Email marketing continues to be one of the most reliable channels for lead nurturing and customer engagement. A well-executed drip campaign—a series of automated, scheduled emails—can educate leads, build trust, and guide them toward making a purchase. However, to execute this effectively, you need the right tool.
- What Is a Drip Email Campaign Tool?
- 1. ActiveCampaign – Best for Advanced Automation
- 2. Mailchimp – Best for Beginners and Small Businesses
- 3. ConvertKit – Best for Content Creators
- 4. HubSpot – Best for Enterprise Marketing Automation
- 5. Drip – Best for Ecommerce Automation
- 6. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) – Best for Multichannel Automation
- 7. Klaviyo – Best for Shopify and DTC Growth
- How to Choose the Right Tool
- Email Automation Benchmarks to Watch
- References
This article presents the best tools for drip email campaigns in 2025, with a focus on simplicity, scalability, and feature richness. Each recommendation is based on current user ratings, platform capabilities, and 2025 market trends.
What Is a Drip Email Campaign Tool?
A drip email campaign tool is software that automates the sending of pre-written emails over time or in response to specific triggers, such as a user signing up for a newsletter or abandoning a shopping cart. These tools help marketers automate customer communication, saving time and increasing conversions (Chaffey, 2024).
Key features include:
- Automation workflows
- Subscriber segmentation
- Personalized content
- Email templates
- Analytics and reporting
According to HubSpot (2024), businesses that use automated email campaigns see over 300% more engagement compared to those using manual emails.
1. ActiveCampaign – Best for Advanced Automation
ActiveCampaign offers an all-in-one platform for email marketing, CRM, and automation. Its visual workflow builder makes it easy to create sophisticated drip sequences based on contact behavior, page visits, email interactions, and more.
Key features:
- Drag-and-drop automation builder
- Lead scoring and tagging
- Native CRM integration
- Conditional content and split testing
- Over 900 third-party integrations
Best for: Mid-sized to enterprise businesses looking for robust automation.
Pricing: Starts at $29/month with a 14-day free trial.
According to G2 (2025), ActiveCampaign has a 4.6/5 rating and is widely praised for its flexible automation tools and powerful segmentation capabilities.
2. Mailchimp – Best for Beginners and Small Businesses
Mailchimp is known for its ease of use and beginner-friendly interface. It’s an ideal solution for businesses starting out with email automation and drip campaigns.
Key features:
- Prebuilt customer journey templates
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Basic automation flows
- Campaign analytics and A/B testing
- Ecommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce)
Best for: Freelancers, startups, and non-technical users.
Pricing: Free for up to 500 subscribers; paid plans start at $13/month.
According to EmailToolTester (2024), 89% of surveyed small businesses use Mailchimp as their entry point for email automation.
3. ConvertKit – Best for Content Creators
ConvertKit is built for creators and solopreneurs—including bloggers, coaches, and YouTubers—who want to grow their audience with simple, personalized drip campaigns.
Key features:
- Visual automation editor
- Tag-based subscriber management
- Simple sequences for lead magnets and courses
- Integrated landing pages and opt-in forms
- Creator-focused email templates
Best for: Creators and online educators needing lightweight automation.
Pricing: Free for up to 1,000 subscribers; paid plans start at $15/month.
Capterra (2025) rates ConvertKit 4.7/5 for ease of use, making it ideal for users without technical skills.
4. HubSpot – Best for Enterprise Marketing Automation
HubSpot offers enterprise-level marketing automation with CRM integration, lead scoring, and in-depth analytics. It’s built for complex funnels and long customer journeys.
Key features:
- Advanced workflow automation
- Email personalization with CRM data
- Contact behavior tracking
- Lead segmentation and scoring
- Sales and service integration
Best for: B2B companies, SaaS providers, and large teams.
Pricing: Free CRM; Marketing Hub starts at $50/month.
HubSpot (2024) reports that businesses using its platform for automation achieve a 3x increase in qualified leads within the first year.
5. Drip – Best for Ecommerce Automation
Drip is an ecommerce-focused email platform built to drive sales with automated product recommendations, cart abandonment flows, and shopper re-engagement.
Key features:
- Ecommerce-specific workflows
- Deep Shopify and WooCommerce integrations
- Personalized product content
- Revenue tracking per email
- SMS marketing add-ons
Best for: Shopify stores, ecommerce startups, and DTC brands.
Pricing: Starts at $39/month for 2,500 contacts.
Invesp (2023) found that ecommerce brands using drip tools like Drip increase average order value by 20–25%.
6. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) – Best for Multichannel Automation
Brevo (rebranded from Sendinblue) offers email, SMS, and chat automation in one platform, making it great for multi-touch customer engagement.
Key features:
- Email and SMS workflows
- Real-time reporting
- Transactional email support
- Unlimited contact storage
- GDPR-compliant contact management
Best for: Growing teams wanting multichannel outreach.
Pricing: Free for 300 emails/day; paid plans start at $25/month.
TechRadar (2025) lists Brevo among the top 3 tools for multichannel email and SMS automation.
7. Klaviyo – Best for Shopify and DTC Growth
Klaviyo is built to help Shopify brands increase revenue through real-time data-driven automation. It uses ecommerce behavior—like purchase history and product views—to send hyper-personalized drip campaigns.
Key features:
- Real-time product triggers
- Revenue-based performance dashboards
- Predictive analytics for churn and lifetime value
- Advanced segmentation and A/B testing
- Shopify and BigCommerce integration
Best for: Direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands.
Pricing: Free for up to 500 contacts; paid plans start at $20/month.
According to Klaviyo (2024), their average customer sees a return of $38 for every $1 spent on email campaigns.
How to Choose the Right Tool
Choosing the right tool depends on your goals, team size, and technical skill.
| Need | Recommended Tool |
| Simple welcome or nurturing flows | Mailchimp, ConvertKit |
| Advanced logic with CRM | ActiveCampaign, HubSpot |
| Ecommerce automation | Drip, Klaviyo |
| Multichannel (email + SMS) | Brevo |
| Creator-first platform | ConvertKit |
Key considerations:
- Your audience size
- Budget and growth potential
- CRM or ecommerce integration needs
- Multichannel vs. email-only focus
Email Automation Benchmarks to Watch
Once your tool is set up, measure success using these 2025 benchmarks (Campaign Monitor, 2024):
| Metric | Industry Average |
| Open rate | 21.5%–27% |
| Click-through rate | 2.6%–4.1% |
| Unsubscribe rate | 0.1%–0.3% |
Drip campaigns outperform bulk emails when they are well-timed, personalized, and based on user intent (Smart Insights, 2024).
Note
Whether you’re a solo creator, a growing business, or a large enterprise, choosing the right drip email tool is critical to your marketing success. Tools like Mailchimp and ConvertKit are perfect for simple campaigns, while ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, and Klaviyo offer advanced features for scaling up.
Pick the tool that aligns with your current goals, but make sure it’s flexible enough to grow with you. With the right platform in place, your drip campaigns will run smoothly, saving you time and helping you build lasting customer relationships.
More Read
References
Campaign Monitor. (2024). Email marketing benchmarks by industry. Retrieved from https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/
Capterra. (2025). ConvertKit Reviews and Ratings. Retrieved from https://www.capterra.com/p/149622/ConvertKit/
Chaffey, D. (2024). Email marketing trends 2024. Smart Insights. Retrieved from https://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-communications-strategy/email-marketing-trends/
EmailToolTester. (2024). Mailchimp review. Retrieved from https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/reviews/mailchimp/
G2. (2025). ActiveCampaign user reviews. Retrieved from https://www.g2.com/products/activecampaign/reviews
HubSpot. (2024). State of Marketing 2024. Retrieved from https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
Invesp. (2023). Ecommerce automation stats. Retrieved from https://www.invespcro.com/blog/email-marketing/
Klaviyo. (2024). Email ROI and case studies. Retrieved from https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/email-marketing-roi
TechRadar. (2025). Best email marketing platforms for 2025. Retrieved from https://www.techradar.com/best/email-marketing-services
