11 Best Email Tools For SaaS (free + paid)

I've built and consulted for startups for 14+ years — during that time, I built dozens of email flows for onboarding, nurturing and preventing churn, most notably applied to Smart Pass, where we created an onboarding flow that drove 3 million users to sign up and lock in our community.

In this post, I compile my experiences and break down 11 email tools that I tried for driving B2B and B2C software growth, so you can pick what’s best for your specific needs. I’ll include their pros, cons, price and ease of use score for each to help you choose the ones that match your expertise.

The reviews will focus on the foundational motives to why email matters, and how you can use it. I won’t focus on transactional or automated emails, but rather its use as a communication, product and marketing tool. I will talk about how it can help you build lists, nurture visitors and maintain relationships to sell.

They are not in a particular order, but I will highlight the ones I prefer. And while I do include some affiliates links here, I will be unbiased. A lot of email tools out there are simply not good.

This post is 100% written by me. No AI-generated slop, just real insights from someone who spent a lot of time every day with these tools.

Why email matters for SaaS and apps?

Email is recognized as the highest ROI tool for any marketers, and yet very few developers prioritize it.

An email list of happy subscribers and users is a hard, tangible value you build for your SaaS. It directly correlates to the amount you get paid, should you ever exit.

It’s a powerful relationship builder that:

1. Locks visitors in your ecosystem, keeping you less dependant on social media algorithm
2. Helps nurture visitors who haven’t decided to buy yet, but could later on
3. Helps you push new value as you release new features, boosting app use and engagement
4. Helps you get back lost users, reminding them of new features and improvements
5. Helps you stop churn, giving one last chance to understand and explain
6. It’s a 2-way conversation that lets you get feedback, direction, and empathy

In summary, it's an absolute priority, and it needs to exist before you even build your app.

What is an email tool?

An email tool is a platform that helps you send, manage, and optimize communication with your users. Email is one of the few channels you truly own, and it serves multiple business needs: sending transactional updates like receipts or password resets, running newsletters to keep your audience engaged, and building automated sequences such as onboarding flows or churn-prevention campaigns.

These tools all do different things. Some of them focus on automation and workflows, some are built for speed and deliverability, some help you craft better content and improve communication, and some are designed for managing large subscriber lists with advanced analytics.

A few platforms aim to cover all of these use cases under one roof, while others excel at doing just one thing very well. I’ve tested a wide range of them and put together reviews of the strongest options.

But before diving into the list, let’s clarify what makes each type of email tool useful—so you can decide which one fits your business best.

What do I consider a good email tool?

If you’re just starting, you don’t need anything fancy. The most important thing is to capture emails into a list. That list is an asset you actually own—unlike social followers, you can always reach your users there. Even a lightweight tool that lets you collect sign-ups and send a basic sequence is enough. For example, when a new user signs up, they should get a welcome email with resources. That simple flow starts building the relationship and gives you options later. You want to have this running early, even before you’re sure what your long-term strategy is.

As you progress, you’ll want a tool with more robust sequencing. This is where email moves from just “sending updates” to helping you retarget the sale. Maybe a user downloads a resource or tries a free feature—you can follow up with context and value. Over time, this creates three foundational blocks of a SaaS email strategy:

1. Lead nurturing – warm up prospects with useful content.
2. Onboarding – guide new users after sign-up.
3. Retention – run cancellation or churn-prevention flows that give people reasons to stay.

Beyond that, there are transactional emails. These are the automatic, event-driven messages your app sends: password resets, receipts, alerts, notifications. They aren’t “marketing,” but they are some of the most-opened emails you’ll ever send—making them an underrated place to reinforce trust and brand clarity.

At the advanced level, you can layer in behavioral triggers. For example, send an email when a user hits a feature milestone, hasn’t logged in for 7 days, or starts a trial without converting. These are powerful, but they’re not the focus here. This article is about customer value and fundamentals, not complex automations.

So, the "best" email tool isn't one universal pick—it depends where you are in your journey. Start with list capture and simple sequences. Grow into robust flows that cover the three core blocks. Add transactional and behavioral emails as you scale.

11 best email tools I've personally tested in 2025

Here are the best email tools right now:

1. Kit (best for simple creator automation)
2. Mailerlite (best for basic list capture)
3. MailChimp (best for beginner-friendly campaigns, old player)
4. Brevo (best for budget-friendly multi-channel)
5. ActiveCampaign (best for advanced lead nurturing)
6. Loops (best for developer-friendly lifecycle)
7. Messaged (best for prebuilt SaaS campaigns)
8. Userlist (best for straightforward onboarding)
9. Customer.io (best for behavioral event flows)
10. Encharge (best for SaaS lifecycle automation)
11. Drip (best for revenue-driven personalization)

1. Kit

Category: Simple creator automation

Best for: Lightweight sign-up and welcome flows

Ease of use: Beginner

Pricing: Free tier, paid from $9/month

What is Kit?

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is built for creators, but works well if you’re an early SaaS team. It’s really easy to use and you can capture emails and send your first welcome sequence in under an hour.

How does it work?

You create a single-page form or embedded form.

The free plans lets you setup a Welcome email sequence and hook it to Stripe or landing page creators like Webflow. You can tag subscribers based on actions (for example, if they paid or not).

That’s enough to start building relationships before you even know your long-term strategy.

The paid version lets you create IF/ELSE sequences like welcome emails, onboarding drips, free user nurturing, and so on.

How I use Kit

SaaS Converters uses Kit right now. It was my top priority, because a mailing list is the highest leverage you can have as a business.

The visitor can sign up to the newsletter, and they get a Welcome email with a link to a Guide on writing better SaaS Messages.

If you’re in the early stages, that’s all you need:

1. A form to get emails
2. A welcome sequence

You don’t need a big content strategy, you just need to build a relationship. Kit lets you move fast and make those connections while you figure the rest out.

What are Kit’s AI features?

Kit now offers AI subject line and copy suggestions. They’re lightweight but handy if you just need a fast draft. Not a replacement for deeper personalization or proper message, but they save you from staring at a blank subject line.

Who should use Kit?

It’s targeted to content creators, but early-stage SaaS founders who need something lightweight and want to start building relationships with users right away. If you just need to capture a list and send a few automated flows, this is enough.

If you find you need something else, you can export your subscriber list.

Pricing plans

Free tier includes 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans start at $9/month for unlimited sequences and advanced automations.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Fast setup for non-technical founders.
• Tagging is flexible enough to simulate simple funnels.
• Free plan is generous for early projects.

Cons:

• Limited automation depth vs. Encharge or Customer.io.
• No native churn-prevention or cancellation templates.
• Analytics are shallow; expect to export data if you want cohort analysis.
• Still creator-first; SaaS use cases feel bolted on.
• Like many tools, UX lag and glitches still exist.

Ratings and Reviews

G2: 4.4/5 (1,600+ reviews)

Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)

MailerLite

What is MailerLite?

MailerLite is a lightweight email platform that makes it easy to capture emails, send newsletters, and build simple automations. If you are heads down on your product and just need a working opt-in form, a welcome sequence, and a few segments, MailerLite gives you that without heavy setup. It’s popular with beginners because the editor is clear and workflows are visual, yet it still covers the essentials a small SaaS needs.

How MailerLite Works

• Create a list and a form (embed or hosted).
• Build a welcome sequence using its visual workflow builder; optionally branch by clicks.
• Tag and segment users; newer features allow workflows triggered by segment joins.
• Run campaigns (newsletters, product updates) with schedule and reusable templates.
• Connect the stack via integrations or Zapier / Make to push data into your CRM or Slack.

How I Used MailerLite

I first used MailerLite to build a welcome sequence. It stood out because it lets you run sequences even on free plans (one sequence at least). During its one-month free trial, I used the full visual automation builder with no restrictions — that was enough to get things rolling.

My setup involved three conditions: users who signed up and paid, users who signed up and didn’t pay, and abandoned cart users. Each had its own flow: welcome, sales nudge, or recovery. That allowed me to message users in context early, without paying for advanced plans.

That said, analytics felt weak: filtering by date ranges was awkward. The UI also felt outdated and a bit clunky compared to newer tools. But for its cost (free or very cheap) and utility, it’s a solid starting tool if you’re building early email workflows.

Why It Matters (so you can…)

• You can capture leads and send a welcome flow in one session, so you start learning from users immediately.
• You can branch basic follow-ups without needing full event pipelines.
• You can maintain extremely low cost in early stages while still getting meaningful automation.

AI Features (if any)

MailerLite includes an AI assistant for subject lines and email copy, plus smart send time optimization. It helps you go from blank page to usable draft; still, you’ll want to refine voice and calls to action manually.

Who Should Use MailerLite?

If you’re a solo founder or small team needing list capture and a simple onboarding flow, MailerLite is a solid option. If your app already supports event-based messaging or you expect complex logic, you might outgrow it in favor of tools like Customer.io or Encharge. For ecommerce or deep store logic, other ESPs like Klaviyo may be a better fit.

Pricing Plans

• Free: limited number of subscribers, basic features, one sequence allowed.
• Growing Business: unlocks more automations, templates, and integrations; cost scales by subscriber count.
• Advanced: more triggers, team seats, premium features.
• Enterprise: custom for high volume, dedicated support, deliverability consults.

Scaling model: costs jump at thresholds (1k, 2.5k, 5k, 10k+). As your list grows, automation capabilities become more important. At high scale, evaluate whether the ESP’s event features or analytics make migrating worthwhile.

Pros

• Very inexpensive entry; free plan supports simple sequence automations.
• Visual workflow builder is intuitive for beginners and non-technical users.
• Conditional flows help you tailor outreach from day one.
• Many users praise its ease and value in reviews and tutorials.
• Free plan includes basic templates, landing pages, and campaign capabilities.

Cons

• Weak analytics: date filtering and custom reports often cited as missing.
• UI feels stale and less polished than newer tools.
• Limited automation depth; might hit ceilings for event-rich product flows.
• Pricing jumps steeply at subscriber thresholds — some users warn about being forced to upgrade or losing accounts.
• Landing page functionality is basic; many users switch to Webflow or Framer for better design control.

Caveats

• Use simple tags and segments early; refactor logic when you understand what behaviors matter.
• If you know you’ll need rich event logic, plan export/migration paths now.

Ratings & Reviews

• G2: ~4.x (reviewers frequently mention ease of use and value)
• Capterra: ~4.x (positive on support and pricing)

3. Mailchimp

What is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is a longstanding all-in-one marketing automation and email platform. Over time it’s grown beyond pure email to include landing pages, basic CRM features, and multi-channel tools. For SaaS devs building a landing page, it’s often the go-to because it supports list capture, welcome flows, audience segmentation, and integrates with many tools. Its brand recognition also helps when new users see “Powered by Mailchimp” footers.

How Mailchimp Works

• You define an audience (formerly “lists”) and import or gather contacts via forms, landing pages, or integrations.
• You build “Flows” (automated sequences) triggered by conditions (e.g. new subscriber, opens, tags). Mailchimp renamed its sequences to “Flows” circa mid-2025.
• Use the drag-and-drop email editor to design messages with blocks, merge tags, conditional content, and preview across devices.
• Branch logic: time delays, if/else splits, tagging or removing contacts, follow up sequences.
• Campaigns: one-off newsletters, product updates, promotional content. Schedule or send now.
• Analytics & segmentation: built-in reports on open, click, engagement, revenue attribution (if e-commerce).
• Integrations & APIs: connects with Shopify, CRMs, Zapier, behavior/event tools, social retargeting.

How I Used Mailchimp

I used Mailchimp early on when launching a new feature beta. I embedded a Mailchimp landing page with a form, set up a welcome Flow, and tagged early signups as “beta” or “interest.” Later, I branched flows: one path for those who clicked a link to request a demo; another for users who never clicked. Over time, I built reminder emails, upsell nudges, and a “We missed you” reactivation flow. The challenge came when my list crossed into pricing tiers and when I needed deeper segmentation that felt a bit clunky.

Why It Matters

• You get a mature, trusted platform with built-in deliverability and integrations, so less risk early on.
• You can go from capture → basic flow → newsletter in one tool.
• You can evolve your campaigns and segmentation without switching tools immediately.
• You can rely on the user base and community: many tutorials, templates, and prebuilt journeys in the ecosystem.

AI Features

Mailchimp includes an AI Creative Assistant that helps suggest email copy, generate layouts, and recommend content blocks based on your audience. It can speed drafts, though you’ll want to refine messaging manually.

Who Should Use Mailchimp?

It’s well suited for small to mid SaaS teams that want a recognizable, integrated platform with strong feature breadth. If you expect moderate list sizes and want reliable integrations from day one, Mailchimp fits. If you are expecting very high event-driven complexity or extreme scale, you may outgrow it.

Pricing Plans

• Free: Up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails/month (with branding)
• Essentials: Starts at ~$13/month for 500 contacts; unlocks more templates, basic automation, A/B testing.
• Standard: Adds advanced automations, send time optimization, behavioral targeting. Starts ~$20/month for 500 contacts.
• Premium: For large volumes, unlimited contacts, advanced segmentation, priority support. Starts ~$350/month.

As contacts scale, pricing jumps significantly. Also, Mailchimp recently changed how it counts contacts: unsubscribed or cleaned contacts may still count toward billing in some cases.

Pros

• Mature platform with high deliverability, trusted by many.
• Generous integrations — works with many CRMs, e-commerce tools, APIs.
• Feature breadth — campaigns, flows, landing pages, behavioral targeting.
• AI tools help speed-up draft creation and design suggestions.
• Recognizable brand adds credibility to landing pages or forms.

Cons

• Pricing escalates quickly; costs balloon with list growth. Many users cite this pain.
• Contact duplication and counting policies are frustrating: identical emails in multiple audiences may be charged multiple times.
• UI and navigation can get confusing — features are spread across modules; some tools are hidden or layered.
• Lower tiers limit automation depth; advanced workflows require higher plans.
• Landing page and form capabilities are basic compared to dedicated builders like Webflow or Framer.

Caveats

• Be careful about how contacts are managed — cleaned/unsubscribed contacts may still count.
• If you need advanced event-driven flows, plan early for a migration path.
• Custom templates and deep HTML edits often require being on higher plans.

Ratings & Reviews

• G2: strong ratings with many praising features and integration but complaining about price.
• Capterra: good scores; common feedback around usability and support limitations.

4. Brevo

What is Brevo?

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a multichannel marketing and email automation platform. It combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and chat under one roof, aiming to be a one-stop marketing stack rather than a pure ESP.

How Brevo Works

• Use the drag-and-drop editor to build email campaigns or start from templates.
• Define automations like welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, or re-engagement flows.
• Segment contacts dynamically by tags, attributes, or behaviors.
• Run transactional email via API or SMTP alongside marketing sends.
• Integrate with tools via Zapier, Make, or its built-in CRM features.

How SaaS Teams Use Brevo

Many SaaS teams adopt Brevo when they want one tool to handle both transactional and marketing emails. A common flow is:

• Send onboarding emails and trial nudges via the automation builder.
• Use page tracking to retarget users who visit a pricing page but don’t convert.
• Deliver transactional emails (e.g., password resets, invoices) through the same infrastructure.
• Add SMS or WhatsApp reminders for time-sensitive events.

I tried Brevo briefly, but at the time my needs were narrower — just a fast welcome flow and some tagging logic. Brevo felt like too much platform for that stage. If I had needed multichannel messaging (e.g., SMS reminders for trial users), it would have been a much stronger fit.

Why It Matters

• You can run both marketing and transactional emails in one system.
• Multichannel support means you’re not locked into email only.
• Early pricing is favorable compared to many alternatives.

5. ActiveCampaign

What is ActiveCampaign?

ActiveCampaign is a full-stack marketing automation and CRM platform. It’s known for its powerful visual automation builder, which lets you tie together emails, behavioral triggers, and CRM actions in highly customized flows.

How ActiveCampaign Works

• Build flows visually with triggers, conditions, and actions.
• Trigger emails based on custom events, tags, or API calls.
• Use segmentation and conditional content to personalize at scale.
• Manage deals and pipelines inside its built-in CRM.
• Attribute revenue back to campaigns through reporting.

How SaaS Teams Use ActiveCampaign

SaaS teams often use ActiveCampaign when they need complex lifecycle automation that goes beyond simple welcome flows. Common use cases include:

• Trial onboarding sequences triggered by in-app events.
• Re-engagement flows if a user hasn’t logged in after X days.
• Cross-sell and upsell campaigns based on plan type or feature usage.
• Combining sales outreach with automated email nudges inside one pipeline.

I checked out ActiveCampaign for a project, but it didn’t fit my use case at the time — I needed something lightweight, and AC felt like too steep a learning curve. That said, if you’re building a SaaS with multiple segments or a long trial-to-paid conversion cycle, ActiveCampaign shines because you can react to granular events and design sophisticated branching flows.

Why It Matters

• Lets you move from simple time-based flows to behavior-driven automations.
• Offers enough depth to grow into, so you won’t outgrow it quickly.
• Bundles email + CRM + sales automation, reducing tool sprawl.

6. Loops

What is Loops?

Loops is an email lifecycle automation tool built with developers in mind. It positions itself as code-friendly, letting you align message logic with product events and internal APIs rather than forcing rigid UI abstractions.

How Loops Works

• Define event-based triggers (e.g. user_signed_up, feature_used).
• Build flows in code or via an orchestration UI layer.
• Send emails using templates and dynamic data fetched via API.
• Tag or annotate users based on behaviors.
• Integrate the rest of your stack (e.g. send data to analytics or CRM) via webhooks or SDKs.

How SaaS Teams Use Loops

SaaS teams adopt Loops when they want a “developer-first” email system:

• Core flows like welcome → activation → retention are wired to product events.
• When users trigger specific feature milestones, send targeted messages.
• Manage complex multi-step onboarding that depends on user state.

I evaluated Loops as part of a launch iteration — but because my user volumes were still small and my logic was simpler, I didn’t switch. In scenarios where you’re tracking deep event data, Loops shows strength by aligning flow logic with your backend design.

Why It Matters

• Less friction between product instrumentation and email logic.
• Easier to maintain consistency between app events and email triggers.
• Scales as your product analytics and event systems grow.

AI Features (if any)

As of now, Loops does not emphasize AI copy or smart suggestions. It leans more on developer control and event logic clarity.

Who Should Use Loops?

If your product already produces rich event data (feature usage, milestones, state changes), Loops is a good bridge between code and messaging. If you’re early stage with minimal instrumentation, something more visual (MailerLite, Kit) suits you better.

Pricing Plans

Loops commonly bills based on volume of users or events processed. As flows scale, the cost is a function of event rate, template sends, and feature usage. Verify how the pricing thresholds align with your usage curves.

Pros

• Developer alignment: email logic can mirror backend events.
• Code + UI hybrid control.
• Ideal for product-led flows and feature-triggered messages.

Cons

• Learning curve for non-technical users.
• Not ideal when you need pure visual email logic without backend dependencies.
• Cost can scale quickly if your event volume grows.

Caveats

• Ensure your instrumentation is stable before coupling flows.
• Keep exports of flow definitions in case you migrate later.

Ratings & Reviews

Community discussion on developer forums highlights Loops’ clarity for event-first teams. Not many mainstream review hub entries yet.

7. Messaged

What is Messaged?

Messaged is a SaaS-oriented email automation platform that comes with prebuilt campaigns and templates specifically for common lifecycle flows—welcome, activation, upgrades, churn prevention.

How Messaged Works

• Pick a baseline “campaign template” (e.g. SaaS onboarding).
• Map your user properties or tags to template variables.
• Configure triggers and timing via UI.
• Monitor performance and adjust sequences.

How SaaS Teams Use Messaged

Teams use Messaged when they want to bootstrap lifecycle messaging without designing flows from scratch:

• Use the “Welcome + Activation” campaign as starter logic.
• Apply a “Winback” flow for inactive users.
• Jump-start onboarding with a template they can tweak.

I looked at Messaged when building a secondary project. Its prebuilt campaigns were attractive, but because my onboarding logic was custom, I found better flexibility in MailerLite and ActiveCampaign. If your flows match their templates, Messaged is a fast onramp.

Why It Matters

• Speeds up launch of common SaaS flows.
• Reduces mental overhead of designing from scratch.
• Focus more on content and segmentation earlier, not wiring logic.

AI Features (if any)

Some template suggestions and subject line helpers exist, but Messaged leans more on curated campaigns than generative content.

Who Should Use Messaged?

If you’re launching and want a jump-start on SaaS email flows without investing heavy architecture up front, Messaged can help. When your flows deviate beyond templates, you may seek more flexible tools.

Pricing Plans

Typically pricing is based on user count or email volume, aligned to how many flows/contacts you’re automating. Watch out for template package limits or feature gating.

Pros

• Prebuilt campaigns save time.
• Templates tailored to SaaS use cases.
• Low friction to get started.

Cons

• Less room to deviate from template structure.
• May feel constrained for unique flows.
• Less known in review platforms, so community feedback is lighter.

Caveats

• Evaluate if template assumptions match your logic before locking in.
• Keep ability to export or rebuild in future.

Ratings & Reviews

Limited on G2 or Capterra. Some case studies and startup blogs reference it for fast SaaS growth flows.

8. Userlist

What is Userlist?

Userlist is an email automation tool designed specifically for SaaS companies. Unlike generic ESPs, it focuses on in-app event–driven communication and segmentation by user state, making it straightforward for SaaS founders who don’t want to hack around consumer-focused platforms.

How Userlist Works

• Send automated onboarding, lifecycle, and retention emails tied to user events.
• Segment users by attributes (plan type, signup source, activity level).
• Connect via API or integrations to track signups, logins, feature usage.
• Use built-in templates for common SaaS sequences (welcome, onboarding, churn-prevention).

How SaaS Teams Use Userlist

SaaS teams commonly use Userlist to:

• Guide new users through onboarding milestones.
• Send targeted “activation nudges” when a feature hasn’t been used.
• Deliver retention campaigns when cancellation intent is detected.

I considered Userlist because of its SaaS-first positioning, but for my setup I wanted a more general-purpose ESP with broader integrations. For teams running small to mid SaaS products, Userlist is often praised for its clarity and lack of bloat.

Why It Matters

• You don’t need to bend a creator tool into a SaaS flow.
• User-state logic is built-in; less duct tape.
• Faster setup for core SaaS lifecycles.

Who Should Use Userlist?

Best for SaaS founders who want a specialized tool without the complexity of enterprise systems. If your app is early stage with limited event tracking, you’ll still benefit from simple flows. If you want multi-channel campaigns, it may be too limited.

Pricing Plans

Userlist charges based on the number of active users being tracked. Pricing scales as your user base grows, not by raw email volume.

Pros

• Built specifically for SaaS lifecycle needs.
• Clear UI, avoids marketing bloat.
• Strong customer support and community.

Cons

• Limited outside SaaS workflows.
• No deep CRM or multi-channel.
• Smaller ecosystem than big ESPs.

Ratings & Reviews

Highly rated by SaaS indie founders and small teams. Mentioned frequently on Indie Hackers and SaaS Twitter.

9. Customer.io

What is Customer.io?

Customer.io is a powerful event-driven messaging platform. It’s widely used for SaaS lifecycle automation, allowing highly personalized, behavior-based messaging across email, SMS, and push.

How Customer.io Works

• Track events via API, SDK, or Segment.
• Trigger emails, SMS, or push notifications based on behavior.
• Build flows with conditional logic and branching.
• Use data attributes to personalize at scale.
• Monitor engagement with analytics dashboards.

How SaaS Teams Use Customer.io

SaaS teams often:

• Set up event-driven onboarding (e.g., project_created triggers an activation email).
• Run churn-prevention flows triggered by inactivity.
• Send trial-expiry reminders based on subscription events.
• Personalize lifecycle communication with product usage data.

I explored Customer.io, but its complexity felt like too much overhead for my smaller project. For teams with engineers to wire events properly, it shines — but if you’re just looking for fast wins, it’s not the simplest entry point.

Why It Matters

• Deep event-driven logic lets you send the right message at the right time.
• Multi-channel support helps reach users wherever they are.
• Suitable for both SMB SaaS and scaling startups.

Who Should Use Customer.io?

Best for SaaS products with well-instrumented event tracking. Not ideal if you’re non-technical or lack engineering resources.

Pricing Plans

Customer.io pricing scales based on the number of profiles (tracked users) and additional channels. Email-only tiers are cheaper, multi-channel tiers are premium.

Pros

• One of the strongest event-driven platforms.
• Multi-channel messaging.
• Highly flexible automation builder.

Cons

• Requires engineering setup.
• Overkill for small teams without event tracking.
• Costs scale with user count.

Ratings & Reviews

Frequently praised on G2 and Capterra for flexibility; common complaint is complexity and onboarding effort.

10. Encharge

What is Encharge?

Encharge is a marketing automation tool tailored to SaaS, with a strong focus on user lifecycle automation and deep integrations with CRMs and payment systems.

How Encharge Works

• Build visual flows with event triggers and conditions.
• Sync data with Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Segment.
• Track user behavior to trigger onboarding, upsells, and retention sequences.
• Run email broadcasts alongside automated flows.

How SaaS Teams Use Encharge

Common SaaS use cases include:

• Trial-to-paid conversion flows synced with Stripe events.
• Customer onboarding journeys segmented by plan.
• Lead nurturing with CRM sync to sales teams.
• Churn-prevention emails when cancellation intent is flagged.

I reviewed Encharge when considering advanced lifecycle automation, but at the time I didn’t need CRM-level integrations. For SaaS teams with sales pipelines or complex revenue operations, it fits better.

Why It Matters

• Prebuilt SaaS templates accelerate launch.
• Deep integrations with CRMs and billing make it revenue-aware.
• Handles both marketing and lifecycle flows in one place.

Who Should Use Encharge?

Best for SaaS teams at or past product-market fit who need tight alignment between email, CRM, and billing.

Pricing Plans

Pricing is subscriber-based, with thresholds at 2k, 5k, 10k+. Higher tiers unlock CRM integrations and advanced automation.

Pros

• Tailored to SaaS revenue flows.
• Strong integrations.
• Visual flow builder is intuitive.

Cons

• Expensive relative to entry tools.
• Overkill for simple onboarding.
• CRM-heavy orientation may not suit all teams.

Ratings & Reviews

G2 reviews highlight SaaS lifecycle strength; some mention pricing as a barrier for small startups.

11. Drip

What is Drip?

Drip is an ecommerce and SaaS-friendly automation platform focusing on personalized revenue-driven email flows. It emphasizes segmentation, tagging, and revenue attribution.

How Drip Works

• Tag-based segmentation; users can have multiple tags.
• Visual automation builder for sequences and splits.
• Integrates with ecommerce platforms, CRMs, and analytics.
• Attribution reporting connects campaigns to revenue.

How SaaS Teams Use Drip

SaaS teams use Drip for:

• Automated lead nurture with granular tagging.
• Free-to-paid conversion flows with revenue tracking.
• Upsell and cross-sell campaigns tied to plan tiers.
• Subscriber re-engagement sequences.

I considered Drip, but because it’s skewed toward ecommerce, some SaaS-specific flows required more adaptation. Still, if your product includes ecommerce-like transactions (upsells, add-ons), Drip can be strong.

Why It Matters

• Excellent for revenue-focused automation.
• Granular segmentation makes personalization straightforward.
• Attribution helps tie email directly to business results.

Who Should Use Drip?

Best if your SaaS has transactional or ecommerce-like elements. If you need deeper product-event logic, you might prefer Customer.io or Encharge.

Pricing Plans

Subscriber-based pricing, with tiers scaling as your contact list grows. Paid plans unlock advanced workflows and analytics.

Pros

• Strong revenue attribution.
• Flexible tagging model.
• Good for SaaS with ecommerce elements.

Cons

• Ecommerce focus may feel like a mismatch for pure SaaS.
• Limited multi-channel support.
• More costly at scale.

Ratings & Reviews

Positive reviews on ease of use and revenue focus; some SaaS founders note limitations for complex event logic.

Quick Comparison: Best Email Tools for SaaS

Is Email Worth It for SaaS in 2025?

Email is absolutely worth it in 2025 for SaaS — but you can’t think of it as “just newsletters.” The founders and teams who get the most value out of email are the ones who use it as a real relationship channel, not just a broadcast tool.

Take my own experience. I’ve built email flows across dozens of SaaS apps — onboarding, retention, lead nurture, churn recovery. Some of the biggest wins came from the simplest emails: a trial expiry reminder that saved 12% of accounts, a reactivation flow that brought users back after they’d gone quiet, or even a plain-text message from “the founder” that opened up real feedback loops. These flows don’t just save churn, they create trust and connection that ads and social posts rarely achieve.

What I’ve noticed, though, is that email rarely gets prioritized early. Most teams focus first on product, SEO, or social channels — and that’s fair, those matter too. But email is different: it’s the channel that captures your visitors the best. It’s a direct asset you own, and unlike algorithms or ad spend, it compounds over time. That’s why as a developer, you should prioritize email as early as possible, even before launch. Doing so makes everything else easier later.

If you want to win with email in SaaS, you need to approach it differently:

• Use it to reduce churn with cancellation flows and winbacks.
• Use it to recover users who sign up and stall out.
• Use it to nurture trial signups into paying customers.
• Use it to announce new features and actually drive adoption.
• Use it to establish relationships early, so people trust your product.
• Use it to get feedback directly from the inbox instead of surveys nobody fills out.
• And yes, use it to sell better — especially if your SaaS is high consideration and needs multiple touches.

The tools matter less than the intent. If you approach email as a way to help your users succeed instead of just blasting updates, you’ll see it compound.

If you’re building SaaS in 2025, don’t skip email. It’s one of the few channels you own, and it pays off in retention, revenue, and relationships if you use it right.