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What is an email autoresponder [+ best 10 in 2024]

Reading Time: 12 minutes

Email autoresponders are the underrated elements of personalized marketing. These powerful tools help you to nurture leads and drive conversions through timely, behavior-driven messaging sequences. 

Gone are the days of manual effort to create relevant email campaigns. Now, with the best autoresponder, you can create automated email marketing tailored to your recipient’s actions, preferences, and buyer journey. 

With the numerous email autoresponder software out there, though, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Don’t worry! To help you find the perfect platform for your needs, we’ve identified the top 10 in today’s market.

Unlock automated sales using personalized emails with the best email autoresponder from Omnisend

What is an email autoresponder?

An email autoresponder is a software tool that automates the sending of email messages and is typically used for marketing or customer engagement. It allows you to pre-build a series of messages and schedule them to be sent to your subscribers at specified intervals, such as immediately after signing up or on a recurring schedule.

Creating an autoresponder email is typically straightforward. You write the content, set up the send timing and rules, and let the autoresponder handle delivery. The best email autoresponders offer user-friendly visual workflow builders for this. They also dynamically segment subscribers for highly personalized messaging.

For instance, Gmail has a vacation responder that automatically sends a reply to incoming emails when you’re away. However, dedicated platforms like Omnisend provide more powerful features and integrations, such as creating a consistent experience for new customers and encouraging store visitors to complete their purchase.

Best email autoresponders: Overview

AutoresponderG2 ratingPricing Starts FromBest for
Omnisend4.6/5$0/moEcommerce
Mailchimp4.3/5$0/moBeginners
HubSpot4.4/5$0/moCompanies that use CRM
ConvertKit4.4/5$0/moBloggers
Moosend4.6/5$9/moAutomation
ActiveCampaign4.5/5$15/moBoth B2B and B2C companies
AWeber4.2/5$0/moEmail templates
MailerLite4.7/5$0/moFree plan
Brevo4.5/5$0/moAdvanced segmentation
GetResponse4.3/5$19/moEmail deliverability

For more details, use our email pricing calculator below to quickly compare costs and features with other top platforms. Input your desired number of contacts, choose up to two other email autoresponder providers from the list, and see how Omnisend stacks up against them.

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    Before we dive deeper, let’s look at what email autoresponders are and how to choose the best tool for your business.

    How to choose the best email autoresponder?

    With so many options available, choosing the right email service provider (ESP) for your business can be a bit overwhelming.

    To help you decide, we looked at the following factors to analyze the email autoresponders:

    • G2 user ratings. These can give you a good idea of how other businesses have found a particular autoresponder to be useful. After all, what works for one business may not work for another, so it’s helpful to see how it has been received by others in your industry
    • Ease of use. It’s essential to have a tool that’s user-friendly and easy to navigate. If it’s a pain to set up and use, it will be difficult to make the most of its features
    • Email marketing features. These are the bread and butter of an email autoresponder. Consider the types of automations you’ll want to run and ensure the tool you choose has these capabilities
    • Tracking and analytics features. Knowing how your automations are performing is crucial. The best email autoresponders will offer robust analytics so you can see which campaigns are working and which need improvement
    • Deliverability. No matter how great your automatic messages are, they won’t be effective if they don’t reach your subscribers’ inboxes. Your tool should have a good reputation for deliverability
    • Omnichannel marketing features. People use multiple channels to interact with businesses. So, it’s important to have a tool that allows you to run campaigns across different channels
    • Customer support. No matter how user-friendly your autoresponder is, you’re bound to have questions. It must have good customer support to help you when you need it
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    1. Omnisend

    Best email autoresponder for ecommerce

    G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: Omnisend

    Omnisend proves that email autoresponders don’t have to be expensive or difficult to use. It’s an excellent, easy-to-use autoresponder tool that lets you do much more than just set up automated messages.

    On top of everything you need to build effective automated workflows, you also get all the tools to get the most out of those workflows for boosting your sales, including powerful analytics, high deliverability, award-winning 24/7 customer support, and a massive library of pre-made email templates.

    But what really makes Omnisend shine is its focus on ecommerce. With its welcome series, cart abandonment workflows, and special offer emails, Omnisend makes setting up and sending ecommerce automation a breeze.

    Key autoresponder features

    Pricing

    Free plan with access to all features, up to 500 emails per month. Premium plans start at $16 per month.

    Get better email marketing automation that’s made for ecommerce with Omnisend

    2. Mailchimp

    Best email autoresponder for beginners

    G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: Mailchimp

    As the most popular email marketing software on the market, Mailchimp is a great option for small businesses and solopreneurs who are just starting out. It’s very user-friendly and offers all the basics you need to automate your marketing.

    As your business grows, however, you may want to consider other options because Mailchimp doesn’t have as many advanced features as other tools on this list. But if you’re just getting started, Mailchimp is a great place to begin. It’s easy to use, and it will help you get a handle on email marketing automation.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Content Optimizer with helpful suggestions for more engaging emails
    • Good reporting features to help you easily track performance
    • Pre-built automations to send triggered emails
    • Intuitive segmentation features for better targeting

    Pricing

    Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $13/month.

    3. HubSpot

    Best email autoresponder for companies that use CRM

    G2 rating: 4.4 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: HubSpot

    HubSpot is regarded as the ultimate one-stop-shop SaaS solution.

    Not only does it offer a boatload of email marketing features, but it can also help your business with sales, customer relationship management, and more. That’s why HubSpot is a great fit for larger companies that might need to pair their marketing automation with a robust CRM.

    Plus, it plays well with other popular marketing and sales tools, making it even more powerful. With HubSpot, you can launch and customize automation workflows, A/B test your content, segment and personalize your campaigns, and much more.

    With that said, HubSpot’s massive feature set may be somewhat overwhelming for small to medium businesses. So, if you still have plenty of room to grow, you might want to consider another provider.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Integrates seamlessly with HubSpot’s free CRM, helping you reach more sales and provide better customer support
    • A/B testing options to find the winning formula for your campaigns
    • Advanced segmentation that will help you personalize your campaigns and extend customer lifetime value

    Pricing

    Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $20/month.

    4. ConvertKit

    Best email autoresponder for bloggers

    G2 rating: 4.4 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: ConvertKit

    When it comes to email autoresponders for bloggers and online content creators, ConvertKit is hard to beat. It’s built specifically for YouTubers, podcasters, and live streamers who want to turn their online presence into a business.

    ConvertKit makes it easy to automate your email marketing, so you can focus on creating content and leave the rest to the software. Plus, the automations editor is so simple, even a blogger can figure it out. And if you need to make changes on the fly, ConvertKit has got you covered.

    One thing to note about ConvertKit is that it uses a tag-based list management system. This means that instead of creating lists, you add tags to your contacts, making it easy to add them to sequences, forms, and broadcasts later on. This can be a pro or con depending on your preference, but it’s great for those who want to keep things simple.

    ConvertKit is an excellent email marketing tool for bloggers and content creators looking to monetize their online presence. Its simplicity and focus on fundamental features also make it a great option for novice marketers.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Easy-to-use automation builder with on-the-spot adjustment capabilities
    • Simple list management features for easy subscriber segmentation
    • Basic tracking for quick performance insights

    Pricing

    Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $15/month.

    5. Moosend

    Best email autoresponder for automation

    G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: Moosend

    If you’re looking for an email autoresponder that offers a wealth of automation options at an affordable price, Moosend is definitely worth checking out.

    It might be the new kid on the block in the email marketing software world, but don’t let that fool you. Moosend is not only packed with easy-to-use features that will help you automate your marketing — it’s also budget-friendly, which is perfect for new businesses just getting started with email marketing.

    One of Moosend’s standout features is its Ecommerce AI tool that, similar to Mailchimp’s Content Optimizer, suggests ways to improve your email marketing campaigns.  

    On top of that, you get forms and popups to help you build your email list, real-time reporting, and analytics to gain customer insights, as well as email personalization features to target your customers better.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Ecommerce AI tool that provides suggestions to improve your email marketing
    • Real-time reporting and analytics to gain customer insights
    • Email personalization features to target customers better

    Pricing

    No free plan is available, though there’s a 30-day trial. Paid plans start at $9/month.

    6. ActiveCampaign

    Best email autoresponder for both B2B and B2C marketers

    G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: ActiveCampaign

    Similar to HubSpot, ActiveCampaign offers a built-in CRM, which includes email and sales automation. The Sales Suite also has SMS prospect nurturing and contact lead scoring, which is particularly great if you’re trying to engage both consumers and other businesses.

    These features make ActiveCampaign a powerful all-in-one solution for people that don’t want the hassle of paying for multiple marketing and sales tools at the same time. With that said, it also means that this tool is better suited for enterprise-level businesses that boast bigger budgets and need advanced automation features.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Easily customizable automation workflows with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
    • Use workflows that will automatically nurture potential customers or set triggers that will notify your sales managers and create new tasks.
    • Lead scoring shows how your contacts have interacted with your business and their likelihood to make a purchase.
    • Many segmentation options that let you personalize your messages better

    Pricing

    No free plan is available, though there’s a 14-day trial. Premium plans start at $15/month.

    7. AWeber

    Best email autoresponder with a wide variety of email templates

    G2 rating: 4.2 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: AWeber

    Email marketers know that having on-brand, professional-looking emails is key. And AWeber makes creating beautiful emails easy as pie, thanks to the fact that its email editor lets you natively use the popular graphic design platform Canva to do just that.

    If manual email design proves too time-consuming for you, the platform also offers a massive library of email templates to help you get started quickly. But AWeber isn’t just about good looks. It also has some decent options to help you perform basic automation tasks like automatically tagging the contacts in your lists for better targeting and assigning triggers and flows to your emails.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Email automations to welcome subscribers or win back abandoned carts
    • An intuitive drag-and-drop email editor with 600+ pre-made email templates
    • Robust email segmentation that lets you target specific customers

    Pricing

    Free plan with limited features. The Pro plan starts at $14.99/month.

    8. MailerLite

    Best email autoresponder with free plan

    G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: MailerLite

    MailerLite may not have all the bells and whistles of some of the big players, but it more than makes up for it with its simplicity and an exceptionally generous free plan. Without paying a cent, you can use MailerLite to send up to 12,000 emails to 1000 subscribers. This is especially handy for one-person brands that don’t have the budget for expensive autoresponder software.

    But don’t let MailerLite’s simplicity fool you. The platform covers all the essential autoresponder features that even established brands will find useful. Plus, it has a few extra goodies like a website builder and surveys that will help you innovate and stand out from the competition.

    MailerLite is a great option for small businesses that want a free easy-to-use autoresponder with all the essential features covered.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Pre-built automated workflows to automate your marketing campaigns
    • Drag-and-drop interface for easy automation building
    • Website builder to create landing pages without needing separate apps
    • Email verifier to clean and optimize your subscriber list for better deliverability

    Pricing

    It offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $10/month.

    💡 Check out the detailed MailerLite alternatives article to make the right choice.

    9. Brevo

    Best email autoresponder for advanced segmentation

    G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: Brevo

    Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a versatile email autoresponder that offers both email and SMS marketing channels. But its most impressive feature is segmentation, allowing you to target your audience based on various criteria. These include past purchases, email engagement, website behavior, and much more.

    Plus, Brevo’s granular reporting and analytics features help you track the performance of your campaigns in real time and gain valuable insights into your audience’s behavior.

    Finally, Brevo also has powerful automation capabilities. You can set up automated campaigns to re-engage inactive subscribers, follow up with leads, or send abandoned cart emails.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Extensive segmentation features to help you target your customers better
    • Email and SMS marketing channels to reach more customers
    • Advanced reporting and analytics capabilities

    Pricing

    Free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $9/month.

    10. GetResponse

    Best email autoresponder with best deliverability

    G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5

    Best email autoresponders: GetResponse

    GetResponse has a lot going on under its hood, but what makes it really stand out is automation and deliverability.

    For starters, GetResponse has an impressive drag-and-drop automation builder that helps you create custom automated workflows with ease. Beyond that, its pre-made email templates and product recommendations make it a great all-in-one email autoresponder.

    Key autoresponder features

    • Visual automation builder makes it easy to create automated responses
    • Email and SMS marketing helps you reach customers in more ways
    • Smart product recommendations that can lead to better upsells and cross-sells
    • High email deliverability rates

    Pricing

    No free plan is available, though there’s a 30-day trial. Paid plans start at $19/month.

    Where are email autoresponders used?

    Email autoresponders are used in various sectors of digital marketing and customer communication. 

    Here are some of the primary areas where they find extensive use:

    • Ecommerce: Email autoresponders are crucial for engaging customers throughout their buying journey, with welcome sequences, shipping updates, order confirmations, win-back campaigns, and abandoned cart reminders all showcasing some of the best autoresponder email examples

      This welcome email from Huggies asks the recipient to indicate whether they’re newbies or parenting pros so they can be added to the right list:
    • Lead nurturing: Autoresponder emails guide B2B prospects through the sales funnel with behavioral email sequences synced to their actions and interests
    • Content marketing: Autoresponder email marketing helps you to stay top-of-mind with audiences as they enable consistent delivery of newsletters, new post notifications, and gated premium content

      In this autoresponder email example, Breville promotes some content they’ve made with influencer, author, and molecular biologist, Nik Sharma: 
    Where are email autoresponders used: content marketing
    Image via Milled
    • Affiliate marketing: Having the best email autoresponder for affiliate marketing is crucial for nurturing leads with personalized product recommendations and promotions
    • Event management: Event organizers use email autoresponders to send reminders for upcoming events, updates, and post-event follow-ups to participants

      See how Chimp Essentials uses an automated reminder to alert its subscribers about an impending Q&A event:
    Where are email autoresponders used: event management
    Image via ReallyGoodEmails
    • Customer support: Autoresponders enhance customer service by automatically acknowledging inquiries and providing instant answers to common questions
    • Beyond business: From educators sending course materials to real estate agents keeping potential buyers informed, email autoresponders streamline communication for any industry

      In the email below, Writers.com shares important information about its upcoming courses, including cost and duration, along with some crucial tips on managing writer’s block: 
    Where are email autoresponders used: beyond business - educators, real estate agents, etc
    Image via Milled

    Summary

    Once again, here’s our list of the best autoresponder tools based on our criteria and ratings from actual users:

    1. Omnisend: Best for ecommerce businesses focused on boosting sales
    2. Mailchimp: Great for email marketing beginners
    3. HubSpot: Best for businesses that already use CRM software
    4. ConvertKit: Best for bloggers and other content creators
    5. Moosend: An excellent choice for a wide variety of automation options
    6. ActiveCampaign: Best for both B2B and BC2 marketers
    7. AWeber: Great for many pre-made email templates
    8. MailerLite: Email marketing with the most generous free plan
    9. Brevo: Best for extensive segmentation options
    10. GetResponse: Great for exceptionally high deliverability ratings

    All of the autoresponders we listed above have very strong email marketing automation capabilities.

    But because every online business has unique needs and goals, choosing the best fit for you should be based on various factors, such as price, ease of use, and additional features.

    In the end, you can’t go wrong with any of these options.

    Get started with Omnisend today & drive sales on autopilot with pre-built automation workflows
    Bernard Meyer
    Article by

    Bernard is the Sr. Director of Communications & Creative at Omnisend, with a passion for good research, helping ecommerce businesses with their marketing automation needs, and beating absolutely everyone in Mario Kart 64.