Creating a newsletter should not become harder than creating the message of the newsletter itself. However, for many businesses, newsletter production can quickly become slowed down by inconsistent design, low engagement, manual workflows, HTML editing and of course, too many rounds of feedback.
And one of the biggest challenges in all of this, is the platform behind the newsletter.
The right newsletter platform should make putting together and managing newsletters as easy as possible. It should not add more steps to the process and a modern newsletter software should help teams create faster and improve overall engagement.
Whether you are creating internal company updates, marketing campaigns or recurring email newsletters, the platform that you select has a direct impact on both workflow and results.
With this in mind, choosing the best newsletter platform is about finding newsletter software that empowers teams to create better and more efficient newsletters. This is where Publicate comes into play.
The most effective and best newsletter platforms will do more than simply help teams send emails. They take it a step further and make the entire process of creating, managing and improving newsletters faster and easier.
While every team will have their own priorities, the best newsletter software will solve the same core challenges. These are reducing manual work, improving collaboration, maintaining branding and creating newsletters that people will actively engage with.
When selecting newsletter tools, make sure to look for features that include:
The strongest newsletter platforms that will show results combine these features into an easy-to-use workflow. Together, these features help teams spend less time managing production and more time creating effective newsletters that get the job done.
What sets Publicate apart is our focus on design and engagement, rather than email sending infrastructure. Our goal is to provide you with the most effective tools to encourage engagement and drive action from your readers. Publicate is expertly designed for organisations that are looking to easily create beautiful newsletter designs, with better team collaboration, whilst being able to send through any preferred email platform, including Outlook or Gmail.
Publicate is best for:
Key strengths include:
Pros:
Cons:
Publicate stands out for teams who are looking to create, manage and optimise their newsletters. Rather than spending time rebuilding layout after layout or stressing over newsletter approvals across a variety of tools, teams are able to create newsletters once. They are also able to collaborate efficiently while maintaining a consistent brand experience in every send.
You have probably heard of Mailchimp before as it is one of the most established newsletter platforms. It is usually selected by organisations looking for email marketing and audience management in a single location.
Mailchimp started as an email newsletter software, and has grown into a marketing platform. Today, it has tools that have been designed to support customer journeys.
Mailchimp is mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
Mailchimp works well for organisations that prioritise sending and customer management. However, teams can find themselves wanting more flexibility when it comes to design, collaboration and content workflows.
HubSpot has been designed for businesses that are looking for something more than email creation. It makes use of newsletter software as well as CRM, sales and automation tools. For teams that already use HubSpot across their business, the newsletter tools fit well.
HubSpot is mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
Essentially, HubSpot works well for businesses wanting to create a more connected marketing system rather than a newsletter tool.
Constant Contact has been designed to provide simplicity which makes it a popular choice for teams looking to create newsletters without having to learn new skills. Constant Contact places its focus on creating emails and sending them rather than design or collaborative workflows.
It is mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
Constant Contact is for those who require a simple starting point when it comes to newsletter creation. However, as newsletters begin to scale and teams grow, the limitations will begin to show.
Brevo has established itself as a budget friendly newsletter platform. It offers email sending, newsletter creation as well as automation tools for smaller teams and growing businesses. To put it simply, Brevo is a great starting point.
Brevo is mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
Brevo is great for businesses that need more affordable options. However, for businesses that are focused on more branded newsletters, Brevo may hold them back.
ConvertKit has been made for creators and independent publishers that are building audiences through content and email communication. It is less focused on designed newsletters and more dedicated to helping grow subscribers and nurturing audiences. With this in mind, it creates repeatable email workflows.
Mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
ConvertKit works exceptionally well for creators building a brand and a relationship with their audiences. However, for business teams seeking design-led newsletters, collaboration and branding, this is not the tool to get the job done.
Campaign Monitor is a newsletter platform that helps businesses with more targeted email campaigns through segmentation and performance tracking. It uses email creation with reporting tools to make it easier to unpack audience behaviour and better communication.
Mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
Campaign Monitor is great for teams that require audience targeting and performance measurement. However, businesses creating collaborative campaigns and newsletters will find dedicated newsletter creation platforms easier to use for workflows.
These three are usually grouped together as they all focus on email design and visual newsletter building instead of broader email marketing. These platforms are popular with organisations or teams that seek control over newsletter design and prefer building emails visually.
Mostly used for:
Pros:
Cons:
BeeFree, Stripo and Unlayer work for teams who want more design flexibility. However, for those looking for a complete newsletter workflow, analytics and integrations, these are not the best options.
Based on the table above, here are some of the strongest options based on common use cases:
The best newsletter software is the one that fits how your team works and empowers you to create better newsletters with less effort. It is important to do the research and make an informed decision to suit your specific needs.
Choosing the right newsletter platform begins with understanding where your team will spend the most time. Some teams require better automation while others may need stronger design flexibility. With this in mind, we have put together a checklist and some questions you should ask yourself before making a decision.
Ask:
While all teams work differently, the best newsletter platforms combine the following:
Many newsletter platforms promise users faster email creation but also still leave teams to deal with the same problems.
Some of these tools are designed for sending and automation, and newsletter creation is treated as a side thought or secondary feature. Others may simply offer basic editing but go on to make collaboration and approval difficult as teams grow.
Common pain-points include:
As a result of the above, teams will spend more time rebuilding, managing feedback and fixing format issues rather than creating the best newsletters.
Publicate sets the standard as it is purpose built for newsletter creation, collaboration and engagement rather than mass email sending.
Rather than simply replacing existing ESPs, Publicate works alongside them to empower team to:
For organisations producing newsletters regularly, this means less time managing production and more time developing communication that gets results.
Poor and inconsistent newsletter design will reduce engagement. Manual workflows will slow campaigns down to a standstill. Chasing approvals and working around difficult tools will make production harder.
With this in mind, the best newsletter platform removes all that friction. With Publlicate, teams can create professional newsletters, maintain branding, collaborate consistently and work with the sending platforms they already use in-house.