Our comparison articles score platforms using an evaluation method that reflects real-world use. Rather than treating all features as equally important, we consider how each one actually affects your day-to-day work and give it a specific weight.
We assess each platform across key areas, including automation, deliverability, usability, and support. Each focus area contributes differently to the final score, which helps us show you not only which features a platform offers, but how much they matter in practice.
Since SendPulse doesn’t receive compensation from any platform we review, our assessments stay fully independent. We analyze competitors to understand evolving industry standards and share transparent, unbiased comparisons created entirely for your benefit.
How our scoring system works
Each platform receives a final score based on categories that are weighted by day-to-day business priorities. Because some areas have a greater impact on daily workflows than others, they carry more value in the final rating.
Below, we break down each category, explain its weight, and show you precisely what we evaluate.
Pricing and value for money – 25%
Pricing tips the scale in our scoring because budgets shape most decisions around email platforms. We evaluate how each solution scales with mailing list growth, whether the free plan delivers genuine value, and if trials give you enough time to test properly. We flag hidden costs, including feature locks, unexpected upgrade requirements, and mandatory add-ons, that affect real-world affordability as much as the base price.
We also assess the balance between cost and functionality and note whether annual discounts make a difference. Platforms that stay predictable and affordable earn higher scores in this category.
Ease of use – 20%
An email marketing service’s power means very little if it’s difficult to use. In the “ease of use” section, we evaluate onboarding quality, interface clarity, the time it takes to get over the learning curve, mobile app availability, and whether comprehensive documentation is available. These factors show how quickly a team can adopt the platform and become confident users.
Email features – 15%
Since email is the heart of any ESP, feature depth matters a lot. We look at the drag-and-drop builder’s characteristics, segmentation, and A/B testing tools, and whether a built-in image editor is included. Together, these elements show how flexible the platform is when you build, test, and optimize your campaigns.
Automation features – 15%
Automation plays a key role in scaling communication, so we look closely at how each platform handles it. We evaluate the automation features’ usability, availability of ready-made flow templates, trigger variety, and support for complex, multi-step flows. We also check for advanced eCommerce journeys, like abandoned cart recovery and other activity-based flows.
Deliverability – 10%
Even the strongest campaigns won’t succeed if they never reach the inbox, so deliverability is a key factor in our scoring. We look at authentication methods (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), built-in spam checking, access to dedicated IPs, and list-cleaning tools. These factors indicate how well each platform protects the sender’s reputation and ensures consistent inbox placement over time.
Integrations – 7%
Data-driven marketing relies on many interconnected tools to collect, process, and apply data from various sources. We look at how many native integrations each platform offers, how seamlessly they connect with popular eCommerce tools and CRM systems, and how secure and reliable the API is. In this area, stability and depth matter more than simply having a long list of integrations.
AI features – 5%
AI tools amp up productivity and can take over uninspiring tasks, so we look closely at where and how the platforms implement them. AI-driven features include content assistance, sending time optimization, subject line suggestions, and predictive analytics. We evaluate whether AI features meaningfully improve workflows or act as add-ons, giving higher scores to platforms that effectively use AI to enhance automation and campaign quality.
Support – 2%
We keep an eye on the support channels the platform offers and whether they differ from plan to plan. The expected response time from customer support agents and the quality of self-help articles and onboarding materials also affect our score. Platforms that provide timely assistance across all plan levels score higher in this category.
Reporting and analytics – 1%
This category focuses on the depth and clarity of analytics each platform offers. We evaluate access to standard and advanced reports, the availability of heatmaps and lifecycle metrics, and the flexibility of data exports.
Our review workflow explained
To make sure every comparison is accurate and genuinely helpful, we follow a clear workflow for our reviews:
- We test each platform hands-on and assess over 20 criteria to see how it performs in real-life use cases.
- We create a demo project to replicate the tasks and challenges users will likely face.
- We check the pricing, including trials, limits, hidden fees, and potential upgrades to avoid any surprises.
- We compare the platform against similar solutions to spot what’s missing, what stands out, and which features are truly unique.
- We organize our findings into a clear and easy-to-read review.
- We edit and refine the content with our internal team before publishing.
- We give a score and ranking only after completing the full review, based on our specific methodology.
- We update our reviews regularly as platforms change and improve.
Final note
This methodology is the foundation behind every comparison we publish. It ensures our scoring is consistent, clear, and focused on what actually affects your campaigns, budget, and workflows.
Because the process is independent and regularly updated, you can treat these evaluations as a straightforward guide when choosing between email marketing platforms. Our goal is simple: to help you decide confidently, with unbiased insights you can trust.