Email is still the highest-ROI channel most small businesses have. Here's what we'd actually use — and who each tool is really for.
The easiest on-ramp in email marketing. AWeber has been doing this for 25+ years, and it shows: drag-and-drop builder, solid deliverability, landing pages built in, and support that actually answers. If you're starting a list from zero — newsletter, local business, side project — start here. Free tier available for small lists.
Try AWeber FreeBuilt for newsletter writers, course creators, and anyone selling digital products. Tag-based instead of list-based, with strong automation for its price. Great pick once your list is a business, not a hobby.
Review link coming soonEmail plus webinars, landing pages, and basic funnels in one subscription. Good value if you'd otherwise pay for three separate tools, though the interface has more moving parts than AWeber's.
Review link coming soonThe automation builder is a genuine step above — behavioral triggers, lead scoring, CRM built in. Overkill for a simple newsletter; the right call when follow-up sequences drive your revenue.
Review link coming soonHow to choose
Pick AWeber. The free tier covers your first subscribers, the templates don't fight you, and you'll spend your time writing emails instead of learning software.
Deliverability (does it land in the inbox), automation that matches your sales process, and pricing that scales predictably with your list. Everything else is a rounding error.
When you're hitting a real wall — automation you can't build, deliverability problems you can prove, or a bill that's outgrown the value. Switching for a shinier dashboard is how lists get messy.