Every church communicates differently. Some send a weekly newsletter. Others send daily devotionals, event reminders, volunteer schedules, and pastoral updates. With so many email platforms available—Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Mailerlite, and dozens more—how do you choose the right one?
Start with Your Actual Needs
Before comparing features, ask yourself these questions:
- How often do you email? Weekly newsletter only, or multiple times per week?
- How large is your list? 100 people? 1,000? 10,000?
- Do you need automation? Welcome sequences, birthday emails, follow-ups for visitors?
- Do you need SMS? Many churches find text messages have higher engagement than email.
- Who will use it? Tech-savvy staff, or volunteers who need something simple?
- What's your budget? Most churches are cost-conscious.
Your answers will eliminate many options immediately.
The Features That Actually Matter
Here's what we've learned from working with hundreds of churches when it comes to email marketing features:
1. Ease of Use
This is the single most important factor. Your church administrator or volunteer needs to be able to send an email without calling for help. Look for:
- Drag-and-drop email builder (no coding required)
- Pre-built templates that look good on mobile
- Simple list management
- Clear, jargon-free interface
2. Contact Management
Church communication is different from business marketing. You're not selling products—you're nurturing a community. Look for:
- Family/household linking (email parents, not just individuals)
- Tags and segments (youth, volunteers, new visitors, etc.)
- Custom fields for church-specific data
- Easy import from spreadsheets or other tools
3. Deliverability
None of the fancy features matter if your emails land in spam. Ask:
- Does the platform have good sender reputation?
- Can you authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)?
- Do they handle bounces and complaints properly?
4. Automation (Maybe)
Automation can be powerful, but many churches don't need it. If you do, start simple:
- Welcome email when someone joins your list
- Birthday/anniversary emails
- Follow-up sequence for first-time visitors
Don't pay for complex automation if you won't use it.
5. SMS Integration
Text messages have 98% open rates compared to ~20% for email. If you want to reach people quickly (weather cancellations, urgent updates), SMS is valuable. Look for platforms that include it rather than requiring a separate tool.
What to Avoid
Some red flags when evaluating platforms:
- Per-email pricing: Can get expensive fast if you email frequently
- Long-term contracts: You should be able to cancel monthly
- No free tier: You need to test before committing
- E-commerce focus: Features for online stores are useless for churches
- Complicated interfaces: If it takes training to send an email, it's too complex
The Main Options
Here's a quick overview of popular choices:
Mailchimp
The most well-known option. Good for basic newsletters, but can get expensive as you grow. Their free tier is limited to 500 contacts. See our Mailchimp comparison for details.
Mailerlite
Clean, simple, and affordable. Good free tier (1,000 subscribers). Lacks church-specific features.
Constant Contact
Long-established, but feels dated. No free tier. Often used by churches but not built for them.
Planning Center
If you're already using Planning Center, their email is basic but integrated. Not a standalone email solution.
sendifai
(Yes, we're biased.) Built specifically for churches with family linking, pastoral care tools, SMS, and AI assistance. Free for up to 750 contacts — see our pricing for details.
Our Recommendation
If you just need simple newsletters for a small congregation, Mailerlite is a solid free option.
If you want something built specifically for churches—with family linking, pastoral care features, SMS, and AI help—that's why we built sendifai.
The best advice: try a few options with their free tiers before committing. Send a few test emails. See which one feels right for your workflow.
Checklist: Evaluating Email Platforms
Before You Decide
Final Thoughts
The "best" email platform is the one your team will actually use consistently. Fancy features don't matter if they're too complicated to figure out. Simple and reliable beats powerful but confusing every time.
Take your time, test the free tiers, and choose something that fits your church's actual needs—not what you might need someday.