20 Best Email Tracking Software, Tools & Services

What is email tracking software?

Email tracking tools provide great help when you need to know more about your prospects’ behavior. They give you a limited look into what’s going on after users receive your email. Did they open it? Did they click the links? Did it even go through the spam filter?

When you use email marketing software like Selzy, metrics like opens and clicks are already integrated into your workflow. But that’s not the case if you engage your audience through Gmail or Outlook. It’s a common practice for cold emailing, account-based marketing, and B2B outreach. So, in this case you may need to enhance your mailbox with email tracking tools.

These tools can take many forms, from add-ons integrating in your email clients, to separate apps — but they have one thing in common: they track email engagement. Most services at least let you know if the email was opened. Some tools allow you to see email engagement in greater detail: how many times it was opened, and what links and attachments were clicked. Although opens and clicks don’t seem like a lot of data, it still lets you assess the efficiency of your cold email campaign, for example, so you get more conversions.

Using email tracking software is a great way to find out what’s working and what needs to change. If your emails are not as effective as you expected, try out new formats, topics, and layouts. Save the better-performing templates and use them in your next campaign. Learn from your mistakes and make use of the findings to improve your personal business or franchise email marketing efforts.

How does it work?

An email tracker adds an invisible pixel to the email that you send through the service — basically, a very (very!) small image. Usually, they are placed within the email headers or somewhere towards the end of the email. They are harmless to the reader and simply trigger a script that lets you know that the pixel was shown on the recipient’s screen, meaning the email was opened.

A similar thing happens with click tracking. URLs within your content get replaced with special links generated by the tracking service. When clicked, it first leads to the server that writes down the information about each engagement. Then the user is seamlessly redirected to the “real” page where your original link is supposed to take them.

When this happens, you get a notification through a pop-up, email, or dashboard — whichever way it works in your software of choice. Most trackers record the actions history, so you can come back and analyze it.

20 best email tracking tools

Let’s see which email trackers are available for marketing pros in 2024. In this list, you’ll find the best-reviewed tracking software, tools, and services currently available for any budget. A lot of them even give some free plans, trials, or demos. And, to be unbiased in our opinion, we checked the ratings of each entry as provided by real pros on G2.

Yesware

Sometimes less is more, so Yesware keeps things nice and tidy. You get essential tools that do their job without being too complicated. All the basics are here: analyze, schedule follow-ups, and save time with personalized email templates at your will.

The software tracks each user’s activities within your email and notifies you in real time. Dashboards let you see recent statistics and engagement history. Overall, Yesware is a great way to get your sales team to use email marketing without overwhelming them with too much stuff.

Mixmax

Mixmax claims to improve upon the shortcomings of some other service providers like Yesware, for example. The main difference is that Mixmax offers more customizable sequences and templates, provides more detailed insights, and has a better implemented Salesforce integration.

The tool’s main focus is workflow automation, so you can set scenarios to play out whenever someone interacts with your emails. Other advertised features include AI writing assistance and multi-channel marketing support.

EmailAnalytics

Other tools give you insights into your audience, but what about your own business? EmailAnalytics helps you track and manage the activity of your sales team. Get to know if your employees are fast enough or if someone slacks off.

With daily or weekly reports you’ll be able to peek into what’s going on in your team’s mailboxes: how many emails were received, their headlines, and each member’s average response time. Never lose customers again because of a forgotten reply.

Mailtrack

Schedule, track, and analyze your campaigns, share documents, and request signatures right in your browser. Additional features include click tracking as well as CRM and other app integrations. Mailtrack is lightweight, easy to use, and it has apps for iOS and Android, and even a Chrome extension. As per usual, there is a free version with some cut features, unlocked by affordable paid plans.

Right Inbox

As the name suggests, Right Inbox integrates directly into your Gmail interface. Once you add it, new buttons and menus appear in the Gmail interface, and they allow tracking your emails and attached links.

Speaking of links, you can create custom previews for that extra visual flavor. There are also a few useful functions for personal management. Set follow-up reminders, save templates and sequences, and even add notes that can only be seen by you.

SalesHandy

In-browser solution focusing on cold marketing, SalesHandy includes all of the necessary tracking tools and much more. Sequence Score shows you what to improve in your emails to get better results. Email Warm-up helps you hit the inbox and never end up in spam.

Replies are saved into a neatly organized unified inbox that makes them easier to navigate. You get a 7-day trial to test things out, and each paid package can be used with any number of accounts.

Veloxy

Veloxy is an all-purpose software for sales improvement. Its main feature is Veloxy Sales AI which tackles all of the repetitive non-sales activity. Still, the traditional marketing instruments are all there, so you can easily send out personalized emails, tune segmentation, get tracking data and analytics. AI will help with picking the right time to start your campaigns, promising to bring in the best results.

Autoklose

Autoklose lets you fully set up and customize your emails. You get instant analytics on delivery, open, and bounce rates. Reports are available by each campaign and team member, and statistics will help you narrow down the winning strategies.

There is even an algorithm that analyzes what your contacts feel about your emails based on their reactions. What makes Autoklose stand out even more is its large database of confirmed B2B contacts that can be filtered according to your needs.

LeadBoxer

LeadBoxer is, first and foremost, a lead generation and management tool. However, it packs at least some punch when it comes to email tracking. Its official Outlook add-in provides information on open rates and clicks. The stats are available right in the client window and allow you to identify your email contacts as leads from a website or socials.

Boomerang

This is an all-purpose software for Gmail that considerably widens the possibilities of your mailbox. Its tracking features may appear secondary, but they still add a lot. Boomerang operates through read receipts, honestly letting your recipient know that their activity is being analyzed. You’ll get notified when your emails are opened, and there is a page that shows when and how many times it did happen. You can also access the information on clicks, including the most recent action.

Staffbase (previously Bananatag)

Staffbase is centered around the idea of improving internal communications within your company. It works as a fully functional intranet, including powerful tools for creating newsletters, knowledge hubs, and digital creative spaces for your employees.

With Staffbase, all of the basic tactics of email marketing can be applied when you reach out to your team. These include knowing all about open rates and link following within your important work emails. We can see it being helpful for HR and team leaders, especially in the era when distant work became the new normal.

MailTag

A classic tracker with no extra fluff, MailTag enables you to see the stats and analytics of your marketing emails. The most well-reviewed feature of this software is instant pop-up notifications on each opened email.

Reports show your total open rate, everyday dynamics, and team statistics by each member. Get additional use of MailTag tools with a customized signature and follow-up automation.

Groove

An all-in-one customer support solution that is a real powerhouse when it comes to communication between you and your clients. Groove makes it easy to run a huge helpdesk service by providing tools to keep you updated. Speed is important, so with the built-in tracking, you’ll know when the user saw your message and is getting ready to reply.

A specialized algorithm detects an ongoing conversation and prevents multiple replies to one message. There are additional options to monitor the average conversation length, reply speed, and resolution times for your team.

Vocus

Vocus falls into a category of simple but effective tools. The platform features a fully functional tracking software that has everything from precise recipient recognition to instant pop-ups. You can add unique branding to the tracked URLs for improved delivery. Reports are neatly visualized and allow you to compare results between all your team members.

Streak

Streak is a fully-fledged CRM that greatly enhances your marketing efforts. Tracking possibilities are pretty traditional, but the software shines when it comes to organizing things.

Every email opened by your prospects falls into a “Recently viewed” folder, turning the recipients into easily accessible hot leads. When sending any further emails, you can choose to deliver them only to those who engaged with the previous ones. This allows for a more personalized approach and varying marketing strategies.

Snov.io

Email tools are featured by many CRM providers, and Snov.io is no exception. This software provides you with a tracking engine that can be turned on or off for any of your Gmail accounts. You can access a full engagement history for each contact in your mailing list and set tweakable reminders to follow up. Another useful time-managing function is scheduling a delivery at a specified time.

Cirrus Insight

Cirrus Insight offers numerous tools to up your marketing game. The buzzword here is automation, as each solution is based on an algorithm that is supposed to make your life easier.

This is certainly the case with their Buyer Signals tool which tracks and analyzes the whole customer journey. From the first interaction with your email to visiting your website, each step is recorded, becoming a part of the overall metrics. The service will let you know when a prospect becomes a potential hot lead. Just wait for a signal and continue engagement when necessary.

MySignature

A bit of an oddity on this list, MySignature is a signature creation service. Still, they decided to throw email tracking features in for good measure.

The tracker is more on the basic side, with the ability to show who opened your emails and which links were clicked. But hey, it gets the job done and you get a nice-looking signature as a side dish. Who are we to complain, especially when it’s free?

HubSpot

HubSpot provides a huge collection of apps, covering everything from customer engagement to B2B commerce. It packs so much that the site can be somewhat hard to navigate.

Let us help you: the email tracking tool is hidden inside Sales Hub and features the full spectrum of functions. There are open notifications, link tracking, engagement history, and more. Tracking is available for emails sent from both common clients and through HubSpot’s native mailing system.

Mailbutler

Mailbutler is a very capable tracker that integrates into your inbox and works even on mobile devices. It supports Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail.

It also features an option to filter out actions by certain IPs when you want to exclude yourself or other particular people from the stats. Another addition is device type tracking, so you know which email layout to prioritize.

Tips for using email tracking services

There are a lot of email tracking software and tools, differing in functionality and focus. Some are suitable for huge marketing campaigns, while others were created with team administration or customer support in mind. So, there are a couple of things to consider when choosing the right tools for your business.

Pick the right tool for your objective

Go with an option that fits your needs, area of operation, and experience. For example, when you run a small shop all by yourself, there is no need to install a suite aimed at monitoring your team’s productivity.

If you’re just curious about your open rates, simpler tools like MySignature and Boomerang will be more than enough. Getting more serious and flexible software like Mixmax or Snov.io would be a good idea as you dive deeper into email marketing.

Make sure it works with your mailing client

Most services support both Gmail and Outlook, but some work with only one of them. Options like Apple Mail are extremely rare. If you are used to working in a certain mailing service, be sure that the software you choose supports it. Otherwise, you may have to create a new mailbox just to make it all work.

Don’t overdo your budget

It’s always good to have the best product for the largest campaigns ever. But if you’re just starting, you’re not likely to have 10,000 contacts to reach out to on day 1. Keep your tools affordable and scale them along with your business.

Many developers offer starter options that are cheaper than full editions or even completely free. Pair these up with other free email marketing tools and unlock new possibilities, no credit card required.

Learn to analyze

Statistics are useless when you don’t know how to read them. Email trackers give you a lot of information, so learn to see beyond the numbers and decipher the metrics. That’s how you’ll be able to apply your findings into real actions that lead to more engagement.

There are several reasons why you can’t blindly trust the numbers:

• Open rate is not as reliable as it used to be. The iOS update in 2021 made it more difficult to accurately track Apple users due to privacy policy changes.
• Clicks do not equal conversions. People might follow the link to your site but refuse to buy anything due to the lack of interest or website UX flaws. It’s something that only a proper CRM tool could show.
• A/B testing is more complex than it looks. While an email tracker can show you which subject line or template performed better, it won’t tell you why or if it’s going to happen again. There are other tools for such analysis and predictions.

Conclusion

Email tracking tools are essential for email marketing campaigns, especially in ABM and cold outreach, when you use regular email clients instead of email marketing software. These tools give you important insight and open new opportunities for action. Picking the right software grants you access to the data you can use to assess and improve your emails in the future. Choose what suits you best, learn how to operate it, and make a new step in growing your business.

But what if you want to go the extra mile and start sending well-designed automated emails, manage your contact list, and run A/B tests to improve your campaigns? If you’re a newbie in email marketing, overly complex tools designed with experienced marketers in mind can only leave you confused. Meanwhile, Selzy is so simple and user-friendly that you can set up and run your first ever email campaign in under 15 minutes. And yes, we do provide detailed statistics on each email — for free, along with 1,500 email sends a month to 100 contacts. Create an account with no credit card required and see for yourself!