Should you switch from Emma?
Emma by Marigold has been around since 2005 and serves mid-market companies well. But it's expensive and enterprise-focused. See our guide on email marketing for teams for context on what features actually matter.
Here's when switching makes sense:
If you're paying for features you don't use: Any alternative
Emma's strength is brand management for multi-location businesses. If you don't have franchises, distributed teams, or complex approval workflows, you're paying for capabilities you won't use. Campaign Monitor, ActiveCampaign, or even MailerLite offer what most teams need at lower prices.
If you need better automation: ActiveCampaign or Customer.io
Emma's automation is solid but not industry-leading. If marketing automation is your priority, ActiveCampaign or Customer.io offer more sophisticated workflows. Check our automation guide for what to look for.
If you're running a SaaS: Sequenzy
Emma isn't built for subscription businesses. No native Stripe integration, no trial automation, no churn prevention. Sequenzy is built specifically for SaaS with Stripe integration and transactional emails.
If budget matters: Brevo or MailerLite
At $89-159/month for 10k subscribers, Emma is expensive. Brevo at $25/month or MailerLite at $50/month offer solid marketing email at a fraction of the cost. Use our email validator to ensure list quality.
The pricing comparison
At 10,000 subscribers:
Emma: $89-159/month (depending on plan)
Sequenzy: $49/month
Campaign Monitor: $59/month
ActiveCampaign: $79/month
Brevo: $25/month (20k emails)
Mailchimp: $110+/month
See our full pricing page for more details.
When Emma is still the right choice
Stick with Emma if:
You're a multi-location business needing brand governance
Approval workflows across teams are essential
Enterprise compliance (SOC 2) is required
You need dedicated account management
SMS marketing is important
Emma does multi-location brand management better than most. If that's your need, alternatives may not match it. Read our marketing tools guide and use our A/B test calculator to optimize what you have before switching.