I used to think sending emails was a “set it and forget it” kind of deal.
Write the copy, add a snappy subject line, hit send—done. But then I started noticing something weird: the same exact email would crush it one week and totally flop the next. Open rates were all over the place, and I had no idea why.
Turns out, the timing of your SaaS marketing emails can make or break your campaign. Seriously, just shifting your send time by a few hours can be the difference between 40% opens and 12% opens. I learned this the hard way while running email for a productivity SaaS startup—and now, I’ve tested send times across at least 20 different B2B and B2C SaaS brands.
So, what did I find? There’s no one-size-fits-all, but there are six golden windows you should test first. Let’s break ’em down.
1. Tuesday at 10 a.m. – The SaaS Sweet Spot
This is the classic. If I had to bet on one send time to test first, this is it.
By Tuesday, people are past Monday chaos and actually ready to engage with content. 10 a.m. hits that mid-morning productivity window—after coffee, before the lunch dip. In B2B SaaS especially, this time consistently delivers high open and click-through rates.
I once launched a new feature email for a CRM tool at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, and it got a 52% open rate—our highest ever.
2. Thursday at 2 p.m. – Great for Conversion-Focused Emails
Thursdays are underrated. People are in that end-of-week momentum zone and more likely to act.
If you’re running a promo, webinar invite, or product demo CTA, Thursday afternoon is a sweet spot. We ran a “Book a call” campaign for a SaaS security platform and saw 17% more demo requests when sending on Thursday at 2 compared to Monday at the same time.
Why? Folks are clearing their task list and making decisions before Friday burnout kicks in.
3. Wednesday at 9 a.m. – Midweek Clarity
Wednesdays work really well for educational content—like newsletters, case studies, blog roundups, or new feature how-tos.
People are in the work groove and open to learning something useful. I’ve noticed that emails sent around 9 a.m. on Wednesdays consistently get solid engagement, especially for SaaS companies targeting SMBs or startups.
We used this timing for a monthly newsletter at a project management SaaS company, and open rates hovered around 42%, with click-throughs above 9%. Not bad.
4. Sunday Evenings (Between 6–8 p.m.) – The Curveball
This one surprised me too.
Turns out, some SaaS users are planners. They check emails on Sunday night to prep for the week ahead. Not all audiences, of course, but if your product targets founders, freelancers, or execs—try it.
We tested a “Monday Motivation” drip email on Sunday night for a SaaS tool geared at solopreneurs, and it outperformed our weekday sends by 22%. Just don’t send too late—after 9 p.m., people check out completely.
5. Friday at 11 a.m. – Quick Wins & Casual Clicks
Friday can be tricky. People are distracted, sure—but if you keep it light and skimmable, you can grab attention.
This time slot works great for:
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Product updates
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Feature roundups
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Fun, shareable content
We once sent out a cheeky email with a new “dark mode” toggle on a Friday at 11 a.m., and it got more clicks than any other email that month. People had time. They were curious. And they weren’t deep in back-to-back Zoom meetings.
6. Segmented Sends Based on Time Zones – The Pro Move
Once you know your best-performing day/time, the next step is sending by time zone. A/B testing taught me that sending emails at the same local time (say, 10 a.m. EST, PST, and GMT) increased engagement by 15% on average.
Many email platforms (like Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign) let you do this automatically now. It’s a low-effort move that feels way more personal—and that’s what SaaS users want.
A Few Real-Talk Tips From the Trenches
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Avoid Mondays (especially early a.m.): Most inboxes are slammed, and people are just trying to get through the chaos.
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Test everything: Your audience might not behave like the average. Developers aren’t marketers. Executives aren’t freelancers.
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Check your analytics weekly: Look for patterns in open times and click behavior. Tools like HubSpot and ConvertKit make this super easy.
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Let the product journey dictate timing: Onboarding emails should hit when users are most active—not based on generic best practices.
Final Thoughts
Sending SaaS emails is part strategy, part psychology, and part good ol’ testing. You don’t need to guess—you need to experiment and pay attention.
Start with the six timing windows I’ve shared. Track your results. Then tweak based on your audience and product cycle.
And whatever you do—don’t just copy what’s worked for someone else without testing it on your list. Your users might love Tuesday mornings… or they might ignore you until Sunday night.
