Business-to-business (B2B) email marketing is a powerful way to connect with decision-makers who drive purchasing for their companies. In fact, it is one of the most effective means of reaching those buyers. However, building successful campaigns starts with choosing the right B2B email marketing software for your business goals.
- HubSpot: Best Overall B2B Email Marketing Software
- Zoho Campaigns: Cheapest B2B Email Marketing Platform
- Mailchimp: Easiest A/B Testing B2B Email Marketing Software
- ActiveCampaign: Best B2B Email Marketing Software for Drip Campaigns
- Constant Contact: Best Email Marketing Platform for Special Events
- SendX: Best Business to Business Email Marketing Software for Send-time Delivery
- MailerLite: Best B2B Email Marketing Platform With Built-in Landing Pages
About the expert: Over the last 10 years, I’ve worked with some of the most recognizable brands in the world to create email marketing campaigns that build brand presence and drive conversions. Each brand had its own unique angle for approaching potential customers in their buying process. Just like their message, every brand had unique needs in their B2B email marketing platform.
Leaning into this experience, I’ve chosen the top seven B2B email marketing software for permission-based email marketing based on the specific needs of small businesses. Before you choose a platform, consider these factors.
Best B2B Email Marketing Software at a Glance
Providers | Pricing | Features | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Free-forever plan Paid plans from $18/month |
| or |
 | Free-forever plan Paid plans from $3/month |
| or |
 | Free-forever plan Paid plans from $13/month |
| or |
 | Plans from $29/month |
| or |
 | Paid plans from $12/month |
| or |
 | Paid plans from $7.49/month |
| or |
 | Free-forever plan Paid plans from $9/month |
| or |
Pro tip: Along with choosing the right B2B email marketing software, learn how to create an email marketing plan in five steps with our guide.
HubSpot: Best B2B Email Marketing Software Overall
Pros
- Best overall B2B email marketing platform
- Email marketing integrates seamlessly with HubSpot CRM and HubSpot website builder (CMS)
- NEW SMS text marketing capabilities
- Audience segmentation on all plans
- Web forms to capture leads
- Live chat feature for websites
- Free campaign landing pages
Cons
- Full-featured plans get expensive quickly
- A/B testing restricted to more expensive plans
- Drip campaigns require HubSpot Sales Hub, an additional expense
- Integrated customer relationship management software (aka CRM)
- Segmentation
- Web capture forms
- Campaign-specific landing pages
- Email analytics
- Website chatbot
- Ad management
- SMS marketing
Free | Starter | Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month* | $0 | $18 | $800 |
Marketing Contacts** | 0 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
Monthly Emails | 2,000 | 5,000 | 20,000 |
Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Chat Bot | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
A/B Testing | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Surveys | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Phone Support | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
* Billed annually | ** Up to 1 million non-marketing contacts on any plan | |||
HubSpot tops our list of best B2B email marketing software (and our list of the best email marketing software for small businesses in general). Besides its generous email marketing program, it also offers a suite of complementary products that can help you build out a complete MarTech stack.
Email marketing tools include landing pages, segmentation, and A/B testing. But, you can couple HubSpot’s email marketing with its award-winning customer relationship manager, customer relationship management (CRM) Hub, or its website builder, HubSpot CMS (CMS stands for content management system).
Read More…
- HubSpot CRM Review: Is It Right for Your Business?
- 2023 HubSpot CMS Review: Best for Lead Gen & Nurturing
The robust nature of HubSpot offerings is at once a strength and a weakness, meaning it may not be the best option for every small business. Some valuable email marketing tools are incorporated into other products, such as drip campaigns, which are part of Sales Hub. Others, like A/B testing or surveys, are locked in the most expensive tier of service. For a full-featured, email-only experience, consider Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
Business-to-business companies looking to combine their email marketing efforts into an end-to-end sales management system should choose HubSpot. While it can be more expensive than building solutions a la carte, the ease of integration and improved productivity more than offset the additional cost. With freemium versions of virtually every product HubSpot offers, you can try it without risk before you commit.
Zoho Campaigns: Cheapest B2B Email Marketing Platform
Pros
- Paid plans from $3
- Unlimited sends on paid plans
- A/B testing on all paid plans
- Free plan includes up to 6,000 email sends a month
- Add SMS text marketing to paid plans
Cons
- Limited functionality in free plan
- Less intuitive interface than competitors
- Limited templates and workflows vs competitors like ActiveCampaign
- Drip campaigns
- A/B testing
- Segmentation
- Google Analytics built-in
- Campaign- and List-based reporting
- Comparison reports
- Template library
- Customizable sign-up forms
- Customizable pop-up forms
- Automation
- SMS marketing
Free | Standard | Professional | Pay As You Go | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month* - 500 Contacts | $0 | $3 | $4.50 | $14 |
- 1,000 Contacts | $0 | $5.25 | $9 | $25 |
- 2,500 Contacts | N/A | $12.75 | $21.75 | $92 |
Monthly Email Sends | 6,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 credit = 1 email |
Users | 5 | 10 | 20 | 1 |
Customizable Sign-up Form | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Customizable Pop-up | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automation | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Segmentation | ✕ | Basic | Advanced | Basic |
Template Library | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
A/B Testing | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Reports & Analytics | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
* With annual billing | ||||
Business-to-business teams on a tight budget can still get all the benefits of a robust email marketing campaign with Zoho Campaigns. The free-forever plan includes up to 1,000 contacts and 6,000 email sends a month—the most generous free plan we reviewed. Paid plans start at just $3 a month and include unlimited email sends, making Zoho Campaigns the cheapest email marketing platform available.
While Zoho Campaigns is the cheapest alternative, it’s certainly not the best. Its interface is somewhat dated and clunky to use, and the templates are counterintuitive and can be challenging to format. For a more user-friendly interface, consider Mailchimp or MailerLite, both of which offer beginners a better experience.
For the most bang for your email marketing buck, Zoho Campaigns cannot be beaten. Its generous plans provide plenty of contacts, unlimited email sends, and a set of tools to help you achieve your goals. The free-forever plan includes Zoho branding and ads, but you can start with the free plan and easily upgrade to a paid plan, hassle-free.
Mailchimp: Easiest A/B Testing B2B Email Marketing Software
Pros
- A/B testing
- Multivariate testing on higher tier
- All-in-one option for website, landing pages, CRM, and marketing
- Email automation beginning in free plan
- NEW SMS text marketing add-on
- More than 300 integrations
Cons
- 500-contact limit in free plan
- No plan offers unlimited sends
- Larger lists can get expensive
- Cannot schedule emails on free plan
- A/B and multivariate testing
- Integrated website builder, CRM, and marketing manager
- Automated email sends
- Segmentation
- Drip campaigns
- SMS marketing
Free | Essentials | Advanced | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month - 500 Contacts | $0 | $13 | $20 | $350 |
- 2,500 Contacts | N/A | $39.50 | $60 | $350 |
- 5,000 Contacts | N/A | $69 | $100 | $350 |
Monthly Email Sends | 1,000 | 10x contact limit | 12x contact limit | 15x contact limit |
Automations | Basic | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
Segmentation | Basic | Basic | Basic | Advanced |
A/B Testing | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Multivariate Testing | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Reports & Insights | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
For most B2B email marketing programs to be successful, you need the ability to test variations and determine what works. Mailchimp offers both A/B testing and multivariate testing so you can bring a scientific analysis to what works and what doesn’t.
With A/B email testing, you can compare two variations of the same email. Multivariate testing allows you to add additional levels of variation to the same email to gauge results. Moreover, Mailchimp doesn’t make this complicated. In fact, Mailchimp is quite simple to use—see how in our step-by-step tutorial video below.
Read more…
- Learn how to use Mailchimp in five easy steps with our guide
- Find out the best CRM for Mailchimp integration
While Mailchimp is the only provider that offers multivariate testing, that ability is locked behind the most expensive tier of service, which could price some B2B small businesses out. At the same time, Mailchimp’s additional integrations (CRM, social media marketing, and direct mail) can increase monthly costs. For a more robust and affordable selection of tools, consider Zoho Campaigns and the entire suite of Zoho solutions.
With simple testing tools, artificial intelligence (AI) content, formatting advisers, and attractive, contemporary templates, Mailchimp stands out among B2B email marketing platforms. Its free-forever plan will allow you to send up to 1,000 emails to as many as 500 contacts, and its paid plans start at an affordable $13 per month.
ActiveCampaign: Best B2B Email Marketing Software for Drip Campaigns
Pros
- Extensive automation tools and drag-and-drop automation builder
- Unlimited email sends on all plans
- Dynamic content on all plans
- AI email writer
- More than 125 email templates
- Add-ons for live chat and Facebook Messenger
Cons
- No free plan
- Gets more expensive as your contact list grows
- A/B testing is very limited
- Drip campaigns and automation
- Unlimited email sends
- AI content writer
- Ample templates
- Live chat and Facebook Messenger add-ons
- Multi-deal sales CRM
- SMS text marketing
- Predictive sending
Lite | Plus | Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month* - 500 Contacts | $29 | $49 | $149 |
- 2,500 Contacts | $49 | $99 | $149 |
- 5,000 Contacts | $79 | $149 | $209 |
Unlimited Email Sends | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automations & Drip Campaigns | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
AI Content Writer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Multi-deal Sales CRM | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
SMS Text Marketing | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Predictive Sending AI | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
* Billed annually | |||
Drip campaigns are the heart of many business-to-business email marketing platforms. This series of emails, sent at planned intervals during the buying process, can increase lead generation and sales.
ActiveCampaign makes building a drip campaign easy with a drag-and-drop automation planner. The drip campaigns integrate easily with its multi-deal sales CRM, and with A/B testing and other advanced features like an AI content writer and predictive sending, your campaigns will produce results.
While ActiveCampaign is a great option for drip campaigns, it does have limitations. We found that its A/B testing is rudimentary at best. And, while unlimited sends are a nice feature, the number of contacts you get in each tier of service is somewhat anemic. For better A/B testing, consider Mailchimp. If you need to send a large number of emails, MailerLite is the better option.
You can build an impactful drip campaign with ease using ActiveCampaign’s drag-and-drop editor. Combined with AI-driven predictive sending to deliver your email at the optimal time for engagement, your B2B campaign will be more efficient and effective than those offered by many other platforms. While there is no free trial or free version, paid plans start at a relatively affordable $29 a month.
Constant Contact: Best Email Marketing Platform for Special Events
Pros
- User-friendly
- Automation tools for email, SMS, social media, and landing pages
- Extensive template selection
- Text marketing (add-on)
- Segmentation, A/B testing
- Third-party apps
Cons
- No free plan
- Larger mailing lists get expensive
- A/B testing is subject-line only
- Automations force you into higher plans
- Automation tools
- Event management suite
- Retargeting
- Marketing campaign calendar
- Scheduled delivery
- Abandoned cart emails
- Social media integration
- Google Ads manager
Lite | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month - 500 Contacts | $12 | $35 | $80 |
- 1,000 Contacts | $30 | $55 | $110 |
- 2,500 Contacts | $50 | $75 | $150 |
- 5,000 Contacts | $80 | $110 | $200 |
Users | 1 | 3 | Unlimited |
Monthly Email Sends | 10x contacts | 12x contacts | 24x contacts |
Reporting | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
Marketing CRM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Polls & Surveys | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Social Media Posting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Event Management | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Scheduled Email Sends | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Contact Segmentation | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Social Media Ads | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Facebook Retargeting | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Google Ads Manager | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Constant Contact is one of the more mature email marketing platforms for B2B. As a result, it’s packed with features. Particularly unique is its event management system, which integrates with Eventbrite for ticket sales.
With Constant Contact, you can track ticket sales, promote your event, advertise your event on social media, and even track RSVPs—all from one interface. A marketing CRM will help you manage your sales funnel for group sales as well.
All those features come at a price, though. Constant Contact starts out affordably enough, but costs quickly escalate as you add new subscribers to your mailing list. Many of the more advanced features are locked in higher tiers. If price is a major concern for you, sacrifice event-specific features for a cheaper alternative and choose MailerLite or SendX.
If you want a one-stop tool for promoting and managing ticket sales for your special event, Constant Contact’s unique offerings provide a solution. You can track sales, conduct polls and surveys, and manage social media and Google Ads all from one interface. With plans starting at $12, you can try Constant Contact relatively risk-free.
SendX: Best Business-to-Business Email Marketing Software for Send-time Delivery
Pros
- Schedule delivery on all plans
- 14-day free trial
- Unlimited sends
- AI assistant to boost engagement and conversion rates
- Free landing pages
- All features available on every plan
Cons
- No free plan
- A/B testing is limited to Subject line and From fields only
- Fewer templates than competitors
- Send-time delivery for optimal engagement
- Unlimited sends on all accounts
- A/B subject-line testing
- Web forms and automation
- Landing pages
- Retargeting
- Advanced automation
- Segmentation
- Drip campaigns
With SendX, your price is tied solely to the number of contacts you have. Pricing is affordable, and as your list grows, your price increases incrementally. All plans come with all features and unlimited sends.
Price | No. of Contacts |
|---|---|
$7.49 | 1,000 |
$14.99 | 2,500 |
$29.99 | 5,000 |
$44.99 | 10,000 |
Features include:
- Unlimited email sends
- Email campaigns
- Email drip campaigns
- Drag and drop editor
- A/B testing
- Smart-send time optimization
- Web forms and landing pages
- Form automation
- Page targeting
- Auto-responder
- Advanced automation
- Segmentation
- 24×5 support
SendX offers an inexpensive platform packed with email marketing tools for B2B. One of the core tools is its AI-assisted smart-time send optimization, which sends emails based on when recipients are most likely to open the email and engage. The scheduling tool increases the performance of email campaigns, drip campaigns, and targeting. An auto-responder further boosts conversions, allowing you to begin engaging with the customer almost immediately.
Because SendX is so generous with its remarkably affordable plans, it doesn’t offer a free plan, though it does provide a 14-day free trial. Also, A/B testing and reporting are somewhat limited on the platform, so if your business thrives on data, you should consider Mailchimp or Zoho Campaigns, both of which offer vastly more data to drive decision-making.
SendX’s biggest selling point is its affordability, particularly for mailing lists that push out a lot of content. Unlimited sends mean you can reach out to your mailing list as often as you like without worry. This can be a remarkable tool for businesses like restaurants that run daily specials and need to get the word out.
MailerLite: Best B2B Email Marketing Platform With Built-in Landing Pages & Site Builder
Pros
- Includes robust website and landing page builder
- Free plan includes up to 12,000 sends per month
- Paid plans include unlimited sends
- Drag-and-drop editor and email automation builder
- Unlimited segmentation
Cons
- Limited automation on lower tiers
- Free plan lacks templates
- Limited advanced automation
- Landing page and website builder
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Drag-and-drop automation builder
- Segmentation
- Pop-ups
- A/B testing
- Ecommerce builder
- Landing pages
Free | Growing Business | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month* - 500 Contacts | $0 | $9 | $19 |
- 2,500 Contacts | N/A | $15 | $27 |
- 5,000 Contacts | N/A | $29 | $35 |
Unlimited Sends | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Website & Landing Page Builder | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Websites | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Landing Pages | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Ecommerce Builder | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Embedded Forms & Pop-ups | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automations & Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
A/B Testing | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
* Billed annually | |||
For email campaigns designed to bring visitors to a website, landing pages play an integral part in effectively inserting visitors into the sales funnel. MailerLite’s email marketing software includes a website and landing page builder that integrates with your email campaign to help you drive lead generation and conversions. Additional features are available for ecommerce sites, automation and segmentation, and A/B testing.
While MailerLite is affordable and features a website builder, its email platform is fairly no-frills. Its automations and segmentation are basic, as is reporting. For a more robust email platform that includes landing page support and a website builder, you might consider HubSpot. It is more expensive, but it comes with more capabilities and advanced reporting.
MailerLite is a simple, easy-to-use platform with a built-in website builder. Its drag-and-drop editor is relatively simple to master, and you can build landing pages with ease. At just $9 and with unlimited sends, MailerLite is one of the least expensive email marketing services available.
How We Evaluated B2B Email Marketing Platforms
We looked at more than a dozen email marketing services—including hundreds of features and niche offerings—and considered which available features were most important to business-to-business providers. Here are the factors we considered:
- General features: Virtually all email marketing platforms provide a set of common features, including the ability to segment an audience, review campaign performance, and plan multi-email campaigns. We explored how well those general features were executed on each platform and weighed the value of what platforms didn’t offer.
- Niche features: To rank providers, we examined the niche features that make each stand out and assessed how useful those would be for B2B companies.
- Pricing: While pricing is an important decision driver for most small businesses—and we considered pricing as a factor—we weighed the general and niche features clients receive for their money. Also, we considered the overall cost of email marketing software based on how much the platform costs per subscriber and per send.
- Client support: Email marketing systems can be challenging to operate. We considered the modes of support and availability of support teams when you need them. We chose providers that offer ample support opportunities through multiple channels, such as email, chat, and knowledge bases.
- Expert opinion: Finally, we relied on years of experience with email marketing software to determine which platforms were the most effective and offered the best choices for B2B companies.
B2B vs Consumer Email Marketing (Features to Look For)
Email marketing statistics don’t lie—consumers and businesses alike rely on email to make purchase decisions. While consumer-facing email marketing campaigns rely on direct sales tie-ins for ecommerce and splashy design elements, business-to-business email campaigns are different. They require a more thoughtful approach to creating and executing the campaign, including factors to maximize engagement rates and click-through.
Here are some of the factors to consider when choosing B2B email marketing software:
- Send-time optimization: Business decision-makers engage with email at different times than consumer clients. Look for platforms that have the capability to optimize your campaign based on maximum engagement.
- Advanced A/B testing: A/B or “split” email testing is a powerful tool for tweaking campaigns and establishing what works and what doesn’t. Your email platform needs the ability to engage in this sort of testing so you can build more effective campaigns.
- In-depth analytics: B2B companies rely on vast amounts of data to make decisions. Building email campaigns without data to back them up is a recipe for disaster. Choose a platform that provides ample data and insights about audience engagement rates.
- AI: Smart tools like send-time optimization are only one aspect of using artificial intelligence (AI) to boost business-to-business email marketing campaign performance. Other tools to look for are AI email writers, subject line generators, and AI-generated insights.
- CRM integration: Many email platforms will integrate with your CRM. If you don’t have a CRM, you can choose an email marketing software that includes one. There are several on this list, or you can check out our guide to the best CRMs for email marketing.
- Drip campaigns: Many potential clients won’t make a decision right away. They may not even click through your first email. But they might click on the second or even third. This is why drip campaigns are so vital to driving lead generation and conversion.
- SMS and MMS bulk marketing: Text and email marketing go hand in hand. While you may consider SMS marketing better for direct-to-consumer campaigns, you can use B2B SMS marketing in similar ways, such as sending delivery date updates for physical or digital products, links to how-to’s and tutorials, and to automatically reach out post-purchase and ensure your client is set up for success.
These are just a few of the many tools you can use to build your B2B email marketing campaign. Before you select a software, make sure it has exactly what you need.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s the best free B2B email marketing software?
Overall, the best B2B email marketing software is HubSpot. It provides an easy-to-use platform that is packed with features B2B companies can use to maximize the effectiveness of email marketing efforts. With an integrated CRM, a popular content management system, and live chat features, HubSpot is a comprehensive point-of-contact solution that provides end-to-end lead generation and sales tools.
Is email marketing effective for B2B companies?
Yes. In fact, email marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools available to B2B companies. According to Content Marketing Institute(1), 75% of B2B companies use email marketing software as part of their MarTech stack. For decision-makers, email is a critical tool in the sales process. More than 45%(2) of B2B sales will be conducted over email.
How do I start B2B email marketing?
To get started, choose the right B2B email marketing platform. Integrate that platform into your website, social media, and offline marketing to help build a subscriber base. Create an email marketing plan that outlines what emails you’ll send and the goals for each email. Input that plan into your email marketing software and monitor performance.
Bottom Line
Choosing the right B2B email marketing software is just the first step to creating an effective email marketing campaign. You can maximize your investment by choosing the best email marketing platform for B2B, HubSpot. Feature-rich and easy to use, it includes all the tools you need to craft and execute email campaigns that deliver results.
FAQ Sources:
1Content Marketing Institute
2Statista
