Boost Engagement and Grow Your Audience
Creating a community and engaging with your customers is a great way to increase your sales. If you’re in a service-based industry, provided value-added content may be a way to remind your customers that you are the expert in your field that they should trust. A newsletter is a powerful tool for engaging your audience, building relationships, and driving business growth.
Choosing a newsletter service can feel overwhelming because there are so many options, each catering to different needs, budgets, and levels of expertise. We’ve tried to help you narrow down the choices, features, analytics, and pricing for the newsletter options to use with your WordPress website.
Note: We’re going to avoid using actual prices in this article since the prices of these services change. Instead we will rate their prices from low to high using a $, $$, and $$$ system. You can expect to spend the least amount of money where you see just one $. You can expect to spend the most where you see three $ ($$$). Again, since we have no control over this pricing, it is subject to change. We did our best.
MailPoet
MailPoet is a good choice for WordPress users seeking an integrated email marketing solution. Here are several reasons why someone might choose MailPoet:
Key Features:
- Create and send newsletters directly from WordPress.
- Drag-and-drop email builder with templates.
- Automated welcome emails and post notifications.
- Manage subscribers and segments within WordPress.
- Reliable email delivery without relying on a third-party service
- WooCommerce integration for e-commerce stores.
Pricing: $ – $$
Here are a few things to note:
One of our clients told us that you cannot send email unless your email address matches your website domain. This might mean you need to sign up for a service like Microsoft365 or GMail’s Business services to ensure that your email address is name@yourdomain.com.
Your site must be live and reviewed by MailPoet to sign up. They decide if your products or services fit the values of their company.
Businesses: Businesses can use newsletters to promote products, sales, and updates. But if you don’t want to push products and sales on your clients, maybe providing a “news you can use” type newsletter can remind your customers that you’re the expert in your field to trust.
Newsletter
The Newsletter plugin is a free, user-friendly WordPress tool ideal for small businesses and bloggers. Here are some reasons why you might choose this option:
Key Features
- Unlimited subscribers and newsletters.
- Built-in drag-and-drop editor.
- Advanced targeting and segmentation options.
- Supports SMTP for better email deliverability, but this option may require additional setup costs
- Integrates with popular plugins like WooCommerce and Contact Form 7.
Pricing: $
Here are things to note:
Newsletter has limited automations, no built-in CRM, and only basic analytics. This is probably fine for smaller businesses and blogs, but if you’re looking for a robust tool with lots of analytics, this is probably not the the right choice.
It offers fewer integrations with third-party apps and services, making it less flexible for businesses with more complex marketing stacks.
While it’s great for smaller lists, handling larger subscriber bases may require additional plugins or upgrades, potentially increasing costs and complexity.
Nonprofits: Nonprofits may find newsletters beneficial to raise awareness and support fundraising. Your donors may also find it useful to see all the wonderful ways you’re supporting their community.
MailChimp
Mailchimp is a great choice for users who want a robust tool with seamless WordPress integration. Here is a deeper dive into this plugin:
Key Features:
- Seamless integration with Mailchimp’s platform.
- Easy opt-in forms and custom fields.
- Integrates with WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and Contact Form 7.
- Built-in analytics and reporting.
- GDPR compliance options.
Pricing: $$ – $$$
Here are things to note:
One of our clients complained that MailChimp felt like it was just an advertising tool, not a true newsletter. While this may not be the case, they certainly promote the sales-funnel, advertising-push type emails through their service. If you are not a creative type, it may be difficult to envision or create something you love from scratch on this platform with out help.
If you’re on the free tier, do not expect good support, a robust subscriber list, or anything beyond basic workflows. Costs mount quickly with this option, which does not make it budget-friendly.
It can be cumbersome for beginners. MailChimp’s wide range of features can be overwhelming to a beginner and it’s cluttered dashboard is sometimes criticized for being “not beginner friendly”. If you have a good tech team on your side, this may not be a problem. But, if you’re going it alone, you may need to carve out time to attend YouTube University to overcome the learning curve that comes with this newsletter option.
Bloggers: Bloggers can use newsletters to share new posts and grow readership. If you wish to share new posts, choosing a newsletter plugin that allows you to share posts automatically from your WordPress blog will help you work smarter not harder.
FluentCRM
FluentCRM is a cost-effective, self-hosted email marketing and CRM solution for WordPress users who need advanced automation, segmentation, and integration features without relying on external platforms.
Key Features:
- Manage email campaigns and segment contact lists.
- Self-hosted solutions, running right inside of WordPress.
- Robust analytics and workflows available.
- GDPR Compliance.
- SMTP for better deliverability, but this option may mean a higher setup cost.
- LMS, Membership and eCommerce support.
Pricing: $$
Here are things to note:
You must use this service with WordPress. We know, this list is a WordPress Newsletter Plugin list. But if you ever want to change services, your newsletter list is not going to go with you.
There is no free plan with this service.
FluentCRM doesn’t include a built-in landing page builder, so you may need an additional tool or plugin for creating opt-in forms and sales pages. If you’re using a theme builder like Elementor in conjunction with GravityForms, this may be enough to make your opt-in forms, lead captures, and landing pages.
Freelancers: Freelancers often have to work harder to find and keep clients. Newsletters can be a handy tool to showcase your expertise and attract clients.
Email Subscribers & Newsletters
Email Subscribers & Newsletters is perfect for beginners and small businesses looking for a budget-friendly, all-in-one WordPress plugin to collect leads, send automated newsletters, and track performance without requiring advanced technical skills.
Key Features:
- Collect leads and send automated newsletters.
- Scheduling options for regular emails.
- Tracks email opens and clicks.
- Supports HTML templates.
- GDPR-compliant subscription forms.
Pricing: $
Here are things to note:
If you’re someone who likes to run wild with design, this may not be the option for you. There is no drag-and-drop design option. If you can code, this opens more doors. But if you only have basic WordPress skills, you may be stuck with the limited design options available with the plugin.
There are limited integration options for eCommerce and external CRMs.
Emails are sent through your WordPress hosting server by default, which can lead to deliverability issues unless paired with an external SMTP service.
Reporting and automation is limited.
E-commerce Stores: eCommerce stores can use newsletters to promote new products and sales. I’m sure we’re all subscribed to at least one online shopping newsletter… Think about the engagement, holiday news, new product offers, and sales alerts that show up in your inbox.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned business owner / blogger, a newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with your customers or leads.
How to Simplify the Decision?
- Set Goals: Define whether you need basic newsletters, lead generation, or complex automations.
- Test Free Plans: Start with trials to compare usability and features.
- Check Integrations: Ensure it works with your existing tools (CRM, website, and payment systems).
- Compare Pricing: Factor in growth costs and hidden fees.
- Assess Support: Prioritize platforms with responsive customer service.
If you need help making the decision, feel free to ask your IT department or your website developer.
