Campaign Monitor Review: Pros, Cons, Alternatives

Campaign Monitor Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Campaign Monitor entered the email marketing game in 2004. Since then, it has established its authority as a reputable email marketing platform. Known for its sleek design and usability, it’s a top email creation and audience management option. It comes with high-class features that help brands have everything under one roof.  

But does this mean it’s the right fit for every business? We tested Campaign Monitor to analyze its capabilities and come up with our findings. We also reviewed its customer reviews to discover common likes and pain points.  

After weighing the tool’s strengths and weaknesses, we’re ready to give you an insider look. Then, we’ll explore some solid alternatives to Campaign Monitor. Once you finish reading this post, you’ll understand if it’s the email marketing solution you need. Or if another email tool is your perfect match.   

All you should know about Campaign Monitor: Pricing, strengths, and weaknesses

Campaign Monitor helps businesses create and send emails, manage contacts, set up automation, and monitor email marketing reports. As with every tool, there are strong and weak points. Before discussing them in-depth, we should take a quick look at their pricing:

A table showing Campaign Monitor's pricing plans and CTAs to sign up.

Source 

Campaign Monitor’s pricing starts at $12/month with ‘Lite’. You can add up to 500 contacts and send 2,500 emails. It comes with some of the platform’s core features that help you get started with email marketing. However, there are specific capabilities that Campaign Monitor’s low-tier plan lacks if you want to be more serious about your email marketing campaigns.  

For instance, automation features are limited to drip emails. You can’t build complex workflows through automated journeys. By upgrading, you’ll access features like link tracking and spam testing. To nail your timing with the platform’s sending time optimization functionality, you’ll need to choose ‘Premier’ since it’s unavailable in the Essentials plan.

 So, before exploring the platform’s pricing options, you need to consider your needs in terms of capabilities or email sends and limitations, such as budget constraints. Let’s say you own a mid-sized business and want to send emails to a database of 5,000 contacts. Here’s what you’ll pay: 

  • On the Lite plan, you’ll pay $72/month (for 25,000 email sends).  
  • The Essentials plan will cost you $111/month (unlimited emails). 
  • For the Premier plan, the service will charge you $193/month (unlimited emails). 

But if you add just one subscriber to your list, Campaign Monitor will charge you $111 for its Lite plan. The plan also has a limit of 50,000 email sends. 

Campaign Monitor is rather pricey, especially compared to other reputable email marketing platforms. Let’s compare it to the pricing of a robust Campaign Monitor alternative that we’ll present later in our guide, Moosend. 

For the same email list of 5,000 contacts, Moosend charges $48/month on the Pro plan with unlimited email sends. You can also use its automated workflows, perform spam and A/B testing, and build landing pages, a feature that Campaign Monitor doesn’t offer as a separate option.   

By adding a subscriber to that list, Moosend will cost $64/month. Plus, with Moosend, you can choose annual billing. In this case, you’ll pay $51/month, more than half the price that Campaign Monitor’s Lite will cost you. 

Where Campaign Monitor shines 

Campaign Monitor offers marketers and business owners all the tools to succeed in their email marketing efforts. But what makes it a standout option? Let’s find out.
 

Usability 

Campaign Monitor is a user-friendly email marketing service, bragging about its clean interface. The dashboard is more than just aesthetically pleasing, but also intuitive. The platform has clean fonts and plenty of white space. Users can easily navigate the tool’s main functionalities since the interface guides them through every step. What makes setting up your account even easier is that the platform displays the necessary actions to take. 
 

The platform organizes features logically so users can find them without wasting time. The platform’s intuitive tools simplify complex tasks like list segmentation or monitoring reports. The drag-and-drop email builder is easy to grasp, facilitating email creation from start to finish. Users also report that link and media file insertion is quick and straightforward.
 

You can import contacts from common database formats like an XLS, TXT, or CSV file in a few clicks. Or copy and paste it to fill in subscriber data. Then, the platform will separate the fields for you. Campaign Monitor comes with advanced segmentation capabilities, allowing you to create segments and custom fields effortlessly. 

Campaign Monitor's segment creation preview.

Screenshot provided by the author 

Email creation 

Starting to build an email campaign from scratch gets challenging, especially if you’re a marketing beginner. If you’ve never created an email before, Campaign Monitor’s wide set of email templates is your best ally. The template library consists of beautiful templates for every goal and occasion, from transactional to survey emails.
 

They come with a professional design, too. These pre-made templates are the foundation to build your emails using the drag-and-drop email editor. Alternatively, you have the option to create a plain text email or import one of your templates. 

Campaign Monitor's email design options.

Screenshot provided by the author

If you craft an email from scratch, the software offers you the opportunity to add images directly from Pexels, choosing from a wide selection. You can upload Zip and CSS files containing your images, too. To create branded emails, all you need is to drag-and-drop your logo in the dedicated section within the editor: 

Campaign Monitor's drag-and-drop email builder preview.

Screenshot provided by the author 

 
Checking how your emails render on different devices is crucial for audience engagement and enhanced performance. So, before hitting send, you can preview how your email looks on mobile and desktop devices to ensure the best user experience. 

Not everything’s perfect with Campaign’s Monitor email creation, though. Some users need help with email social sharing options. In fact, they mention having to go to the respective social media platform and add the social buttons since the builder doesn’t let them create such buttons. There are also no customization tools to tailor them to your branding. 

Overall, users experience a hard time when trying to share their email content on social media. This drawback may impact your multichannel marketing efforts. 

Automation  

Campaign Monitor provides users with a selection of useful features. The one that stands out is its straightforward automation, which even entry-level marketers can easily grasp. 

 
Campaign Monitor offers a visual journey designer that allows you to build powerful automated email sequences. You can use its subscriber journeys or create your custom journey.  

Campaign Monitor's visual journey designer preview.

Screenshot provided by the author 

The automation builder’s effectiveness lies in its ability to build multi-stage workflows and use a set of triggers to set them in motion. These may range from user behavior, such as leaving items in a shopping cart, to specific milestones, like a customer’s anniversary with your brand. The navigation bar on the left of the builder facilitates creation by allowing you to add, edit, or delete steps and conditional rules. 

Campaign Monitor's editing welcome journey preview.

Screenshot provided by the author 

If you’re in eCommerce, there’s a separate section dedicated to transactional emails. But you will only gain access to it if you’re a paid plan user. Plus, free plan users may create an automated journey but can’t send it.  

What’s exciting is that Campaign Monitor offers you the choice of combining email with SMS in your automated workflows. That way, you can optimize your marketing efforts and budget allocation. This feature comes with an additional cost, so you must contact the platform for a quote.  

Reporting 

One of Campaign Monitor’s highlights is its robust reporting. With an extensive range of metrics like clicks, unsubscribes, shares, and subscriber engagement over time, you get detailed insights into email performance. Campaign Monitor includes tools like heat maps, which help you check the regions where your most engaged recipients are. 

Its analytics are easy to access and monitor, and you can export them in PDF format. 

Campaign Monitor's email campaign reporting preview.

Screenshot provided by the author 

When you access the campaign performance tab, a prominent option displays the performance changes compared to the previous month. It’s also simple to compare how different campaign types did over different periods. However, this type of reporting allows you to monitor basic metrics instead of regular reports. 

Where Campaign Monitor falls behind 

Every email tool has its weaknesses. And you should consider them before committing to a paid subscription plan. Here are Campaign Monitor’s main disadvantages:
 

Lead generation  

As with most things in Campaign Monitor, lead generation is simple to implement. The service provides you with options to create opt-in forms and capture users’ email addresses. You can select between standard forms, embeddable forms, or popups.  

Unfortunately, landing page creation is only available through the form builder; there is no separate landing page designer. 

To build landing pages on your website, you’ll need to use one of Campaign Monitor’s integrations with dedicated builders like Unbounce or Paperform. 

The options for form creation are limited since no pre-made templates are available. Plus, the platform needs more room for design optimization. You can change fonts, font sizes, and colors, but that’s pretty much it.  

Campaign Monitor's form and customization preview.

Screenshot provided by the author 

You have practical, simple, and law-compliant forms. You’ll have to turn to one of the platform’s integrations, such as Gravity Forms, to make them more visually appealing. 

Customer support 

Campaign Monitor’s customer support is one of its weak points. While the solution offers some self-service educational material, such as Help Articles, training videos, and a helpful blog, it lacks traditional customer service options.  

For instance, you can access email support on all plans, but phone support is only available for Premier customers. And, unlike other tools, there’s no 24/7 customer service. You can reach support agents from Monday to Friday during office hours. 

Also, the link review feature, which notifies you of broken or missing links, is available on all tiers, but spam testing is only for Essentials and Premier users. 

The platform has a chat widget where you fill in your query, and it directs you to relevant help articles. If this doesn’t work, you can complete a form to contact support.  

However, the main problem is that many Campaign Monitor customers report bad experiences with the customer support team. Some users refer to the platform’s customer service as poor, while others mention that the team was unresponsive or unable to address problems. 

Split testing 

The split testing capability in Campaign Monitor is basic. You can test two email variants based on their subject lines, sender names, or email content. Campaign Monitor customers mention they need multivariate testing and more advanced testing capabilities. After all, testing several email versions is a feature that most of its competitors offer. Some of these tools even allow you to test different sending times.  

A/B testing, often referred to as split testing, is a crucial tool in modern email marketing. It enables marketers to compare two versions of an email to determine which one performs better based on specific metrics like open rates, click-through rates, or conversions

What are the best Campaign Monitor alternatives? 

This brings us to discussing alternatives to Campaign Monitor. With the countless options in the market, the email marketing competition has become fierce. Campaign Monitor remains a powerful email app which helps you execute an effective email marketing strategy. But there are better options—at competitive pricing, too. Let’s check them out: 

Moosend 

Moosend's abandoned cart recipe example showing how to set up automated emails for customers.

Source 

Moosend is an email marketing service with a full suite of powerful tools. These tools help you create stunning newsletters, manage email lists, automate user journeys, and optimize email performance.
 

Where Moosend excels as a Campaign Monitor alternative 

  • Sophisticated automation, with several built-in, customizable workflows called Recipes. You can also build your custom workflow, choosing from several triggers and conditions, and use the automation builder to edit, remove, or duplicate steps. 
  • Advanced personalization through dynamic email content. The platform automatically adds dynamic content blocks to emails, tailoring sections based on subscriber data. For instance, it displays unique product recommendations to different segments using characteristics like their location. 
  • User-friendly form and landing page creators that help you collect email addresses. Both come with ready-made and responsive templates with a set of customization tools. Regarding sign-up forms, a conditional visibility feature allows you to choose when users see them. 
  • Top-notch customer support 24/7. All plan users get chat and email support, while Enterprise customers also have priority support. On a self-service level, you’ll find resources like an extended Knowledge Base and a great blog. Plus, there are free webinars and a video academy on email marketing-related topics.
     

Moosend pricing 

Moosend’s pricing starts at $9/month with the Pro plan. 

This plan grants access to features such as automated workflows, sleek-designed email templates, advanced reporting, and spam and A/B testing. The platform comes with a 30-day free trial, so users can test all core features and send unlimited emails.  

Mailchimp 

Mailchimp's email builder preview.

Source
 

Mailchimp is the most popular email marketing software, serving millions of users. It enables businesses of all types to power up email creation, marketing automation, and list management. 
 

Where Mailchimp excels as a Campaign Monitor alternative   

  • Mailchimp has a beginner-friendly email editor. Offering a large library of modern-themed email templates, it makes a simple task out of creating emails. You can use its drag-and-drop capabilities to add and tweak elements like images, videos, and social buttons. 
  • Pre-built, multi-step automated workflows called Customer Journeys for every business need. You can trigger automation based on subscribers’ profiles and interactions. You can enhance your targeting further using both email and SMS campaigns. 
  • A unique appointment booking feature, ideal for businesses that offer in-person services. Through it, customers can check your availability and prices. 
  • A list of 300 integrations with almost every marketing tool. Some of them include Salesforce, Canva, and Shopify. 

Mailchimp pricing 

Mailchimp’s free version is a good fit for businesses with simple needs since it only allows for 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly emails. Complex automation and A/B testing aren’t available in the free plan. Paid plans start at $13/month (Essentials) with 500 subscribers, but email sends may reach 5,000. With it, you get A/B testing and basic reporting. However, you won’t be able to use its advanced segmentation or dynamic email content options. 

Active Campaign 

Active Campaign's email template preview.

Source 

Active Campaign is an email service known for its multichannel marketing features. It has all the email marketing capabilities a business may need, plus SMS marketing and social media. 

Where Active Campaign excels as a Campaign Monitor alternative   

  • It comes with a lead scoring system that displays the recipient’s past activity, allowing you to group them based on their engagement.  
  • Active Campaign’s marketing options help you target users at multiple touchpoints. You can send automated emails and SMS messages and use subscriber data to optimize your paid ad campaigns.  
  • The platform integrates seamlessly with social media, amplifying your reach. For instance, there’s an option to add people from your list to Facebook Custom Audiences. Then, it’s easier to optimize your Facebook ads to target them most effectively. 
  • An impressive set of 900 pre-built automation workflows for every industry. Its automation suite also includes features like predictive sending so you can send emails at the optimal time.
     

Active Campaign pricing 

You can test Active Campaign through a 14-day free version, which is a limited period to check its capabilities. The Starter plan costs $15/month for 1,000 contacts and basic features. For example, you cannot access landing page templates, only email templates. You can perform A/B testing, but only for your email campaigns. But Active Campaign remains an all-in-one tool if you’re willing to pay a bit more.  

Is Campaign Monitor the ideal choice for your business? 

There are plenty of reasons to invest in Campaign Monitor. It’s user-friendly and full of powerful features like beautiful email templates. The service might be ideal for beginners, but there are enough advanced capabilities for experienced marketers to be equally satisfied. 

Despite these capabilities, the tool lacks features like advanced split testing, a landing page designer, or subscription form customization options. Another drawback is that it’s almost impossible to get direct customer service. You must complete a form and wait for a reply instead.  

So, Campaign Monitor is a good choice for entry-level professionals. But it does come with limitations. Now if you run a business with complex needs, ESPs like Moosend and Active Campaign will charge you less for the same advanced features. In this case, it’s better to explore these alternatives to Campaign Monitor and decide which tool best resonates with your needs. 

Save time today by automating your publishing with Wordable

You do the hard work writing your content. Automate your Google Docs to WordPress publishing today.
Get Started Today
30-day Satisfaction Guarantee