The Best Email Tools for SaaS User Onboarding

Effective onboarding involves guiding new users through the initial setup, helping them understand the value of your product, and encouraging continued use. The right email tools can automate and personalize this process, ensuring that users receive the right information at the right time. Here’s a look at the best email tools for SaaS user onboarding, each offering unique features to streamline and enhance the onboarding journey.

1. Customer.io

Customer.io is an email marketing automation platform designed for SaaS companies that need to send personalized messages based on user behavior. It’s highly flexible and integrates easily with your product to trigger emails at the right moments during the onboarding process.

• Key Features: Behavioral triggers, advanced segmentation, A/B testing, and a visual workflow builder. Customer.io allows you to create personalized onboarding sequences that adapt to each user’s journey, ensuring relevant communication at every step.
• Best For: SaaS companies looking for a highly customizable platform to create complex, behavior-based onboarding workflows.
• Pricing: Plans start at $100 per month for up to 12,000 profiles.

2. Intercom

Intercom is a customer messaging platform that excels in user engagement and onboarding. It combines email, in-app messaging, and chat to provide a comprehensive onboarding experience that supports new users throughout their journey.

• Key Features: In-app messaging, email automation, chatbot integration, and segmentation. Intercom’s ability to deliver messages directly within your app, alongside email communication, makes it a powerful tool for guiding users through the onboarding process.
• Best For: SaaS companies that want to combine email with in-app messaging to provide a seamless onboarding experience.
• Pricing: Plans start at $74 per month.

3. Drip

Drip is an email automation platform known for its strong segmentation and personalization capabilities. While often associated with e-commerce, Drip’s features are also well-suited for SaaS onboarding, allowing you to create tailored onboarding sequences that resonate with individual users.

• Key Features: Advanced automation workflows, dynamic content, behavioral segmentation, and detailed analytics. Drip’s intuitive design helps SaaS companies create engaging onboarding emails that adapt to user behavior.
• Best For: SaaS companies that prioritize personalized communication and need a user-friendly platform for automating onboarding emails.
• Pricing: Plans start at $39 per month for up to 2,500 contacts.

4. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers a robust email marketing and automation platform with integrated CRM features, making it a great choice for managing user onboarding alongside other customer engagement efforts.

• Key Features: Visual automation builder, segmentation, dynamic content, lead scoring, and CRM integration. ActiveCampaign’s automation workflows allow SaaS companies to create detailed onboarding journeys that guide users step-by-step.
• Best For: SaaS companies looking for a comprehensive platform that combines onboarding, lead nurturing, and CRM.
• Pricing: Plans start at $9 per month.

5. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a versatile and user-friendly email marketing platform that provides essential automation features ideal for onboarding new users. Its flexibility and extensive integration options make it a popular choice for SaaS businesses.

• Key Features: Automation workflows, segmentation, A/B testing, and a drag-and-drop email builder. Mailchimp’s easy setup and robust analytics make it accessible for SaaS companies looking to streamline their onboarding process.
• Best For: Small to medium-sized SaaS companies seeking an affordable and straightforward email tool for onboarding.
• Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $13 per month.

6. Userlist

Userlist is a messaging tool specifically designed for SaaS companies, focusing on user onboarding, engagement, and lifecycle messaging. It’s built to handle the specific needs of SaaS products, providing tailored features that support user activation and retention.

• Key Features: Behavior-based automation, user segmentation, event tracking, and in-depth user data. Userlist’s specialized focus on SaaS makes it an excellent choice for companies that need a dedicated tool for onboarding and user communication.
• Best For: SaaS companies looking for a purpose-built tool for onboarding and user engagement with a strong emphasis on customer data.
• Pricing: Plans start at $99 per month for up to 5,000 users.

7. ConvertKit

ConvertKit is designed for creators and SaaS companies that prioritize simplicity and effective automation. It’s particularly strong in setting up onboarding sequences that nurture users through their first experiences with your product.

• Key Features: Visual automation workflows, tagging, segmentation, and customizable forms. ConvertKit’s straightforward approach makes it easy to set up automated onboarding emails that guide new users and encourage engagement.
• Best For: SaaS companies that need a simple yet powerful tool to manage email onboarding campaigns with a focus on content-driven engagement.
• Pricing: Free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers; paid plans start at $9 per month.

8. Pipedrive (Email Integration)

While primarily a CRM tool, Pipedrive’s integration with email marketing and automation makes it a valuable asset for SaaS companies managing user onboarding. Its intuitive interface and pipeline management are ideal for tracking user progress during the onboarding phase.

• Key Features: Email integration, workflow automation, pipeline management, and lead tracking. Pipedrive’s CRM features complement onboarding efforts by providing insights into user behavior and progress.
• Best For: SaaS companies that want to integrate email onboarding with a robust CRM system for a holistic approach to customer management.
• Pricing: Plans start at $14.90 per month.

9. GetResponse

GetResponse is an all-in-one marketing platform that provides strong email automation tools suitable for SaaS onboarding. It includes features like webinars, landing pages, and detailed analytics, which can be leveraged to enhance the onboarding experience.

• Key Features: Email automation, A/B testing, segmentation, landing pages, and webinar tools. GetResponse’s versatile feature set allows SaaS companies to create comprehensive onboarding campaigns that incorporate multiple touchpoints.
• Best For: SaaS companies needing a multi-faceted platform with added tools like webinars to support user onboarding.
• Pricing: Plans start at $15 per month.

10. SendGrid

SendGrid, part of Twilio, is known for its reliable email delivery and robust API, making it a popular choice for SaaS companies that require scalable and customizable email solutions for onboarding.

• Key Features: Email API, automation workflows, A/B testing, and detailed analytics. SendGrid’s focus on deliverability ensures that your onboarding emails reach the intended recipients, making it a reliable choice for scaling SaaS businesses.
• Best For: SaaS companies that need a scalable email solution with strong deliverability and API capabilities for custom onboarding workflows.
• Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $15 per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the right email tool for SaaS user onboarding is essential for creating a smooth and effective onboarding experience. Whether you need advanced automation, in-app messaging, or simple email workflows, the tools on this list offer a range of features to suit your needs. Evaluate your specific requirements, explore the features of each platform, and select the one that best aligns with your onboarding strategy to maximize user activation and retention for your SaaS product.