How the BestSends Research Team tests
Every platform is tested hands-on for a minimum of two weeks. We send real campaigns, not theoretical tests.
Testing is run by the BestSends Research Team.
Two weeks minimum, on a paid account
We open and pay for a production account on every platform we cover, on our own sending domains — never a vendor-provided demo or sandbox. Then we run it for at least two weeks: importing a real list, building forms and automations, and sending broadcasts, automation steps and transactional messages to a live seed list.
Deliverability is measured on inbox placement across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud and business domains, with SPF, DKIM and DMARC verified. Support is scored on tickets we open ourselves. Pricing is re-checked against the vendor’s own pricing page at 1,000, 10,000 and 50,000 subscribers, and every review carries the date we last verified it.
For the full test environment, seeding setup and re-test cadence, see how we test.
Scored out of 10
The same five dimensions and the same point weighting apply to every platform, so scores are comparable head-to-head. On-page score bars show each dimension out of 10.
Features
3 / 10Automation builder, forms and landing pages, segmentation, A/B testing, reporting, AI assistance, ecommerce and SMS where relevant.
Ease of use
2 / 10Time to first send, onboarding friction, editor speed, and how much documentation you need to get a campaign out.
Deliverability
2 / 10Inbox placement on our seed list across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud and business domains, plus authentication support.
Customer support
1 / 10Real tickets we open ourselves across email, chat and phone — measured on response time and whether the answer was correct.
Value
2 / 10What the plan actually costs at 1,000, 10,000 and 50,000 subscribers versus what you get compared with the segment median.
How we make money
We earn affiliate commissions when you use our links. This never influences our ratings. Sponsored content is clearly labeled. Rankings are decided before any partnership conversation, and no vendor can buy, upgrade or preview a score. Read the full affiliate disclosure.
Found an error? Tell us.
Email us at carlos@gilmediagroup.com if you find an error. We update reviews when platforms change their pricing, plans or features, and every review carries a “last tested” date so you can see exactly how current it is.