As a startup founder, you need email to work but you don't have time to become an email marketing expert. You need to send welcome emails, run a basic onboarding sequence, notify users about product updates, and maybe run a dunning sequence for failed payments. And you need to set it up in an afternoon, not a quarter.

The email tools that work for founders are different from the ones that work for marketing teams. You need: fast setup (hours not weeks), reasonable pricing (not enterprise budgets), developer-friendly integration (you're probably the developer), and enough automation to handle the basics without building complex workflows.

Here's what works.

What Startup Founders Actually Need

Week 1: Welcome email + basic transactional emails (password reset, email verification) Month 1: Onboarding sequence (3-5 emails guiding new users) Month 3: Trial conversion sequence, basic dunning for failed payments Month 6: Product update newsletter, re-engagement for inactive users Year 1: Full lifecycle email (churn prevention, upsell, referral)

Most email tools are designed for the Year 1 use case. Founders need tools that handle Week 1 well and grow into Year 1 without needing to migrate.

The 7 Best Options

1. Sequenzy

Best for: SaaS founders who want lifecycle email set up fast

Sequenzy is built for exactly this use case: a SaaS founder who needs email marketing working quickly. The AI generates complete email sequences (onboarding, trial conversion, dunning) based on your product. Stripe integration automatically handles payment-related emails. You can have a functional email program in an afternoon.

The all-in-one approach means you don't need separate tools for transactional and marketing email. Welcome emails, onboarding sequences, dunning emails, and product updates all run from one platform. For a founder who's also the developer, marketer, and support person, fewer tools means less complexity.

Setup time: Hours (AI generates initial sequences) Pricing: From $29/month Best for: SaaS founders wanting lifecycle email without the complexity Pros: AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, transactional + marketing, fast setup Cons: Newer platform, smaller ecosystem, less flexible for complex custom workflows

2. Resend

Best for: Technical founders who want the cleanest developer experience

Resend is the email sending tool that developers love. TypeScript SDK, React Email templates, clean API, and excellent documentation. If you're a technical founder building with Next.js or React, Resend integrates into your stack naturally.

The trade-off: Resend is primarily for transactional email. You get sending APIs and basic audience management, but not marketing automation or campaign tools. For founders who just need reliable email delivery (welcome emails, notifications, password resets), Resend is the fastest path. You'll need a separate tool for marketing campaigns as you grow.

Setup time: Minutes for sending, hours with React Email templates Pricing: Free for 100 emails/day, from $20/month Best for: Technical founders wanting transactional email with the best DX Pros: Best developer experience, React Email, fast setup, TypeScript-first Cons: No marketing automation, no campaigns, need second tool for lifecycle email

3. Loops

Best for: Startup founders wanting modern, simple email automation

Loops targets the same audience as Sequenzy: SaaS startups. The interface is modern and clean. Event-driven automations work well for basic lifecycle email. The developer-friendly API makes integration straightforward.

The free tier (1,000 contacts) gives you room to set up and test before paying. For pre-launch or very early-stage startups, this means you can build your email infrastructure before you have revenue.

Setup time: Hours Pricing: Free for 1,000 contacts, from $49/month Best for: Early-stage founders wanting simple, modern email automation Pros: Modern interface, good free tier, event-driven, developer-friendly Cons: Basic automation features, limited segmentation, jumps to $49/month from free

4. ConvertKit (Kit)

Best for: Founder-creators who build an audience alongside their product

ConvertKit works for founders who use content marketing (blog posts, newsletters, tutorials) to grow their product. The generous free tier (10,000 subscribers), landing page builder, and commerce features (sell digital products) make it a complete growth toolkit.

Many solo founders use ConvertKit to build an audience before or alongside their product. The newsletter and email sequence features handle the content side, while the commerce integration handles sales. If your growth strategy is "build audience, then build product," ConvertKit supports that path.

Setup time: Hours Pricing: Free up to 10,000 subscribers, from $29/month Best for: Founder-creators using content to grow Pros: Generous free tier, landing pages, commerce, creator-focused Cons: Not SaaS-specific, basic automation without paid plan, limited event tracking

5. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: Budget-conscious founders who need everything in one tool

Brevo gives you email marketing, transactional email, SMS, and basic automation for less than most competitors charge for email alone. The free tier (300 emails/day, unlimited contacts) is generous enough for early-stage use.

For founders watching every dollar, Brevo's pricing is hard to beat. The $9/month Starter plan covers most needs. The platform isn't as polished as Sequenzy or as developer-friendly as Resend, but it works and it's cheap.

Setup time: Hours Pricing: Free for 300 emails/day, from $9/month Best for: Budget-conscious founders wanting affordable, complete email Pros: Cheapest option, transactional + marketing, SMS included, generous free tier Cons: Less polished, basic automation, editor isn't great

6. Postmark

Best for: Founders who prioritize transactional email reliability

Postmark is the transactional email service that "just works." Password resets arrive in seconds. Receipts land in the inbox. Notification emails deliver reliably. For founders building products where transactional email reliability is critical (fintech, healthcare, SaaS with team features), Postmark provides peace of mind.

Like Resend, Postmark focuses on transactional email. Marketing campaigns are available as a secondary feature, but it's not Postmark's strength. For founders who want the most reliable transactional delivery and will add marketing separately later, Postmark is the safe bet.

Setup time: Hours Pricing: From $15/month for 10,000 emails Best for: Founders prioritizing transactional email reliability Pros: Best transactional deliverability, fast delivery, reliable, clean API Cons: Marketing features are secondary, no advanced automation

7. Mailchimp

Best for: Non-technical founders who want the most familiar tool

Mailchimp is the email tool everyone knows. If you've ever signed up for a newsletter, you've probably used Mailchimp on the receiving end. The familiarity means less learning curve. The template library means you can send decent-looking emails without design skills. The integration ecosystem means it connects to basically everything.

For non-technical founders who want to send campaigns without writing code, Mailchimp's drag-and-drop editor and template system provide the lowest barrier to entry. The free tier (500 contacts) gets you started.

Setup time: Minutes to hours Pricing: Free up to 500 contacts, from $13/month Best for: Non-technical founders wanting a familiar, easy-to-use tool Pros: Most familiar, huge template library, massive integration ecosystem, low learning curve Cons: Pricing increases fast, limited for SaaS, automation is basic on lower tiers

The Founder's Email Stack Decision

Option A: One Tool Does Everything

Use a platform like Sequenzy or Brevo that handles both transactional and marketing email. Simpler stack, one bill, one integration.

Pros: Simpler, cheaper, faster to set up Cons: May not be best-in-class at any one thing

Option B: Specialized Tools

Use Resend or Postmark for transactional email plus ConvertKit or Loops for marketing. Each tool does its job well.

Pros: Best performance for each use case Cons: Two integrations, two bills, data syncing needed

Option C: Start Simple, Add Later

Start with one tool for transactional email (Resend, Postmark). Add marketing automation (Sequenzy, Loops) when you have enough users to justify it. Don't pay for features you won't use for 6 months.

Pros: Lowest initial cost and complexity Cons: Migration cost later, delayed marketing email

My recommendation for most SaaS founders: Option A or C. Either start with a unified platform (Sequenzy, Brevo) or start with transactional only (Resend) and add marketing when you need it. Don't over-engineer your email stack before product-market fit.

Email Priorities by Stage

Pre-launch (0 users)

Set up transactional email infrastructure (email verification, password reset)
Create a landing page with email capture
Send a simple welcome email to early subscribers

Launch to 100 users

Welcome email sequence (3 emails)
Basic onboarding guidance
Product update emails (manual, as needed)

100 to 1,000 users

Full onboarding sequence (5-7 emails)
Trial conversion sequence
Dunning emails for failed payments
Monthly product update newsletter

1,000+ users

Lifecycle segmentation (trial, active, at-risk, churned)
Re-engagement campaigns
Upsell/upgrade sequences
Churn prevention automations
Referral campaigns

FAQ

Should I set up email before launching my product? Yes, but only transactional basics. Email verification, password reset, and a welcome email. Don't spend a week on email automation when you don't have users yet. Set up the minimum, launch, and iterate.

How much should a startup spend on email tools? $0-50/month for the first year. Free tiers exist for a reason. Don't pay for 50,000-contact plans when you have 200 users. Scale spending with your subscriber count.

Should I use the same tool for transactional and marketing email? If possible, yes. One tool is simpler to manage, and platforms like Sequenzy and Brevo handle both. The exception is if you need best-in-class transactional delivery (use Postmark) alongside marketing automation (use a separate tool).

When should I start sending marketing emails? When you have something worth saying and someone to say it to. A welcome sequence should exist from day one. A newsletter can wait until you have 100+ subscribers and a regular cadence of product updates or content to share.