Sending every message by hand becomes difficult as your subscriber list grows. The right email automation tool handles repeated communication while your team focuses elsewhere.

Omnisend reported that automated messages produced 30% of email revenue from only 2% of sends during 2025.

We reviewed six email automation tools based on features, pricing, integrations and practical use cases before making a long-term platform decision.

1. Mailjet: Best overall for email automation

Mailjet takes our top position because its automation features cover common business workflows. Its visual builder lets your team create customer journeys around useful triggers. For practical email automation, Mailjet offers useful flexibility without adding unnecessary complexity.

You can start a workflow when someone joins a list or when a contact property changes. Email opens and clicks can also trigger another action. Webhook events allow activity from your application to start automated workflows.

Mailjet Premium starts at $27 per month for 15,000 emails. It includes unlimited contacts, segmentation and automation features. Pricing mainly depends on monthly sending volume.

Best for: Businesses wanting flexible workflows with send-based pricing.

2. ActiveCampaign: Best for detailed customer journeys

ActiveCampaign suits teams that need complex branching inside their campaigns. Its workflows can respond to customer behavior across several sales stages.

Your team can create conditions using tags, forms, purchase history and other activity. Lead scoring can help identify when a prospect should move from automated nurturing to direct sales contact.

Pricing increases as your contact count and feature requirements grow. Check automation limits within each plan before subscribing.

Best for: Teams managing complex lead nurturing and sales journeys.

3. Brevo: Best for budget-conscious businesses

Brevo gives smaller businesses an affordable way to start using marketing automation. Its Standard plan starts at $18 per month.

The plan supports automation for unlimited contacts and includes A/B testing and send-time optimization. Your price depends partly on monthly email volume, so compare expected sending requirements before choosing a plan.

Best for: Growing businesses wanting useful automation at accessible pricing.

4. Klaviyo: Best for ecommerce personalization

Klaviyo focuses heavily on ecommerce data and customer behavior. Stores can trigger automated flows using browsing activity, cart events, purchases and other customer actions.

Someone browsing one product category can receive different emails than a recent buyer.

Klaviyo also combines email with SMS and mobile push messaging. Pricing grows according to active profiles and selected channels.

Best for: Ecommerce brands using purchase and browsing data heavily.

5. Omnisend: Best for smaller ecommerce stores

Omnisend targets ecommerce teams that want ready-made automation workflows. Its free plan currently supports up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends.

Businesses can create welcome sequences, abandoned-cart emails and post-purchase follow-ups without immediately choosing a paid plan. Omnisend also supports SMS and push notifications.

Best for: Smaller ecommerce teams starting with automated customer journeys.

6. HubSpot: Best for CRM-led teams

HubSpot works well when your marketing activity depends heavily on CRM data. Form submissions, lead information and stored customer activity can connect directly with automated follow-up processes.

Basic email automation features are available without a paid subscription. More advanced workflows require higher Marketing Hub tiers. Costs can rise as your requirements expand, so identify the features your team actually needs before upgrading.

Best for: Companies connecting marketing automation with CRM-based sales processes.

What should you check before choosing a tool?

Feature lists cannot tell you how well a platform will work inside your business. Start by mapping one real customer journey from the first trigger through the final conversion.

Check how pricing changes as your database grows, which actions can trigger workflows and how the platform connects with your CRM or ecommerce software. Also test workflow editing, reporting, conversion tracking and customer data exports before migrating your full list.

What should French businesses know about consent?

French businesses should consider privacy requirements when reviewing email automation software. CNIL updated its electronic prospecting guidance in June 2026.

For consumer marketing, prior consent is generally required before sending commercial electronic messages. Businesses must also explain how personal information will be used.

Exceptions can apply to existing customers in certain circumstances involving similar products or services. Check the specific CNIL requirements before relying on an exception.

Good automation starts with proper permission.

Which email automation tool should you choose?

Mailjet is our top choice for practical automation with send-based pricing. Its triggers cover subscriber behavior and external events through webhooks.

ActiveCampaign works better for complicated journeys requiring deeper branching, while Brevo provides an affordable starting point. Klaviyo and Omnisend are stronger choices when ecommerce behavior drives campaigns – while HubSpot suits companies already working extensively inside a CRM.

Before paying for any platform, test one real workflow using your existing process. The best tool should reduce repetitive work without making everyday campaign management more complicated.