Campaign Monitor Review [2025]: Honest Look After Hands-On Testing

Campaign Monitor is a email marketing tool designed to help businesses build and engage their email audience. Beautiful email designer let down by high pricing and limited automation vs. modern alternatives.

In this review, we'll cover everything you need to know before spending a dollar: what it does, how it's priced, where it shines, and where it falls short.

Our verdict: Beautiful email designer let down by high pricing and limited automation vs. modern alternatives

Campaign Monitor offers a suite of features focused on its core email marketing use case:

• Core Functionality: The platform's primary strength is its main workflow — best drag-and-drop email designer.
• Integrations: Reliable deliverability.
• Reporting: Easy to use.
• Usability: Requires patience — the UI has rough edges that slow workflows..

Campaign Monitor starts at $11/month. Pricing scales based on contact count and sending volume.

Key pricing considerations:

• Automation is basic
• Additional features may require higher-tier plans
• Annual billing typically offers a 15-20% discount

Best for:

• Teams that prioritize best capabilities
• Businesses already using complementary tools in the same ecosystem
• Organizations with the technical resources to manage the significant learning curve

Not ideal for:

• Very expensive per-send pricing situations
• Teams looking for an all-in-one solution
• Businesses that want simpler, more direct value from their tools

1. Best drag-and-drop email designer

This is genuinely a highlight — Campaign Monitor executes this better than most alternatives in the category.

2. Good template quality

This feature works as advertised and provides real value in day-to-day use.

3. Reliable deliverability

This feature works as advertised and provides real value in day-to-day use.

4. Easy to use

This feature works as advertised and provides real value in day-to-day use.

1. Very expensive per-send pricing

This is our biggest concern — the pricing model creates real friction as you scale.

2. Automation is basic

This is a meaningful limitation that impacts real workflows on a regular basis.

3. Limited integrations

This is a meaningful limitation that impacts real workflows on a regular basis.

4. Falling behind on AI features

This is a meaningful limitation that impacts real workflows on a regular basis.

Across G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot, Campaign Monitor receives mixed reviews with an average around 3.4/5.

Common praise: Users consistently highlight best drag-and-drop email designer and good template quality as standout strengths.

Common complaints: Very expensive per-send pricing and automation is basic appear regularly in negative reviews.

Before deciding on Campaign Monitor, consider these alternatives:

• Bonfire Terminal — Our top recommendation. Solves the exact pain points identified in this review.
• Other tools in the email marketing category with overlapping functionality.
• Consider your actual use case before committing to an annual plan.

Rating: 3.4/5

Campaign Monitor is a decent option for specific scenarios, but falls short in key areas that matter to most buyers.

Beautiful email designer let down by high pricing and limited automation vs. modern alternatives

Should you buy it? If best drag-and-drop email designer is your top priority and you can absorb the cost and learning curve, Campaign Monitor delivers real value. But before you commit, read the section below.