How We Rate Email Marketing Tools
Every rating on MailToolFinder is transparent and reproducible. No black boxes, no hidden formulas. Here is exactly how we score each tool.
The Five Dimensions
Each tool is rated on five dimensions. The overall rating is a weighted average of these scores, each on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale.
Ease of Use
20% weightHow quickly a new user can send their first campaign. Considers the editor experience, onboarding flow, template availability, and whether non-technical users can work independently.
Value for Money
25% weightWhat you get relative to what you pay. Accounts for feature breadth at each price tier, free plan generosity, and how pricing scales as your list grows.
Deliverability
25% weightHow reliably emails reach the inbox. Based on published deliverability rates, authentication support (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), dedicated IP options, and sender reputation tools.
Feature Depth
15% weightBreadth and depth of the feature set. Covers automation, segmentation, A/B testing, analytics, integrations, multi-channel capabilities, and API access.
Support
15% weightQuality and availability of help when you need it. Factors in live chat, response times, documentation quality, and onboarding resources.
The Formula
Overall = (Ease of Use × 0.20) + (Value for Money × 0.25) + (Deliverability × 0.25) + (Feature Depth × 0.15) + (Support × 0.15)
The result is rounded to one decimal place. That's it — no adjustments, no overrides.
Comparison Scoring
When you compare two tools side by side, we use a separate scoring system. Each comparison criterion has a weight, and the tool that wins each criterion earns those points.
We offer four weight profiles depending on what matters most to you:
| Criterion | Default | For Creators | For Enterprise | For Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | 20% | 10% | 45% |
| Deliverability | 25% | 20% | 35% | 15% |
| Overall Rating | 25% | 25% | 25% | 15% |
| Integrations | 10% | 10% | 20% | 5% |
| Free Tier | 10% | 25% | 10% | 20% |
Data Sources
We collect data from the following sources and verify it manually:
- + Official websites — Pricing pages, feature lists, and documentation are our primary source. We check these regularly and record the date in each tool's
lastVerifiedfield. - + Platform reviews — G2 ratings are used as one input for our editorial assessment. We do not copy scores directly.
- + Deliverability testing — Published deliverability rates from third-party testing services and the tools' own reported figures.
- + Hands-on evaluation — We sign up, build campaigns, and test the editor and automation workflows firsthand.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on MailToolFinder are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the site.
Affiliate relationships never influence our ratings or rankings. Tools are ranked by rating, feature match, or price — not by commission rate. Several of our top-rated tools have no affiliate program at all.
No Paid Placements
No tool vendor can pay to be listed, ranked higher, or featured on MailToolFinder. Our ratings are editorial assessments based on the criteria described above.
Corrections & Feedback
If you spot an error in our data — outdated pricing, a missing feature, an incorrect deliverability figure — please let us know. Accurate data is the foundation of trustworthy reviews.