Some time ago, I researched the merits of eNewsletter tools for a client, narrowing the choice down to: Constant Contact versus Mail Chimp. I also discovered a few other tools in the process, such as iContact, which looks good but it forces its logo on your newsletter with no removal option.
In the end, we selected Mail Chimp, which
has a learning curve but proved effective.
For the benefit of others seeking a cost-effective and professional solution for external or internal communications, I’m sharing my findings here. (Click on the table to enlarge and then save the file, if desired.) I’ve also included links to various sources I consulted. (Caveat: As this initial research was done in early 2012, some things may have changed. So if you discover any needed updates, please let me know.)
Sources:
- Email Marketing Software Comparison
- Top Ten Reviews (Recommends Constant Contact and provides a full review of many tools but excludes Mail Chimp.
- 7 Reasons Why MailChimp is Better than Constant Contact for Author Newsletters
Integrity2Impact 
What about bounce rates? I switched from Constant Contact to Aweber because too many CC emails were being blocked by ISPs.
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Thanks Donna. That’s something that should be on the list but I didn’t track because it was a small distribution for a start-up. It’s also tough to compare without piloting each tool for at least one campaign. How does Aweber compare against the other criteria?
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I have been using MailChimp and it also shows who receives, opens, clicks, forwards — so probably your chart should indicate “reporting good” too.
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Thanks Sue for this. I will update the table later today. As I mentioned, the data may be a little old. However, as I had to dig for details and go through a number of screens, I thought it worth sharing as a base.
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