Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to communicate with your audience, build trust, increase conversions, and grow your business. But how do you get started with email marketing without breaking the bank? Fortunately, there are many free email marketing tools and services that can help you create and send professional-looking emails to your subscribers.
In this article, we will review three of the best free email marketing tools and services that you can use today: GetResponse, Constant Contact, and AWeber. We will compare their features, pricing, pros and cons, customer support, and how to get started with each one. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of which tool or service is best suited for your needs and goals.
What is email marketing and why is it important?
Email marketing is the process of sending emails to a list of people who have given you permission to contact them. You can use email marketing to share valuable content, promote your products or services, build relationships, generate leads, increase sales, and more. Email marketing is important because it allows you to:
- Reach your target audience directly in their inbox
- Personalize your messages based on their preferences and behaviour
- Segment your list into different groups based on their interests and needs
- Track and measure your results using analytics and metrics
- Test and optimise your campaigns using A/B testing and feedback
- Automate your email marketing using workflows and triggers
According to HubSpot, email marketing generates an average return on investment (ROI) of $42 for every $1 spent. That’s why email marketing is one of the most popular and effective digital marketing strategies.
What are the benefits of using free email marketing tools and services?
Free email marketing tools and services are software applications or platforms that allow you to create, send, manage, and analyse your email campaigns without paying any fees. Some of the benefits of using free email marketing tools and services are:
- You can save money on your email marketing budget
- You can test different tools and services before committing to a paid plan
- You can access basic features such as templates, drag-and-drop editors, sign-up forms, landing pages, etc.
- You can grow your email list up to a certain limit without paying extra
- You can learn the basics of email marketing without investing too much time or money
However, free email marketing tools and services also have some limitations such as:
- You may have limited storage space, bandwidth, or contacts
- You may have limited access to advanced features such as automation, segmentation, personalisation, etc.
- You may have to display the tool or service’s logo or branding on your emails
- You may have to deal with lower deliverability, security, or support
Therefore, free email marketing tools and services are best for beginners, small businesses, or non-profits who want to get started with email marketing without spending a lot of money. However, as your email marketing needs and goals grow, you may want to upgrade to a paid plan that offers more features, flexibility, and reliability.
How to choose the 3 best email marketing services lookinglion
for your needs?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best free email marketing tool or service for your needs. Some of the most important ones are:
- Your email marketing goals: What do you want to achieve with your email marketing? Do you want to increase awareness, engagement, conversions, loyalty, or referrals? Your email marketing goals will determine what kind of features and functionality you need from your tool or service.
- Your email marketing strategy: How do you plan to execute your email marketing? What kind of content, frequency, timing, and tone will you use? How will you segment, personalise, and automate your emails? Your email marketing strategy will determine what kind of tools and services will help you create and send effective emails.
- Your email list size: How many subscribers do you have or expect to have in the near future? How fast is your list growing? Your email list size will determine how much storage space, bandwidth, and contacts you need from your tool or service.
- Your budget: How much can you afford to spend on your email marketing? How much value do you expect to get from your tool or service? Your budget will determine how much you can invest in your tool or service and what kind of return on investment (ROI) you can expect.
To help you choose the best free email marketing tool or services for your needs, we have reviewed three of the most popular and reputable ones in the market: GetResponse, Constant Contact, and AWeber. We will compare their features, pricing, pros and cons, customer support, and how to get started with each one.
GetResponse
What is GetResponse and what does it offer?
GetResponse is an all-in-one online marketing platform that offers email marketing, landing pages, webinars, e-commerce, CRM, and more. It has over 350,000 customers in 183 countries and has been in business since 1998. GetResponse offers a free plan that allows you to:
- Create and send unlimited emails to up to 1,000 contacts
- Use over 220 professional templates and a drag-and-drop editor
- Build unlimited landing pages with a free domain
- Create unlimited sign-up forms and pop-ups
- Segment your contacts based on tags and custom fields
- Track and analyse your results with reports and analytics
- Integrate with over 150 apps and services such as WordPress, Shopify, Facebook, etc.
Pros and cons of GetResponse
Some of the pros of GetResponse are:
- It offers a generous free plan with unlimited emails and landing pages
- It has a user-friendly interface and a powerful editor
- It has a wide range of features and integrations for online marketing
- It has a high deliverability rate of over 99%
- It has a responsive and helpful customer support team
Some of the cons of GetResponse are:
- It does not offer automation or personalisation on the free plan
- It does not allow you to remove the GetResponse logo from your emails or landing pages
- It does not offer phone support on the free plan
- It does not offer a free trial for its paid plans
How to get started with GetResponse
To get started with GetResponse, you need to:
- Sign up for a free account on their website
- Verify your email address and complete your profile
- Choose an email template or create your own from scratch
- Add your contacts manually or import them from a file or another service
- Create a landing page using their templates or editor
- Set up a sign-up form or pop-up on your website or landing page
- Send your first email campaign and monitor your results
Constant Contact
What is Constant Contact and what does it offer?
Constant Contact is an online marketing platform that offers email marketing, website builder, e-commerce, social media marketing, and more. It has over 600,000 customers in 180 countries and has been in business since 1995. Constant Contact offers a free plan that allows you to:
- Create and send unlimited emails to up to 100 contacts
- Use over 100 mobile-responsive templates and a drag-and-drop editor
- Build a free website with a custom domain name
- Create unlimited sign-up forms and pop-ups
- Segment your contacts based on tags and lists
- Track and analyse your results with reports and analytics
- Integrate with over 100 apps and services such as WordPress, Shopify, Facebook, etc.
Pros and cons of Constant Contact
Some of the pros of Constant Contact are:
- It offers a free website builder with a custom domain name
- It has a simple and intuitive interface and a flexible editor
- It has a wide range of features and integrations for online marketing
- It has a high deliverability rate of over 97%
- It has a friendly and knowledgeable customer support team
Some of the cons of Constant Contact are:
- It offers a limited free plan with only 100 contacts
- It does not offer automation or personalisation on the free plan
- It does not allow you to remove the Constant Contact logo from your emails or website
- It does not offer a free trial for its paid plans
How to get started with Constant Contact
To get started with Constant Contact, you need to:
- Sign up for a free account on their website
- Verify your email address and complete your profile
- Choose an email template or create your own from scratch
- Add your contacts manually or import them from a file or another service
- Create a website using their templates or editor
- Set up a sign-up form or pop-up on your website or email
- Send your first email campaign and monitor your results
AWeber
What is AWeber and what does it offer?
AWeber is an email marketing platform that offers email marketing, landing pages, web push notifications, e-commerce, and more. It has over 100,000 customers in 170 countries and has been in business since 1998. AWeber offers a free plan that allows you to:
- Create and send unlimited emails to up to 500 contacts
- Use over 700 professional templates and a drag-and-drop editor
- Build unlimited landing pages with a free domain
- Create unlimited sign-up forms and pop-ups
- Segment your contacts based on tags and custom fields
- Track and analyse your results with reports and analytics
- Integrate with over 850 apps and services such as WordPress, Shopify, Facebook, etc.
Pros and cons of AWeber
Some of the pros of AWeber are:
- It offers a generous free plan with unlimited emails and landing pages
- It has a user-friendly interface and a powerful editor
- It has a wide range of features and integrations for email marketing
- It has a high deliverability rate of over 99%
- It has a responsive and helpful customer support team
Some of the cons of AWeber are:
- It does not offer automation or personalisation on the free plan
- It does not allow you to remove the AWeber logo from your emails or landing pages
- It does not offer phone support on the free plan
- It does not offer a free trial for its paid plans
How to get started with AWeber
To get started with AWeber, you need to:
- Sign up for a free account on their website
- Verify your email address and complete your profile
- Choose an email template or create your own from scratch
- Add your contacts manually or import them from a file or another service
- Create a landing page using their templates or editor
- Set up a sign-up form or pop-up on your website or landing page
- Send your first email campaign and monitor your results
Comparison and contrast of the three tools
Now that we have reviewed the three tools individually, let’s compare and contrast them based on their features, pricing, customer support, and how to get started.
Features comparison
All three tools offer similar features such as templates, drag-and-drop editors, landing pages, sign-up forms, pop-ups, segmentation, reports, analytics, and integrations. However, there are some differences in the details. For example:
| Feature | GetResponse | Constant Contact | AWeber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts limit | 1,000 | 100 | 500 |
| Emails limit | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Landing pages limit | Unlimited | None | Unlimited |
| Website builder | No | Yes | No |
| Automation | No | No | No |
| Personalisation | No | No | No |
| Logo removal | No | No | No |
| Deliverability rate | Over 99% | Over 97% | Over 99% |
As you can see, GetResponse offers the most contacts and landing pages on the free plan, while Constant Contact offers the least. Constant Contact is the only one that offers a website builder on the free plan, while GetResponse and AWeber do not. None of them offer automation or personalisation on the free plan. None of them allow you to remove their logo from your emails or landing pages. GetResponse and AWeber have higher deliverability rates than Constant Contact.
Pricing comparison
All three tools offer free plans that you can use for as long as you want. However, if you want to access more features, contacts, or support, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. Here are the pricing plans for each tool:
| Plan | GetResponse | Constant Contact | AWeber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $15/month for up to 1,000 contacts | $20/month for up to 500 contacts | $19/month for up to 500 contacts |
| Plus | $49/month for up to 1,000 contacts | $45/month for up to 500 contacts | $29/month for up to 2,500 contacts |
| Professional | $99/month for up to 1,000 contacts | $195/month for up to 500 contacts | $49/month for up to 5,000 contacts |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing for over 100,000 contacts | Custom pricing for over 10,000 contacts | Custom pricing for over 25,000 contacts |
As you can see, GetResponse has the lowest starting price for the basic plan, while Constant Contact has the highest. Constant Contact also has the highest price per contact across all plans. AWeber has the lowest price per contact for the plus and professional plans. GetResponse and AWeber offer custom pricing for large lists, while Constant Contact does not.
Customer support comparison
All three tools offer email and chat support on the free plan. However, only Constant Contact and AWeber offer phone support on the paid plans. GetResponse does not offer phone support at all. Here are the customer support options for each tool:
| Support option | GetResponse | Constant Contact | AWeber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (24/7) | Yes (Mon-Fri: 7am-11pm ET; Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm ET) | Yes (Mon-Fri: 4am-8pm ET; Sat-Sun: 9am-5pm ET) | |
| Chat | Yes (24/7) | Yes (Mon-Fri: 7am-9pm ET; Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm ET) | Yes (Mon-Fri: 4am-8pm ET; Sat-Sun: 9am-5pm ET) |
| Phone | No | Yes (Mon-Fri: 7am-9pm ET; Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm ET) (paid plans only) | Yes (Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm ET; Sat-Sun: 9am-5pm ET) (paid plans only) |
As you can see, GetResponse offers the best email and chat support with 24/7 availability. Constant Contact and AWeber offer similar email and chat support with limited hours. Constant Contact and AWeber also offer phone support with limited hours on the paid plans, while GetResponse does not offer phone support at all.
How to get started comparison
All three tools have a similar process of getting started with their free plans. You need to sign up for a free account on their website, verify your email address, complete your profile, choose or create an email template, add or import your contacts, create or use a landing page or website, set up a sign-up form or pop-up, send your first email campaign, and monitor your results. The main difference is that Constant Contact requires you to enter your credit card information when signing up for the free plan, while GetResponse and AWeber do not.
Conclusion
In this article, we have reviewed three of the best free email marketing tools and services that you can use today: GetResponse, Constant Contact, and AWeber. We have compared their features, pricing, pros and cons, customer support, and how to get started with each one. We have found that:
- All three tools offer similar features such as templates, drag-and-drop editors, landing pages, sign-up forms, pop-ups, segmentation, reports, analytics, and integrations
- None of them offer automation or personalisation on the free plan
- None of them allow you to remove their logo from your emails or landing pages
- GetResponse offers the most contacts and landing pages on the free plan
- Constant Contact offers the least contacts and landing pages on the free plan
- Constant Contact is the only one that offers a website builder on the free plan
- GetResponse has the lowest starting price for the basic plan
- Constant Contact has the highest price per contact across all plans
- AWeber has the lowest price per contact for the plus and professional plans
- GetResponse offers the best email and chat support with 24/7 availability
- Constant Contact and AWeber offer phone support with limited hours on the paid plans
- Constant Contact requires you to enter your credit card information when signing up for the free plan
Recommendation of the best tool or service for different scenarios
Based on our comparison, we can recommend the best tool or service for different scenarios. For example:
- If you want to create and send unlimited emails and landing pages to up to 1,000 contacts, you should choose GetResponse
- If you want to create a free website with a custom domain name and send unlimited emails to up to 100 contacts, you should choose Constant Contact
- If you want to access phone support and send unlimited emails and landing pages to up to 500 contacts, you should choose AWeber
Of course, these are just some examples and you may have different needs and goals. Therefore, we suggest that you try out each tool or service for yourself and see which one works best for you.
Call to action and next steps
We hope that this article has helped you learn more about the three best free email marketing tools and services that you can use today: GetResponse, Constant Contact, and AWeber. Now that you have a clear idea of what each tool or service offers, you can make an informed decision and start your email marketing journey. To get started, simply follow these steps:
- Choose the tool or service that suits your needs and goals
- Sign up for a free account on their website
- Verify your email address and complete your profile
- Choose or create an email template
- Add or import your contacts
- Create or use a landing page or website
- Set up a sign-up form or pop-up
- Send your first email campaign
- Monitor your results
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you and help you with your email marketing needs. Thank you for reading and happy emailing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the three best free email marketing tools and services:
What is the difference between email marketing and email newsletters?
Email marketing is the process of sending emails to a list of people who have given you permission to contact them. You can use email marketing to share valuable content, promote your products or services, build relationships, generate leads, increase sales, and more. Email newsletters are a type of email marketing that involves sending regular updates or news to your subscribers. You can use email newsletters to inform, educate, entertain, or inspire your audience.
How can I grow my email list?
There are many ways to grow your email list, such as:
- Offering a freebie or incentive in exchange for an email address
- Creating valuable and relevant content that attracts your target audience
- Adding sign-up forms and pop-ups to your website or landing page
- Promoting your email list on your social media channels or blog
- Asking your existing subscribers to refer their friends or share your emails
- Running contests or giveaways that require an email address to enter
How can I improve my email open rate?
Your email open rate is the percentage of people who open your emails out of the total number of people who receive them. You can improve your email open rate by:
- Writing catchy and compelling subject lines that spark curiosity or urgency
- Personalising your emails with the recipient’s name or other details
- Segmenting your list into different groups based on their interests and needs
- Sending your emails at the right time and frequency for your audience
- Testing different subject lines, content, and formats to see what works best
How can I improve my email click-through rate?
Your email click-through rate is the percentage of people who click on a link in your emails out of the total number of people who open them. You can improve your email click-through rate by:
- Writing clear and concise copy that delivers value and benefits
- Using strong and specific call-to-actions that tell the reader what to do next
- Adding relevant and attractive images or videos that support your message
- Creating a sense of urgency or scarcity that motivates the reader to act fast
- Testing different links, buttons, colours, and placements to see what works best
How can I avoid spam filters?
Spam filters are software programs that block unwanted or unsolicited emails from reaching the recipient’s inbox. You can avoid spam filters by:
- Getting permission from your contacts before sending them emails
- Using a reputable email marketing tool or service that follows best practices
- Avoiding spammy words or phrases such as “free”, “guaranteed”, “click here”, etc.
- Keeping your list clean and updated by removing inactive or invalid contacts
- Asking your subscribers to allowlist your email address or add you to their contacts
How can I measure my email marketing success?
You can measure your email marketing success by using various metrics and tools that track and analyse your results. Some of the most common metrics and tools are:
- Open rate: The percentage of people who open your emails out of the total number of people who receive them
- Click-through rate: The percentage of people who click on a link in your emails out of the total number of people who open them
- Conversion rate: The percentage of people who take a desired action after clicking on a link in your emails out of the total number of people who click on the link
- Bounce rate: The percentage of emails that are returned or rejected by the recipient’s server or mailbox
- Unsubscribe rate: The percentage of people who opt-out of receiving your emails out of the total number of people who receive them
- ROI: The ratio of the revenue generated by your email marketing to the cost invested in it
- Reports and analytics: The data and insights that show you how your email campaigns are performing and how you can improve them
What are some of the best practices for email marketing?
Some of the best practices for email marketing are:
- Know your audience and their needs, preferences, and behaviour
- Set clear and realistic goals and objectives for your email marketing
- Plan and strategise your email campaigns based on your goals and audience
- Create and send valuable and relevant content that matches your audience’s interests and needs
- Use attractive and responsive design that works well on different devices and browsers
- Test and optimise your email campaigns using A/B testing and feedback
- Automate your email marketing using workflows and triggers
- Segment, personalise, and customise your emails based on your audience’s data and behaviour
- Follow the rules and regulations for email marketing such as GDPR, CAN-SPAM, etc.
What are some of the best resources for learning more about email marketing?
Some of the best resources for learning more about email marketing are:
- Blogs: There are many blogs that offer tips, tricks, guides, case studies, and examples of email marketing. Some of the most popular ones are HubSpot, Mailchimp, GetResponse, Constant Contact, AWeber, etc.
- Books: There are many books that teach you the fundamentals, strategies, techniques, and best practices of email marketing. Some of the most recommended ones are Email Marketing Rules by Chad White, Email Persuasion by Ian Brodie, Everybody Writes by Ann Handley, etc.
- Courses: There are many courses that help you learn and master email marketing from beginner to advanced level. Some of the most popular ones are Email Marketing Certification by HubSpot Academy, Email Marketing Masterclass by Udemy, Email Marketing Essentials by Skillshare, etc.
- Podcasts: There are many podcasts that feature interviews, stories, insights, and advice from email marketing experts and practitioners. Some of the most popular ones are The Email Marketing Show by Rob & Kennedy, Ask Me About Email Marketing by AWeber, The Email Marketing Podcast by The McMethod, etc.
- Webinars: There are many webinars that offer live or recorded sessions on various topics and aspects of email marketing. Some of the most popular ones are Email Marketing 101 by Mailchimp, How to Create a Winning Email Marketing Strategy by GetResponse, How to Grow Your Email List by Constant Contact, etc.
