Emma by Marigold positions itself as a team-friendly email marketing solution with professional template design and multi-location collaboration features. However, its high starting price of $99 per month and clunky email builder have left many users—including mid-size businesses, Emma’s main audience—searching for more affordable, user-friendly email marketing services that better align with their long-term financial future.
Shall we take a look at what could replace Emma platform for your marketing needs?
Disclaimer: This article evaluates Emma alternatives, including Sender, which our company owns. Assessments are based on research, industry standards, and user feedback. No commissions are earned from links in this article.
Why Consider Emma Alternatives?
While Emma offers solid email marketing capabilities, several significant drawbacks make all the alternatives worth considering.
- Difficult and inflexible email builder. Users frequently complain about Emma’s awkward email builder that lacks an intuitive drag-and-drop editor (just one of Emma user experience problems). The platform requires steep setup costs and often needs professional services to get started effectively;
- High setup costs and pricing. Starting at $99 per month, Emma app is significantly more expensive than most competitors, with additional setup fees that can reach thousands of dollars for enterprise clients, potentially impacting a company’s net worth over time;
- Poor user ratings compared to competitors. Emma scores 4.2/5 on ease of use (Capterra), below the 4.5 industry average, with users citing outdated templates and lack of sophistication. Multiple accounts describe the platform as “primitive” and “very 2004” in terms of its design;
- Weak automation capabilities. Unlike modern email platforms, Emma’s marketing automation workflows are difficult to create and lack the advanced triggers and conditions that competitors offer;
- Inconsistent customer support. While some praise Emma’s support, many users report slow response times, difficulty finding help within the platform, and support that’s only accessible via email.
After closely reviewing Emma vs competitors, it quickly becomes clear why so many businesses are making the switch.
Emma Alternatives: Quick Comparison Summary
Platform | Starting Price | Best For | Key Advantage |
Sender | $7/month (Free plan available) | Best overall Emma alternative | Modern drag-and-drop editor with 24/7 human support at fraction of Emma’s cost |
Klaviyo | $20/month (Free plan available) | Ecommerce data-driven marketing | Advanced segmentation, revenue attribution, and predictive analytics for online stores |
Moosend | $7/month (30-day free trial) | Best value for money | Visual workflow editor with modern templates and competitive pricing |
HubSpot Marketing Hub | $10/month (Free plan available) | All-in-one platform | Comprehensive marketing ecosystem combining CRM, landing pages, and analytics |
Mailchimp | $12/month (Free plan available) | Most popular choice | Established reputation with extensive integrations and reliable deliverability |
Campaign Monitor | $12/month (30-day free trial) | Design-focused alternative | Professional email design tools with polished, contemporary templates |
6 Best Emma Alternatives Compared
Not sure Emma’s the best fit anymore? You’re not alone. Let’s walk through some great alternatives that might better match your goals.
Sender — Best Alternative to Emma
Sender offers everything Emma promises but at a fraction of the cost. Unlike Emma’s outdated interface, Sender provides a modern, intuitive drag-and-drop editor that requires no technical knowledge.
The platform also delivers exceptional customer support through 24/7 live chat, eliminating Emma’s common support frustrations like slow response times we experienced during our time with it.
What sets Sender apart from Emma is its straightforward pricing and immediate usability—you can start sending professional email campaigns within minutes. Not only does this help connect with customers faster, but it also increases open rate. The automation features are user-friendly, and templates look contemporary rather than stuck in 2004.
For businesses tired of Emma’s complexity and high costs, Sender provides the simplicity and affordability that makes email marketing enjoyable again. And if you’re searching for reliable free bulk email services, Sender’s free plan is a great place to start.

Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Generous free plan;
- Modern, intuitive email builder;
- 24/7 human support;
- Professional campaign templates.
❌ Cons:
- Sender’s branding on free version.
- SMS only in paid plans
Sender Pricing
Here’s an overview of Sender’s pricing:
- Free: $0 (2,500 contacts—15,000 emails/month);
- Standard: $7/month (1,000 contacts—12,000 emails/month);
- Professional: $14/month (1,000 contacts—24,000 emails/month);
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Sender vs Emma
Sender costs $7/month compared to Emma’s $99/month starting price, while offering superior ease of use and modern templates. This makes it a very attractive solution for businesses frustrated by Emma pricing issues. Unlike Emma’s complex setup requiring professional services, Sender gets you started immediately with exceptional customer support included with every plan.
Klaviyo — Best for Ecommerce Data-Driven Marketing
Klaviyo dominates ecommerce email marketing with advanced segmentation based on purchase behavior, browsing history, and customer lifetime value—features Emma lacks.
One of Klaviyo’s best features is its deep integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other ecommerce platforms to provide valuable insights—something Emma’s rather basic analytics simply can’t match.
While Emma requires expensive setup and professional services, Klaviyo offers immediate value with built-in revenue attribution, predictive analytics, and automated product recommendations. Plus, we also found Klaviyo’s signup forms to be quite intuitive, compared to some other competitors on this list.
For ecommerce businesses, Klaviyo’s data-driven approach delivers measurable ROI that justifies its cost. And with strong security credentials like SPF that significantly increases deliverability rate—all this gives plenty of reasons to choose this cost-efficient Emma alternative.

Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Revenue attribution and ROI tracking;
- Powerful automation based features;
- Deep ecommerce integration;
- Stunning predictive analytics.
❌ Cons:
- Expensive as email lists grows;
- Steep learning curve;
- Primarily designed for ecommerce.
Klaviyo Pricing
Let’s take a look at Klaviyo’s pricing plans:
- Free: $0 (250 contacts—500 emails/month, includes 150 SMS credits);
- Email + SMS: $20/month (500 contacts—5,000 emails/month, includes 150 SMS credits).
Klaviyo vs Emma
Klaviyo starts at $20/month versus Emma’s $99/month, while providing ecommerce-specific features Emma completely lacks. Klaviyo’s automation is purpose-built for online sales, while Emma’s generic tools require expensive customization to achieve similar results—though those exploring different platforms may also want to compare other Klaviyo alternatives.
Moosend — Best Value Money Dashboard for Email Marketing
If you’re working on your money management goals, Moosend, another respected marketing solution, delivers modern email marketing with an intuitive interface and powerful features for a fraction of Emma’s costly starting price.
Its visual workflow editor makes it simple to manage automation compared to Emma’s complex setup process. Meanwhile, the modern-looking templates make Emma’s designs look outdated.
Unlike Emma’s expensive professional services requirement, Moosend includes everything needed to create sophisticated campaigns right out of the box. The platform offers advanced features like countdown timers, product blocks for ecommerce, and real-time analytics that track customer transactions.
Although Moosend doesn’t offer a Forever free plan, Moosend’s features make it an excellent choice for businesses wanting Emma’s capabilities without the high price tag—an ideal solution for careful budgeting and long-term financial health.

Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Simple drag-and-drop editor;
- Intuitive visual automation builder;
- Over 90 designer-made templates;
- Competitive pricing.
❌ Cons:
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations than Emma’s;
- Less suitable for large businesses;
- Limited advanced reporting.
Moosend Pricing
Here’s what you need to know about Moosend’s pricing:
- Free 30-day trial: $0 (1,000 contacts—unlimited emails);
- Pro: $7 (500 contacts—unlimited emails);
- Moosend+: Custom price (contact limit based on selected add-ons and volume—unlimited emails);
- Enterprise: Custom price.
Moosend vs Emma
Moosend costs $7/month compared to Emma’s eye-watering $99/month price tag while offering superior usability and modern design. Its automation is intuitive and offers most advanced features from day one, while Emma requires expensive setup and training to achieve similar functionality.
All in all, Moosend makes for an affordable email marketing solution, whereas Emma offers a solid reputation and other tools that come with a hefty price. All these qualities make Moosend not only a standout Emma alternative, but one of the best Mailchimp alternatives as well.
HubSpot Marketing Hub — Best All-in-One Platform
HubSpot provides comprehensive marketing, sales, and service tools in one platform, eliminating the need for multiple tools that Emma often requires through expensive integrations. While Emma focuses solely on email marketing, HubSpot includes CRM, landing pages, social media management, and analytics that create a complete marketing ecosystem.
The platform’s free tier offers more functionality than Emma’s paid plans, with advanced automation, detailed analytics, and professional templates included. For businesses outgrowing Emma’s limited scope, HubSpot provides the comprehensive solution needed to scale marketing efforts without switching between multiple expensive tools.

Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Feature-rich free plan;
- All-in-one convenience;
- Smooth business app integrations.
❌ Cons:
- Can be overwhelming for email-only needs;
- Steep price increases;
- Some integrations can be tricky to set up.
HubSpot Pricing
Here’s a breakdown of Hubspot’s pricing structure:
- Free: $0 (2,000 email sends/month);
- Marketing Hub Starter: $10/month (up to 1,000 contacts—5,000 emails/month);
- Marketing Hub Professional: $917/month (up to 2,000 contacts—20,000 emails/month).
HubSpot vs Emma
HubSpot offers far more than Emma’s email-only approach, combining CRM, landing pages, social media tools, and detailed analytics into one neat platform. Its all-in-one design toolkit eliminates the need for Emma’s costly third-party integrations while providing advanced automation and professional templates even on its free tier.
Mailchimp — Most Popular Budgeting App for Email Marketing
Mailchimp, a veteran of the email marketing software industry, offers reliable tools that come with its established reputation and extensive integration ecosystem. The platform provides transparent pricing and user-friendly templates that look professional without requiring Emma’s expensive services.
While Emma charges a premium price for basic functionality, Mailchimp delivers time-tested email marketing tools with reliable deliverability and comprehensive analytics.
For businesses seeking a trusted alternative to Emma’s high costs or a reliable newsletter software, Mailchimp delivers exactly that with a user-friendly approach to email marketing.

Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Wide range of integrations;
- User-friendly interface;
- State-of-the-art AI tools;
- Extensive analytics.
❌ Cons:
- Charges for inactive or unsubscribed contacts;
- Limited advanced segmentation;
- Phone customer support available only on Premium plan.
Mailchimp Pricing
Let’s take a look at Mailchimp’s pricing plans:
- Free plan: $0 (500 contacts—1,000 emails/month);
- Essentials: $12/month (500 contacts—5,000 emails/month);
- Standard: $20/month (500 contacts—6,000 emails/month);
- Premium plan: $299/month (10,000 contacts—150,000 emails/month).
Mailchimp vs Emma
Mailchimp is known for its ease of use, polished templates, and ready-to-go automation—making it ideal for beginners and small businesses. However, Mailchimp pricing can become a concern as lists grow, with rising costs being the main drawback. Meanwhile, Emma focuses only on email marketing and often requires costly services to match Mailchimp’s built-in functionality.
Campaign Monitor — Best Design-Focused Alternative
Campaign Monitor excels in visual email design with professionally crafted templates that allow businesses to maintain consistent brand assets. The platform’s design-first approach provides the professional appearance Emma promises but delivers through an intuitive interface that doesn’t require technical know-how.
Unlike Emma’s complex collaboration features that often confuse users, Campaign Monitor streamlines team workflows with approval processes and brand management tools that actually work. For businesses prioritizing visual impact and brand consistency, Campaign Monitor delivers Emma’s design aspirations at a more reasonable price point with a much more intuitive usability.

Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Robust drag‑and‑drop email builder;
- Timezone-based email scheduler;
- Top-tier customer support;
- Seamless ecommerce integrations.
❌ Cons:
- Limited automation workflows;
- Pricing can get expensive as lists grow;
- Templates feel outdated.
Campaign Monitor Pricing
Here’s what you need to know about Campaign Monitor’s pricing:
- 30-day free trial: $0 (100 email sends);
- Starter: $12/month (500 contacts—5,000 emails/month);
- Marketer: $35/month (500 contacts—6,000 emails/month);
- Creator: $80/month (500 contacts—12,000 emails/month).
Campaign Monitor vs Emma
Campaign Monitor stands out with its advanced design tools and seamless team collaboration features, making it a powerful option for modern email marketing. Its templates are polished, contemporary, and ready to use, while Emma’s often appear dated and usually demand expensive customization.
Moreso, Campaign Monitor’s drag‑and‑drop email template builder is far more intuitive and flexible than Emma’s, allowing users to create professional, on‑brand emails quickly without relying heavily on design or coding support.
How to Choose the Right Emma by Marigold Alternative
If you’re deciding on an Emma alternative, it’s important to weigh several factors—from ease of use to the specific features your business may require. Our rule of thumb? Start with free email marketing platforms like Sender or Moosend, test their functionality and commit to a subscription only after it checks all the boxes.
- Assess your budget constraints. If Emma email marketing pricing strains your budget, consider Sender’s free plan or Moosend’s $7/month option for full features. These alternatives provide professional email marketing without spending too much time thinking about spending habits.
- Evaluate your technical expertise. Choose platforms with intuitive interfaces if you lack technical staff, as Emma often requires professional setup assistance. Sender and Mailchimp offer immediate usability without Emma’s learning curve or additional costs.
- Consider your industry focus. Ecommerce businesses should prioritize Klaviyo for sales-driven features and strong support for transactional emails, while general businesses can benefit from HubSpot’s comprehensive approach.
- Review integration requirements. Ensure your chosen alternative connects with existing tools, as Emma’s limited integration options often create additional costs. Mailchimp and HubSpot offer more extensive integration ecosystems than Emma.
- Test platform usability. Take advantage of free trials to compare ease of use, as Emma’s complexity often surprises new users. Most alternatives offer more intuitive experiences than Emma’s cumbersome interface.
- Analyze support quality. Prioritize platforms offering responsive customer support, as Emma gets bad rep for customer support problems, such as slow response times and limited accessibility. Sender’s 24/7 live chat, for instance, provides immediate assistance that Emma lacks (or only reserves for higher-tier subscribers).