Honest FloDesk Review - Why I’ve Been Loyal Since Beta
THE EMAIL MARKETING PLATFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESS
I’m guessing you landed here because you KNOW you need to prioritize building your email list as a small business, but you are struggling to pin down which platform to start with. I’ve been in business for a decade, run a 7-figure online education company and have sent more than 28 MILLION emails (no, like actually I checked, and that's just emails from the last 4 years).
During the last ten years, I’ve been with four different email marketing software companies, and Flodesk by far the longest. If I had to start over and choose again, I’d STILL pick Flodesk.
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THE TRUST OF MY COMMUNITY IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION.
Now in full transparency, I have just recently become a Brand Partner for Flodesk in 2024. This includes payment for promotion as well as affiliate commission. Please know that while that is true, the opinions expressed in this article are my own. You don’t stay loyal to a company since they launched in beta by accident.
How I Built My Email List with Flodesk & Its Impact on My Business
This year is the fastest I’ve ever built my email list. But I’m not going to sit here and tell you it was just one thing — one magic form, the perfect opt-in, or a new genius marketing strategy. It was a combination of experimenting with different strategies, all of which contributed to our best year of email visibility yet.
I actually put together a full case study on how I added nearly 10,000 subscribers to my email list in just six months — you can grab your free copy of that RIGHT HERE.
If you’re looking for more hands-on guidance, I’ve also created Email List Jumpstart, a comprehensive course that walks you through the exact steps I used to grow my list and automate my email marketing. Whether you're starting from scratch or ready to take your list to the next level, this course will help you get there.
THE COMPETITORS I TRIED
When I started, the email marketing options were limited. We’re talking bare-bones, with clunky software that made you work for it. Like a lot of small businesses, I started with Mailchimp. It was a good place to learn the basics of list-building but quickly became limiting.
My next stop was Kit (formerly “Convertkit”). They were scrappy and built a robust affiliate network early on, making them hard to miss in the online space. But, unless you knew your way around HTML, you couldn’t customize anything. I’ll never forget how everyone was trying to “brand” their emails with cobbled-together tutorials.
Our third email software was ActiveCampaign. This was during a phase where our list hit 50k subscribers. The platform had intense backend tech, which was impressive but also frustratingly complex. At one point, I was paying over $500 a month for email marketing—just to feel legit. Cue major buyer’s remorse.
WHY I CHOOSE FLODESK AND WHY I’VE STAYED
Flodesk entered the market in August 2019, and I was lucky enough to catch the founders, Martha Bitar & Rebecca Shostak, in a private meeting in early 2020. They had such a disruptive vision for the email marketing space, especially for small business owners like me who wanted a more design-forward, streamlined solution.
At the time, Flodesk didn’t have all the bells and whistles of other platforms, but that’s precisely what appealed to me. They asked, “Do you really need all those features?” And honestly, the answer was no. My business was already growing at a fast pace, and the overly technical solutions were just distracting me from what mattered: building relationships and converting leads into paying customers.
THE TRANSITION TO FLODESK
In the summer of 2020, we made the full switch to Flodesk. We migrated our growing list, unsure of what the future looked like, but excited for the simplicity it offered.
No regrets. Not only has Flodesk kept up with the latest features, but we saw immediate improvements in email deliverability and overall stats. More importantly, our business didn’t just maintain—it grew. Year over year, email marketing continues to be our #1 source of revenue, and Flodesk plays a massive role in that.
So why have I stayed through all the iterations, challenges, and updates? Because Flodesk has provided a reliable, scalable solution while making email marketing easier than ever.
Key Features that Keep Me On the Platform
There’s a lot I love about Flodesk, but here are the features that truly stand out:
1. Drag-and-Drop Email Builder
Flodesk’s drag-and-drop builder makes designing beautiful emails a breeze. You don’t need to hire a designer or learn code—just pick a template, customize it, and hit send. You can a see a real preview of an email I sent to Boss Project subscribers.
2. Pre-Made, Customizable Templates
For those of you who want to save time (and who doesn’t?), Flodesk offers a variety of beautifully designed templates. These aren’t your standard templates either—they look and feel like they were crafted by a high-end design team. Not quite finding what you’re looking for? Check out CreativeTemplateShop.com for even more Flodesk templates.
Ultimate Flodesk Lead Magnet Form Bundle
Digital Product Promotion Flodesk Email Templates
Digital Product Launch in a Box Flodesk Email Templates
Cold Audience Nurture Flodesk Email Templates
3. Automation Made Easy
You don’t need to be a tech whiz to set up automated email sequences. Flodesk’s workflows are as simple as they come, helping you nurture leads and stay top-of-mind with your audience, even when you’re not actively sending emails.
4. Unlimited Subscribers
One of the biggest selling points for me: unlimited subscribers. No more worrying about hitting a subscriber cap and paying through the nose. Flodesk’s flat-rate pricing makes it possible to grow your list without financial stress.
5. Flat Pricing
Speaking of pricing—Flodesk has the simplest pricing model in the industry. One flat rate for unlimited subscribers. No complex pricing tiers. No surprises.
6. Deliverability & Reliability
When it comes to email marketing, deliverability is everything. Flodesk excels in getting your emails where they belong: in your subscribers’ inboxes. With their clean, modern infrastructure, you can expect consistently high deliverability rates, ensuring your emails don’t end up in the spam folder. Over the years, I’ve experienced rock-solid reliability—I know when I hit send, my emails will reach my audience on time, every time.
7. Integrations
Flodesk integrates seamlessly with popular platforms like Shopify, WordPress, and Zapier, allowing me to connect the platform with other tools in my business.
8. Link Actions
One of Flodesk’s latest game-changers is Link Actions, a feature that allows you to trigger specific actions when someone clicks a link in your email. Add automation(s) on links within an email, such as: add to segment, remove from segment, add to a workflow, remove from a workflow, or update a custom field. The best part? You can set up these actions with just a few clicks. This feature helps you create more personalized, targeted campaigns that convert—without the technical overwhelm.
9. Clear, Actionable Analytics
Once you send your emails, Flodesk provides easy-to-read analytics so you can see what’s working and what needs improvement. They present metrics like open rates and click-through rates in a visually digestible way, so even if you’re new to email marketing, you’ll know exactly where you stand.
10. Easy List Management
Flodesk allows you to easily manage your subscribers with tags, segments, and forms, even if you're new to handling a list. You can organize your audience based on behavior or preferences, making it effortless to tailor your messaging to specific groups.
Flodesk Plans & Pricing
Flodesk has simplified its pricing structure to give you the flexibility to grow your email list and sell online with ease. Here’s a breakdown:
FREE FOREVER
The Free Forever plan is perfect if you’re just getting started with email marketing. With this plan, you can:
Set up unlimited forms & landing pages to capture leads.
Use their Link in Bio tool to capture subscribers right from your social media profile. The best design, completely free.
NOTE: This plan does not include email sending.
The Email plan is ideal for small businesses that want to grow their audience and engage with them through professional, high-quality email campaigns. This plan includes:
Unlimited emails to unlimited subscribers.
Flodesk’s easy-to-use drag-and-drop email builder.
Access to automation workflows for hands-free email marketing.
Powerful analytics to track your email performance.
Everything in the Free Forever plan, plus more.
Email + Checkout
The Email + Checkout plan is designed for entrepreneurs and small businesses ready to sell digital “anything” directly from their email platform. The options are endless, think Masterclasses, Photo Sessions, Event Tickets, Printables, Music, Food Styling, Design Templates, Lightroom Presets, Yoga classes. This plan includes:
Everything in the Email plan, plus:
Flodesk Checkout for selling digital products, memberships, and services.
Payment processing with automated email follow-ups for post-purchase engagement.
Unlimited Sales pages to easily promote and sell your offers.
Pricing
Flodesk keeps it simple with one flat rate for unlimited subscribers, making it an attractive option as your list grows. Try it FREE, and when you're ready to upgrade, you can snag 50% off your first year here.
Flodesk vs Competitors
There are other options out there, no doubt. But after trying the alternatives, Flodesk stands out for small business owners who care about design, ease of use, and scalability. Complicated tech doesn’t always translate to better results. Flodesk keeps it simple and effective—without the unnecessary clutter.
Usability for Beginners
One of Flodesk’s standout qualities is how beginner-friendly it is. Whether you're new to email marketing or switching from another platform, Flodesk’s intuitive design makes the transition seamless. The platform was built with small business owners and creatives in mind, meaning you don’t need any tech expertise or design background to create professional, on-brand emails.
Pros & Cons of Flodesk
Pros:
Simple, flat-rate pricing
Beautiful, customizable templates
Easy-to-use automation
Unlimited subscribers
Excellent email deliverability
Great for non-tech-savvy users
Cons:
Lacks advanced segmentation options for very large businesses (I genuinely wouldn’t worry about this unless you are doing north of $2 Million+ Annually)
Fewer integrations compared to some more established platforms (The list of integrations continues to grow all the time!)
Limited A/B testing compared to other providers
Quick verdict: Is Flodesk the right email marketing platform for your online business?
If you’re a small business owner looking for a cost-effective, easy-to-use platform that allows you to create gorgeous, impactful emails— Flodesk is your answer. It’s the perfect balance of design, functionality, and price.
How to Get Started
Ready to give Flodesk a try? You can get started with FloDesk FREE and grab 50% off your first year here!
