some basic templates, and a few pieces of the automation features are pretty good as a starting point. While many users who want more advanced automation or larger allowances for contacts tend to find themselves upgrading to a paid plan relatively quickly, some still consider the free plan somewhat limited for their business needs.

Paid plans with MailChimp begin at $13 a month, offering more advanced features that include custom branding, A/B testing, and increased automation. Most of the time, MailChimp runs special promotions for new subscribers in the form of discount codes, so be on the lookout for these to reduce an initial subscription.

The platform comes with a clean and user-friendly interface, featuring a drag-and-drop editor and a selection of free, customizable templates perfect for users with even scant design experience. Integrations with the likes of Shopify, WordPress, and WooCommerce make it equally easy for eCommerce users and bloggers alike to automate marketing with ease.

The Key Features of MailChimp

• Drag-and-drop email editor with pre-built templates
• Basic automation features for welcome emails and abandoned cart series
• Integration with popular apps (Shopify, WordPress, Instagram)
• Detailed analytics and audience insights
• Segmentation and personalization options
• Social media posting and ad campaign tools
• Mobile app for campaign management on the go

Pros:

• Free plan available with access to core features
• Easy integration with many third-party tools
• Beginner-friendly interface with a helpful onboarding process
• Strong brand recognition and extensive support resources

Cons:

• The free plan has limited automation options and lower send limits
• Higher-tier plans can become costly as the contact list grows
• Some advanced features are only available in premium plans

6. MailerLite

mailerlite platform

MailerLite is a clear, simple email marketing service ideal for small businesses or bloggers who need an uncluttered interface. The free plan includes up to 1,000 subscribers with a limit of 12,000 emails per month, with the most important features such as automation, a landing page builder, and a set of customizable email templates.

So, one of the big strengths of MailerLite is how intuitive it is. Being easy to use is the main core of this platform, and for this very reason, drag-and-drop features have been made available to quickly design emails and landing pages. For more advanced needs, MailerLite offers a few paid plans for $10 a month, including A/B testing, pop-ups, and advanced segmentation.

Pros:

• Clean, user-friendly interface.
• Generous subscriber limit for a free plan.
• Includes landing page builder.

Cons:

• Basic reporting on the free plan.
• Limited template variety.

7. Benchmark Email

Benchmark Email platform

Benchmark Email has a good free plan featuring up to 500 contacts and 3,500 sends. The platform is also popular for its nice-looking templates and design tools, placing it as the favorite for users who center their campaigns on sending nice, branded emails.

Pros:

• Offers unlimited email sends.
• User-friendly and visual-based editor.
• Integrates with e-commerce platforms.

Cons:

• Limited features on the free plan.
• Fewer advanced automation options

8. Zoho Campaigns

Zoho Campaigns platform

Zoho Campaigns is ideal for existing Zoho users, offering up to 2,000 subscribers, and 6,000 emails/month for free with basic templates and email automation. It’s an excellent choice for users already within the Zoho ecosystem.

Pros:

• High subscriber limit for free.

Cons:

• Basic UI, less user-friendly.

Comparison Table

All these tools provide specific features to meet various marketing requirements. Hopefully, this gives you a clearer picture of which free email marketing tool will best suit your goals and budget.

Choosing the Right Email Marketing Tool for Your Needs

When choosing the best email marketing tool for your business, the critical factors are business needs, goals, size, or budget. Some tools include features like GetResponse and SendPulse that provide multiple-channel options and the possibility to increase the number of subscribers at any given time, but some tools like Mailer Lite and Moosend are simpler and easier to use, perfect for a beginner. Here are a few tips to help you make an informed choice:

Key Factors to Consider

1. Features & Automation: In case you’re going to expand your marketing campaigns and need further customizations and integrations, you’re better off using services that offer a range of features in the free tier, such as Moosend or SendPulse. These tools provide some predefined automation features even on a basic level, which is enough for dealing with welcome flows and simple sequences without rushing to the paid plan.
2. Subscriber and Email Limits: Another difference that divides platforms is how much free tier is offered to users, and what kind of limitations may be present. For gaining more subscribers without upgrading soon, these two platforms reveal relatively high prices for the number of subscribers to which you will reach – MailerLite and Zoho Campaigns.
3. User Interface & Ease of Use: For testers and users, a simple and clear interface can be an important advantage. GetResponse and AWeber are especially good for beginners as they both offer drag-and-drop functionality and tips on designing emails.
4. Coupon Codes and Discounts: Since most email marketing service providers allow users to send newsletters free of charge up to a certain number of subscribers, and they often host sales during the holiday season, be sure to look for coupon codes before subscribing. For instance, GetResponse and AWeber may offer their subscribers a significant service price reduction when purchasing yearly subscriptions or when new functions are added.
5. Integrations & Multi-Channel Options: If you are operating a business that would definitely benefit from multi-channel communication, SendPulse is going to be perfect for you as it has email, SMS, and chatbot connections on the free-of-charge package to empower business people to reach clients through all possible platforms from one single panel.

Final Thoughts

When determining a free email marketing service for the first time, it might be wise to use several different platforms to see which one is perfect for your business model. The platforms described in this article represent great opportunities, as all of them are free and offer a certain level of flexibility that will enable you to test email marketing without investing much while finding your audience and the best marketing strategies. And, as your list expands, each of these platforms suggests ways to go further: by adding advanced automation, more detailed audience targeting, or transitioning to multi-step marketing campaigns.

Another way is to grab free trials and use coupons to access paid versions at a lower price, in case you need more serious instruments. No matter the method used to reach out to the audience, one must realize that email marketing is all about consistency, creativity, and understanding the audience.

FAQs