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Whether you’re part of a large marketing team or a freelance email developer, email testing should be an important part of your workflow. It can save you the embarrassment, brand repercussions and lost ROI of a broken email. Now that we’ve established how important testing is – which email testing tool is right for you? While Email on Acid does offer email testing, we understand that we may not be the best fit for your needs and budget. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the top email testing tools available today and what you can expect from each service, so you can choose the right tool for your team.

1. Testi.@

What it offers: Testi.@ is a secure and low-cost option for email testing. With this tool, you can import your email as HTML, EML or ZIP and preview it on nearly 50 email clients. There’s also a Chrome extension to make testing even easier. Tests with Testi.@ generally take between 20 and 60 seconds. Pricing: Testi.@ has a few package tiers, including a free option that gives you one user and previews on two email clients (Thunderbird and Android 4.4). Paid plans include $7 for two days, $14 for 31 days and $50 for six months. Each paid plan includes testing across all 50 email clients, but other tools vary depending on the package you choose.

2. Litmus and PutsMail

What it offers: Founded in 2005, Litmus is a veteran in the email testing world. The platform offers email previews in more than 90 apps and devices. Like other testing services, Litmus has a standalone platform and Chrome extension. You can also send a test email straight to Litmus from your ESP or white-label their services with an API. Pricing: Litmus offers a seven-day free trial for those looking to try out the platform. Monthly plans range from $99/month for a basic package to $499/month for their professional plan, with each package offering varied features and number of users. Annual plans range from $79-$399/month. Custom plans (“Enterprise” plans) are also available. PutsMail: PutsMail is a free service powered by Litmus (Litmus purchased the tool in 2014). With PutsMail, you can send a test email to up to 10 email addresses and preview the message in a real client. The tool will also inline your CSS. To send the test email with PutsMail, you’ll need to enter two versions: HTML and plain text. PutsMail also gives you the option to enter a third version specific for Apple Watch users.

3. PilotMailer

What it offers: Like PutsMail, PilotMailer is a free tool that allows you to send a test email to up to 10 email addresses, giving you the ability to preview your email in a real client. You can include a plain text version of your email to test, as well, and save tests to review later. PilotMailer, which is a product of netling, will also automatically inline your CSS. Pricing: Free.

4. Mailtrap

What it offers: Mailtrap, which is a product of Railsware, gives email developers the ability to test emails from a development and staging environment. The tool is great if you send emails yourself (i.e., not from an ESP). It simulates a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server to separate emails into different inboxes, so you can see how emails render from a specific server. Then, you can view and debug your emails in Mailtrap’s platform. Pricing: Mailtrap offers a free plan with some limitations. They also offer two paid plans - $9.99/month and $24.99/month – which have varying features. It’s also important to note that Mailtrap offers their mid-range plan for free to open source and non-profit organizations.

5. Inbox Inspector

What it offers: A product of GetResponse, Inbox Inspector is a free tool that provides email previews in more than 20 email clients and devices. To use Inbox Inspector, you can either send the email directly from your ESP or copy-and-paste your HTML code into the tool. Inbox Inspector also allows you to see what your email will look like if images are blocked. Pricing: Free.

6. PreviewMyEmail

What it offers: PreviewMyEmail (PME) provides real screenshots (not emulations) of your email from more than 40 different desktop, web and mobile email clients. You can use PME’s email testing by copying and pasting HTML, uploading the HTML, or by sending your email directly to the platform. PME also offers white-labeled API services. Pricing: PME doesn’t offer a free trial, but its paid plans include a $49/month basic plan or a $129/month premium plan. API plans include a $248/month basic package and a $328/month premium package.   It’s important to note that we’ve included standalone email testing tools in this list. However, there are also plenty of email service providers (ESPs), email tools and marketing platforms that include email testing as part of their larger software suite, such as Return Path, MailChimp and Salesforce. If you are already using an ESP or other customer relationship management (CRM) platform, check with them to see if they offer email testing as part of your package. The right email testing tool for your team will depend entirely on the type of testing you need to do and the value you find in an email testing platform. It’s important to consider features and limitations, how the tool fits into your workflow, and overall price. Hopefully, one of these options is the right fit for you. If you’re looking for more information on email testing software, check out these resources:

• Why Is Email Testing So Pricey?
• Unlimited Email Testing: What Should You Look for in an Email Testing Service?
• What’s the Difference Between an ESP, CRM and Email Testing Platform?
• Our Email Testing Services and new Campaign Precheck