You've spent months building your mobile app. The design is spot on, the features work perfectly, and you're ready to launch. But then reality hits—how do you actually get people to download it? Even worse, how do you keep them engaged once they do? Most app developers focus so much on the technical side that they forget about one of the most powerful marketing tools available: email marketing.
Here's the thing—building a great app is only half the battle. Without a solid marketing strategy, your app could end up being one of the millions sitting unnoticed in the app stores. Email marketing isn't just for e-commerce sites or newsletters; it's become an essential tool for app developers who want to build lasting relationships with their users.
The average mobile app loses 90% of its users within the first month, but apps with effective email marketing strategies see retention rates that are 3x higher than those without.
That's where choosing the right email marketing platform comes in. With dozens of options available, each claiming to be the best, it can feel overwhelming trying to work out which one will actually help your mobile app succeed. Some platforms are built for traditional businesses and don't understand the unique challenges app developers face—like tracking user behaviour, managing app store conversions, or creating campaigns that work seamlessly across different devices. In this guide, we'll break down everything you need to know to make the right choice for your app's specific needs, budget, and growth goals.
Understanding Email Marketing for Mobile Apps
Email marketing for mobile apps is quite different from traditional email marketing—and I learned this the hard way when I first started working with app developers. You're not just selling a product or service; you're trying to get people to download something, use it regularly, and ideally stick around for months or years.
The main goal is simple: turn strangers into users, then turn users into loyal fans. This happens through a series of emails that guide people through different stages. Before someone downloads your app, you might send emails that explain what makes your app special or showcase user testimonials. After they download it, you'll want to send onboarding emails that help them get started and discover the best features.
The User Journey Through Email
What makes app email marketing tricky is that you're dealing with multiple platforms and behaviours. Someone might read your email on their laptop but need to download your app on their phone. Or they might start using your app but then forget about it after a week—that's where re-engagement emails become your best friend.
The most successful app developers use email to solve real problems for their users. If someone hasn't opened your app in a while, you can send them a "we miss you" email with a special offer. If they're struggling with a particular feature, you can send helpful tips. The key is being useful rather than pushy.
Metrics That Actually Matter
Unlike traditional email marketing where you might focus on click-through rates, app email marketing requires you to track deeper metrics. You need to know if your emails are actually driving app downloads, increasing user engagement, or reducing churn rates. This means your email platform needs to work well with your app analytics—something we'll explore in more detail later.
Popular Email Marketing Platforms Overview
When choosing an email marketing platform for your mobile app, you'll find yourself looking at quite a few different options. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, and what works perfectly for one app developer might be completely wrong for another.
Mailchimp sits at the top of most people's lists—and for good reason. It's user-friendly, has a generous free tier, and offers solid automation features that work well with mobile apps. The drag-and-drop email builder makes creating campaigns straightforward, even if you're not particularly design-savvy. ConvertKit takes a different approach, focusing heavily on automation and segmentation. It's particularly strong for developers who want to create detailed user journeys based on app behaviour.
Enterprise vs Budget-Friendly Options
If you're working with a bigger budget or handling large user bases, platforms like Klaviyo and Braze might be worth considering. Klaviyo excels at ecommerce integration and detailed analytics, whilst Braze offers powerful mobile-first features including push notifications alongside email. Both come with higher price tags but offer more sophisticated targeting options.
Simple Solutions That Just Work
On the simpler side, platforms like Sendinblue (now Brevo) and Campaign Monitor provide solid email marketing tools without overwhelming new users. They offer good value for money and include basic automation features that cover most app developers' needs.
Start with a platform's free tier or trial period to test how well it integrates with your app's existing tools before committing to a paid plan.
The key is matching the platform's strengths to your specific requirements rather than choosing based on popularity alone.
Features That Matter Most for App Developers
When you're choosing an email marketing platform for your app, you don't need every bell and whistle—you need the right ones. I've seen too many developers get caught up in fancy features they'll never use whilst missing the basics that actually move the needle for app growth.
Let's start with automation. This isn't just about sending welcome emails; it's about creating intelligent sequences based on user behaviour. Did someone download your app but never complete the onboarding? That's a trigger. Haven't opened the app in two weeks? Another trigger. The best platforms let you build these workflows without needing a computer science degree.
Mobile-First Design Tools
Your emails will be read on mobile devices—probably the same ones running your app. This means your email platform needs drag-and-drop editors that automatically optimise for small screens. No coding required, but the output should look professional.
User segmentation comes next on my priority list. App users aren't all the same; some are power users, others are casual browsers, and many fall somewhere in between. Your platform should let you slice and dice your audience based on app usage data, purchase history, and engagement levels.
Integration Capabilities
Here's where things get technical—but don't worry, it's simpler than it sounds. Your email platform needs to talk to your app analytics tools, customer support systems, and any other software in your tech stack. Look for platforms with robust APIs and pre-built integrations.
- Real-time event tracking from your app
- Automated user data syncing
- A/B testing tools for subject lines and content
- Deep-link support for driving users back to specific app features
- Deliverability monitoring and spam prevention
The platforms that nail these features will serve app developers well without breaking the bank or requiring a dedicated email marketing team.
Pricing and Budget Considerations
When you're running a mobile app business, every pound counts—and email marketing tools can range from completely free to eye-wateringly expensive. The good news? You don't need to break the bank to get started, but you do need to understand what you're paying for.
Most email marketing platforms use subscriber-based pricing, which means your costs grow as your app user base grows. This can be brilliant for new apps but tricky to budget for as you scale. Free plans typically cap you at around 2,000 contacts and 10,000 emails per month, which might sound generous but disappears quickly when you're sending onboarding sequences, feature announcements, and re-engagement campaigns.
Understanding What Drives Costs
The biggest cost driver is always your subscriber count, but advanced features like automation workflows, A/B testing, and detailed analytics often sit behind premium paywalls. Some platforms charge extra for mobile app integrations or API access—which is frankly ridiculous when that's exactly what you need as an app developer.
The most expensive email marketing platform is the one that doesn't convert your users into paying customers
Budget Planning Tips
Start by calculating your current email volume and projected growth over the next 12 months. Factor in seasonal spikes—if you're a fitness app, January will be brutal on your email budget! Most platforms offer annual discounts of 10-20%, and don't be afraid to negotiate if you're sending high volumes. Many providers have startup programmes or will match competitor pricing if you ask nicely.
Remember that switching platforms later is painful, so invest time upfront to find something that scales with your budget and needs.
Integration with Mobile App Analytics
When you're running a mobile app, data is everything—but only if you can actually make sense of it all. The best email marketing platforms connect directly with your app analytics, which means you can see exactly what happens after someone opens your email and taps through to your app.
Most decent email platforms will integrate with the big analytics tools like Google Analytics, Firebase, or Mixpanel. This connection lets you track the full user journey; from email click to app download to actual usage. Without this integration, you're basically flying blind—you might know someone opened your email, but you won't know if they actually did anything meaningful in your app afterwards.
Setting Up Proper Tracking
The technical setup isn't too complicated, but it does require some planning. You'll need to make sure your email links include tracking parameters (UTM codes work well here) so your analytics platform knows which users came from email campaigns. Some platforms handle this automatically, others require manual setup.
What's really useful is being able to segment users based on their email behaviour. For example, you might want to see how users who clicked your onboarding email sequence perform compared to those who ignored it completely. This kind of insight helps you refine your messaging and timing.
Key Metrics to Track
Focus on metrics that actually matter for your app's success. Email open rates are nice to know, but conversion rates and user retention tell a much better story. Look for platforms that can show you lifetime value of users acquired through email campaigns—that's where the real ROI becomes clear. The platforms that make this data easy to access and understand will save you hours of manual reporting each month.
Email Design and Mobile Optimisation
Getting your emails to look brilliant on mobile devices isn't just nice to have anymore—it's absolutely necessary. Over 60% of people check their emails on phones first, which means your beautifully designed desktop email might look terrible on a smaller screen. That's bad news for mobile app developers who need those email clicks to drive app downloads and engagement.
The best email marketing platforms make mobile optimisation simple with responsive templates that automatically adjust to different screen sizes. Look for platforms that offer mobile preview tools so you can see exactly how your emails will appear on various devices before hitting send.
Key Mobile Design Elements
Your subject lines need to be shorter for mobile—aim for 30-40 characters maximum since longer ones get cut off. Button sizes matter too; they should be at least 44 pixels wide and tall so people can actually tap them without getting frustrated. Single-column layouts work best because they're easier to read on narrow screens.
- Use large, readable fonts (at least 14px for body text)
- Keep images lightweight to avoid slow loading times
- Make your call-to-action buttons prominent and finger-friendly
- Test on actual devices, not just desktop previews
- Keep your email width under 600 pixels
Always send test emails to yourself on different devices before launching campaigns. What looks perfect on your laptop might be unreadable on an iPhone.
App Store Integration
Smart email platforms can automatically pull in app store badges and deep links that work seamlessly across iOS and Android. This means when someone clicks your "Download Now" button, they'll land exactly where they need to be—whether that's the App Store, Google Play, or directly in your app if they already have it installed.
For ongoing campaigns, app update notification emails are particularly important for maintaining user engagement and driving them back to your updated features.
Conclusion
Right then, we've covered quite a bit of ground here! After working with dozens of app development teams over the years, I can tell you that choosing the right email marketing platform isn't just about ticking boxes—it's about finding something that actually fits how your team works and what your users need.
The platforms we've looked at all have their strengths. Some excel at automation and user journeys, others shine when it comes to detailed analytics and segmentation. What matters most is matching those strengths to your app's specific requirements and your team's capabilities.
Here's what I'd suggest: start with your budget and your technical requirements, then work backwards. If you're a small team just getting started, you don't need the most expensive platform with every bell and whistle. But if you're handling thousands of users with complex behaviour patterns, you'll want something that can grow with you without breaking the bank later on.
Don't forget about mobile optimisation—this should be non-negotiable for app developers. Your emails need to look brilliant on phones because that's where most people will read them. Test everything on actual devices, not just desktop previews.
The integration side of things is equally important. Your email platform should talk nicely to your app analytics, your crash reporting tools, and whatever else you're using to understand your users. When everything works together smoothly, you'll spend less time wrestling with data exports and more time actually improving your app.
Take your time with this decision—switching platforms later is always more painful than getting it right the first time.
