Best newsletter tool 2026 – how to choose the right one for your organization
A newsletter tool is a program where you create and send newsletters, manage subscribers and signup forms, automate mailings and follow up with statistics. Here we compare seven tools used by Swedish businesses, associations and public organizations, including our own: Paloma, Rule, Ungapped, Get a Newsletter, Mailchimp, Brevo and MailerLite.
The best newsletter tool is the one that fits your organization's size, way of working and data handling requirements. For Swedish businesses, associations and public organizations, the choice usually comes down to five things: deliverability, where data is stored, how far the automation goes, whether the platform covers more than email, and whether you get support in Swedish when something goes wrong.
This guide goes through what actually sets the tools apart, compares them side by side and gives you a checklist to take into your evaluation. If you would rather test than read, you can start a free account right away.
How we made the comparison
We compared the tools on what usually matters to Swedish organizations: origin and support, where your data is stored, which channels are included besides email and what the free tier covers. The information comes from the vendors' own websites. Free tiers and data storage were last checked on October 8, 2026.
Paloma is our own tool. We have tried to describe the others as objectively as ourselves, and we say so when another tool offers more than ours.
The quick version: seven newsletter tools in brief
Four of the seven tools are Swedish and offer support in Swedish: Paloma, Rule, Ungapped and Get a Newsletter. Three of them, Paloma, Ungapped and Get a Newsletter, store your data in Sweden. Mailchimp, Brevo and MailerLite are international. Six of the seven have a free tier, but they count in different ways.
| Tool | About the tool | Data stored | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paloma | Swedish, since 2003. Newsletters, SMS, events and automation in one tool. Support in Swedish by phone and email. | Sweden | 250 emails a month, unlimited contacts |
| Rule | Swedish. Email, SMS and automation. Support in Swedish. | Within the EU | Up to 250 contacts, SMS not included |
| Ungapped | Swedish. Email, SMS, events and surveys. Support in Swedish. | Sweden | No free tier |
| Get a Newsletter | Swedish. Newsletters and SMS, basic automation. Support in Swedish. | Sweden | 500 emails a month to 100 contacts |
| Mailchimp | American. Email and automation, SMS and surveys depending on the plan. | USA | 500 emails a month, 250 contacts |
| Brevo | French. Email and SMS, with SMS bought separately. | Within the EU | 300 emails a day |
| MailerLite | International. Email, forms and landing pages. | Within the EU | 2,500 emails a month, 250 subscribers |
Free newsletter tools: what is included?
Paloma counts sends and lets you have an unlimited number of contacts. A send is one email to one recipient. Rule, Mailchimp, MailerLite and Get a Newsletter instead cap the number of contacts, at between 100 and 250. Brevo sets a daily cap.
Brevo and MailerLite give the most volume at no cost. Paloma's free account also includes 5 SMS and 80 event participants, and you get help in Swedish. You do not need a card and there is no lock-in period.
Further down, we compare the five tools that Swedish organizations most often weigh against each other, row by row.
What is a newsletter tool?
A newsletter tool is a platform where you build, send and follow up mailings to a recipient list. It handles three things the email program on your computer cannot: mass mailings without ending up in the spam folder, consent and unsubscribes in line with the law, and statistics on what recipients actually do.
Most platforms offer the same basic features. Templates, segmentation, A/B testing and reporting are everywhere. The difference lies in how deep each feature goes, what is included in the price and how the tool behaves as volume grows. If you just want to get started with newsletters, the choice matters less than you think. If you are going to work with it for several years, it matters a lot.
Seven criteria that decide the choice
1. Deliverability
A mailing that ends up in the spam folder is wasted, however good it looks. Ask the vendor how they work with sender authentication, whether they help you set up SPF and DKIM for your own domain, and whether they support DMARC. Also ask how they handle delivery to Microsoft and Gmail, the two environments where Swedish senders most often run into problems. Read more about what affects deliverability.
2. Where data is stored
For many Swedish organizations, it is crucial that personal data stays within the EU or in Sweden. Check where the servers are, which subprocessors the vendor uses and that there is a data processing agreement to sign. Public organizations and organizations that handle sensitive data often need to be able to account for this in a procurement or an internal security review.
3. Consent and GDPR in practice
The law sets the same requirements for everyone, but the tools do different amounts to help you. Look for support for double opt-in, documented consent, easy unsubscribing and the ability to delete a contact on request. We go through the details in the guide on GDPR and newsletters.
4. Automation
This is where the tools differ most. Every tool can handle a welcome email triggered by a signup. The question is what happens next: can you build flows with conditions, branches, wait steps and behavioral triggers, or are you locked into simple sequences? If you need more than basic flows, marketing automation is a chapter of its own in the evaluation.
5. The platform's breadth
Is it a pure email platform, or does it also cover SMS, registrations and events? Breadth comes at the price of complexity, but the alternative is often three systems that do not talk to each other and three contact lists that drift apart. If you need to send SMS alongside email, compare separately using the guide on SMS services for businesses.
6. Support and language
Ask concretely: can you reach a human, in which language, how quickly, and is it included in the price or does it cost extra? You will not notice this during the evaluation. You will notice it the day a mailing to three thousand recipients has to go out in two hours and something is not working.
7. Price over time
Do not compare the starting price; compare what the platform costs once your list has doubled. Some tools charge per contact, others per send, others per feature package. The model determines how the cost develops as you succeed. Find out what happens when you pass a tier: does the upgrade happen automatically, and what does it cost?
Comparison of five platforms
Five platforms that Swedish organizations often weigh against each other. The information below applies to the generally available packages and may differ in individual agreements, so always check with the vendor before you decide.
| Paloma | Mailchimp | Rule | Ungapped | Get a Newsletter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Swedish, since 2003 | American | Swedish | Swedish | Swedish |
| Support in Swedish | Yes, phone and email | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data storage | Sweden | USA | Within the EU | Sweden | Sweden |
| Automated flows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| SMS in the platform | Yes | Depends on the plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Events and registrations | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Surveys | Yes | Depends on the plan | No | Yes | Depends on the plan |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
What stands out in the table is not the rows where everyone answers yes, but how much fits into the same tool. Only one of the tools in the comparison answers yes to SMS, events, surveys and a free tier all at once; the closest is Ungapped, which covers the breadth but has no free tier. If you are specifically looking for a replacement for Mailchimp, there is a separate review in the guide on Mailchimp alternatives.
Which tool suits which organization?
The small business getting started
Prioritize simplicity and a free tier to grow into. You need templates, a signup form and a welcome email. Advanced automation can wait until you know you can keep sending regularly.
The business that sells and follows up
This is where automation and segmentation start to pay off, as do integrations with business systems or a CRM. Look at what the platform can do without consultants, and at what an API or a ready-made integration costs.
The association
The member register, meeting notices and registrations are connected. A tool that handles both mailings and registrations saves the board a lot of time. Read more in the guide on newsletters for associations.
The municipality, region and government agency
Here, requirements come into play that do not exist in the private sector: plain language, accessibility under the Swedish act on accessible digital public services (the DOS Act), the principle of public access to official records and procurement rules. They govern both the choice and how the mailings are designed. We go through it in the guide on newsletters for the public sector. Paloma is used by more than 80 public organizations.
The organization that also runs events
Training courses, conferences, member meetings and customer meetups. Then the invitation, registration, reminder and follow-up are the same flow, and an event platform in the same tool means the contacts end up in one place instead of in a spreadsheet.
How to switch tools without losing your list
Common mistakes when choosing
Comparing feature lists instead of workflows
Everyone has segmentation. The question is how many clicks it takes to do what you do every week.
Choosing based on the starting price
The cost once the list has grown is what matters, and it is driven by the pricing model rather than the entry tier.
Forgetting who will use the tool
If the platform requires a specialist, your communication becomes dependent on one person.
Putting off list building until the tool is chosen
The list is the asset; the tool is replaceable. Get started on building an email list in parallel.
Not testing the support
Send a question during the evaluation and see how long the answer takes.
Checklist before deciding
- Where is personal data stored, and is there a data processing agreement?
- Are double opt-in and documented consent supported?
- Does the vendor help with SPF, DKIM and DMARC for our domain?
- Which flows can we build ourselves, without a consultant?
- What does the platform cost when the list is twice as big?
- Do we get support in Swedish, and what is included?
- Will we need SMS, registrations or surveys within a year?
- How easy is it to export everything if we want to switch again?
Paloma in brief
Paloma has been developed in Sweden since 2003 and brings together newsletters, SMS, events and automation in one platform, with servers in Sweden and support in Swedish. Hosting is provided by Telia Cygate, which is certified to ISO/IEC 27001. Paloma has no certification of its own. More than 40 municipalities, 6 regions and more than 25 government agencies, universities and colleges use Paloma.
Frequently asked questions about newsletter tools
Which is the best newsletter tool?
There is no tool that is best for everyone. For Swedish organizations, the choice usually comes down to where data is stored, whether support is available in Swedish, how far the automation goes and whether you need more than email in the same platform. Start from how you actually work today and what you want to be able to do in two years.
Are there free newsletter tools?
Yes, several platforms have a free tier with a limited number of sends or contacts. That goes a long way when you are starting out. Check what happens when you outgrow it, since that is when the real cost shows. Paloma's free account gives you 250 emails a month to an unlimited number of contacts, with no card and no lock-in period.
What does a newsletter tool cost?
The price is driven by the pricing model. Some charge per contact in the list, others per send and others per feature package. Calculate your own scenario one and two years ahead, not the entry price.
Do the servers have to be in Sweden?
No, but personal data must be handled in line with the GDPR, and transfers to countries outside the EU and the EEA come with special requirements. That is why many Swedish organizations choose storage within the EU or in Sweden, to avoid that reasoning altogether.
Can I switch newsletter tools without losing my subscribers?
Yes. Export the contacts with consent status and signup date and import them into the new tool. Set up sender authentication before the first mailing and start with a smaller part of the list.
What is the difference between a newsletter tool and marketing automation?
A newsletter tool sends mailings that you start yourself. Marketing automation sends mailings triggered by what the recipient does, such as a signup, a click or a purchase. Many platforms include both.
Can a newsletter tool be connected to a CRM or other systems?
Yes, most newsletter tools can be connected to other systems via API or ready-made integrations. Ask what is included in the price. Paloma has an API today, as an add-on service, and a new API included in all accounts is planned for December 2026.
How do I get started fastest?
Create an account, import the contacts you already have consent from, start from a ready-made template and send a short first newsletter. If you need a step-by-step walkthrough, there is the guide on creating newsletters step by step and ready-made newsletter templates.
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