The Ultimate Flodesk Review: Don’t Switch Until You Read This!

You know how much beautiful design appeals to us, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that we’re big fans of Flodesk around here. While we’ve used Kit for years, we recently started testing out Flodesk.

Flodesk is a newer email marketing platform, but they’ve been developing features at lightning speed. They recently released Flodesk Checkout, a new tool that makes it easy for creators to monetize their email list.

Trying to figure out if Flodesk is right for you? We’ve got you covered with all of the details right here.

How much does Flodesk cost per month?

Before we start talking about features, let’s talk cost, since it’s often cited as a factor that leads people to switch to Flodesk.

Unlike many of the other email providers, Flodesk is offered at one flat rate: $38 a month. That fee provides access to all of the Flodesk features and the ability to email a list of any size. If you choose to go with an annual rate, it’s still $38 a month, but Flodesk offers one month free, making it $418 for the year.

However, you can use this link to get Flodesk for 50% off!

There is no “free” plan on Flodesk, but they do have a 30-day free trial.

Flodesk Review: Main Features

The Flodesk dashboard is broken down into four sections: emails, audience, forms, and workflows. 

Emails
When you start building a new email, Flodesk automatically provides a selection of fully customizable templates to choose from. The Flodesk email templates are arguably one of the best features of Flodesk, especially if you’re aiming for a more polished look for your business. If you want to build an email yourself, you can also start from scratch and add any of these blocks:

• Layouts
• Image
• Logo
• Video
• Instagram
• Text
• Link bar
• Button
• Divider
• Spacer
• Social links
• Footer
• Address

Audience: Subscriber Segmentation
Everyone on your email list isn’t always interested in receiving the exact same emails. With subscriber segmentation, you can put subscribers in one or more segments. A segment is simply a group of people who have something in common, such as ordering from your e-commerce store or subscribing via a blog link. You can create as many segments as you want.

Forms
You can gather email addresses through three different forms that Flodesk offers. 

• Inline forms are embedded into your website wherever you place them.
• Pop-up windows appear when people visit your website.
• Full page forms are individual landing pages that publish directly to the web.

When you create a new form you can specify which segment subscribers will be added to (more on that below!). You can also customize all of the text, add an image, and include a success message.  

Workflows
Flodesk workflows are automated emails triggered by a specific action. For example, if someone joins your email list through the landing page, this can trigger a workflow that sends a series of introductory emails over the next two weeks. If someone downloads your freebie, it can begin a workflow that highlights different products you offer. You get the idea. 

There are a number of prebuilt workflows you can use– including a sales welcome and new subscriber welcome– so you’re not having to recreate the wheel.

As you build a workflow you add a series of actions. You can set it to send another email, follow a time delay before the next step, add or remove subscribers to a segment, and even add different steps depending on whether a subscriber opened your last email or not. It might take some time to set up your workflows, but the automated emails are definitely worth the initial effort. 

Flodesk Analytics

Every email provides analytics–

• Delivery rates
• Open rates
• Click rates
• Desktop v mobile opens
• Who opened emails and clicked links
• Deliverability
• Bounces, unsubscribes, and spam

These metrics make it easy to segment subscribers based on their actions so you can make the most of your email lists. 

Flodesk Pros

• Hello, brand consistency. You’re able to save your brand colors in the settings (up to 5 colors), include your logo, and link all of your social media accounts.

• No coding necessary. Just drag and drop features where you want them.

• Over 100 fonts are available, many of them premium fonts. Pair fonts throughout the email for a more designed look, and choose from several different scripts for your signature,

• You can upload free images from Unsplash directly into the email editor, and GIPHY integration is available as well. 

• Time efficient. Almost every review of Flodesk shares that users are able to create emails in minutes. 

• Shopify and Zapier integration.

• Mobile optimization so emails look great whether they’re opened on a desktop or a phone. 

• Strong creative control: you can customize line height and letter spacing, overlay text on images, and choose from different image block layouts.

Flodesk Cons

• The minimalist aspects of Flodesk can leave you wanting at times, especially if you’re used to more high-tech options.

• Flodesk doesn’t offer many software integrations as of yet, but does integrate with Zapier and Shopify.

• There are a number of features Flodesk doesn’t offer, but could always be rolled out in the future. No A/B test for subject lines or content. No WordPress plug-in. No ability to see where subscribers come from.

Customer Service

The setup of Flodesk is pretty intuitive, but there’s still a chance you’ll run into some snags from time to time. When you do, Flodesk offers a few options–

1. Articles in the help center that are intended to help troubleshoot the majority of issues users may have.
2. Support tickets via email, which typically receive a response within 2 days.
3. Posts in the Flodesk Insiders group on Facebook.

You can also access Flodesk University, an educational community consisting of training videos that walk you through topics like using a quiz to grow your email list and designing accessible emails. We love that the videos are free and helpful for anyone interested in email marketing, regardless of which platform you use.

Is Flodesk better than Kit?

When it comes to choosing between Flodesk or Kit, it all comes down to what your needs are. 

Kit sends less polished looking emails but offers more advanced features, like software integrations, custom code options, and elaborate options for automated sequences. 

The Flodesk platform emphasizes style and ease of use, making it nearly effortless to create and send attractive emails in record time.

Need more information? No worries—we wrote an in-depth comparison of Kit and Flodesk.

Should I use Flodesk?

Of course, there’s never one right or wrong answer about which email marketing tool is right for you, but there are some people who might benefit the most from using Flodesk. With a flat rate of $38 a month and beautifully designed email templates, it was intentionally created to support small business owners. If you’re interested in sending stunning emails to a growing email list, without investing too much time or money, Flodesk might be a great fit for you. 

Use this link to start a Flodesk account and save 50%!