Answers / Which tools can automate your emails, and what the free plans include
Which tools can automate your emails, and what the free plans include
You may not need a separate email tool. Job software, booking tools and HubSpot's free tools we list can already send automatic emails, and several connect to Mailchimp or Zapier. Here is what each one lists, what the free plans include, and the connections we could confirm on vendor pages.
Steps
- Look in the tools you already pay for first. Check your job software or booking tool before adding an email app. ServiceM8 (all plans, including Free) and Jobber list automatic quote follow-ups, Markate lists a lead email drip, and Setmore's Free plan sends email confirmations and reminders.
- Start free if you are small. ServiceM8's Free plan covers one user and 30 jobs a month with quote follow-ups. Setmore's Free plan covers booking emails for up to 4 users. HubSpot offers free email marketing tools, but check its current send limit before you rely on it.
- Use Mailchimp for newsletters, not job emails. Jobber and ServiceM8 both list a Mailchimp sync of your clients or leads. Keep quote and invoice follow-ups inside your job software, and use the synced Mailchimp list for seasonal newsletters. Mailchimp is not a tool we list, so check its own pricing page.
- Use Zapier only for gaps. ServiceM8 lists Zapier on all plans, Markate offers a Zapier integration for $10/mo, and Jobber, Housecall Pro, Setmore, NiceJob and HubSpot all have official Zapier apps. Connect apps through Zapier only when the built-in feature cannot do the job, since each extra step is one more thing to break.
- Keep one list of customers. Pick one place as the main customer list, usually your job software, and let the sync send contacts out from there. Avoid typing the same customer into two email tools.
- Send a test to yourself. Add yourself as a test customer, run the quote, booking or newsletter email, and check what arrives, that the unsubscribe link works, and that follow-ups stop once you reply or pay.
Tools that do this
Only tools we list. What each does here comes from the vendor's own page on the date shown; prices are the starting prices on the vendor's pricing page. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.
| Tool | What it does for this | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 | Free plan is $0/mo for 1 user and 30 jobs a month. Pricing page lists Quote Follow-up (automated emails and texts on issued quotes), email management on the job card, a Mailchimp sync of your clients and Zapier, each marked "All plans". (vendor page, checked 2026-10-31) | Free $0/mo (30 jobs); Starter $29/mo (50 jobs); Growing $79/mo (150 jobs); Premium $149/mo (500 jobs) (pricing, checked 2026-11-03) |
| Setmore | Free plan is $0 for up to 4 users and lists email confirmations and email reminders. SMS reminders are on Pro (from $5/user/mo, annual). (vendor page, checked 2026-10-31) | Free $0 (up to 4 users); Pro from $5/user/mo (pricing, checked 2026-10-27) |
| HubSpot (Customer Agent) | Email marketing page offers free email marketing tools (bulk emails tied to the free CRM) with no credit card required. The free plan's monthly send limit was not shown on the page we checked: Unknown. (vendor page, checked 2026-10-31) | Free tools $0; Customer Agent needs Professional/Enterprise + $0.50 per resolution (pricing, checked 2026-10-27) |
| Jobber | Pricing page lists automated quote and invoice follow-ups by email or text, automated client notifications, and lead management that syncs with Mailchimp and QuickBooks Online. There is no free plan; Core is $29/mo billed annually. (vendor page, checked 2026-10-31) | Core $29/mo billed annually ($49 month-to-month) (pricing, checked 2026-11-01) |
| Markate | Pricing page lists an Automated Email Drip Campaign for leads, a Zapier integration ($10/mo) and a NiceJob review integration ($10/mo). There is no free plan; Owner Operator is $49.95/mo. (vendor page, checked 2026-10-31) | Owner Operator $49.95/mo ($45.95/mo billed yearly); Team adds $5/employee/mo (pricing, checked 2026-11-03) |
Setup guides and comparisons
By industry: Construction, Snow & landscaping, Home services. All quoting-estimating tools.
Last checked 2026-10-31. We do not rank these tools; we name a pick only after hands-on testing. Spot something out of date? Send a correction.
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