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What should you look for in email marketing?

With email marketing you usually pay by the number of contacts on your list. Also look at how the package helps you with consent and unsubscribing, and where your mailing list is stored.

  1. Price at your number of contacts

    The price grows with your list. At 500 contacts the difference is small, at 10,000 the gap between packages can be large. Some also charge by the number of emails per month.

    Ask the vendor

    What does it cost at my number of contacts now and at twice as many, and do unsubscribed contacts count too?

    Sort by lowest price13 of 15 tools have a public price

  2. Free plan for a small list

    With a small newsletter you can often start for free. Check what the free plan adds to your emails, such as the vendor's logo.

    Ask the vendor

    Up to how many contacts and emails is it free, and will there be advertising from you under my newsletter?

    Show tools with a free plan8 of 15 tools meet this

  3. Consent and unsubscribing

    According to the ACM, you may only send advertising by email to people who gave consent beforehand, with an exception for existing customers. Every message must include a quick, free way to unsubscribe.

    Ask the vendor

    Does the package help me record consent, with a confirmation email, and does it add an unsubscribe link to every email automatically?

    We do not have a filter for this yet. Ask the vendor.

  4. Data processing agreement

    Your mailing list consists of personal data, and the vendor sends your emails on your behalf. That makes them your processor, and the GDPR then requires a data processing agreement.

    Ask the vendor

    Do you offer a data processing agreement, and do you use the addresses on my list for anything other than my emails?

    Show tools with data in the EU and a data processing agreement9 of 15 tools meet thisMore about the data processing agreement

  5. Mailing list in the EU

    If your list is stored outside the EEA, the transfer must rest on a valid basis, such as an adequacy decision or a model contract. With data in the EU that question goes away.

    Ask the vendor

    In which country are my contacts and the statistics of my emails stored?

    Show tools with data in the EU9 of 15 tools meet thisMore about data in the EU

  6. Integration with your online shop or CRM

    Automated emails, such as a welcome email or a reminder for an abandoned cart, only work if the package gets data from your online shop or CRM.

    Ask the vendor

    Is there a ready-made integration with my online shop or CRM, or do I need an extra service for that?

    Sort by most integrations14 of 15 tools list integrations

  7. Taking your list with you when you switch

    When you switch, you want to take not only the addresses but also who signed up when. Without that data it is harder to prove consent.

    Ask the vendor

    Can I export my list with sign-up date, source and unsubscribes?

    How to take your data with you

Frequently asked questions about choosing email marketing tools

What should you look for in email marketing?

Look mainly at price at your number of contacts, free plan for a small list, consent and unsubscribing, data processing agreement, mailing list in the EU, integration with your online shop or CRM and taking your list with you when you switch. For each point we explain why it matters and which question to ask the vendor.

Which questions should you ask a vendor of email marketing tools?

What does it cost at my number of contacts now and at twice as many, and do unsubscribed contacts count too? Up to how many contacts and emails is it free, and will there be advertising from you under my newsletter? Does the package help me record consent, with a confirmation email, and does it add an unsubscribe link to every email automatically? Do you offer a data processing agreement, and do you use the addresses on my list for anything other than my emails?

Can I send my customers a newsletter without consent?

According to the ACM, you may send existing customers unsolicited messages about products or services that relate to what they bought before, as long as they can unsubscribe and it is clear who the email is from. For anyone else you need consent beforehand.

How many email marketing tools in the guide can you use or try for free?

Of the 15 email marketing tools in our guide, 8 have a free plan and 7 can be tried for free, according to the vendor's site.

Sources

  1. ACM: Avoiding spam in your advertising (in Dutch)
  2. Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens: Data processing agreement (in Dutch)
  3. Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens: Transferring personal data outside the EEA (in Dutch)

Texts and sources checked on . The counts follow from the facts in the guide. Rules can change; the source prevails. This is an explanation, not legal or tax advice.

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