AI Email Marketing: 7 powerful Use Cases, 7 Tools Compared, 7 Smart Tips

If you’re curious about AI email marketing but not sure what’s hype and what’s real, this blog is for you.
I’ve explored how AI is actually being used inside popular email marketing tools, not just for writing emails, but for designing, personalizing, predicting, automating, and improving them.

AI email marketing blog cover picture

When we talk about AI email marketing, it’s no longer just about writing emails faster or saving time. AI has become surprisingly smart, and honestly, I’m kind of impressed!

AI in email marketing can now help you design better layouts, build full email journeys, test different versions automatically, and even re-engage people who didn’t open the first time.

Personalization in emails isn’t just about saying “Hi [First Name]” anymore.

AI can recommend products right inside the email based on what someone browsed or bought, or what similar users liked. It can even figure out the best time to send your email to each person, so the chances of getting opened are much higher.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through 7 real-world AI use cases, explore how the top 7 tools bring them to life, compare pricing and AI features side by side in the table, and wrap up with 7 tips to help you confidently pick the right tool.

Here’s everything we’ll walk through, step by step:

Now that you know what’s ahead, let’s begin with the real-world use cases.

7 Real-World Use Cases of AI Email Marketing

After going through all the popular email marketing tools and exploring their AI features in detail, I realized that AI email marketing isn’t just about writing a few lines of text; it’s about helping with a lot more.

The use cases below aren’t just theoretical; they’re based on real AI features these tools offer right now.

A visual of AI email marketing real world use cases

I’ve shared more details on each tool and their pricing right after this section, but here’s a quick overview of the key ways AI is already being used in email marketing today:

1. AI Can Write Emails, Subject Lines, and More

Most tools now offer AI writing assistants that help you create subject lines, headings, and even full email content. Some let you enter a prompt and get multiple versions to choose from, super useful when you’re short on time or just don’t know where to begin.

This is one of the most common ways AI email marketing tools are helping users today.

Best for: Getting a quick draft in place so you’re not starting from scratch every time.

2. Detects and Applies Your Brand Style

Instead of manually uploading your logo, picking fonts, and adjusting colors, AI can now do it for you. It detects your brand style from your logo or website and auto-applies those elements to email templates, turning them into branded email layouts instantly. This saves time and keeps your email design consistent.

Example: Mailchimp’s Brand Kit uses AI to pull your logo, fonts, and colors and apply them across your emails for a consistent, on-brand look.

Best for: Creating professional-looking emails without spending hours and maintaining design consistency.

3. Send at the Right Time Automatically

Many tools use machine learning to figure out the best time to send emails to each individual based on when they usually open emails. This process is fully automated and can lead to better engagement over time.

Best for: Improving open rates without trial and error.

4. Recommend Products Based on Past Behavior

Tools now use AI to track what a person has browsed, purchased, or clicked, or what similar users have engaged with, and insert personalized product recommendations directly into the email. It’s an easy way to make personalization work at scale.

Best for: Driving more sales with relevant, data-backed suggestions.

You’ll find which tools offer this in the tools section.

5. Run A/B Tests Without Writing Multiple Versions

Tools like Klaviyo and GetResponse are working on AI-powered A/B testing. So, you don’t have to create each variation manually; the AI can generate different subject lines, formats, or even content styles, and test what works best.

Best for: Optimizing your emails without spending extra time on multiple drafts.

6. Build Email Flows by Just using a Prompt

Some AI email marketing tools now let you build full automation flows using a simple prompt in plain language. You can type something like “send a welcome email to first-time buyers, then follow up if not opened in 3 days,” and the AI turns it into a working email journey, no complex setup needed.

Best for: Creating smart, timely campaigns quickly, especially if you’re new to automation or don’t want to build flows manually.

7. Adjusts Content Based on Predictive Insights

AI looks at how each person has interacted with your emails before, what they’ve clicked, how often they engage, what they tend to ignore, and uses that info to predict what content they’re more likely to click on or read.

Instead of sending the same email to everyone, the platform automatically adjusts parts of it to match each subscriber.

For example, if someone seems likely to unsubscribe, they might get a win-back message. If another person usually engages with a certain style or topic, they’ll receive the version most likely to catch their attention.

It’s all about letting AI decide what content or which content version fits best, based on past behavior

Best for: Improving content relevancy by making it more personalized.

But how exactly is AI doing all this, like writing emails, designing them, picking the perfect send time, or even recommending the right product to each person?

It’s not magic, it’s different types of AI working in the background, like machine learning and generative AI. If you’re curious, I’ve broken it down in an easy way anyone can understand in my guide on types of AI in marketing. It’ll give you a clear picture of what’s really powering these tools behind the scenes.

Each of these use cases comes from real features offered by the tools I’ve explored in the next section. So if you’re wondering which one fits your needs (and your budget), you’ll find all the details right below.

Top 7 AI Email Marketing Tools with Features, Plans & Pricing

There are many email marketing tools out there, but only a few use AI in ways that really help. I’ve picked out the ones that go beyond just sending emails to tools that use AI to write, automate, personalize, and improve your campaigns.

Before diving into pricing and deeper breakdowns, here’s a quick visual summary of the AI features each tool offers:

AI features offered by the top email marketing tools in a matrix table
A quick comparison of AI features across popular email marketing tools.
Created by The Digital Flock. Please don’t reuse without credit.

Now, let’s explore each tool in detail, what AI capabilities they bring, what it’ll cost you, and how the plans are structured. If you’re short on time, you can skip to the comparison table at the end of this section for a side-by-side breakdown.

1. Mailchimp (by Intuit)

Here’s what AI can help you do inside Mailchimp:

Mailchimp’s AI can help you create subject lines, headlines, or even full emails in seconds. It hands you a good first draft so you can just make changes and hit send, no need to start from scratch.

Mailchimp’s AI looks at your past email performance to predict when your audience is most likely to open, helping you schedule campaigns for better results.

After you send a campaign, Mailchimp doesn’t just show you the open rates, it actually tells you how to make it better. You’ll get tips like:

  • Make your text easier to skim
  • Use clearer headings and call-to-action buttons
  • Keep your fonts consistent
  • Improve how images and text work together

Mailchimp’s AI can generate full email workflows for things like welcomes, follow-ups, or abandoned cart reminders. The emails are pre-written; you just review and tweak them.

Mailchimp can show each customer the products they’re most likely to buy, like best sellers or new arrivals, using dynamic recommendations based on how they’ve interacted with your emails or site.

Mailchimp has a built-in Creative Assistant that uses your brand’s logo, colors, and fonts to help with the email layout. Helps you skip the setup work.

Pricing for AI Access:

  • No AI tools in the Free or Essentials plans.
  • Full AI features are available starting with the Standard Plan, priced at $13.27/month.

2. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a popular choice among e-commerce brands. From content generation to predictive sending and deliverability fixes, here’s how this platform uses AI email marketing to enhance campaigns:

Klaviyo helps you create your email layout from scratch using AI. Once your structure is ready, you can simply type a short prompt like:
“20% off spring collection. Use an exciting tone. Highlight exclusivity.”

The AI then generates multiple content options you can pick from or tweak to match your brand voice.

Testing emails is usually a time-consuming job, but Klaviyo makes it faster. Their variation generator (still in beta) lets you automatically create A/B test versions for things like:

  • Long vs. short copy
  • Emojis vs. no emojis
  • Personalization vs. no personalization

Just select the variation type, and the tool handles the rest; no need to write multiple drafts manually. It also sends the winning version of CTA, subject line, etc., automatically.

Instead of sending emails at one fixed time, Klaviyo uses AI to figure out the best time for each subscriber based on their past activity. This means better open rates without any guesswork.

This goes beyond basic A/B testing. Klaviyo’s AI chooses the right version of your email for each contact. Some people get version A, others get version B, based on what they’re more likely to engage with.
It’s personalization at scale, handled automatically.

Klaviyo uses AI to predict important customer insights, such as how likely someone is to buy again, how much they might spend in the future (lifetime value), or if they’re at risk of unsubscribing (churn risk).
This helps you send smarter emails and plan campaigns that keep people engaged.

If your emails are getting ignored or ending up in spam, Klaviyo’s AI helps clean your list and improve your email reputation.

It can recommend excluding people who haven’t opened your emails in a while to help you stay out of spam folders and protect your sender score.

Klaviyo uses AI to help you create on-brand email designs and subject lines much faster, saving time while keeping your brand’s look and tone consistent.

Instead of setting up email sequences step by step, you can just type what you want, like “send welcome emails to first-time buyers.”

Klaviyo’s AI will turn that into a complete automation flow for you, so you can skip the manual work and still run smart, timely campaigns.

I want to give a quick brownie point to Klaviyo while exploring their features. I found their step-by-step guided tour of their email marketing tool and its AI features super helpful. It doesn’t just list tools, it actually walks you through what each feature does and how it helps while you’re working inside the dashboard.

This gives a clear idea of what their AI can do and how it fits into real email workflows, making it easier for people to decide before buying any plan.

Pricing for AI access:

  • No AI features in the Free Plan.
  • Full AI access starts with the Email Plan, beginning at $20/month.
  • Pricing depends on your number of active contacts. For example, 500 contacts = $20/month.
  • Optional Email + SMS Plans are also available with extra AI tools for multichannel marketing.

3. Omnisend

Omnisend has AI features that are especially useful for e-commerce businesses. Here’s what it offers:

Quickly come up with subject lines that are designed to perform well and import your brand’s assets like logo, colors, and fonts from your store and apply them to your email templates, automatically.

You can write new email content or improve what you’ve already written, inside the editor.
The tool also supports multiple languages, which helps if you’re sending emails to audiences in different regions.

If some subscribers don’t open your first email, this feature can automatically resend it to them with a new subject line, leading to better engagement.

Omnisend uses AI to look at how people browse and shop, then automatically adds products to each email that fit what the individual customer is likely to want.

Instead of creating separate emails for different groups, you can build just one. The AI adjusts the content depending on who’s receiving it, so one email can look slightly different for each customer type.

Pricing for AI access:

  • All AI features are included right from the Standard Plan, which starts at $16/month 500 contacts.
  • The Free Plan doesn’t include access to these AI features.

4. Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)

Brevo’s a popular choice for email and automation, with features that suit all kinds of businesses.
It recently introduced Aura AI, a built-in assistant that can help you write better emails and send them at just the right time.

Here’s what Brevo’s AI can do:

Brevo’s AI assistant helps you write everything from subject lines and preview text to full email content, directly inside the editor.
It can also help you design small things like buttons and layout elements, so your emails look clean and professional.

Brevo’s AI figures out the best time to send an email to each contact, so you don’t have to.
This helps improve open rates and makes sure your emails land when people are more likely to read them.

Brevo uses AI to suggest the right products to each person in your email list. It looks at what they’ve browsed or bought before and then adds personalized product suggestions into your emails. It helps you send emails that actually match what people care about. (Available on Enterprise plan only.)

Pricing for AI Access:

  • Aura AI (writing/design) is included in all plans, even Free.
  • The Starter Plan ($9/month) includes just the AI writing assistant for AI features.
  • Both the AI features, including Send Time Optimization, are available only in the Business Plan, starting at $18/month.
  • The AI-powered product recommendation feature is available only on Brevo’s Enterprise plan, which has custom pricing based on your business size and needs.
    Note: For this reason, this feature is not included in the pricing comparison table.

5. GetResponse

Get Response has added a few OpenAI-powered features to help speed up your email writing process:

You can enter a few details like your target audience, industry, and keywords, and the OpenAI-powered email generator will generate a full email for you, including both text and images.

It also creates subject line suggestions based on your email content, which can help improve open rates without spending time brainstorming.

Predicts the best time of day to email each contact based on when they’re most likely to open and click. While Get Response doesn’t label this as AI, the feature uses behavioral data to optimize send times individually, very similar to what AI-based models do.

Paired with Time Travel, it also ensures that emails land at the same local time (like 10 AM) across different time zones, boosting consistency and engagement globally.

Just drag a product box into your email, and Get Response’s AI will automatically fill it with relevant items for each contact, based on their behavior and data, to boost clicks and sales.

Get Response’s OpenAI-powered Campaign Generator helps you create a full email campaign in minutes. Just answer a few simple questions about your product, audience, and style, and it builds everything for you: emails, a landing page, and even an automated welcome flow.

It’s a fast, beginner-friendly way to launch email marketing with AI.

A new feature is in development that will let you test multiple subject lines automatically. The AI will create and compare different subject lines to find what works best but this one isn’t live yet.

Pricing for AI access:

  • The Starter Plan ($19/month) includes limited AI use, up to 3 AI-generated emails and subject lines/month. 
  • Unlimited AI features are unlocked in the Marketer Plan, starting at $59/month.

6. ActiveCampaign

Active Campaign’s handy AI tools make email marketing faster and more efficient, especially if you’re short on time or new to automation.

Here’s how each one works:

Instead of writing everything from scratch, you can just type a short prompt, and the AI will generate a full email for you including subject line suggestions.
It can even create matching visuals, so you get both content and design done in one go.

Active Campaign’s AI Brand Kit helps you create on-brand emails in minutes. You can simply import your logo, fonts, and colors directly from your website, and the system uses AI to apply your brand style to ready-to-use email templates.

Rather than manually building email workflows, you can simply describe what you want (like: “Send a welcome email, then follow up if not opened in 3 days”), and the AI will turn that into a working automation flow.
This is especially useful if you find traditional flow builders overwhelming or time-consuming.

Active Campaign’s AI looks at when each contact usually opens emails and automatically schedules your emails to go out at the best time for them.

Instead of choosing one “winning” version for everyone, it uses AI to personalize content for each subscriber.
Let’s say you create up to 5 versions of an email section (like a product intro or CTA).
The AI then analyzes each contact’s past behavior and engagement patterns, and automatically sends the version most likely to appeal to them.

Pricing for AI access:

  • The Starter Plan ($15/month) includes only AI-powered email automation, not full AI access.
  • The Plus Plan ($49/month) unlocks more features like generative AI for email writing, along with AI email automation.
  • Full AI features are available in the Professional Plan, starting at $79/month for 1,000 contacts.

Now that you’ve seen what each tool offers individually, here’s a side-by-side comparison of their AI features, pricing, and contact limits to help you decide faster.

7. Mailer Lite

AI Email Marketing Features You’ll Find in Mailer Lite:

Mailer Lite has an AI writing assistant that can help you draft your emails from scratch, subject lines, body text, and more. You can also choose the tone you want (like Catchy or Professional), and AI will write in that style.

 Once your emails are ready, you can run A/B tests to see which tone or message your audience responds to better. It’s a simple way to learn what works and let your subscribers guide your writing strategy.

Instead of guessing when to schedule your campaigns, Mailer Lite uses AI to figure it out for you. Smart Sending analyzes your past email performance and sends each message at the time your subscribers are most likely to open.

Mailer Lite integrates with Canva so you can easily pull in AI-generated images. The visual editor lets you place them in your email without needing any design work.

Pricing for AI access:

  • There are no AI email marketing features in Mailer Lite’s Free or Growing Business plans.
  • To access everything like AI writing, smart send time, you’ll need the Advanced plan, which starts at $20/month (billed monthly). 
    You’ll need this plan if you want full access to their AI tools for email marketing.

Now that we’ve gone through each tool in detail, this quick comparison table sums up everything from AI features to pricing, so you can spot what fits best.

AI Email Marketing Tools Comparison Table

(AI Features, Prices, limits, and more)

This table compares popular AI email marketing tools and their AI features for email campaigns, pricing, plans, contact limits, and email send limits to give you a clear picture of which tools include which AI features and at what price.

Before you read the table: (Important)

  • Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and Omnisend offer full AI features right from their starter plans, no upgrade needed. Mailer Lite includes all its AI features in its higher plan only.
  • Brevo, Get Response, and Active Campaign include only limited AI in their starter plans, so I’ve listed their higher plans too for full access.
  • Plan names vary (like Starter, Standard, Email, Pro). I’ve kept the original names to make them easy to find.
  • Some plans include extras like SMS or multichannel tools, but I’ve focused only on AI for email marketing to keep things simple.
  • I went with 500 contacts as the base, since that’s where most plans begin. Get Response and Active Campaign start at 1,000 contacts minimum, so their prices reflect that.

Here’s the comparison table:

Tool Name

AI Features

Minimum Plan (For AI Access)

Prices (Monthly)

AI Features Availability

Contact Limit

Email Sends (Monthly)

Mailchimp (by intuit)

- AI writing & designing

- Smart send time

- Automate email flows

- Recommend products

- Content optimization suggestions

Standard plan

$13

All AI features

500 contacts

6,000

Klaviyo

- Generate AI email/ template

- Predicts send time

- Generate A/B test variation

- Personalized campaign sending

- Personalized email suggestions

- AI email flow builder

- Predictive customer insights

Email plan

$20

All AI features

500 contacts

5,000

Omnisend

- AI writing (multilingual)

- AI subject line generator

- Campaign booster

- Product recommendation

- Detects brand design

Standard plan

$16

All AI features

500 contacts

6,000

Brevo

- AI email writing/ designing

- Predicts send time

Starter plan

$9

AI writing / designing only

500 contacts

5,000

Business plan

$18

All AI features

500 contacts

5,000

GetResponse

- AI email content generator

- AI subject line generator

- AI recoomends product

- AI campaign generator

- Perfect timing & time travel

Starter plan

$19

AI writing only - limited to 3 uses

1000 contacts (minimum)

Unlimited

Marketer plan

$59

All AI features

1000 contacts

Unlimited

ActiveCampaign

- AI email content generator

- AI automated email flow builder

- Predict send times

- On-brand designs

- Predictive content

Starter plan

$15

Only AI automated email flow

1000 contacts (minimum)

10,000

Pro plan

$79

All AI features

1000 contacts

12,000

Mailer Lite

- AI writes email

- Smart send time

- AI image generator in email

Advanced plan

$20

All AI features

500 contacts

Unlimited

What This Table Helps You Answer

Use this table to see and compare easily:

  • What AI features does each email marketing tool provide
  • Which specific plans include AI features
  • The price of those plans
  • What Do You Get per Plan like Contacts & Email Limits
  • Whether you get full or partial AI access in the plan

Whether you’re looking for your first AI-powered tool or comparing for a switch, this table has you covered.

I double-checked all the tools’ AI pages, plan details, and docs myself and only included what’s available for email, not just what sounds good in marketing.

I know, even after seeing all the tools laid out, with their features, plans, and prices, it can still feel overwhelming or hard to decide.

You might still be wondering: But wait, which one’s actually right for me? Totally Normal. I’ve been there too.

Choosing the right AI email marketing tool can feel tricky, that’s why I’ve put together a few simple, practical tips that can help you choose which one fits you the best.
Here we go!

7 Practical Tips to Help You Choose the Right AI Email Marketing Tool

You’ve seen the tools, features, pricing, and limitations, but now comes the real part:

Which one should you pick?

There’s no universal answer, but these 7 points can help you make a smarter, more confident choice.
Ask these questions:

1. What Do You Need AI For?

When choosing an AI email marketing platform, start by asking: What’s the one thing I need help with right now?

  • If you find it hard to write emails, go for a tool that offers built-in AI writing support.
  • If you want to automate flows, prioritize automation.
  • If you need better timing or targeting, look for predictive send times and personalization.

Focus on the one or two things that will save you time or improve results, not every feature listed.

2. Which Plan Unlocks the AI You Want?

Many AI email marketing tools show off features that aren’t available in their entry-level plans. Some offer limited AI use; others include it only in premium tiers.

So before signing up, check:

  • Which plan includes the features you need
  • Whether those features are locked, limited, or unlimited
  • Whether the price feels right for the features included

This one step can save you from unexpected costs later.

3. What Are You Getting for the Price?

Two tools might cost the same, but what you get can be very different, especially when it comes to:

  • Contact limits (some allow 500, others 1,000 contacts as a minimum)
  • Email send caps
  • AI feature access

Always compare features + limits + price together, not separately.

4. Is It Easy to Use?

You don’t need to guess, test it:

  • Try the free plan or demo
  • Check if there’s a product tour, simple onboarding, or a dashboard that’s easy to navigate
  • Watch a quick YouTube walkthrough
  • Skim help docs if they confuse you, the tool probably will too

If it feels hard now, it won’t feel easier later. Pick what feels natural to use.

5. Will It Grow With You?

Even if your needs are simple now, it’s smart to plan ahead.

  • Will you want to automate more later?
  • Add SMS or other channels?
  • Manage a bigger list?

Check if the tool supports multichannel marketing, flexible automations, and reasonably priced upgrades.

You don’t need every advanced feature today, just make sure it won’t limit you tomorrow.

6. Does It Fit Into Your Workflow?

Already using Shopify, WooCommerce, or a CRM?
Make sure your email tool integrates smoothly without extra apps or custom setups.

  • Check the integrations page
  • Confirm it’s beginner-friendly
  • Bonus: See if AI features work with your platform (like product recommendations for Shopify)

A great tool should simplify your workflow, not add more friction.

7. One Last Tip Before You Choose

You don’t need a perfect tool. You just need one that fits your goals, your budget, and your workflow right now and doesn’t block you from growing later.

Use the comparison table of AI email marketing tools above to match AI features, pricing, and contact limits side by side.

If you’re still unsure, try 1 – 2 free versions and pick the one that feels easiest to use in real life, not just on paper.

To Conclude

AI email marketing has moved far beyond just writing emails, it now powers smart automation, personalization, predictive timing, and so much more. Whether you’re just starting or scaling up, the right tool can make your campaigns faster, smarter, and more effective. 

I hope this guide helped you understand what’s possible with AI email marketing today and how to choose a tool that fits your needs. 

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