My recommended WordPress Newsletter plugin

I did some research to decide what WordPress Newsletter plugin and thought I’d share some of my notes and opinion here.

Types of newsletter set up:

First is to know what type of newsletter set up I want. There are currently two types as listed below:

1. All in one WordPress Newsletter plugin:

This includes having email subscription and newsletter email features. It is managed within the WP Admin dashboard. NB: Ensure it is able to be with SMTP to increase email deliverability.

2. Third-party email marketing service:

Third-party email marketing services as there own system that can be integrated into WordPress. The email subscription plugin should be intergrated to the third-party email marketing service.

Features to consider:

When deciding on which newsletter plugin to pick, it is important to consider the following features:

• Easy to use interface
• Security
• Deliverability: Ensure deliverability with plugin that has SMTP server
• Target specific list management: Ability to segment list and target subscribers with campaigns to cater their interest.
• Automated features:
• Analytics:
• Pricing plan

My recommended newsletter plugins:

Note that I have not included other WordPress Newsletter that has under 100,000+ user to ensure the decision is more reliable and reputability.

1. Recommendation for free WP |Newsletter plugin:

The first choice is Newsletter because it has all the essential features and unlimited email/subscriber list. More importantly the SMTP addon is free unlike other plugins such as Icegram that charges premium. The only probably is that it does not allow automated welcome email messages. The premium price is also reasonable.

The alternative choice is MailPoet or Icegram. Both has all the essential features you’ll need but has it’s own limitation for it’s free services. It is fine with a small number of subscriber but will become an issue if the subscriber grows.

In the case of MailPoet, it uses their own email service so it will not affect the performance of your own server. Also the delivery rate that avoids ending up in spam box reduces. However, you will charged after 1000 subscriber.

Icegram uses your own server so it will affect your performance of your website if your subscriber and email activity increases and grow. Sending from your own server is less reliable as most PHP and WordPress mail function land in the spam inbox. In such case, using external email server such as SMTP is recommended. Unfortunately Icegram requires premium fee to use the SMTP addon.

2. Recommendation for paid WP Newsletter plugin:

If you are serious in email marketing and are using it for businesses or as a professional blogger, I recommend using email marketing service instead of email newsletter plugin.

However, if you are adamant in sticking with wordpress email newsletter plugin, I suggest either stay with Newsletter if you find it convenient or consider MailPoet. I have not used Mailpoet but it has such a good reviews and with 600,000+ users.

3. Recommendation for email marketing service:

If you are serious about growing your subscribers then I advice you to use a professional email marketing service instead of a WordPress newsletter plugin. It is what serious marketer, blogger and business expert uses.

I have not looked properly into the email marketing service and so I cannot give a recommendation. However, I can say that MailChimp is one of the most popular ones out there. There are no best one, but there are ones that are more suitable for the type of project you have. Here are recommendtation from a post from wpbeginner,  7 best email marketing services for small business (2023):

• Small business, non-profit, new blogger: Constant Contact
• Professional blogger/content creator: ConvertKit
• Ecommerce: Omnisend or Drip
• Automated marketing tool: SendInBlue
• All-in-one: HubSpot

NB: Don’t forget that email marketing service requires an email subscription plugin. the wpbeginner highly recommend OptinMonster, Other note worthy plugins includes WPForms. Other unique ways to collect emails subscriptions are to use landing page (with SeedProd) or chat box (using LiveChat.com or ChatBot.com)

Detail feature listing:

Below are detailed features of the three chosen newsletter plugins:

MailPoet:

• All in WordPress
• Use own inhouse email service (MailPoet Sending Service). But can also use third party email.
• Features: sign up form, drag & drop builder, 50 ready to use template, automated welcome email, scheduled email, new post blog notification
• GDPR compliant
• Segmentation capability and multiple email list based on behaviour (premium) .
• Can be integrated with ecommerce (woocommence),
• Analytics and report: basic is free and advance report (with google analytics) requires premium
• Email: First 1000 subscriber can use the in house email service for free. 5000 emails per month. Paid plan starts at $10 monthly for unlimited email
• 600,000+

Icegram:

• For simple newsletter set up
• Use your own serve so third party is not necessary but it may affect your server performance. But can use WP Mail SMTP to fix any deliverability issue unfortunately this feature is premium.
• Features: pop-ups, opt-in form, automated welcome, grad & drop builder, drip autoresponder series campaign, new blog post notification, trigger based automation workflow, targeting rule, collect leads with generation form, 120 campaign models (subscription, yes-no CTA and special offer), and blog post notification.
• Segment leads
• Solve email delivery problems
• Security: protect against spam, captchas can be added into subscription box
• A/B testing
• GDPR compliant (double opt-in).
• Analytics
• Integrate: woocommerce,
• White labelled email for free (no “Powered by…” brand section)
• Email/subscriber: unlimited contacts and emails for free.
• Free and premium price start at $9 monthly ($129 yearly)
• 100,000+ user