SendBlaster

What SendBlaster is

SendBlaster is desktop software for sending newsletters and bulk email campaigns: you install it on your own computer, keep your mailing lists there, compose and send from it, and use a cloud service for tracking and reports. The homepage says it "combines into one product the practicality of a mass email software with the flexibility of a bulk email web service. On the one hand you create newsletters and manage lists directly on your desktop: on the other you get a cloud email tracking service to handle reporting and improve your email campaigns." It comes as a free download and as SendBlaster Pro, sold with "no subscription needed, just a single payment for a lifetime license". The site says SendBlaster is "Trusted by 100.000+ customers" and calls itself "The original emailing software". The footer names two companies: eDisplay Srl, with addresses in Milan and Fonni in Italy, and Delivery Tech Corp in San Diego, California. The site runs in many languages, from English and Italian to Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Turkish and others.

The desktop approach

SendBlaster's pitch is that email marketing does not need a hosted platform. The homepage says: "A good mass email campaign doesn't need expensive web-based solutions: it can be handled effectively on your desktop or laptop pc, keeping your own email lists private and managing every aspect of the strategy on our mass email software. It's easier, safer, and cost effective." The Italian site puts the privacy point directly: "Tutte le liste risiedono sul tuo pc senza bisogno di essere processate da terzi" (all lists stay on your PC without needing to be processed by third parties).

Because the software runs on your machine, the mail goes out through an SMTP server you configure; the support tutorials on the Italian site include a section on SMTP servers. A SendBlaster blog post on email APIs notes that "If you use a desktop email client or a tool like SendBlaster, any provider with a full SMTP relay will work as a drop-in upgrade to your current sending setup."

Creating emails

The homepage lists three ways to build a message: "Using our free email templates, sorted by categories", "Creating a layout with SendBlaster's embedded email editor or an external HTML editor", or "Purchasing a tailor made template from our professional web designers and email marketing experts." The Italian site gives the size of the template library: "Oltre 230 modelli email ottimizzati inclusi" (over 230 optimized email templates included), and mentions a new editor for designing emails. A newsletter template collection is linked from the site.

Building permission-based lists

List building starts from consent. The homepage says: "The only effective (and legal) way to run a mass email campaign is to send emails only to people who allowed you to: that is, to build an opt-in permission-based list of addresses." SendBlaster lets you "create customizable web forms for your site to let your users subscribe in a few clicks", then records the collected data in one or more lists, "to which you can send separate messages". For WordPress sites the footer lists a "WordPress widget double opt-in newsletter subscription". Existing contacts can be imported: the Italian site says you can import your contact lists in one click "da Outlook, Gmail, Excel" (from Outlook, Gmail and Excel). A tutorial covers how to create a permission-based list, and the Italian support section includes a guide to anti-spam law.

Reports and tracking

Tracking runs through TrackReports, described on the Italian site as "il nostro servizio gratuito di statistiche per conoscere quante mail sono state aperte, cliccate e così via" (our free statistics service to find out how many emails were opened, clicked and so on). SendBlaster also works with Google Analytics: the homepage says it "will let you know if, after reading your emails, customers have purchased your products, subscribed to your website or made any other actions", and the Italian site adds that this includes the goals you set up inside Google Analytics.

SMS

SendBlaster SMS is a separate service for text messages. According to the Italian site, you can send professional SMS to your customer lists "direttamente dall'interfaccia del programma SendBlaster Free o attraverso la nostra piattaforma web" (directly from the SendBlaster Free interface or through our web platform), for offers, discounts, appointments and events, and "non c'è limite ai messaggi SMS" (there is no limit on SMS messages). SMS prices are on a separate SendBlaster SMS page.

Versions, pricing and releases

SendBlaster is offered as a free edition ("100% Free Newsletter Software for email marketing") and as SendBlaster Pro with a lifetime license. The homepage headline is "No recurring fees. Pay only once and it will work forever!", and the company offers a "15 days money back guarantee". The site links to a Free vs Pro comparison and, on the Italian site, a comparison of web and desktop approaches. The homepage lists the latest release as 4.4.2, dated 2020/04/10, with a 40 MB download; the Italian site describes the current generation as SendBlaster 4. A resellers page and a page for non-profits are linked from the site. The Italian site also covers sending PEC, Italy's certified legal email, to multiple recipients.

Support

Support channels listed on the homepage are a trouble ticket system, chat support and a phone line. Tutorials cover importing lists, creating a permission-based list, a guide to better email marketing and email delivery rate, and the Italian site adds sections on list management, creating and sending newsletters, advanced management, email tracking, SMTP servers, passwords and licenses, and error handling. Video tutorials and a free email marketing eBook are also offered. One testimonial on the homepage reads: "now I can send up to 10k newsletters per day, thank you for your support".

Who SendBlaster suits

SendBlaster suits a small business, club or solo sender who wants to keep lists on their own computer, send through an SMTP server of their choice, and avoid a monthly subscription: the free edition costs nothing and Pro is a one-time purchase. SendBlaster SMS brings text messages into the same interface, and Italian senders can also send PEC certified email with it.

It suits less well a team that needs a shared web interface, marketing automation or ecommerce integrations, since the pages describe a desktop newsletter sender rather than those tools. The last listed release date of 2020 is worth weighing for anyone who expects frequent updates.