A look at six different email marketing / newsletter software products including and what each is best for. A summary is given at the end of each product. Research was completed during August 2009 using information from each product website.

1. Email marketing software: Comparison benchmarking
Kathryn Corrick: http://www.kathryncorrick.co.uk
18th August 2009
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URL http://www.mailchimp.com/ http://www.phplist.com/details http://www.verticalresponse.com/email-marketing/
http://www.campaignmonitor.com http://www.delivra.com/ http://www.web-developers.net/services/email-marketing/
Pricing Free - $240 a month Free Free to qualifying non-profits $5 per campaign, 1cent per From $60 a month. Further pricing
only. Prices start from Pay-as- recipient. Senders of 50,000+ on request
You-Go ($1.50 for 100 emails can purchase via
subscribers). Monthly $10 - credits/discount scheme if buying
$240 in bulk.
Free offering 0-100 subscribers, 6 times Unlimited 10,000 emails free - only None. Free developer account
per month available to qualifying non-
profits
Free trial? Y n/a Y Y Demo available on request Y
Max no. of subscribers 50,000 ($240) 100,000 + 40,000 (for over this number 500,000 + Not mentioned, but suspect
customisation and separate 500,000 +
pricing applies)
Sending limit Unlimited (other than free Unlimited Unclear 500,000 + Not mentioned, but suspect
option) 500,000 +
SAAS or download? SAAS Download SAAS SAAS SAAS
Open source? ? Y ? ? Not mentioned
API? Y n/a ? Y Y
Plug-ins and widgets Lots - WordPress, Drupal, Modules for Drupal, PHPBB, TypePad ?
ExpressionEngine, Ning, Wordpress, Joomla, Zen Cart,
TypePad, Joomla + more Impress CMS and more
HTML + text? Both Both Both Both Both
HTML editor + features Y - + import your own Y Y - + import your own designs Y + import your own HTML or CSS Y
designs designs
Customisable templates? Y Y Y Y Y
How to import data and Saleforce, Excel, Highrise + CSV tab delimited ? Any format CSV, or via FTP / API
lists? others
Sign up form to add to Y ? Y Y ?
site
Insert dynamic content? Y Y ? Y Y
Double opt-in? ? Y Y Y - they describe it as confirmed ?
opt-in
Spam checker? Y ? Y Y Y (via list management)
Design checker? ? N ? Y Y
De-duping? Y Y Y No mention made Y
Scheduling ? Y ? Y Y
List segmentation? Y Y Y Y Y (uses Lyris for list management)
Tracking Click, open/viewed, Click, open/viewed, Campaign dashboard - top Click, opens, forwards, Clicks, opens,bounces, page
bounced, unopened, click performing: lists, links, trends unsubscribes, bounces + views, conversion, engagement
rate. ROI. and email comparison. ROI. comparisons, email client data… indicators, real time tracking +
Google gadget available. Client report access. more
Google Analytics Y N Y Y Y (as well as integration with Lyris,
integration? and 5Buckets)

2. Send to a friend Y N Y Y Y
Auto creation of follow- ? ? Y Auto trigger functionality by
up lists by response response
Allows attachments ? Y ? ? Y (via links)
Bounce management Y Y Y Y Y
Unsubscribe Y Y Y Y Y
management
RSS Y Y ? Y ?
How supported? Live support, webinars, FAQs, community/user forums, FAQs, video demos, blog, Help system, customer forums, API Knowledge base, updates,
demo videos, knowledge full documentation. Paid email/phone support, support, support team across time tutorials, US business hours email
base, API support support available via TinCan. zones, email design advice support. Creative services support
available for design queries.
Send encrypted ? Promising this soon ? ? ?
messsages?
Data protection Secure server, data your Your responsibility Secure server Fully redundant data centre, email Using n Frame, SAS 70 type II
own autentication, compliant (US compliance
scheme), 24 hour monitors
surviellance + more.
SUMMARY Great for small to medium Great for people who know Good for professional sites, Great for huge lists, agencies, Great for developers and large list Not enough information given on site to
sized lists. Nice free option what they're doing and have a TypePad users and non-profits. clients. Easy to see why this is the management as well as those warrant inquiry. Company would prefer
for micro lists. Good set of friendly techie to hand. The lack of widgets/plugins for queen of professional email list without tech support. This service clients to view and understand product via
plugins for wide number of non-TypePad platforms makes management. Security and data has some great features such as demo
platforms. Reporting seems this offering less appealing. protection information needs more Lyris integration, real-time tracking,
slightly less comprehensive Reporting seems very detail as whilst it seems auto trigger management and what
to other SAAS offerings but comprehensive. It was not clear comprehensive the descriptions looks like a comprehensive API.
adequate. how lists were imported into the are also opaque. Not specific Security seems to take a high
system from the information mention of compliance standards. priority. All heavy duty stuff.
available. Pricing structure off putting for Enterprise level and possibly over
micro-small lists. the top for a small list or your
average blogger!