Campaign Monitor Review: Is It Worth the Price in 2025?

Back in 2004, two Australian entrepreneurs, Ben Richardson and David Greiner, launched what would become one of today’s leading email marketing platforms.

Now headquartered in Nashville, Campaign Monitor’s journey is pretty remarkable — they bootstrapped their way to profitability with double-digit growth year after year in their first decade.

What makes Campaign Monitor stand out? For starters, their drag-and-drop email builder is incredibly intuitive. They’ve got a treasure trove of customizable templates that actually look good, and everything’s mobile-optimized right out of the gate.

No more stressing about how your campaign looks on smartphones!

Their automation features let you create personalized journeys that feel truly tailored to each customer, while their segmentation tools help you zero in on exactly who needs to see what.

The platform plays nice with tons of third-party apps — Salesforce, Shopify, WordPress, you name it — which makes workflows so much smoother. And when you hit a snag?

Their support team is consistently rated as top-notch, and they’ve built up an impressive library of resources to help you get the most out of your email marketing efforts.

Campaign Monitor Quick Overview

Features: You get the standard drag-and-drop design tools, decent segmentation options, automation workflows that actually make sense, A/B testing that doesn’t require a statistics degree, and analytics that update as your campaigns run.

Pricing: Starts at $9/month for basic features. You’ll need to upgrade for advanced automation or unlimited emails. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive – middle of the road.

Pros: The interface doesn’t make my eyes bleed (seriously, it’s clean), templates look professional without trying too hard, automation works without endless tweaking, and it plays nice with other platforms I use daily.

Cons: No free forever plan (which stings a bit), CRM features feel somewhat bolted-on rather than integrated, and the automation lacks some of the advanced branching logic you’d find in ActiveCampaign or HubSpot.

User Experience: I was up and running in about 30 minutes. If you care about design but don’t want to mess with code, you’ll probably like it. Perfect for getting campaigns out quickly without sacrificing quality.

Alternatives Worth Considering: Check Mailchimp if you need every integration under the sun, Brevo if you want a genuine all-in-one platform, or MailerLite if budget’s tight and you value simplicity.

Campaign Monitor Key Features Breakdown

Email Campaigns

After testing dozens of campaign creators, Campaign Monitor’s stands out for being straightforward without being simplistic. Their drag-and-drop builder handles promotional emails, newsletters, product announcements, and event invites without breaking a sweat.

The mobile optimization is automatic, which saves me from constantly switching between preview modes. I particularly appreciated how easily I could personalize content with dynamic fields — not just boring first name stuff, but purchase history, location data, and behavior-based content that actually feels relevant.

The scheduling options have saved my bacon more than once — especially the time-zone delivery, which prevented me from accidentally waking up subscribers at 3am with promotional emails (yes, I did that once with another platform).

A/B testing is functional if somewhat basic — you can test subject lines or content variations before committing to a full send. The post-campaign analytics give you enough detail to make smart decisions without overwhelming you with useless metrics.

My Experience:

• Works great for all types of emails — I mainly use it for newsletters and product updates
• The personalization feels natural, not robotic or forced
• Scheduling by time zone is a lifesaver if you have international subscribers
• A/B testing could be more robust, but covers the essentials
• Analytics provide actionable insights without information overload

Automation

Campaign Monitor takes a “powerful but approachable” stance with their automation. I found setting up behavior-driven email journeys surprisingly painless compared to some competitors (I’m still traumatized by [competitor name]’s workflow builder).

I’ve built everything from welcome sequences to abandoned cart follow-ups and re-engagement campaigns. The trigger options cover the basics — opens, clicks, list joins — plus some more advanced options.

What I appreciate most is how the conditional logic works as expected without requiring weird workarounds.

The personalization within automated sequences works exactly as advertised — dynamic content adapts based on subscriber data, and it doesn’t break when testing. The workflow analytics helped me spot a major drop-off point in my onboarding sequence, which led to a 23% improvement after fixing.

For those coming from more advanced platforms, you might miss some of the predictive features or super-complex branching logic. But for 90% of email marketers, this hits the sweet spot between power and usability.

Notable Features:

• Setting up triggered welcome emails and behavior-based sequences took minutes, not hours
• The scheduling options within workflows are flexible enough for complex timing needs
• Conditional logic creates branching paths that actually work as designed
• Personalization within automated sequences feels natural and renders correctly
• The workflow analytics helped me identify and fix underperforming emails

Forms & Landing Pages

While not the strongest part of their toolkit, Campaign Monitor’s forms and landing pages integrate smoothly with their email backend. I’ve created embedded forms, pop-ups, and basic landing pages without touching code, then placed them across our website and blog.

What works well is how the data flows. When someone fills out a form with their interests or location, that information automatically populates custom fields and can trigger segmented campaigns immediately. This creates a connected experience that feels considered rather than cobbled together.

The form editor isn’t as robust as dedicated tools like Unbounce, but it’s perfectly adequate for standard lead capture. I particularly like how seamlessly new contacts join specific segments or journeys based on their form responses — this automation happens behind the scenes without extra setup.

One minor frustration: the landing page templates feel somewhat limited compared to their excellent email templates. You’ll get better results if you have basic design skills to customize them.

Worth Noting:

• Forms trigger the right campaigns without requiring manual setup
• Custom fields actually work properly (surprisingly rare in email platforms)
• The form types cover most needs — embedded, pop-up, and standalone
• Follow-up emails align perfectly with form submissions
• Analytics connect form performance to email engagement, showing the complete picture

Subscriber Management & Segmentation

This is where Campaign Monitor genuinely shines compared to budget alternatives. Their approach to segmentation is both powerful and intuitive. I’ve created segments based on everything from basic demographics to complex behavioral patterns without feeling like I needed a database certification.

The dynamic segments update automatically as subscribers meet or fail to meet criteria — something that sounds obvious but is surprisingly rare in mid-tier email platforms. This means your “high engagement” or “at risk of churning” segments stay accurate without manual refreshing.

I’ve found the personalization options particularly useful for our product-focused emails. We can easily show tailored recommendations, location-specific offers, or adjust messaging based on past purchase behavior. The segmentation tools apply across all campaign types, whether one-off newsletters or complex nurture sequences.

The scheduling tools deserve special mention — you can optimize send times per segment rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. This has noticeably improved our open rates for international audiences.

Key Strengths:

• Building segments is intuitive but powerful enough for complex targeting
• Dynamic content adapts naturally based on subscriber attributes
• Segments work consistently across campaigns and automation workflows
• Scheduling can be optimized per segment rather than globally
• Segment performance analytics provide clear insights without overwhelming detail

Integrations & API

Campaign Monitor’s integration ecosystem is solid if not extraordinary. They connect with the platforms most businesses actually use — Salesforce, Shopify, WordPress, and Zapier covering most bases. The integrations feel properly built rather than hastily cobbled together.

What impressed me was how cleanly customer data flows into email campaigns. Purchase history, website activity, and CRM data sync reliably, enabling meaningful segmentation and personalization. I’ve found this particularly valuable for triggering post-purchase sequences and abandoned cart recovery.

For those with development resources, the RESTful API is well-documented and reasonably straightforward. We’ve used it to build custom campaign triggers based on product inventory changes and to pull performance data into our analytics dashboard.

The main limitation? Some advanced integrations require higher-tier plans, which feels like an artificial restriction rather than a technical necessity.

Integration Highlights:

• CRM data flows reliably into segmentation and personalization fields
• Ecommerce integrations trigger timely campaigns based on purchase behavior
• WordPress integration simplifies list building and content synchronization
• API access enables custom solutions for unique business requirements
• Real-time data exchange keeps segments accurate and messaging relevant

Reporting & Analytics

Campaign Monitor takes a “useful, not overwhelming” approach to analytics. Every campaign provides clear metrics on opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, and geographic engagement without burying you in vanity metrics.

The visual heatmaps highlight which links perform best — I’ve used these insights to significantly improve our template layouts over time.

The device and platform breakdowns helped us realize our mobile optimization wasn’t as effective as we thought, leading to template adjustments that improved mobile engagement by 17%.

What I particularly value is the ability to filter results by segment, comparing how different audience groups engage with the same content. This has informed more targeted approaches to content creation rather than one-size-fits-all messaging.

There are limitations — you won’t find the advanced attribution modeling or revenue tracking of enterprise platforms. But for most email marketers, these reports provide actionable insights without analysis paralysis.

Analytics Strengths:

• Core metrics are presented clearly without unnecessary complexity
• Click maps visually identify high-performing content areas
• Device analytics highlight optimization opportunities
• Time-of-day engagement data improves scheduling decisions
• Segment comparison reveals meaningful differences in audience behavior

Customer Support

Support quality can make or break an email platform relationship, and Campaign Monitor’s team has been consistently helpful. Available via email and live chat (depending on your plan), they’ve helped with everything from advanced segmentation logic to deliverability troubleshooting.

What separates them from average support teams is their willingness to help with strategic questions, not just technical issues. When I struggled with declining open rates, they provided actionable advice on list hygiene and subject line approaches rather than generic platitudes.

Their help center and tutorial library are comprehensive and actually useful – I’ve found answers to most questions without contacting support directly. The campaign-specific resources have helped improve our overall email strategy, not just platform usage.

Support Experience:

• Responsive across both chat and email channels
• Guidance extends beyond basic feature questions to strategic advice
• Resources are actually helpful, not just rehashed documentation
• Proactive suggestions have improved our campaign performance
• Technical issues resolved quickly with clear explanations

Campaign Monitor Pricing: Where Things Get Complicated

Is it worth the price? It depends on your priorities. If beautiful, functional emails and reliable delivery matter more than having every feature under the sun, then yes. I’ve found the Unlimited plan hits the sweet spot for most small to mid-sized businesses, while larger operations naturally gravitate toward Premier.

Campaign Monitor’s Free Trial (Not a Free Plan)

Unlike some competitors, Campaign Monitor doesn’t offer a free forever plan, but they do provide a 30-day free trial that’s actually comprehensive for testing purposes. You can send campaigns to up to 5 subscribers without any cost during the trial period

It includes access to their full drag-and-drop editor, professional templates, and basic automation features to test the platform’s capabilities.

I’ve recommended this trial to several clients who wanted to test Campaign Monitor’s superior design tools before committing. The catch?

There’s no ongoing free option, so you’ll need to choose a paid plan after 30 days. But for businesses serious about email marketing, the trial provides enough time to evaluate fit.

The Bottom Line:

• Comprehensive 30-day trial with full feature access
• No credit card required to start the trial
• Must commit to paid plan after trial period
• Superior for testing advanced design and automation capabilities

Campaign Monitor’s Pay-As-You-Go Plan

Campaign Monitor offers a unique pay-per-campaign option ($5 per campaign plus $0.01 per recipient) that removes monthly commitments entirely. This makes it comparable to having a flexible, usage-based alternative to their regular subscription plans.

In my experience, Campaign Monitor’s pay-as-you-go model works well for seasonal businesses or those with sporadic email needs. You get access to their full template library and design tools without monthly overhead, though you’ll miss some advanced automation features.

You’ll still have basic segmentation and reporting, making this suitable for businesses that send high-quality campaigns infrequently rather than ongoing nurture sequences.

Quick Assessment:

• More cost-effective than monthly plans for infrequent senders
• No monthly commitment or subscriber limits
• Access to professional templates and design tools
• Limited automation capabilities compared to subscription plans

Campaign Monitor’s Basic Plan

Campaign Monitor’s Basic tier ($9/month for 500 contacts) provides essential email marketing features with a monthly sending limit of 2,500 emails. This makes it a entry-level option for small businesses starting their email marketing journey.

Having tested extensively, I found Campaign Monitor’s Basic plan delivers superior template quality and design flexibility compared to budget competitors. Their drag-and-drop editor feels more intuitive, and the mobile optimization is automatic rather than requiring manual adjustments.

The single user limitation works for solopreneurs, though growing teams will quickly need to upgrade. Email support is responsive, and the analytics provide essential metrics without overwhelming detail.

My Take:

• Professional design capabilities at an entry-level price point
• Superior template quality compared to budget alternatives
• Monthly email limit becomes restrictive as you grow
• Single user restriction limits team collaboration

Campaign Monitor’s Unlimited Plan

Campaign Monitor’s Unlimited tier ($29/month for 500 contacts) removes email sending restrictions and introduces unlimited automation capabilities. This positions it as a direct competitor to mid-tier offerings from other platforms.

Having compared both extensively, I found Campaign Monitor’s automation builder more intuitive than many competitors. Their time zone sending and engagement segmentation features provide sophisticated targeting that’s typically found only in higher-priced tiers.

The 3-user collaboration supports small marketing teams, while priority support ensures faster resolution of any issues. The 90% first-month discount makes it easy to test without significant commitment.

Phone support isn’t included at this tier, though their email support team consistently provides strategic guidance beyond basic technical assistance.

My Take:

• Comprehensive feature set that competes with premium mid-tier platforms
• Unlimited automation capabilities benefit growing businesses
• Superior design tools and template quality
• Excellent value proposition with first-month discount

Campaign Monitor’s Premier Plan

Campaign Monitor’s top-tier offering ($149/month starting price) targets agencies and larger organizations with advanced needs and high-volume requirements. The pricing scales with contact count rather than being fixed, which accommodates growth better than rigid tier systems.

This plan includes unlimited users, advanced agency features like private labeling and markup options, plus dedicated phone support. The deliverability support team provides expert assistance with inbox placement issues, while custom coded template support enables complete design flexibility.

Having worked with several agency clients, I’ve found Campaign Monitor’s Premier offering exceptionally well-executed for multi-client management. The subaccount system, billing options, and template sharing streamline agency workflows significantly.

Enterprise Considerations:

• Scalable pricing accommodates business growth
• Advanced agency features support multi-client operations
• Dedicated phone support and deliverability expertise
• Superior design flexibility with custom coding options

Campaign Monitor Pros and Cons

What Campaign Monitor Gets Right

After years of using various email platforms, Campaign Monitor stands out for its exceptional usability without sacrificing power. The drag-and-drop editor feels natural rather than restrictive, making campaign creation genuinely pleasant.

Even team members with zero design skills have created professional-looking emails without assistance.

The template selection deserves special mention — they’re contemporary, mobile-responsive, and avoid the generic “template look” that plagues many platforms. This has saved our design team countless hours of customization work.

Campaign Monitor’s approach to segmentation strikes the right balance between power and approachability.

I’ve built segments based on complex combinations of engagement metrics, geographic data, and custom fields without feeling like I needed a database certification. This translates directly to better targeting and higher engagement rates.

Deliverability — the often-overlooked foundation of email marketing — has been consistently excellent. Our messages reach inboxes reliably, even during high-volume sends or to typically challenging domains like Gmail and Outlook.

The integration ecosystem connects smoothly with our critical platforms (Salesforce, Shopify, WordPress), creating automation workflows that feel seamless rather than cobbled together.

Customer support deserves praise too — responsive, knowledgeable, and focused on solving actual problems rather than just closing tickets.

Where Campaign Monitor Falls Short

Despite its strengths, Campaign Monitor isn’t perfect. The lack of a free plan creates a barrier for very small businesses or freelancers who aren’t ready to commit financially. When I started my consultancy, this drove me to competitors initially before upgrading later.

The automation builder, while user-friendly, lacks some of the advanced functionality found in platforms like ActiveCampaign. You’ll miss multi-conditional branching, complex scoring models, and predictive send-time optimization unless you’re on the highest tier plans.

A/B testing feels somewhat restricted — subject line testing is standard, but testing content variations or send times requires higher-tier plans. This artificial limitation frustrates users who understand the value of testing but can’t justify enterprise pricing.

The template customization presents another limitation. While the templates look great out of the box, making significant structural changes requires HTML/CSS knowledge. This creates a ceiling for non-technical users who need highly customized designs.

Finally, the absence of built-in CRM or full sales funnel capabilities means most businesses will need to integrate additional tools for complete customer lifecycle management. This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it’s worth considering if you’re seeking an all-in-one solution.

Is Campaign Monitor the Right Service for You?

Who Should Consider Campaign Monitor

Based on my experience working with dozens of email marketing platforms, Campaign Monitor hits the sweet spot for specific business types. It’s particularly well-suited for small to mid-sized companies that care about professional presentation but lack dedicated email specialists.

The platform’s strengths align perfectly with design-conscious brands that want polished, responsive emails without the complexity of enterprise systems. I’ve found it especially valuable for ecommerce businesses that need product-focused templates and reliable deliverability.

Agency teams managing multiple client accounts will appreciate how easily Campaign Monitor handles segmentation across different audience types. The template system allows for consistent branding while enabling customization for specific campaigns or clients.

The platform integrates smoothly with common business tools like Shopify for ecommerce, Salesforce for CRM, and WordPress for content marketing. This connectivity creates workflows that feel cohesive rather than fragmented across multiple systems.

Campaign Monitor delivers exactly what most growing businesses need: reliable email delivery, professional design capabilities, and enough automation to create personalized customer journeys without overwhelming complexity.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

However, Campaign Monitor isn’t the ideal fit for every organization. Enterprise-level companies will likely find limitations in the automation capabilities, user permission systems, and data integration depth.

If you need complex approval workflows or highly granular user permissions, enterprise-specific platforms would serve you better.

Data-driven marketing teams requiring comprehensive analytics may find Campaign Monitor’s reporting somewhat limited.

While it covers essential metrics effectively, it lacks the advanced attribution modeling, customer journey visualization, and predictive analytics found in platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

Very small businesses or solopreneurs with minimal budgets should consider alternatives with free tiers, like Mailchimp or Brevo. Campaign Monitor’s entry price point, while reasonable for its capabilities, requires financial commitment from day one.

If your marketing strategy centers around complex, multi-channel automation with intricate conditional logic, you might find Campaign Monitor’s workflow builder somewhat constraining compared to automation specialists like ActiveCampaign or Drip.

What Users Actually Say 

Overall rating:

4.1

/5

G2:

4.1

Trustpilot:

3.8

Capterra:

4.5

See other alternatives

The User Experience

I’ve watched countless marketers interact with Campaign Monitor, and the consistent reaction is relief at how intuitive it feels. Unlike some competitors that seem designed by engineers for engineers, Campaign Monitor clearly prioritized user experience from the ground up.

The interface avoids overwhelming users with too many options while still providing access to powerful features. Navigation feels logical rather than labyrinthine, with related functions grouped sensibly. Even team members without technical backgrounds typically master the basics within their first day.

The drag-and-drop editor deserves special mention for striking the right balance between flexibility and structure. It prevents the design disasters possible with completely free-form editors while still allowing enough customization for brand compliance.

Real-time previews and mobile optimization simplify the creation process significantly.

Learning Curve Assessment

Most users report a surprisingly gentle learning curve, with core features mastered within their first few campaigns. One Capterra reviewer noted, “Campaign Monitor is intuitive and well-organized — perfect for managing multiple campaigns with minimal confusion.”

This aligns perfectly with my experience onboarding team members to the platform.

Basic campaign creation, list management, and sending functions require minimal guidance. More advanced features like complex segmentation or multi-step automation typically need some exploration or reference to help materials, but the learning process feels progressive rather than overwhelming.

The platform does an excellent job of making capabilities discoverable without forcing users through rigid tutorials. This approach suits both quick-start users and those who prefer methodical exploration of all available features.

Campaign Monitor vs Other Platforms

Overall rating:

4.1

/5

G2:

4.1

Trustpilot:

3.8

Capterra:

4.5

See other alternatives

Overall rating:

3.9

/5

G2:

4.3

Trustpilot:

2.8

Capterra:

4.5

See other alternatives

Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp

Having run campaigns on both platforms extensively, the differences become clear quickly. Campaign Monitor delivers a more refined user experience with templates that genuinely look professional without extensive customization. Its interface feels intentionally designed rather than accumulated over time.

Mailchimp counters with broader functionality — more advanced testing options, built-in postcard marketing, and a more extensive integration library. Its automation capabilities have improved significantly, now offering multi-branch workflows that Campaign Monitor lacks at lower tiers.

The pricing models differ substantially too. Mailchimp’s costs increase rapidly as your subscriber count grows, while Campaign Monitor’s usage-based approach often proves more economical for larger lists with moderate sending frequency.

For design-focused marketers or agencies managing branded communications, Campaign Monitor typically delivers better results with less friction.

For marketing teams needing all-in-one capabilities or advanced behavioral targeting, Mailchimp’s broader toolkit may justify its premium pricing and occasionally frustrating interface quirks.

The Verdict: Choose Campaign Monitor for design quality and straightforward campaign execution; choose Mailchimp for feature breadth and marketing ecosystem integration.

About author

Emily Austin

Author

Sender

Emily is a content manager who has dipped her toes in almost all fields of marketing, including email marketing, PR, social media, and ecommerce. She loves perfecting digital content, ensuring everything is polished and ready to go live.