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If you sell online programs, courses, memberships or digital products – this one’s for you. One of the biggest questions I get is:

What’s the best email marketing software for me?

Let’s break it down based on the type of business you run and the features you actually need. This guide is all about email marketing for course creators – whether you're just starting out or ready to scale.

Key Considerations for Course Creators

Before choosing your software, think about:

1. Cart & Delivery Software Integration

Make sure your email software connects easily with:

• Your cart (so you know who bought what)
• Your delivery platform (like Thinkific, Searchie, MemberVault, etc.)
• You may need to remove people if access expires or they cancel – automation here is key

2. List Size & Scaling

• Bigger list = higher price
• Clean your list regularly to keep costs down
• Scalability matters – email should grow with you

A scalable setup is essential when planning email marketing for course creators who expect to expand their audience or offer multiple products.

3. Managing Multiple Opt-Ins

• More funnels = more moving parts
• Choose software that makes it easy to deliver the right emails to the right people
• Look for tagging, segmenting, and automation features

One of the trickiest parts of email marketing for course creators is managing who gets what and when – the right software makes this much easier.

4. Other Offers You Have

• Are you selling eCommerce, digital downloads or services too?
• Think about how your email system can support all parts of your business

Option 1: All-In-One Platforms (e.g. Kajabi)

Pros:

• Everything in one place – sales pages, email, checkout, delivery
• Easy to use with nice templates and mobile app access
• No need to duct tape software together

Cons:

• Starts at $149/month AUD, but you’ll likely need the Growth or Pro plan
• Limited funnels unless you upgrade
• Some users still need to use a separate email platform for advanced automations

Use if:

• You want a streamlined setup and don’t need super-advanced email functions
• You like everything in one place

Option 2: Entry-Level Platforms

MailChimp

Pros:

• Popular, widely integrated
• Standard plan gives you decent automation and segmentation

Cons:

• No free plan that works well
• Limited automation steps unless you upgrade
• Managing multiple opt-ins is messy
• Can’t move or segment across audiences easily

MailerLite (Better alternative)

Pros:

• Free for up to 1,000 subscribers
• Cleaner automation and tagging with “groups”
• Easy to segment based on actions
• Works with most carts and course platforms (except a few – check integrations)

Cons:

• Landing page builder isn’t great
• Use your website or another tool for lead pages

MailerLite is a fantastic beginner-friendly option for email marketing for course creators who want solid functionality without the price tag.

Want to learn more? Check out my course How to MailerLite

Option 3: Advanced – ActiveCampaign

If you want serious automation, ActiveCampaign is the top pick.

Pros:

• Super flexible automations (e.g. goals, triggers, branching)
• Advanced tagging, segmenting and personalisation
• In-built CRM if you need sales pipelines
• Works with most platforms, especially with Zapier

Cons:

• Starts at $73/month AUD for Plus plan
• Can feel techy at first – but worth the learning curve

Want to automate all the things? Head here to learn more about ActiveCampaign, or check out my course How to ActiveCampaign.

Option 4: Course Creator-Focused – Kit

Pros:

• Designed with course creators in mind
• Visual automations
• Now includes built-in cart and great lead page builder
• Cool double opt-in delivery trick (confirmation + lead magnet in one)
• Simple to use, clean interface

Cons:

• No “lists” – just tags and segments
• Less powerful than ActiveCampaign if you need deep automation

Use if:

• Your biz is mostly digital products or programs
• You want user-friendly tools with just the right amount of automation

Kit is purpose-built for email marketing for course creators – it strips away the clutter and keeps things focused on your programs and digital offers.

Final Thoughts

There’s no perfect software – it’s all about what works best for your setup. Start with your current needs, think about your growth plans, and choose based on features, not hype.

Got questions or want more help? I’ve got courses and support for most of these tools – just head to yaelkeon.com/shop to check them out.