WordPress is one of the most popular CMS platforms in the world.
Businesses around the world enjoy its versatile and user-friendly platform for building and managing their online presence, allowing even beginner users to create and update websites with ease.
One of the cornerstones of WordPress’s power lies in its vast ecosystem of plugins. These plugins are essentially add-ons that extend the functionality of a WordPress website. They enable businesses to tailor their sites to specific needs, whether that be enhancing SEO, improving user experience, adding e-commerce capabilities, or, as in the case of email marketing, optimizing outreach and engagement strategies.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best email marketing plugins for WordPress and shed light on their unique features, functionalities, and compatibility with WordPress. By the end, you’ll have a better idea of which plugin will work best for your business goals.
FYI: This article is part of our WordPress 101 series that covers the basics of marketing with WordPress from start to finish. We’ll share tips and best practices as you set up your website and begin thinking big picture about how you want to market your brand.
Stay tuned for more at the end of this blog post.
What is an email marketing plugin?
An email marketing plugin is a software component designed to enhance the email marketing efforts of a business or individual using a WordPress website. Think of it as a toolbox of specialized tools that can help you create, manage, and optimize your email campaigns without needing advanced technical skills.
Here’s how it works:
- When you install an email plugin on your WordPress site, it becomes integrated with your website’s framework. This integration allows you to seamlessly collect email addresses through sign-up forms, pop-ups, or other methods.
- These email addresses are then stored securely within the plugin’s system.
- Once you’ve gathered a list of subscribers, the plugin enables you to design visually appealing and professional email templates that match your brand. You can customize these templates to convey your message effectively.
Beyond aesthetics, these plugins offer automation features, like sending automated welcome emails to new subscribers or scheduled newsletters to keep your audience engaged regularly. They also provide tools to segment your email list, ensuring that the right message reaches the right people. Plus, you can track the success of your campaigns through analytics, and monitoring metrics such as open rates and click-through rates.
What are the benefits of using email marketing plugins with WordPress?
Using email marketing plugins with WordPress offers a plethora of benefits that can significantly amplify your online marketing efforts.
Some benefits you can expect to see with these plugins include:
- Effortless integration: Email marketing plugins seamlessly merge with your WordPress site, eliminating the need for complex coding or technical expertise. This integration ensures smooth functionality and a user-friendly experience, allowing you to focus on content creation and strategy rather than grappling with complicated setups.
- Enhanced user engagement: These plugins enable you to design visually appealing and personalized emails, capturing your brand’s essence and captivating your audience. Customizable templates and dynamic content create a tailored experience, increasing the likelihood of recipients engaging with your emails and taking desired actions.
- Time-saving automation: With email marketing plugins, you can automate various aspects of your campaigns, such as welcome emails, follow-ups, and drip campaigns. This automation not only saves time but also ensures timely and consistent communication with your subscribers, fostering stronger relationships.
- Targeted communication: Segmenting your email list based on demographics, behaviors, or preferences becomes effortless. This precise targeting ensures that your messages resonate with specific segments, resulting in higher open rates and conversions. Email marketing plugins empower you to send the right message to the right people, boosting overall effectiveness.
- Data-driven insights: Email marketing plugins provide detailed analytics, offering insights into the performance of your campaigns. You can track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. This data-driven approach enables you to refine your strategies, understand what works best, and make informed decisions for future campaigns.
- Cost-effectiveness: Utilizing email marketing plugins often proves more cost-effective compared to standalone email marketing services. By integrating this functionality within WordPress, you can manage both your website and email marketing efforts from a single platform, potentially saving on subscription costs.
How to choose the best email marketing plugin
Selecting the ideal email marketing plugin for your WordPress website requires thoughtful consideration to ensure optimal results.
Things to consider before choosing your plugin:
- Features and functionality: Begin by assessing the features that align with your marketing goals. Look for essential capabilities such as customizable email templates, automation tools, list segmentation, and analytics. Depending on your needs, you might prioritize advanced features like A/B testing, integration with e-commerce platforms, or CRM integration. A plugin that offers a comprehensive suite of tools can streamline your efforts and cater to evolving requirements.
- Ease of use: An intuitive user interface is crucial, especially if you’re not an expert in coding or design. Choose a plugin that’s user-friendly and offers a drag-and-drop editor for crafting emails. Additionally, consider how seamlessly the plugin integrates with your existing WordPress dashboard. The smoother the user experience, the quicker you can create and launch effective campaigns.
- Integration and compatibility: Ensure the plugin is compatible with your WordPress version and other essential plugins you’re using. If you’re using e-commerce, CRM, or other third-party tools, opt for a plugin that can integrate seamlessly with these platforms. This integration ensures a cohesive workflow and minimizes potential disruptions.
- Scalability and pricing: As your subscriber list grows, your needs may change. Choose a plugin that can scale alongside your business without hefty price hikes. Compare pricing plans to determine if they align with your budget and whether the features offered justify the cost. Some plugins offer free versions with limited features, providing an opportunity for testing before committing.
- Customer support and documentation: Reliable customer support is vital in case you encounter technical issues or need assistance. Check if the plugin provider offers responsive support channels like live chat, email, or a knowledge base. Positive user reviews and a proactive support team are indicators of a plugin’s credibility and commitment to user satisfaction.
The best email marketing plugins for WordPress
Today, there are a handful of email marketing software plugins you can use with WordPress. These are our top picks.
• ActiveCampaign
• Mailchimp
• Constant Contact
• OptinMonster
• Brevo
• ConvertKit
• Drip
ActiveCampaign
G2 Rank: 4.5/5 stars
ActiveCampaign stands out as one of the most popular email marketing plugins, known for its multifaceted approach to email marketing. This approach makes it an ideal choice for those seeking a comprehensive solution.
Unique features of ActiveCampaign include:
- Advanced automation: ActiveCampaign offers sophisticated automation tools, enabling users to design intricate workflows that trigger based on specific customer behaviors, ensuring personalized content and timely interactions.
- Conditional content: With the ability to display content based on individual preferences, ActiveCampaign helps tailor messages to resonate with distinct audience segments, bolstering engagement.
- Predictive sending: Leveraging machine learning, the plugin identifies the optimal time to deliver emails to individual recipients, enhancing open and click-through rates.
ActiveCampaign’s intricate automation capabilities empower users to create email workflows that nurture leads and engage customers throughout their journey. This caters to businesses looking to optimize their customer lifecycle management. Its features are particularly beneficial for e-commerce enterprises, digital marketers, and businesses aiming to provide highly tailored communication to diverse customer groups.
What languages does ActiveCampaign support?
ActiveCampaign fully supports English Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German, and French and partially supports Russian, Indonesian, Danish, Polish, Dutch, Hungarian, and Czech.
What currencies does ActiveCampaign accept?
ActiveCampaign accepts the US Dollar (USD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Australian Dollar (AUD), and Brazilian Real (BRL).
What is the entry-level pricing for ActiveCampaign?
ActiveCampaign’s entry-level pricing starts at $15/month. With the Starter plan, you get multi-step marketing automation, email sends 10x your contact limit, site and event tracking, basic reporting and analytics, access to 900+ integrations, A/B testing, hundreds of beautifully designed email templates, and more.
Plus, no matter what plan you choose, you’ll enjoy features like:
- Accelerated onboarding
- Contact migration
- Chat and ticket support
- Customer enablement workshops
- And video tutorials
Find all plans on the ActiveCampaign pricing page.
Mailchimp
G2 Rank: 4.3/5 stars
MailChimp is included on this list because of its user-friendly interface and its wide array of features. One of MailChimp’s standout features is its selection of customizable templates, enabling users to create visually appealing emails that align with their brand identity. This accessibility is especially beneficial for small businesses and startups looking to establish a strong online presence.
Unique features of MailChimp:
- Template library: MailChimp offers an extensive collection of professionally designed email templates, making it easy to craft engaging emails without design expertise.
- Marketing automation: With automation workflows, users can set up triggers based on user actions, sending targeted emails that enhance customer engagement and conversion rates.
- Segmentation and personalization: MailChimp’s robust segmentation tools allow users to categorize their audience based on behaviors and demographics, facilitating highly personalized email campaigns.
MailChimp’s reputation stems from its versatility and ease of use, making it a good choice for those new to email marketing as well as seasoned professionals. Its intuitive interface and wealth of resources make it attractive for beginners, while its advanced features and scalability make it equally suitable for experienced marketers.
What languages does MailChimp support?
Mailchimp provides services in up to 50 languages including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Portuguese, and Italian.
Which currencies does MailChimp accept?
Mailchimp accepts payments in multiple currencies, including but not limited to the US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), British Pound Sterling (GBP), Australian Dollar (AUD), Indian Rupee (INR), New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and Brazilian Real (BRL).
What is the entry-level pricing for MailChimp?
Mailchimp offers a range of pricing plans, including a free plan and multiple paid plans. Their entry-level plan is called “Essentials” and starts at $13 a month with up to 5,000 email sends per month. This plan gives you 3 seats and access to features like 24/7 email and chat support, assisted onboarding, behavioral targeting, 100+ pre-built email templates, custom branding, automations and signup forms, A/B testing, and more.
Visit Mailchimp’s pricing page for more details and up-to-date information.
Does MailChimp integrate with ActiveCampaign?
MailChimp does not integrate with ActiveCampaign but ActiveCampaign does offer migration services. Click here to learn more.
Constant Contact
G2 Rank: 4/5 stars
Constant Contact is known for its user-friendly platform and a range of features tailored to diverse marketing needs. One of its standout qualities is its seamless integration with WordPress, making it a go-to choice for businesses and individuals seeking an efficient email marketing solution.
Unique features of Constant Contact:
- WordPress integration: Constant Contact’s plugin effortlessly integrates with WordPress, allowing users to manage their email campaigns within the familiar WordPress environment.
- Customizable templates: The platform boasts a selection of customizable templates designed to suit various industries and occasions, streamlining the email creation process.
- Event management: An exceptional feature is the event management tool, enabling users to promote and manage events through email campaigns, reaching a targeted audience effectively.
Constant Contact’s straightforward email editor empowers users to create visually appealing campaigns without the need for advanced design skills, catering to startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs looking to establish a strong online presence. Its ease of use and seamless WordPress integration make it particularly suitable for those seeking an uncomplicated yet effective email marketing solution.
What languages does Constant Contact support?
Constant Contact supports multiple languages including Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Swedish, and more.
What currencies does Constant Contact accept?
Currently, Constant Contact accepts the US Dollar (USD), Canadian Dollar (CAN), Great British Pound (GBP), Pesos (MXN), Euros (EU), Indian Rupee (INR), and Australian Dollar (AUD).
What is the entry-level pricing for Constant Contact?
Constant Contact’s paid plans vary depending on the number of contacts a business has. Their entry-level plan (the Lite plan) costs $12 per month and comes with features like basic email marketing with easy-to-use templates, automated welcome email for new contacts, social marketing, event management, AI content recommendations (in Beta), and more.
See all plans and pricing on the Constant Contact pricing page.
Does Constant Contact integrate with ActiveCampaign?
Constant Contact does not integrate with ActiveCampaign but ActiveCampaign does offer migration services. Click here to learn more.
OptinMonster
G2 Rank: 4.3/5 stars
OptinMonster has a focus on growing email lists and boosting conversions. Notably, it excels in its provision of various opt-in forms and pop-ups that capture visitors’ attention and encourage them to subscribe.
Unique features of OptinMonster:
- Exit-Intent® technology: A standout feature, Exit-Intent® detects when a user is about to leave your website and displays a targeted pop-up to grab their attention, offering one last opportunity to convert.
- Drag-and-drop builder: OptinMonster’s intuitive builder allows users to craft attractive opt-in forms without coding. This caters to marketers, bloggers, and business owners without design expertise.
- A/B testing: The plugin’s A/B testing feature enables users to compare different versions of opt-in forms, empowering data-driven decisions to optimize conversion rates.
OptinMonster primarily caters to website owners, bloggers, e-commerce stores, and marketers who are keen on growing their email lists. Its strong emphasis on user engagement and conversion optimization makes it an excellent choice for those striving to enhance their online presence and generate meaningful results through email marketing.
What languages does OptinMonster support?
OptinMonster supports the English language.
What is the entry-level pricing for OptinMonster?
OptinMonster starts at an entry-level price of $9/month billed annually. This Basic plan gives you features like unlimited campaigns, unlimited subscribers, no subscriber fees, a drag-and-drop builder, a WordPress Plugin, list segmentation, 300+ designed templates, and much more.
See all plan details on the OptinMonster pricing page.
Does OptinMonster integrate with ActiveCampaign?
Yes. When you integrate OptinMonster with ActiveCampaign, you can create and A/B test high-converting lead capture forms without a developer. Plus, using exit-intent technology and page level targeting features, you can show targeted messages on specific pages to build a hyper-segmented email list.
For more details, visit the ActiveCampaign and OptinMonster integration page.
Brevo
G2 Rank: 4.5/5 stars
Brevo (formerly SendinBlue) is a top email marketing plugin, known for its affordability, comprehensive features, and versatility. This plugin’s standout feature is its ability to seamlessly merge email marketing with SMS campaigns and marketing automation, making it a strong contender for businesses looking for an all-in-one marketing solution.
Unique features of Brevo:
- SMS marketing integration: Brevo sets itself apart by allowing users to craft and manage both email and SMS campaigns from one unified dashboard, maximizing outreach and engagement potential.
- Marketing automation: With advanced automation workflows, users can trigger personalized messages based on customer behavior, streamlining engagement and nurturing leads.
- Transactional emails: Beyond marketing, Brevo excels in transactional emails, offering features like order confirmations and shipping notifications, and catering to e-commerce businesses.
Brevo primarily caters to businesses seeking an affordable yet robust email marketing and automation solution. Its integration of email and SMS marketing, combined with its user-friendly interface, makes it an attractive option for those aiming to streamline their marketing efforts.
What languages does Brevo support?
Brevo provides services in multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.
What currencies does Brevo accept?
Brevo accepts payments in various currencies including the US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), British Pound (GBP), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Australian Dollar (AUD), and Japanese Yen (JPY).
What is the entry-level pricing for Brevo?
Brevo offers a free plan as well as multiple paid plans. The entry-level plan is called Starter and costs $25 per month.
The Lite plan includes the following features:
- From 20k emails/month
- No daily sending limit
- No Brevo logo (add-on)
- Basic reporting and analytics
- Email support
- Email template gallery
- Real-time email statistics and more
See all Brevo paid plans here.
Does Brevo integrate with ActiveCampaign?
Although Brevo does not integrate with ActiveCampaign, ActiveCampaign offers migration services. Click here to learn more.
ConvertKit
G2 Rank: 4.4/5 stars
What sets ConvertKit apart is its emphasis on segmentation and automation, enabling users to tailor their messages precisely to different subscriber groups. This plugin’s unique features align well with content creators’ needs, making it a top choice for those who prioritize audience engagement and conversion.
Unique features of ConvertKit:
- Tagging and segmentation: ConvertKit’s sophisticated tagging system allows users to segment their audience based on specific actions, interests, or behaviors, ensuring highly targeted and relevant communication.
- Visual automation builder: With a user-friendly visual automation builder, users can design intricate email sequences that guide subscribers through customized journeys based on their interactions.
- Landing pages: ConvertKit offers simple yet effective landing page creation tools, catering to those who need to capture leads through specialized pages.
ConvertKit is a great email marketing tool for creators, bloggers, and small businesses seeking a personalized approach to audience engagement. Its robust segmentation, visual automation, and focus on content-driven marketing make it an excellent fit for those who prioritize engagement and audience interaction.
What languages does ConvertKit support?
ConvertKit uses English as its default language when supporting its customers. They offer assistance and use Google Translate in cases where customers would like to use their native language.
What currencies does ConvertKit accept?
ConvertKit accepts a variety of currencies including the US Dollar (USD), Euro (EU), British Pound (GBP), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Australian Dollar (AUD), and New Zealand Dollar (NZD).
What is the entry-level pricing for ConvertKit?
ConvertKit’s entry-level plan starts at $66 per month. This plan includes features like unlimited landing pages, forms, and broadcasts, audience tagging and segmentation, free migration from another tool, automated email sequences, visual automation builders, third-party integrations, and more.
Visit the ConvertKit pricing page for more details.
Drip
G2 Rank: 4.4/5 stars
Drip has earned its reputation because of its advanced automation capabilities and e-commerce integration. What sets Drip apart is its focus on precision-driven marketing automation, making it an ideal choice for businesses seeking to tailor their communications to individual customer behaviors.
Unique features of Drip:
- E-commerce integration: Drip’s deep integration with popular e-commerce platforms allows users to create highly personalized email marketing campaigns based on customers’ shopping behaviors, thus boosting conversions.
- Behavior-triggered automation: The plugin excels in behavior-triggered automation, enabling users to send timely emails based on specific actions, ensuring customers receive relevant messages at the right moments.
- Personalization and dynamic content: Drip empowers users to deliver dynamic content tailored to each recipient, making emails more relevant and engaging.
Drip’s automation workflows, coupled with seamless integration with e-commerce platforms, render it a preferred tool for online retailers and businesses with a strong online sales presence. Drip’s features are well-equipped to cater to businesses that value precision, personalization, and effective customer journey mapping.
What languages does Drip support?
Drip software serves multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, and Italian.
What currencies does Drip accept?
Drip accepts US Dollars (USD), Canadian Dollars (CAD), and Euros (EUR).
What is the entry-level pricing for Drip?
Drip offers flexible pricing based on your list size and send volume. Their base price starts at $39 per month and includes a 14-day free trial.
This entry-level plan offers:
- 1-2,500 people
- Unlimited email sends
- Onsite campaigns
- Email support
- Free migration
Visit Drip’s pricing page for more details.
Does Drip integrate with ActiveCampaign?
Although Drip does not integrate with ActiveCampaign, ActiveCampaign offers migration services. Click here to learn more.
It’s your choice
Choosing the right email marketing plugin for a WordPress website is an important decision. From the user-friendly interface of Mailchimp to the sophisticated automation of ActiveCampaign, these plugins offer a spectrum of features to suit diverse business needs. As you strive to amplify your online presence, these top email marketing plugins pave the way for enhanced engagement, conversions, and success within the WordPress ecosystem.
There are many plugins you can use on your WordPress site. For example, if you want to start tracking who’s visiting your website and what they’re doing on it, we’ve written a step-by-step guide on using plugins to track site visitors on WordPress.
And if you want to invest in marketing automation outside of just an email plugin, sign up for a free trial of ActiveCampaign today.
Next read in the series:
How To Show Personalized Content on Your WordPress Site
Or, access the entire series here:
How to Sell on WordPress: The Ultimate WordPress Guide