Campaign Monitor Vs. TinyEmail Vs. beehiiv: How to Choose

In 2024, email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience, drive engagement, and boost conversions. Four out of five marketers surveyed say they'd give up social media before email (and I don't blame them).

But even knowing that you absolutely need to market via email, spraying and praying with any ol' tool won't work. Using the wrong email marketing tool can feel like trying to paint a portrait with a hammer. 

With the right email marketing tool in your holster, you can create personalized, targeted campaigns that resonate with your subscribers, leading to increased loyalty and higher ROI on your spending. But what tool should you choose when you’re starting out? 

If you're new to email marketing, you might be thinking, "I don't want something with too many confusing features." That's what everyone thinks when they're starting. Trust me, you want the confusing features, you just don't know it yet!

Why listen to me?

I’ve been in the email marketing world for five years, running cold email machines, planning and implementing campaigns, and ghost-writing newsletters for C-Suite professionals. You can connect with me on LinkedIn here. 

What you want is something easy to use, with all the confusing features you could ever imagine, and a clear path to learning how to use them.

In other words, you want an email platform that’s beginner-friendly but grows with you. So, where do you find such a platform?

Today, we will break down some of the top contenders and give you a clear direction! 

Table of Contents

• Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv at a Glance

• Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv: Features

• Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv: Pricing 

• Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv: Pros and Cons

• Final Thoughts

Today's Key Players: Campaign Monitor, TinyEmail, and beehiiv

In this article, we'll compare three leading email marketing platforms, so that you can make an informed business decision based on your unique needs.

Campaign Monitor, TinyEmail, and beehiiv are key players in the email marketing world. Each platform has its pros and cons, and all are relatively approachable for beginners.

• Campaign Monitor: Known for its robust feature set, Campaign Monitor offers advanced automation, comprehensive analytics, and an extensive list of integrations. It's designed to help medium to large businesses create sophisticated email campaigns.

• TinyEmail: Designed for small to medium-sized businesses and individual creators. TinyEmail offers an easy-to-use interface, affordable pricing, and decent personalization features, making it accessible for those new to email marketing or with simpler needs.

• beehiiv: A new kid on the block, beehiiv focuses on growth and community engagement. It caters to creators and marketers looking to grow and engage their audiences. 

Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv at a Glance

Campaign Monitor

Caption: Author Screenshot from CampaignMonitor.com

Campaign Monitor was founded in 2004, so it's the granddaddy of this list. It's designed to help medium to large businesses create, send, and optimize email campaigns. Known for its user-friendly interface and high deliverability rates, it's an excellent choice for mid-sized and larger businesses.

Key Strengths

1. Advanced Automation

Campaign Monitor offers advanced tools for creating highly personalized, targeted email campaigns. Their automation features include:

• Customer Journeys: Users can design customer journeys and automate email flows based on user behavior.

• Triggered Emails: Set up emails to be sent automatically in response to specific actions, such as sign-ups, purchases, or website visits.

• Personalization: Campaign Monitor allows users to personalize emails to each recipient in real-time using "hyper-personalization".

2. Comprehensive Analytics

Campaign Monitor includes analytics tools that give marketers deep insights into what works and what doesn't, enabling continuous optimization of email marketing strategies.

Their key analytics features include:

• Real-Time Reporting: Users can track email performance in real-time, monitoring open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and more.

• A/B Testing Results: Campaign Monitor gives users the results of their A/B tests to determine the most effective email content, subject lines, and send times from user experiments.

• Visual Reporting: Visual dashboards give users a quick overview of how campaigns are performing and subscriber engagement within them.

3. Comprehensive Integrations

Campaign Monitor integrates with a bajillion other CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and other marketing tools, including: 

• Salesforce

• Shopify

• WordPress

• Magento

• WooCommerce

• Eventbrite

• Facebook Lead Ads

• Google Analytics

• Zapier

• Slack

TinyEmail

TinyEmail is an email marketing platform designed for simplicity, affordability, and ease of use. It's pre-integrated with Shopify and free for users! As a bare-bones approach, it's worth considering if you're just starting and don't need anything too fancy.

TinyEmail provides all the essential tools needed to run effective email marketing campaigns. It allows you to connect with your audience, nurture leads, and drive engagement without getting frustrated by the complexity of more extensive platforms.

Key Strengths

1. Cost-Effectiveness

TinyEmail is very affordable. They offer pricing plans tailored to fit the budgets of small businesses and individual users. It's a great way to access professional email marketing tools without breaking the bank. See the pricing section for more details.

2. User-Friendly Interface

TinyEmail is designed to be accessible to users of all skill levels.

Their key features include:

• Easy-to-Use Drag-and-Drop Builder: You can create professional-looking emails with a straightforward drag-and-drop editor.

• Responsive Templates: TinyEmail offers responsive templates so your messaging will have a consistent and professional appearance.

• Integrations: Expand your email marketing capabilities with TinyEmail's integration with hundreds of third-party apps.

Small businesses and individual creators can achieve their email marketing goals with TinyEmail's reliable solution, minus the burden of complex features and high costs.

beehiiv

beehiiv was built by newsletter people. It's an email marketing platform designed to grow the crap out of newsletters. beehiiv is a suite of powerful tools for creating, distributing, and monetizing newsletters. If you want to build a newsletter with an engaged community, this is your new home!

Key Strengths

1. Innovative Approach to Email Marketing

beehiiv offers a comprehensive suite of tools for growing a community. Some of the standout features include:

• Integrated Newsletter and Website Platform: When users sign up, beehiiv provides them with a newsletter and a custom subdomain. The platform helps users manage their newsletters and websites in one easy-to-read place.  

• Advanced Audience Segmentation: beehiiv helps users learn to use their advanced segmentation tools so they can deliver personalized content to subscriber groups.

• Content Monetization Tools: beehiiv offers quite a few monetization options out of the box, including premium subscriptions, sponsored content, and an ad network, making it easier for creators to generate revenue from their newsletters.

2. Focus on Community-Building Tools

Designed to help creators build and nurture communities, the platform offers several tools designed to help with audience interaction and engagement. These include:

• Engagement Metrics: To better understand your audience, you can track detailed engagement metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and reader interactions.

• Interactive Content: beehiiv makes it easy to add interactive elements like polls, surveys, and embedded media within emails.

• Referral Programs and Cross-Promotions: The beehiiv referral program is unique. It offers a built-in referral program to help readers grow their audience. You can also use Boost to cross-promote with other newsletters!  

3. Comprehensive Features

beehiiv offers a robust set of features catering to both novice and experienced email marketers. These features ensure users can create professional, engaging, and effective email campaigns. Key features include:

• A Powerful Email Text Editor: Create amazing newsletters with the best text editor in email.

• Responsive Templates: Choose from a list of responsive templates that ensure your emails look great on any device.

• Automation and Scheduling: Automate your email campaigns and schedule your sends to ensure they hit users' inboxes precisely at the right time.

• Detailed Analytics and Reporting: Access in-depth analytics and reporting tools to measure how your campaigns are doing and make data-driven decisions for your business.

• Seamless Integrations: Integrate beehiiv with other marketing tools and platforms like WordPress, Zapier, and Webflow. 

Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv: Features

Email Design and Customization

Campaign Monitor

Template Library: Campaign Monitor encourages users to choose from a wide range of professionally designed templates that allow users to tailor their emails to fit their brand identity. 

Author screenshot from Campaign Monitor’s template page.  

Customization Options:

• Drag-and-Drop Editor: Campaign Monitor provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor that allows users to create and customize emails without requiring coding skills.

• Advanced Customization: Users can personalize emails using dynamic content and advanced segmentation, creating individualized experiences for audience members based on subscriber data and behavior.

• Responsive Design: All templates are responsive, ensuring emails look great on any device, from desktops to mobile phones.

TinyEmail

Template Library: TinyEmail also offers a variety of pre-designed templates. While not as extensive as some of their competitors, these templates should cover essential use cases for small businesses and individual creators.

Caption: Author Screenshot of TinyEmail Templates page

Customization Options:

• Drag-and-Drop Editor: Similar to Campaign Monitor, TinyEmail features an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor that simplifies email design.

• Basic Customization: TinyEmail's customization options are more limited than those of more advanced platforms like Campaign Monitor, but it allows users to personalize their emails.

• Responsive Design: The templates are designed to be responsive and work well on different devices.

beehiiv

Templates Editor: beehiiv guides users to create custom email templates, no coding required! 

The editor makes it easy to customize templates and save your favorite ones. 

Customization Options:

• Advanced Text Editor: beehiiv's text editor is minimalistic yet powerful, allowing users to create custom emails and newsletters without technical knowledge.

• Advanced Features: Users can leverage advanced customization options, including interactive content, embedded media, and dynamic elements to create engaging emails.

• Integration with Websites: beehiiv's integration with included subdomain websites allows for seamless branding and design across newsletters and web content.

Automation and Personalization 

As you grow as an email marketer or creator, you’re going to want to automate flows and personalize your emails eventually. Personalized emails can deliver 26% higher conversion rates! So, who should you choose when it comes to automation and personalization?

Campaign Monitor

Automation Features: Campaign Monitor has been building automations for almost two decades, making them a highly reliable option Key features include:

• Automated Journeys: Users can create automated email sequences based on user actions or triggers, such as welcome series, birthday offers, and VIP customer journeys.

• Behavioral Triggers: Set up specific triggers to send emails based on customer behavior, such as purchases or engagement with previous emails.

• Set Rules: Define rules to target specific customer segments with tailored messages that help them buy at the right time.

Personalization Capabilities:

• Segmentation: Segment your audience based on various criteria such as location, purchase history, and engagement level.

• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields to include personalized information like subscriber names, locations, or purchase details in your emails. In addition to the included custom tags, users can create up to 50 of their own.

• Integration with CRMs and e-commerce: Integrates seamlessly with CRMs like Salesforce and e-commerce platforms like Magento, helping you leverage your hard-earned customer data.

TinyEmail

Automation Features: TinyEmail is designed to make automation simple for small businesses and individual creators. Key features include:

• Automated Campaigns: Set up automated email campaigns triggered by specific actions, like welcome emails for new subscribers or follow-up emails based on their purchase behavior.

• Rule-Based Automation: Define rules to send targeted emails based on customer actions or predefined criteria.

Personalization Capabilities:

• Dynamic Content: TinyEmail allows you to create dynamic content that adapts to the recipient's needs in real-time.

• Segmentation: Segment your email list based on demographics, behavior, and preferences to deliver more relevant content.

• Custom Fields: Use custom fields to personalize emails with specific subscriber information.

beehiiv

Automation Features: beehiiv provides automation tools that help creators and businesses engage their audiences. Key features include:

• Automated Workflows: Create workflows to automate your email campaigns based on subscriber actions and triggers, like new welcome emails or engagement-based follow-ups.

• Personalized Sequences: Set up customized email sequences that adapt to subscriber behavior, ensuring timely and relevant communication.

Personalization Capabilities:

• Advanced Segmentation: Use advanced segmentation tools to target specific groups within your audience with personalized content.

• Dynamic Content: Incorporate dynamic content in your emails to tailor messages based on subscriber data and preferences.

• Integration with Hosted Websites: Seamlessly integrate your email campaigns with your included website for consistent branding.

Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv: Pricing 

It never ceases to amaze me how email platform pricing falls in some wildly different ranges for the same basic product. Some people charge a flat rate. Others charge by list size or size of your organization. Some just take a percentage of your subscriptions. 

Campaign Monitor

Pricing Structure:

• Lite: $11 per month. This plan allows users to get started quickly with core email marketing features, including basic automation and analytics.

• Essentials: $19 per month. Ideal for frequent senders, this plan offers unlimited emails, advanced marketing automation, and priority customer support.

• Premier: $149 per month. This plan includes advanced segmentation, send-time optimization, and premier phone and email support, providing comprehensive tools for sophisticated email marketing campaigns.

TinyEmail

Pricing Structure:

• Free Plan: Available for up to 500 subscribers, includes basic email marketing features.

• Starter Plan: $15 per month, for up to 2,500 subscribers, with more templates and basic automations included.

• Pro Plan: $65 per month, for up to 5,000 subscribers, including advanced automation and priority support.

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for large businesses with extensive needs.

beehiiv

Pricing Structure:

• Launch Plan: Free for up to 2,500 subscribers, includes basic features like custom websites and unlimited email sends.

• Scale Plan: $39 per month, up to 1000 subscribers, includes additional features like email automations and the beehiiv referral program.

• Max Plan: $99 per month, up to 100,000 subscribers, includes priority support and the removal of beehiiv branding.

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering advanced features like dedicated IP addresses and concierge onboarding.

Campaign Monitor vs TinyEmail vs beehiiv: Pros and Cons

Campaign Monitor

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Campaign Monitor offers a clean, intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for users without technical expertise.

• Comprehensive Analytics: The platform provides analytics and reporting tools that help users measure how their campaigns are performing.

• Advanced Automation: Campaign Monitor supports advanced automation, including behavioral triggers and customer journeys that are as complex as you want to make them!

• Wide Range of Templates: Users can access a lot of professionally designed templates that can be customized using a drag-and-drop editor.

Cons:

• No Free Plan: Unlike TinyEmail and beehiiv, Campaign Monitor does not offer a free plan, which could be a problem if you're ballin' on a budget.

• Customer Support: While the support is generally good, there are no direct chat or phone support options, which can be inconvenient for users needing immediate assistance.

TinyEmail

Pros:

• Cost-Effective: TinyEmail offers affordable plans, including a free plan for up to 500 subscribers, so it's an attractive option for small businesses and individual creators.

• User-Friendly Interface: Their interface is clean, straightforward, and integrates directly with Shopify.

• Basic Automation and Personalization: TinyEmail includes essential automation and personalization features that cater to basic email marketing needs.

Cons:

• Limited Advanced Features: Compared to more established platforms, TinyEmail has few advanced features, so it may not meet the needs of larger businesses.

• Basic Customization Options: While it offers customization, the customization options are less extensive than those provided by more advanced email marketing platforms.

beehiiv

Pros:

• Innovative Features: beehiiv offers unique features designed specifically for newsletter creators and marketers, including advanced segmentation and unique monetization tools.

• Community Building Tools: The platform emphasizes community engagement with tools like referral programs, interactive content, and community analytics.

• Comprehensive Free Plan: beehiiv's free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers, offering five times the free subscribers of TinyEmail.

• Blogging and SEO: beehiiv is excellent for written content and is set up to help you get organic traffic to your subdomain, meaning you have more discoverability.

Cons:

• Newer Platform: As a newer entrant in the market, beehiiv doesn't offer quite as many third-party integrations as more established platforms.

• Limited Enterprise Features: While beehiiv offers enterprise plans, some advanced features other platforms offer are still under development.

Final Thoughts

When choosing the best email marketing platform for your business, you must consider your needs, business size, and marketing objectives.

Campaign Monitor is ideal for medium to large businesses that require advanced automation and comprehensive analytics. Its robust features and extensive customization options make it perfect for professional marketers looking to execute sophisticated email marketing campaigns. However, it does not offer a free plan, which might be a drawback for smaller businesses or those with limited budgets.

TinyEmail, a cost-effective and user-friendly solution, is a perfect fit for small businesses and individual creators. It offers essential automation and personalization features, making it accessible for those new to email marketing or with simpler needs.

Its free plan for up to 500 subscribers offers a budget-friendly entry point, although it may lack some of the advanced features found in more established platforms.

beehiiv, a standout for creators and businesses, is designed for community engagement above all else. It offers innovative features like advanced segmentation and content monetization tools that are truly unique to beehiiv. The generous free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers gives creators ample breathing room as they start out.

Start Crafting Newsletters with beehiiv

Choosing the right email marketing platform up front is crucial. You don't want to end up with a big email list without the features you desperately need! We designed beehiiv to create communities, not just lists of subscribers.

For creators and businesses looking to captivate their audience through engaging newsletters, beehiiv is your dream platform. Don't delay. The audience you've always dreamed of is out there, and beehiiv is the ship that'll take you to it. Start creating for free with beehiiv today and build the audience you deserve!