Suped

What deliverability monitoring tools are good alternatives to Return Path, Everest and Sparkpost?

Summary

A variety of tools and approaches are recommended for monitoring email deliverability as alternatives to Return Path, Everest, and SparkPost. These include specific tools like Send Forensics, Email Consul, GlockApps, Mail-Tester, Litmus, Sender Score, and 250ok (now Validity). Platforms like Mailjet, Microsoft SNDS, Google Postmaster Tools, SendGrid, and SparkPost offer built-in features. Setting up feedback loops with major ISPs is advised. The consensus is that a combination of tools provides a more comprehensive view, and the effectiveness hinges on understanding and acting upon the data.

Key findings

  • Tool Diversity: A wide array of tools, each with distinct features, cater to different aspects of deliverability monitoring.
  • Holistic Approach: Combining multiple tools and strategies provides a more complete picture of deliverability performance.
  • Actionable Insights: The value of any tool is directly tied to the ability to interpret and act upon the data it provides.
  • Platform Integration: Many ESPs (Mailjet, SendGrid, SparkPost) offer built-in deliverability tools.
  • Reputation Management: Microsoft SNDS and Google Postmaster Tools are important for monitoring sender reputation with specific ISPs.

Key considerations

  • Tool Selection: Choose tools that align with your specific needs and email sending practices, considering factors like target audience (Gmail, Outlook users).
  • Data Analysis: Develop a strong understanding of deliverability metrics and how to interpret data from various tools.
  • Action Planning: Establish clear processes for addressing deliverability issues based on the insights gained from monitoring tools.
  • Cost-Benefit: Evaluate the cost and complexity of each tool relative to the value it provides in improving deliverability.
  • Feedback Loops: Setting up and monitoring feedback loops is critical for maintaining a good sender reputation

What email marketers say

11 marketer opinions

Several deliverability monitoring tools are suggested as alternatives to Return Path, Everest, and Sparkpost. These include Send Forensics, Email Consul, GlockApps, Mail-Tester, Litmus, Sender Score, 250ok (now Validity), SendGrid, and feedback loops setup with major ISPs. A combination of tools is recommended for a comprehensive view of deliverability, and analyzing data is as important as using the tools themselves.

Key opinions

  • Tool Variety: A wide range of tools exists, each offering different features and insights into deliverability.
  • Combination Approach: Using a combination of tools provides a more comprehensive view of deliverability than relying on a single platform.
  • Data Interpretation: The effectiveness of deliverability monitoring tools depends on understanding and acting upon the data they provide.
  • ISPs feedback loops: Setting up feedback loops with major ISPs to help improve sender reputation and deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Feature Set: Consider the specific features offered by each tool and how they align with your deliverability monitoring needs (e.g., inbox placement testing, reputation monitoring, spam trigger identification).
  • Integration: Assess how well each tool integrates with your existing email marketing platform and workflow.
  • Actionable Insights: Evaluate whether the tool provides actionable insights and recommendations for improving deliverability based on the data it collects.
  • Comprehensive View: No single tool provides all the answers, hence combining tools or using a platform with a wide feature set is preferable.

Marketer view

Email marketer from G2 shares that users highlight Sender Score as a good tool as it offers reputation monitoring and provides insights into sender reputation, helping to identify and address deliverability issues.

5 Aug 2023 - G2

Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that Litmus' email testing tools include features for previewing emails across different devices and email clients, as well as deliverability testing that identifies potential spam triggers and authentication issues.

23 Jul 2024 - Litmus

What the experts say

2 expert opinions

The responses highlight two key aspects of deliverability monitoring. One response points to emailresourc.es as a resource for finding deliverability suites. The other emphasizes that the value of any deliverability monitoring tool hinges on the user's ability to understand and act upon the data provided; the tool's effectiveness is directly tied to the actions taken based on its insights.

Key opinions

  • Resource List: emailresourc.es offers a compilation of deliverability suites.
  • Actionable Data: The true value of deliverability monitoring tools lies in the ability to interpret and act upon the data they provide.

Key considerations

  • Suite Selection: When choosing a deliverability suite, consider the specific features and resources offered by each option listed on emailresourc.es.
  • Data Utilization: Focus on developing the skills and processes necessary to effectively analyze and respond to the data generated by deliverability monitoring tools.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares a link to emailresourc.es for deliverability suites.

25 Apr 2025 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, responds by highlighting the importance of understanding the data provided by deliverability monitoring tools and acting on it, suggesting that tools are only as effective as the actions taken based on their insights.

20 May 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

4 technical articles

The responses highlight several platforms and tools for monitoring email deliverability. Mailjet offers dedicated IPs, detailed analytics, and support. Microsoft's SNDS monitors IP reputation for Microsoft email services. Google Postmaster Tools provides data for Gmail users. SparkPost includes analytics, bounce tracking, and engagement metrics. Each platform provides distinct features for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.

Key findings

  • Platform Specific: Each platform (Mailjet, Microsoft, Google, SparkPost) offers its own set of tools and features for monitoring deliverability.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Microsoft SNDS and Google Postmaster Tools focus on monitoring IP and domain reputation, crucial for deliverability.
  • Analytics and Metrics: Mailjet and SparkPost provide analytics, bounce tracking, and engagement metrics to assess email performance.

Key considerations

  • Platform Relevance: Choose the tools relevant to your email sending practices (e.g., use Google Postmaster Tools if sending primarily to Gmail users).
  • Feature Overlap: Consider the overlap and differences in features between platforms to create a comprehensive monitoring strategy.
  • Data Integration: Evaluate how easily the data from each platform can be integrated into a central dashboard for comprehensive analysis.

Technical article

Documentation from Mailjet explains that Mailjet's deliverability tools offer features such as dedicated IPs, detailed analytics, and expert support to help monitor and improve email deliverability, positioning it as an alternative for monitoring deliverability.

24 Nov 2024 - Mailjet

Technical article

Documentation from Google explains that Google Postmaster Tools provides domain reputation data, spam rate information, and feedback loops for senders who send a significant volume of email to Gmail users, helping them monitor and troubleshoot deliverability issues specifically related to Gmail.

20 Jan 2022 - Google

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