Can This $79 LIFETIME Deal Replace ActiveCampaign? Acumbamail Review
Can a $79 lifetime deal replace expensive email platforms? Acumbamail offers a professional email builder, automation tools, deliverability testing, and white label options. This affordable solution can save you thousands in subscription fees.
Could you really replace an expensive email marketing tool like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit with a one-time purchase lifetime deal? Surely you'd be missing out on something, right? In this review, I put Acumbamail to the test to see if this affordable AppSumo deal delivers on its promises.
Introduction to Acumbamail [0:00]
Acumbamail
Acumbamail is back on AppSumo to help celebrate their 15th anniversary. That's right, AppSumo has been in business for 15 years already. Time sure does fly. There are a ton of other special events coming up later this month, so definitely get subscribed to the channel if you want to keep up with all of them.
I want to thank AppSumo for sponsoring today's video. If you're new around here, I review lifetime deals every single day of the week. I always give my honest take - whether I like something or I don't, you're going to hear about it.
AppSumo Deal Breakdown [0:52]
This is the AppSumo deal page for Acumbamail. You can get in the door for as low as $79, and if you want to go supercharged, you can go all the way up to $779 on the absolute top tier. One way you can save even more is by becoming an AppSumo Plus member, which knocks an additional 10% off.
These prices are going to be increasing in less than a week - it just launched this morning and you've got seven days to make your purchase before the prices go up. So definitely act now if you know that you want to either upgrade your Acumbamail account you've already purchased in the past, or if you've never bought Acumbamail, get in while the price is as low as it's going to be.
All the plans are basically the same for Acumbamail. It just depends on how many emails you need to send each month. On the low end at $79, you're going to get 20,000 emails per month, which is still a lot for most businesses. But if you are a larger business or you want to plan for the future when you grow your list to hundreds of thousands, you'll definitely want to upgrade to tier five or six where you get half a million or even a million emails per month.
Review Structure Overview [1:38]
Acumbamail can do more than just email, but I think that's why most people would purchase a tool like this. Here's how this review is structured:
- How to send emails in Acumbamail
- Managing contacts and growing your list
- Technical details related to setup and delivery
- Extras, analytics, and other features
- Agency tools and white labeling
- Final score and recommendations
Email Builder & Templates [2:55]
When you first log into Acumbamail, you'll see a clean interface. To build an email, go to templates and then add a new template.
One thing I love about Acumbamail is that they haven't reinvented the wheel. They're using BEFree, a very highly regarded email builder. The software is rock solid, unlike some LTDs where dragging widgets can be sketchy. It feels native to the platform.
Acumbamail offers 863 templates to choose from. One minor drawback is that there's no "start from scratch" template option. You can take any template and delete everything, but it would be nice to have a blank slate option.
The builder is extremely responsive with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. You can easily adjust anything - move buttons, change images, and customize text. The "show structure" option gives you outlines for the entire grid, making it easy to understand the layout.
One thing to note is that Acumbamail is natively in Spanish. If you're an English speaker, you'll occasionally run into instances where the translation isn't complete. It's not a huge deal and easy to fix, but something to be aware of.
Campaign Creation Process [5:48]
After building your template, you'll create campaigns to actually send your emails. Go to "campaigns" and click "new campaign." You have several options:
- Newsletter (one-time email)
- AB testing
- Autoresponders
- Automations
- RSS feeds
For a simple newsletter, you'll go through a five-step process:
- Settings (sender info, subject, preheader)
- Choose your audience
- Select your template
- Customize the design
- Schedule and send
One standout feature is the ability to use your own subdomain for link tracking. This increases deliverability since links will come from your domain rather than Acumbamail's. It also reduces the chance of ad blockers catching your links. This is a bigger deal than it might seem!
Deliverability Tools & Preview [8:05]
Acumbamail offers two impressive features before sending:
- Device Preview Testing: You can see how your email will look on nearly 100 different devices, from the oldest iPhone to the latest models. This helps catch formatting issues before sending.
- Deliverability Analysis: This tool shows you how likely your email is to reach inboxes across different email providers. Email deliverability requires constant attention these days, so having this built in is very valuable.
You can also use the "opened mail booster" to automatically send to each subscriber at their most active time based on previous open data. Another useful feature is the option to automatically resend campaigns to subscribers who don't open the first time.
Autoresponders & Automation Workflows [10:42]
Acumbamail distinguishes between autoresponders and automations:
Autoresponders are single emails triggered by specific events:
- When someone opens a specific campaign
- When someone clicks a link
- When someone subscribes to a list
You can set which days of the week and times these should run.
Automations are more complex workflows with multiple steps. You can:
- Set triggers (dates, list additions, subscriptions)
- Add email templates
- Create delays between steps
- Add conditions and forks based on subscriber behavior
- Include SMS messages (at additional cost)
The automation builder is full-featured yet simple to understand, making it easy to create sophisticated email sequences.
Contact Management & List Cleaning [14:34]
Managing contacts in Acumbamail is straightforward. You create lists to store your contacts, and you can import subscribers via:
- CSV file
- Text paste
- Manual addition
- Direct import from Mailchimp
- Google Sheets
The import process is quick and easy. I imported around 1,700 emails in just seconds.
A standout feature is the built-in list cleaning and optimization tools. You can analyze the quality of your subscribers and remove low-quality or bounced emails with a single click. You can also set up automatic list optimization rules to unsubscribe people after:
- A certain number of soft bounces
- A specific number of unopened campaigns
This is critical for maintaining a healthy sender reputation and improving deliverability. Many users neglect this aspect of email marketing because it's complex or they don't know it's necessary, so having it front and center in Acumbamail is impressive.
Form Building & Website Integration [18:38]
To grow your list, Acumbamail offers a form builder. You can create:
- Classic embedded forms
- Modal pop-ups
- Sidebars
- Hello bars
- Exit intent pop-ups
- Side panels
The form creation process is a simple four-step workflow:
- Choose a template
- Configure settings
- Customize design
- Get integration code
For integration, you can either use their script, insert just the HTML, or use a direct URL to the form.
There is a WordPress plugin for Acumbamail, but it hasn't been well maintained. It's primarily designed for widget areas, which many modern WordPress sites don't use anymore. I recommend simply copy-pasting the form code into a code block on your site.
Alternatively, you can use form plugins like Fluent Forms Pro with webhook functionality to connect to Acumbamail. Acumbamail also has a full API, so you can connect via Zapier, N8N, Capable, ActivePieces, or other integration platforms.
Technical Setup & Configuration [22:08]
Before sending any emails, you need to complete several technical setup steps for best results:
- Verify Sender Emails: Go to My Account > Preferences > Emails and Domains > Sender Emails and add the emails you want to send from.
- Add Your Domain: Under "My Domains," add your domain without HTTP or www. Verify it via email link, file upload, HTML tag, or DNS record.
- Configure Anti-Spam Settings: This is critical for deliverability. You'll need to add:
- A CNAME record for DKIM authentication
- A TXT record for DMARC settings
These steps must be completed for every domain you plan to use with Acumbamail. While technical, they're essential for ensuring your emails actually reach the inbox.
Website & Landing Page Builder [25:25]
Beyond email marketing, Acumbamail includes a website builder. You can create:
- Multi-page websites
- Single landing pages
The process is simple:
- Choose from beautiful templates
- Customize settings (metadata, tracking)
- Design your page using the BEFree builder
- Publish and share
You can connect a custom domain by creating an A record pointing to their IP address. The resulting pages load quickly and look professional.
Survey Creation Features [27:07]
Acumbamail also includes survey functionality. Creating a survey follows a three-step process:
- Design and settings
- Questions
- Share
You can customize the look with different fonts and colors, and add various question types:
- Text answers
- Long text
- Statements
- Ratings
- Email/telephone collection
The final survey has a TypeForm-like appearance, with one question at a time. You can share it via URL, custom domain, or embed it on your website.
SMTP & Analytics [28:45]
If you're sending transactional emails, you can use Acumbamail's SMTP service. You'll need to contact their customer service and show examples of the transactional emails you plan to send.
Acumbamail provides comprehensive analytics for all its features, including emails, SMTP, and SMS campaigns. You'll have plenty of data to make informed decisions.
Agency Tools & White Labeling [30:20]
For agencies, Acumbamail offers excellent white labeling options:
- Change the platform name
- Customize email notifications
- Deactivate support options
- Change interface language
- Choose brand colors
- Upload your own logo
- Link to your website, docs, support, and social media
If you want to provide access to clients, you can add agency users and allocate specific credits to them. This makes Acumbamail a great business opportunity for agencies looking to offer email marketing as a service.
Final Score & Recommendation [35:09]
I give Acumbamail an 8.8 out of 10. It's been a long time since I was this impressed with an LTD. The combination of powerful features, ease of use, and affordable one-time pricing makes it an excellent option for anyone looking to grow their online presence without ongoing monthly costs.
If you're considering an email marketing solution, definitely check out the Acumbamail AppSumo deal while it's available.
Conclusion
Acumbamail
Acumbamail stands out as a comprehensive email marketing solution that can genuinely compete with subscription-based services like ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit. With its robust email builder, automation workflows, list management tools, and additional features like websites and surveys, it provides exceptional value for its one-time price.
While there are a few minor translation issues and the lack of native integrations with some platforms, these drawbacks are minimal compared to the benefits. The technical setup process is straightforward, and the built-in deliverability tools help ensure your emails actually reach your audience.
For small business owners, entrepreneurs, and agencies looking for a cost-effective email marketing solution, Acumbamail is definitely worth considering, especially at its current AppSumo pricing.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an AppSumo partner, I earn from qualifying purchases.
