A Practical Software Directory for Solo Builders
Keeping subscribers informed, interested and connected
Email gives you a direct way to share useful content, business updates and offers with people who have chosen to hear from you.
Tools in this category will help you to...
Create and send individual campaigns or regular newsletters, collect subscribers and see which links attract their interest. Some platforms focus on business communications; others provide a home for a newsletter publication, with options for charging readers. Consider your publishing plans, whether you already have a website, and how subscriber and sending limits affect the cost as your audience grows.
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AWeber helps small businesses and creators send newsletters, announcements and promotional emails. Build messages using templates and a drag-and-drop editor, with Canva available inside the editor for creating graphics. Its feed tools can turn new blog posts, podcasts or YouTube updates into emails, helping you share content you already publish. Signup forms, subscriber groups and reports support building and understanding your readership. AWeber documents an ongoing free plan for up to 500 subscribers and 3,000 emails per month, with its branding. Paid plans increase allowances and features; removing AWeber branding requires Plus.
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beehiiv combines newsletter writing, email delivery and a website for your publication. Create editions using its editor and templates, collect subscribers through landing pages and publish articles for people to read online as well as by email. Reports help you follow readership, while recommendations offer another route for readers to discover your publication. The ongoing free plan includes one publication, up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends, with beehiiv branding. Paid plans add features such as automated sequences, paid subscriptions and advertising tools. Charging readers involves payment processing fees, although beehiiv takes no subscription revenue share.
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EmailOctopus provides tools for sending newsletters and email campaigns without adding a wider sales or customer-management system. Use templates and a drag-and-drop editor to assemble messages, schedule delivery and organise subscribers into groups for more relevant updates. Forms and landing pages collect signups, while reports show how readers respond. The ongoing free Starter plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month. It includes EmailOctopus branding, one form, one landing page and reports retained for 30 days. Paid plans remove the branding, retain reports and increase allowances as your list grows.
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Kit, formerly ConvertKit, is an email platform for writers, creators and online businesses building an audience around their work. Design newsletters, send individual broadcasts and collect subscribers through forms or landing pages. Tags help organise readers by their interests, while its Creator Network lets publications recommend one another. The ongoing free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages. It also supports selling digital products and subscriptions, with transaction charges applying. More involved email sequences and visual automations require a paid plan. Creator Network recommendations are enabled initially but can be switched off.
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MailPoet is a WordPress plugin for creating and sending newsletters from your website’s dashboard. Build emails using templates and a drag-and-drop editor, bringing in existing posts, images and WooCommerce products without copying everything into a separate service. You can send individual campaigns or automatically notify subscribers about new articles, with signup forms to help build your list. The free Starter plan includes MailPoet’s sending service for up to 500 subscribers and 5,000 emails per month, with MailPoet branding. Paid plans increase capacity and reporting options. You need a WordPress website that supports installing plugins.
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