Campaign Monitor is an amazing email service provider with top-notch features and an easy-to-use interface. From designing beautiful and engaging emails to setting up automated journeys, you get everything in this tool.
But is this tool really as good as it claims to be? I dug deep into its features by analyzing the tool personally and also took into consideration its customers' feedback. The information in this article results from our extensive research to help you make a rational decision.
Table of contents
What is Campaign Monitor?
Campaign Monitor is a full-fledged email marketing software that helps you create and automate email campaigns, build signup forms, and manage all campaigns in a single dashboard. The software is known for its minimal design and straightforward interface, suitable for email marketing beginners, solopreneurs, and agencies.
Recently they also released SMS campaigns which are available only to send SMS to US-based customers. You can personalize each SMS based on the receiver's traits, such as name, age, gender, and other relevant details.
What are Campaign Monitor's core features?
Here's a list of some of Campaign Monitor's features:
Drag-and-drop email template builder
When creating your first email, you have three options: use a premade template, import your HTML template, or use a plain text email. If you select the 'use a template' option, you'll see 100+ premade templates and 4-premade layout blocks. You can choose either one of them to start creating your first email.
What did I like about this feature?
- All premade templates were creative and could be used with minimal customizations
- Preview option that shows how the template will look on mobile and desktop, along with and sender name.
- Simple and easy-to-navigate UI.
- Option to check for invalid or broken links.
Free in-built stock images from Pexels
Easy to set up A/B testing campaigns for two email variations, and you get three options to test - subject line, sender name, or design.
What did I dislike about this feature?
Limited premade layout blocks (only four)
A/B test only 2 variants of emails.
Template error and fix options are not there, which can help identify rendering or formatting errors before sending.
Email automation builder
Email automated journey builder is quite simple, and it offers 6 trigger options: Subscriber joins the list, action in your online store, Subscriber enters or exists a segment, certain date, and an anniversary of a date.
What did I like about this feature?
- One can easily navigate the automation builder.
- The left navigation bar makes it easy to add and edit different steps.
What did I dislike about this feature?
You can create automation, but you cannot make them live if you're on a free plan. The team doesn't clarify this upfront, and you might make a complete journey but cannot send it.
However, if you want to add a new email to a user journey, there is an issue. You'll need to come out of your Campaign and set up the new email separately, which feels a bit clunkier than it needs to be.
Signup form and landing page builder
The signup form builder is an additional feature to create and embed forms on your website. You can see the data collected via these forms in Campaign Monitor's dashboard.
What did I like about this feature?
- The form builder is easy to use, and you can configure and implement forms without much hassle
What did I dislike about this feature?
No option to optimize the form for mobile devices, which is crucial as pop-ups can be introduced if not optimized for mobile devices
Limited formatting and styling options are available to create a signup landing page.
Email campaign reporting
Campaign Monitor's email analytics dashboard is one of the best, with advanced reporting and visual representation of campaign performance.
What did I like about this feature?
- Distinguished sections map out the metrics for the automated journey, contacts, and campaigns.
- Campaign performance comparison with the previous 30 days, and it shows the change prominently (check the image below)
- In-depth, visual audience data analysis by subscriber growth numbers, segment, and engagement level. Analyzing and making the required changes to the campaign is really helpful.
What did I dislike about this feature?
- No option to auto-segment users based on their open or engagement level and send them additional emails.
Campaign Monitor pricing details
You can create a free account to send your campaigns to up to 5 subscribers. You cannot access email automation and SMS campaigns in this free account.
Two types of paid plans are available: Based on the number of contacts and pay-per-campaign plan.
Plans based on several contacts:
| Contacts | Basic | Unlimited | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | $9/month | $29/month | $149/month |
| 5k | $49/month | $99/month | $149/month |
| 10k | $89/month | $149/month | $249/month |
| 15k | $129/month | $249/month | $399/month |
| 20 - 25k | $199/month | $399/month | $499/month |
| 30 - 50k | $299/month | $699/month | $989/month |
| 50k+ | Talk to the sales team | Talk to the sales team | Talk to the sales team |
Get a complete analysis of Campaign Monitor's pricing plans.
If you are a non-profit, you'll get a 15% discount on all the plans.
Pay-per campaign plans
If you send emails occasionally, this plan will benefit you.
- Per campaign charges: $5
- Per recipient charges: 1 Cent
Campaign Monitor's key strengths and weaknesses
Based on Campaign Monitor's customer review, we have highlighted the pros and cons of the tool:
Campaign Monitor Pros
User-friendly interface: The tool has a trouble-free UI; even first-time users can navigate and set up their projects seamlessly.
Top-notch analytics: Campaign Monitor stands out among other ESPs with its detailed and visually appealing reporting dashboard.
Campaign Monitor Cons
- Limited integrations: Despite having 250+ integration Campaign Monitor doesn't have social media integrations with Instagram, and certain CRM softwares.
Campaign Monitor is limited in integrations with business software tools we use in the office. This has left us shortchanged, as there are numerous untapped opportunities we could take advantage of if Campaign Monitor integrates with more software programs. - Reviewer on Gartner Peer Insights
- Chances of overriding the edits in template builder: The tool doesn't show how many people are working on the same email template, so the chances of overriding others' edits are there.
There is no way to tell when other team members are working on an email Campaign in the email builder. This has been an issue for us on multiple occasions where two people work in an email, and someone's work gets accidentally overridden. There is also no manual save feature; instead, it auto-saves. We've had issues with emails not getting saved correctly due to this. - Becca Sangwin, Marketing Director, The Gottman Institute
Is Campaign Monitor the right tool for you?
Now, the biggest question. Should you use Campaign Monitor as your email service provider? We've jotted down key pointers to help you decide:
When it's recommended
If you're a beginner email marketer: Campaign Monitor UI is easy to navigate with its' top navigation panel and clear distinction between different features.
If you run an agency: Campaign Monitor is a great tool for agencies as it offers a client management dashboard, in-built billing, and template sharing between sub-accounts.
You're looking for excellent email templates: The premade templates are among the best I have ever seen in an ESP. So, if you don't want to start from scratch and customize the existing one, go for Campaign Monitor.
When it's not
If you want to run advanced split testing: You can test only two versions of emails by using the subject line, sender name, and design as testing variables. You cannot split test the entire email journey, which you can in Active Campaign.
If you want advanced features at an affordable price: Despite all its top-notch features, the Campaign Monitor's pricing is a bit higher than what other ESPs charge for the same features. For instance, you have to pay $29/month to send unlimited emails to only 500 subscribers, while GetResponse charges about half of that to send unlimited emails to a database with 1,000 addresses.
Campaign Monitor alternatives
We have curated a list of the closest alternative to Campaign Monitor. Check these out:
Mailmodo
Mailmodo is one of the emerging and best email marketing platforms to create and send interactive AMP emails, set up automated email journeys, and create transactional emails.
The ESP is much more affordable than Campaign Monitor and is known for its excellent customer support and email deliverability.
💡Check out the comparison between Mailmodo and Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor vs. Mailmodo: Which one should you use?
| Criterion | Mailmodo | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Email template builder | No code, WYSIWYG for AMP and HTML emails with 67+ premade templates. | Drag-and-drop editor for HTML emails with 120+ premade templates. |
| Email automation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Triggers available | 12 trigger available: 1. Manual Trigger: Specific Contacts. 2. Contacts: - Contacts added to a list, - Change in the property of a contact, - Contact enters or leaves a segment, - Occurrence of date. 3. AMP activities: Form Submission. 4. Custom events: Occurrence of an event. 5. External Platform: API/Webhook, Zapier, Make, Integromat, Influencer Bit. |
6 triggers available: -Subscriber joins the list. - Action in your online store - The subscriber enters a segment. - Subscriber exists as a segment. - A date - An anniversary of a date |
| Reports and analysis | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subject line A/B testing | ✅ | ✅ |
| List management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dynamic email & personalization | ✅ | Only personalization is available. |
| AMP email support | ✅ | ❌ |
| Transactional emails | Available on all plans. | Available on all plans but volume is limited to subscriber numbers. |
| Customer support | Email, chat & phone support 24/7 (for all users). | Available to all users: - Link review - Email support - Deliverability support - Help Center - Training videos - Email Academy Available only for unlimited and premier plan users: Design and spam testing Available only for premier plan users: Phone support |
| Supported integrations | 20+ integrations. | 107 integrations. |
| Pricing (for 40k contacts) | Lite - $199/month, Pro - $249/month, Max - $419/month | Basic: $299/month, Unlimited: $699/month, Premier: $989/month. |
When should you choose Mailmodo over Campaign Monitor?
There are various reasons for choosing Mailmodo over Campaign Monitor:
- Affordable pricing with advanced features
Mailmodo is much more affordable than Campaign Monitor and offers similar and better features. For instance, with a 40k list size, you need to pay only $99/month, while Campaign Monitor charges $249/month for the same number of contacts.
Apart from the pricing, Mailmodo's email automation allows you to create a custom event to trigger emails while such functionality isn't there in Campaign Monitor.
- If you want to send interactive AMP emails
AMP emails are the future of email marketing as they allow you to reduce friction and let your recipient take action inside the email. Mailmodo is the only ESP that helps you create and send responsive and engaging AMP emails with its no-code email editor. So, if you want to use both AMP and HTML email, go for Mailmodo.
Other Campaign Monitor alternatives
Check out these Campaign Monitor alternatives that are much more affordable and might be the right choice.
| Mailchimp | Active Campaign | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp vs. Campaign Monitor | Active Campaign vs. Campaign Monitor | MailerLite vs. Campaign Monitor |
Mailchimp
Mailchimp wins over Campaign Monitor in various aspects. Firstly, it offers a free plan for up to 500 subscribers, perfect for beginner email marketers. Additionally, Mailchimp recently introduced a pay-as-you-go plan and monthly payment, offering users more flexibility. Another feature is that Mailchimp offers multivariate testing giving you more options to run tests.
💡Check out this in-depth Mailchimp Review
Active Campaign
Active Campaign is a more affordable tool than Campaign Monitor and offers almost the same features. Another significant benefit of using Active Campaign is its automation flows and A/B testing option for the entire email drip sequence.
MailerLite
MailerLite wins over Campaign Monitor with its essential email marketing features at a reasonable price.
💡Learn more about the tool with our in-depth MailerLite review
Campaign Monitor's rating overview
| Feature | Ratings | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Campaign Monitor's interface is one of the best. It's straightforward, clutter-free, and perfect for beginner and non-tech-savvy users. |
| Landing page builder | ⭐⭐ | There is an option to create a landing page in the signup form builder. But it's quite basic and doesn't offer good styling and formatting options. |
| A/B or split testing | ⭐⭐⭐ | Split testing is easy to set up, but variant testing is very limited. You can only test two email versions against each other, while other ESPs such as Mailchimp allow 3-8 variant testing, and GetResponse allow spoilt testing against 5 variants. |
| Email template editor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | The template editor is drag-and-drop with a straightforward user interface. You can choose from premade templates, upload your HTML code, or create a plain-text email. The editor also offers free stock images via Pexels. |
| Premade templates | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | There are 120+ email templates based on different use cases. Campaign Monitor's in-product templates are creative and can be used with minimal customization. |
| Email automation | ⭐⭐⭐ | Email automation builder is straightforward to use as all the options (triggers, conditions, etc.) are easy to navigate. One limitation is you cannot add new subscribers until you pause the journey, head back to records, and do it that way. |
| Signup form builder | ⭐⭐⭐ | You can create standalone forms, embedded forms, or pop-ups and add these to your site via link or code. But it isn't easy to find the option to create a signup form option. It's not in the navigation panel. To access this feature go to my list, and you'll see the option there. |
| Own domain | ❌ | - |
| Spam and design testing | ⭐⭐⭐ | Spam and design testing is available only for unlimited or premier plan users. |
| Bounce management | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | For soft bounces, your email will be resent after five minutes, and then (approximately) after every 15 minutes email. When an email address returns a soft bounce 5 times, with no opens or clicks recorded during that period, we automatically convert that address to a hard bounce. |
| Blocklist (Suppression list) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | An email address is added automatically to the suppression list if it meets any of the following criteria: The address hard bounces. The subscriber marks one of your emails as spam (unless they are on Gmail). The subscriber unsubscribes, or you set their status to unsubscribed. It was part of a bulk remove operation, with the "Unsubscribe from all lists" option selected. |
| Reporting and analytics | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | The email reporting dashboard is easy to access and review. You get a complete view of email metrics (open, clicks, unsubscribes), email client distribution, and social sharing stats. Apart from individual campaign performance, you get an overview of all campaigns and can compare the performance. It's easy to export this report as PDF to share with other team members. |
| List management | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Segmentation is available based on subscriber detail (email address, name, date subscribers, and location), custom fields (age, gender, city, country, homeowner, and postal code), and campaign activity (specific Campaign). You can also apply more than one segment using OR, AND options. One drawback is you cannot assign tags to remind you which subscribers took specific actions in the past for better segmentation. |
| Interactive elements | ❌ | - |
| Customer support | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Customer service, as per our experience, was prompt and accessible. The support is available in different ways, and most support is there for users on different plans. Available to all users: - Link review - Email support - Deliverability support - Help Center - Training videos - Email Academy Available only for unlimited and premier plan users: Design and spam testing Available only for premier plan users: Phone support |
| Integrations | ⭐⭐⭐ | Campaign Monitor has 250+ integrations, including Salesforce, Zapier, Hubspot, WordPress, Magneto, and Slack. Despite many integrations, some essential integration with social media channels and CMS are not there. |
| Overall review | - 4.4/5 (Gartner) - 4.1/5 (G2) |
In a nutshell, Campaign Monitor is one of the best ESP with essential features and good customer support. But, one key drawback we found is the pricing structure which is a bit higher than other ESPs. |
The verdict
Campaign Monitor is one of the best email marketing tools with easy-to-use features such as a drag-and-drop editor, 120+ creative email templates, an automation builder, and an SMS campaign builder. Apart from this, the tool offers two pricing structures: contact-based pricing and pay-per-campaign pricing.
But, despite these features, the tool lacks certain features, such as advanced split testing and assigning tags to contacts. Also, no free trial is available, which can be a major turn-off for beginner email marketers.
FAQs
What is Campaign Monitor best for?
Campaign Monitor is best for beginners and agencies who want to create and send beautiful and compelling emails with a drag-and-drop email editor. Campaign Monitor offers special pricing for agencies and lets them manage their client data in a single dashboard. The automation builder is also easy to use and has segmentation and personalization options.
Can you use Campaign Monitor for free?
You can use Campaign Monitor for free, but you can send up to 5 campaigns, and some features, such as email automation, won't be available to you. The paid plan starts from as low as $9/month.
Does Campaign Monitor have a CRM?
No, Campaign Monitor doesn't have a CRM. But you can integrate it with your CRM tool, including Zoho CRM, Zapier, Salesforce, Podio, Hubspot, and Lexer.
