Updated 2026-02-01

Best Email Marketing Tools for Franchises

Maintain brand consistency across locations while empowering local marketing with the right email platform.

Franchise email marketing has a unique challenge: maintaining brand consistency across dozens or hundreds of locations while letting individual franchisees market to their local audiences. Corporate needs brand-approved templates and centralized reporting. Franchisees need the ability to send local promotions and manage their customer relationships. The right platform balances both. I tested and reviewed 13 email marketing tools specifically for franchise use cases, ranking them on multi-location management, brand controls, local marketing features, and pricing structures.

Why Franchises Need Email Marketing

Brand Consistency

Every location represents the brand. Email marketing with approved templates ensures every franchisee sends on-brand communications. Corporate controls the look and message while locations customize the local details.

Local Market Engagement

Each franchise location serves a unique local market. Email lets individual locations promote local events, seasonal specials, and community involvement while staying within brand guidelines.

Centralized Reporting

Corporate needs visibility into email performance across all locations. Centralized reporting shows which locations are excelling, which need support, and overall brand email performance metrics.

Scalable Marketing

Creating email campaigns for every location individually is impractical. A franchise-friendly platform lets corporate create campaigns once and deploy across all locations with local customization.

13 Best Email Marketing Tools for Franchises

Our Top Pick for Franchises
#1
Sequenzy

AI-powered email marketing with smart automation sequences and pay-per-email pricing.

Visit
Best for
Franchises wanting AI-powered efficiency with scalable per-location pricing
Pricing
$29/month for 50,000 emails per location

Pros

  • AI generates location-specific sequences instantly
  • Pay-per-email scales affordably across locations
  • Simple enough for franchisees without marketing expertise
  • Direct founder support for franchise partnerships

Cons

  • Newer platform with a growing feature set
  • No built-in SMS marketing
  • Smaller template library compared to established platforms
  • No centralized franchise dashboard yet
#2
Mailchimp

The most recognized email marketing platform with multi-location support.

Visit
Best for
Franchises wanting a platform franchisees already know
Pricing
Free up to 500 contacts per location, then from $13/month

Pros

  • Brand recognition
  • Shared templates
  • Easy for franchisees
  • Wide integrations

Cons

  • Expensive across many locations
  • Basic automation
  • No centralized franchise tools
  • Support quality issues
#3
Constant Contact

Email marketing with event management for small businesses.

Visit
Best for
Franchises that host events at individual locations
Pricing
From $12/month per location

Pros

  • Event management
  • Phone support
  • Multi-location experience
  • Decent templates

Cons

  • Dated interface
  • Per-location costs
  • Basic automation
  • No centralized dashboard
#4
ActiveCampaign

Advanced automation with CRM and multi-account capabilities.

Visit
Best for
High-value franchises with complex customer lifecycle needs
Pricing
$29/month per location for 1,000 contacts

Pros

  • Powerful automation
  • CRM included
  • Advanced segmentation
  • Agency partner program

Cons

  • Expensive per location
  • Steep learning curve
  • Complex for basic needs
  • Requires training
#5
Brevo

Affordable email and SMS marketing with CRM.

Visit
Best for
Budget-conscious franchises wanting email, SMS, and CRM
Pricing
Free up to 300 emails/day per location, then from $25/month

Pros

  • Pay by emails
  • SMS included
  • CRM included
  • Affordable per location

Cons

  • Basic automation
  • No franchise-specific features
  • Less polished
  • Daily limits on free
#6
MailerLite

Clean, simple email marketing with generous free tier.

Visit
Best for
Franchises wanting the simplest, most affordable per-location solution
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers per location

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Clean interface
  • Free tier
  • Easy for franchisees

Cons

  • No franchise features
  • Limited automation
  • Strict approval
  • Basic reporting
#7
Kit

Creator-focused platform with generous free tier.

Visit
Best for
Content-driven franchise locations building local audiences
Pricing
Free up to 10,000 subscribers per location

Pros

  • Generous free tier
  • Landing pages
  • Simple
  • Tag organization

Cons

  • No franchise features
  • Limited design
  • No multi-location tools
  • Basic reporting
#8
GetResponse

All-in-one marketing platform with email, landing pages, and webinars.

Visit
Best for
Franchises wanting landing pages and training webinars alongside email
Pricing
From $15.60/month per location, MAX plans for enterprise

Pros

  • Multi-user sub-accounts
  • Landing pages
  • Webinars for training
  • MAX enterprise plans

Cons

  • Cluttered interface
  • Average automation
  • Not franchise-specialized
  • Complex pricing
#9
Campaign Monitor

Professional email marketing with multi-account management.

Visit
Best for
Franchises wanting brand-locked templates and professional quality
Pricing
From $9/month per location

Pros

  • Brand-locked templates
  • Multi-account management
  • Professional quality
  • Reliable

Cons

  • Limited automation
  • Per-contact pricing
  • No free tier
  • Basic features
#10
Klaviyo

E-commerce email platform with multi-account support.

Visit
Best for
E-commerce and retail franchise chains
Pricing
From $20/month per location

Pros

  • E-commerce integration
  • Revenue attribution
  • Product recommendations
  • SMS included

Cons

  • Expensive per location
  • E-commerce focused
  • Complex setup
  • Overkill for services
#11
Flodesk

Beautiful email marketing with flat-rate pricing.

Visit
Best for
Brand-focused franchises wanting premium-looking emails
Pricing
$38/month flat rate per location

Pros

  • Flat-rate pricing
  • Beautiful designs
  • Brand consistency
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Basic automation
  • No multi-location tools
  • No free tier
  • Limited integrations
#12
AWeber

Reliable email platform with phone support.

Visit
Best for
Simple franchise locations wanting reliable basics
Pricing
Free up to 500 subscribers per location

Pros

  • Phone support
  • Reliable
  • Free tier
  • Simple

Cons

  • No franchise features
  • Dated
  • Limited automation
  • Basic everything
#13
Moosend

Budget-friendly email marketing with basic features.

Visit
Best for
Cost-sensitive franchises wanting the lowest per-location price
Pricing
From $9/month per location

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Decent automation
  • Landing pages
  • Low per-location cost

Cons

  • Less well-known
  • No franchise features
  • Limited support
  • Basic library

Feature Comparison

FeatureSequenzyMailchimpActiveCampaignCampaign Monitor
Multi-location management
Via accounts
Basic
Yes
Yes
AI-powered sequences
Yes
No
No
No
Brand-locked templates
No
Shared
No
Yes
Centralized reporting
No
Basic
Yes
Yes
SMS marketing
No
No
Yes
No
Pay-per-email pricing
Yes
No
No
No
Free tier available
No
Yes
No
No
Phone support
No
No
No
No

Email Sequences Every Franchise Needs

These are the essential automated email sequences that will help you grow your business and keep clients coming back.

New Customer Welcome

Trigger: First visit or purchase at a location

Welcome new customers and encourage a return visit to build loyalty.

Immediately
Welcome to {{location_name}} — thanks for visiting

Personal welcome from the location. Thank them for their visit. Include a return-visit incentive.

Day 3
Get to know your local {{brand_name}}

Introduce the local team, specialties, and community involvement. Build personal connection with the location.

Day 7
{{first_name}}, here is 15% off your next visit

Return-visit incentive to drive the second transaction where loyalty begins.

Location-Specific Promotion

Trigger: Corporate campaign launch

Deploy brand-approved promotions customized for each location.

Campaign start
{{promotion_name}} at your local {{brand_name}}

National promotion with local customization. Location address, hours, and any location-specific details.

Mid-campaign
Have you tried {{promotion}}? Your neighbors love it

Reminder with local social proof. Customer reviews from the specific location.

Campaign end
Last chance for {{promotion}} at {{location_name}}

Final urgency push with location-specific CTA.

Loyalty Program

Trigger: Purchase milestone reached

Reward repeat customers and encourage continued patronage.

After 5th visit
You have earned a reward — thank you for being a loyal customer

Loyalty reward notification. Thank them for continued patronage. Include the reward details.

After 10th visit
VIP status unlocked — exclusive perks inside

Elevated loyalty tier with additional benefits. Make them feel special and valued.

Review and Referral

Trigger: Service completed

Generate reviews and referrals from satisfied customers.

1 day after
How was your visit to {{location_name}}?

Feedback request with direct link to Google review for the specific location.

7 days after
Love {{brand_name}}? Share with a friend and you both save

Referral program with incentive for both the referrer and the new customer.

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Franchise

The best tool depends on your franchise size, budget model, and how much control corporate needs.

If cost across locations is the priority, pay-per-email platforms like Sequenzy and Brevo minimize per-location expenses. Free tiers from MailerLite and Kit also help during location ramp-up.

If brand control matters most, Campaign Monitor offers brand-locked templates. Mailchimp's shared templates and brand guidelines maintain consistency across locations.

If you need sophistication, ActiveCampaign provides the most powerful automation and CRM per location. Worth the investment for franchises with higher customer lifetime values.

The Franchise Email Playbook

Three strategies drive value across franchise networks:

Standardized welcome sequence ensures every new customer at every location gets the same quality experience. Corporate builds the template. Locations customize with local details.

National campaigns with local deployment let corporate create once and push to all locations. Each location's version includes their address, hours, and local offers.

Location-specific promotions let franchisees market to their community. Seasonal specials, local events, and community involvement build the local connection that drives repeat business.

Getting Started

  1. Choose one platform and standardize across all locations for efficiency
  2. Create brand-approved templates that locations can customize
  3. Set up a welcome sequence for every location to deploy
  4. Train franchisees on email marketing basics and the chosen platform
  5. Establish reporting so corporate can track performance across locations

The franchise networks that win at email marketing are the ones that make it easy for every location to execute consistently while maintaining the brand standard that customers expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to grow your franchise practice?

Start your free trial today. Set up your first email sequence in minutes with AI-powered content generation.

Related Industries

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 3k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (2,500 emails/month)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com