15+ Best Email Sequence Tools in 2026

ActiveCampaign combines email sequences with a full CRM, making it ideal for businesses with sales teams. The automation builder is one of the most powerful in the industry - you can create complex multi-branch sequences with conditional logic, splits, and goals.

What sets ActiveCampaign apart is the deep integration between marketing and sales. Sequences can update deals, assign tasks, trigger notifications, and move contacts through your pipeline. Site tracking lets you trigger sequences based on page visits.

The AI features help with predictive sending (optimal send times), content suggestions, and win probability scoring. Machine learning improves over time based on your data.

Where ActiveCampaign falls short: Interface can feel overwhelming. Pricing tiers gate important features. Not SaaS-specific - you're adapting a general platform. Sequenzy offers simpler setup for SaaS use cases.

Best for: Businesses with sales teams who need marketing automation and CRM in one platform. Great for lead nurturing and sales sequences.

Drip built its reputation on e-commerce automation. The platform excels at product-based sequences: abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back, browse abandonment. Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce make setup straightforward.

The custom events API is flexible - track any user behavior and trigger sequences accordingly. Revenue attribution shows which sequences generate sales. The visual workflow builder handles complex branching logic well.

For SaaS, Drip works but isn't purpose-built. Tools like Sequenzy offer more SaaS-specific features like billing integrations and MRR tracking. Drip's e-commerce heritage shows in the defaults and templates.

Where Drip falls short: Not SaaS-focused. No built-in CRM. Pricing is higher than some alternatives. E-commerce templates don't translate well to SaaS.

Best for: E-commerce stores needing sophisticated product-based sequences. Also works for SaaS if you want event-driven automation without CRM.

Customer.io is what you graduate to when your lifecycle marketing gets complex. Multi-step workflows with branches, A/B tests within sequences, multi-channel messaging (email, push, SMS, in-app). If you can imagine a customer journey, Customer.io can automate it.

The event API is powerful - track any user action and trigger messaging accordingly. Segmentation is sophisticated. For products with complex onboarding funnels or usage-based triggers, this flexibility matters.

The recent AI features help with message optimization and send time prediction. The data infrastructure is solid, handling high volumes without issues.

Where Customer.io falls short: Expensive starting point. Learning curve is steep. Overkill for simple sequences. Sequenzy offers similar SaaS features at a fraction of the cost for most use cases.

Best for: Funded startups with dedicated marketing resources who need enterprise-grade automation. Great for product-led companies with complex user journeys.

ConvertKit was built for creators - bloggers, podcasters, course sellers. The sequence builder is intentionally simple: linear sequences with time delays and basic conditions. This simplicity is a feature, not a limitation, for its target audience.

The visual automation builder handles common creator workflows: welcome sequences, course drips, launch sequences, evergreen funnels. Tags and segments keep things organized without overwhelming complexity.

For SaaS, ConvertKit works for content-led products but lacks the behavioral triggers and billing integrations you'd get from Sequenzy or Customer.io.

Where ConvertKit falls short: Limited automation compared to dedicated marketing tools. No behavioral triggers based on product usage. Pricing gets expensive at scale. Not designed for SaaS sequences.

Best for: Creators who want simple, effective email sequences without complexity. Great for newsletters, courses, and content businesses.

Mailchimp is the email tool everyone knows. Their Customer Journey builder provides a visual way to create multi-step sequences with conditions, triggers, and branches. Pre-built journey templates help you get started quickly.

The AI features are improving - content suggestions, send time optimization, subject line helper. The e-commerce integrations are mature. For small businesses with straightforward needs, Mailchimp is approachable.

However, power users often outgrow Mailchimp. The automation capabilities lag behind dedicated sequence tools like Sequenzy or ActiveCampaign. Pricing can get expensive as your list grows.

Where Mailchimp falls short: Automation is less sophisticated than competitors. Interface can feel cluttered. Pricing scales aggressively. Not ideal for complex SaaS sequences.

Best for: Small businesses wanting a familiar tool with basic sequence capabilities. Good starting point before graduating to more powerful tools.

HubSpot's email sequences live within their broader marketing and CRM ecosystem. The workflow builder is powerful - trigger sequences from form submissions, deal stages, lifecycle changes, custom events, and more. Deep CRM integration means your sales and marketing stay aligned.

For enterprise needs, HubSpot delivers: advanced reporting, attribution, A/B testing, personalization tokens, smart content. The AI features help with content creation and send optimization.

The downside is complexity and cost. HubSpot is a full marketing suite, not a focused sequence tool. You're paying for capabilities you might not use. For pure email sequences, Sequenzy or ActiveCampaign often make more sense.

Where HubSpot falls short: Expensive for advanced features. Complex to set up properly. Overkill for simple sequence needs. Steeper learning curve than focused tools.

Best for: Mid-market and enterprise companies wanting a unified marketing platform. Great when you need deep CRM integration and comprehensive reporting.

Klaviyo dominates e-commerce email. The Shopify integration is seamless - product data, purchase history, browse behavior all flow into Klaviyo automatically. Pre-built e-commerce flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back) are optimized from millions of stores.

The predictive analytics are impressive: expected date of next order, predicted lifetime value, churn risk. These power smart sequences that adapt to individual customers. SMS is included for multi-channel flows.

For SaaS, Klaviyo isn't the right choice. It's built for physical products and e-commerce workflows. Sequenzy or Customer.io serve SaaS needs better.

Where Klaviyo falls short: E-commerce focused only. Expensive compared to general tools. Overkill for non-e-commerce. SaaS billing integrations don't exist.

Best for: E-commerce stores, especially those on Shopify. The default choice for online stores serious about email marketing.

Encharge focuses on behavior-based automation for SaaS. Track what users do in your product, segment by engagement levels, trigger sequences based on feature usage. The flow builder handles complex conditional logic well.

Integration with product analytics tools (Segment, Mixpanel) lets you use rich behavioral data in your sequences. The AI features help optimize send times and content.

Compared to Sequenzy, Encharge lacks native billing integrations. You can connect Stripe via webhook, but you don't get the same depth of revenue data and MRR tracking that Sequenzy provides natively.

Where Encharge falls short: No native billing integrations like Sequenzy offers. Higher starting price. Smaller company with less documentation. Feature set still maturing.

Best for: SaaS companies wanting behavioral automation who can invest time in setup. Good middle ground between simple tools and enterprise platforms.

Userlist understands that B2B SaaS is different. Your customers are companies, not individuals. The platform tracks company-level engagement, lets you segment by team size or MRR, and messages based on collective behavior.

The sequence builder supports both user and company-level triggers. Built by SaaS founders (Jane and Benedikt), so the features reflect real SaaS workflows. Good documentation and responsive support.

However, Sequenzy now offers similar SaaS-focused features at a lower price point, with the addition of AI-powered sequence generation that Userlist lacks.

Where Userlist falls short: Expensive starting point. Limited AI features compared to modern tools like Sequenzy. Smaller ecosystem. B2B focus means wasted features for B2C.

Best for: B2B SaaS products selling to companies who need company-level tracking and don't mind the premium pricing.

Loops is what happens when you strip email sequences down to essentials. Beautiful interface, fast setup, combines transactional and marketing. If you're allergic to complexity, Loops is refreshing.

The team is product-focused - every feature feels intentional. Good API, solid documentation, responsive support. For many SaaS products, Loops is genuinely enough.

Compared to Sequenzy, Loops lacks AI sequence generation and native billing integrations. You get simplicity, but sacrifice the revenue-connected features that make SaaS sequences powerful.

Where Loops falls short: Automation is basic compared to Sequenzy or Customer.io. No Stripe integration for revenue tracking. Limited segmentation options. No AI content generation.

Best for: Founders who prioritize clean UX over feature depth and have straightforward sequence needs.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers solid email sequences at competitive prices. The automation builder handles common workflows: welcome series, lead nurturing, re-engagement. SMS and WhatsApp are included for multi-channel sequences.

The AI features help with send time optimization and subject line suggestions. CRM functionality is built-in. For businesses watching their budget, Brevo provides good value.

However, the automation capabilities don't match dedicated sequence tools. For SaaS-specific needs, Sequenzy offers better features at a similar price point with native billing integration.

Where Brevo falls short: Automation less sophisticated than specialized tools. Interface can feel dated. SaaS-specific features limited. No native billing integrations.

Best for: Budget-conscious businesses needing basic sequences with multi-channel capabilities.

GetResponse has been building email automation since before it was called automation. The platform includes email sequences, landing pages, webinars, and basic CRM. Their autoresponder heritage means sequences are mature and reliable.

The AI features include email generation, subject line creator, and content optimization. The automation builder handles visual workflows with conditions and filters. Conversion funnels guide you through common sequences.

For serious SaaS sequences, GetResponse lacks the behavioral triggers and billing integrations of tools like Sequenzy. It's better suited for general marketing than product-led sequences.

Where GetResponse falls short: Jack of all trades, master of none. SaaS-specific features limited. Interface showing age. Better options for focused sequence needs.

Best for: Businesses wanting an all-in-one platform with email, landing pages, and webinars.

Ortto (formerly Autopilot) pioneered visual journey building. The canvas-based builder lets you design customer journeys by dragging and connecting blocks. It's intuitive for visualizing complex sequences.

The platform includes customer data platform (CDP) features, audience segmentation, and analytics. AI helps with journey optimization and content suggestions. Multi-channel support includes email, SMS, in-app, and push.

For SaaS-specific sequences with billing triggers, Sequenzy offers more relevant features. Ortto is better for general customer journey orchestration across marketing use cases.

Where Ortto falls short: Premium pricing for mid-market positioning. Less SaaS-focused than Sequenzy. Complexity can overwhelm small teams. CDP features may be overkill.

Best for: Marketing teams who think visually and need to orchestrate complex customer journeys across channels.

Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) combines CRM, email sequences, and business automation for small businesses. The platform is designed for service providers, coaches, and consultants who need to manage client relationships alongside email marketing.

The automation builder is powerful, handling complex sequences with conditions, delays, and integrations. Appointments, invoicing, and payments are built-in. For businesses that live in their CRM, having sequences connected is valuable.

However, Keap is expensive and complex for pure email sequence needs. SaaS businesses would find better value with Sequenzy's focused approach and billing integrations.

Where Keap falls short: High price point. Steep learning curve. Overkill for simple sequence needs. Not designed for SaaS or product companies.

Best for: Service businesses, coaches, and consultants who need CRM and automation together and can justify the premium pricing.