Constant Contact or iContact or ?

Who the hell has time to survey and review all the email marketing companies?

Well, no-one, but I also feel that someone who intends to be helping her clients damn well better know the pros and cons of each before she starts recommending one over the others. So I spent 4 hours today – that's right, four bloody hours that I will never get back, so listen up – scrutinizing the field for you, dear reader.

First stop, Top Ten Reviews, a site that makes it their business to regularly do much of the initial research. Love those guys. Their 2008 review reveals a more accurate view of each contender.

I was surprised to see that Constant Contact was more expensive and had less features than iContact. Constant Contact is easily the best known of them all, so hats off to their marketing department, because they've certainly convinced many that they're the best.

I use iContact.com. Aside from the price and efficiency, I like their interface. It's simple and uncluttered. They offer everything that Constant Contact does, including strict anti-spam policies, but they offer more features at a lower cost.

That said, Constant Contact and iContact are so similar that it doesn't really matter. If you feel more comfortable with Constant Contact, by all means spend a bit more and go with them. Either company will let you download your list of subscribers at any time, so you can always change your mind later.

November 06, 2008 update: still loving iContact and now they are in the #1 spot at Top Ten Reviews. If you want to try it free for 14 days, click here.