Updated 2026-02-01

Best Email Marketing Tools for Optometrists

Keep patients coming back for annual exams and grow your optical sales with the right email marketing platform.

Running an optometry practice means balancing patient care with retail sales and business growth. Email marketing helps you remind patients about annual exams, promote your optical inventory, and build lasting relationships. But most email tools are built for general retail or tech companies. Here are 13 platforms that actually work for eye care practices, ranked by ease of use, automation features, and value for money.

Why Optometrists Need Email Marketing

Annual Exam Reminders

Most patients forget their yearly eye exams. Automated reminders bring them back on schedule, catching vision changes early and keeping your chair time booked.

Reduce No-Shows

Appointment reminders sent 24-48 hours before exams can cut no-shows by 25-35%. That means fewer gaps in your schedule and better patient outcomes.

Promote Your Optical Shop

New frame arrivals, lens promotions, and seasonal specials are perfect for email. Drive optical sales to patients already in your database.

Contact Lens Reorder Reminders

Patients run out of contacts and often reorder elsewhere. Timely reminders keep that business in your practice.

13 Best Email Marketing Tools for Optometrists

Our Top Pick for Optometrists
#1
Sequenzy

AI-powered email marketing built for service businesses. Creates patient sequences automatically.

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Best for
Eye care practices wanting automated patient communication without complexity
Pricing
$29/month for 50,000 emails

Pros

  • AI writes exam reminders and reorder sequences
  • Simple interface staff can use
  • Pay for emails sent, not contacts stored
  • Direct founder support

Cons

  • Launched in 2025, less track record
  • No built-in SMS
  • Fewer templates than established competitors
#2
Mailchimp

The most popular email marketing platform. Solid features but can get expensive.

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Best for
Practices wanting a well-known platform with extensive integrations
Pricing
Free up to 500 contacts, then $13-350/month

Pros

  • Extensive template library
  • Many integrations available
  • Strong deliverability
  • Good analytics

Cons

  • Gets expensive fast
  • Interface can be overwhelming
  • Support has declined
  • Not designed for healthcare
#3
Constant Contact

Long-standing email platform popular with small businesses.

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Best for
Traditional practices wanting simple email with phone support
Pricing
From $12/month for 500 contacts

Pros

  • Very easy to use
  • Excellent phone support
  • Event management features
  • Social media integration

Cons

  • Limited automation
  • Dated templates
  • Higher prices
  • Basic segmentation
#4
ActiveCampaign

Powerful automation platform with a learning curve.

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Best for
Tech-savvy practices with dedicated marketing staff
Pricing
From $29/month for 1,000 contacts

Pros

  • Excellent automation builder
  • CRM included
  • Great deliverability
  • Detailed scoring

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Overkill for small practices
  • Complex interface
  • Price jumps with features
#5
Brevo

Formerly Sendinblue. Good value with transactional email included.

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Best for
Budget-conscious practices needing email and SMS
Pricing
Free up to 300 emails/day, then from $25/month

Pros

  • SMS included
  • Generous free tier
  • Transactional emails included
  • Good automation

Cons

  • Daily limits on free
  • Support can be slow
  • Limited integrations
  • Branding on free tier
#6
MailerLite

Clean, simple email marketing with good automation.

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Best for
Small practices wanting simplicity
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers, then from $10/month

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Clean interface
  • Good landing pages
  • Generous free tier

Cons

  • Strict approval
  • Limited advanced features
  • Basic reporting
  • Healthcare sometimes flagged
#7
Drip

E-commerce focused but works for optical retail.

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Best for
Practices with strong optical retail focus
Pricing
From $39/month for 2,500 contacts

Pros

  • Strong automation
  • Revenue tracking
  • Multi-location support
  • Detailed analytics

Cons

  • Built for e-commerce
  • Expensive
  • Overkill for simple needs
  • Learning curve
#8
GetResponse

All-in-one marketing platform with webinars and landing pages.

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Best for
Practices running educational events or trunk shows
Pricing
From $19/month for 1,000 contacts

Pros

  • Webinar hosting
  • Landing page builder
  • Automation templates
  • Competitive pricing

Cons

  • Busy interface
  • Email editor could improve
  • Support varies
  • Features feel bolted on
#9
AWeber

One of the original email platforms. Simple and reliable.

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Best for
Practices wanting no-frills reliability
Pricing
Free up to 500 subscribers, then from $15/month

Pros

  • Reliable deliverability
  • Simple to use
  • Good support
  • Long track record

Cons

  • Feels dated
  • Limited automation
  • Basic templates
  • Little innovation
#10
ConvertKit

Built for creators but works for content-focused practices.

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Best for
ODs who blog or create educational content
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers, then from $29/month

Pros

  • Great for newsletters
  • Clean management
  • Tag-based automation
  • Creator features

Cons

  • Not for healthcare
  • Limited design
  • No free landing pages
  • Expensive at scale
#11
HubSpot

Enterprise marketing platform with email included.

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Best for
Large multi-location groups with marketing staff
Pricing
Free basic, paid from $50/month (realistically $200+)

Pros

  • Full CRM
  • Great for large teams
  • Excellent reporting
  • Many integrations

Cons

  • Overkill for small
  • Expensive
  • Complex setup
  • Ecosystem commitment
#12
Moosend

Budget email marketing with solid features.

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Best for
Very price-conscious practices
Pricing
From $9/month for 500 subscribers

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Good automation
  • Responsive support
  • Landing pages

Cons

  • Less known
  • Limited integrations
  • Smaller templates
  • Fewer features
#13
Campaign Monitor

Professional email marketing with beautiful templates.

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Best for
Practices prioritizing email design
Pricing
From $9/month for 500 contacts

Pros

  • Beautiful templates
  • Professional emails
  • Reliable delivery
  • Link review

Cons

  • Contact-based pricing
  • Limited automation
  • Gets expensive
  • Not healthcare-specific

Feature Comparison

FeatureSequenzyMailchimpConstant ContactActiveCampaign
Appointment reminders
Contact lens reorder reminders
Basic
AI content generation
Drag-and-drop editor
Automation workflows
Basic
SMS marketing
Free tier available

Email Sequences Every Optometrist Needs

These are the essential automated email sequences that will help you grow your business and keep clients coming back.

Annual Exam Reminder

Trigger: 11 months after last exam

Bring patients back for yearly eye exams. This sequence reminds them before insurance resets and follows up if they do not book.

Day 0
{{first_name}}, your annual eye exam is coming due

Friendly reminder about exam timing. Mention vision changes and insurance benefits.

Day 14
Time to schedule your eye exam

Direct reminder with booking link. Mention what the exam includes.

Day 30
Do not let your vision benefits expire

Urgency about insurance benefits. Easy booking link.

Contact Lens Reorder

Trigger: Based on supply timeline

Remind patients to reorder contacts before they run out. Keep this business in your practice instead of online retailers.

2 weeks before running out
Time to reorder your contacts

Friendly reminder with easy reorder link. Mention current prescription details.

When due to run out
Running low on contacts?

Urgency reminder with reorder options.

New Patient Welcome

Trigger: After first exam

Welcome new patients and set expectations. Build the relationship for long-term care.

Same day
Welcome to {{practice_name}}, {{first_name}}

Thank you message. Overview of services and optical collection.

Day 3
Your new glasses are ready for pickup

If applicable, pickup reminder with hours and location.

Day 7
How are you adjusting to your new prescription?

Check-in on new glasses or contacts. Offer to address any concerns.

Post-Purchase Follow-Up

Trigger: After optical purchase

Follow up after frame or lens purchases. Address adjustment needs and encourage reviews.

Day 3
How are your new glasses?

Check if adjustments are needed. Remind about warranty.

Day 14
Enjoying your new look?

If happy, request a review. If issues, offer to help.

How to Choose the Right Email Tool for Your Optometry Practice

The best email marketing tool depends on your situation:

Practice size matters. Solo ODs or small practices can use simpler tools like MailerLite or Sequenzy. Multi-location groups need platforms like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot.

Optical focus matters. If retail optical sales are a major revenue driver, consider tools with e-commerce features like Drip or strong promotional capabilities.

Budget is real. Calculate cost at your expected patient list size. A tool costing $10/month for 500 contacts might cost $200/month with years of patient records.

What Actually Works for Optometry Practices

After talking to many optometrists about email marketing:

Automate exam reminders. Every practice should have automated sequences for annual exams. This alone justifies email marketing investment.

Do not forget contact lens reorders. Automated reorder reminders keep this revenue in your practice instead of going to online retailers.

Keep it simple. Start with exam reminders, contact lens reorders, and a monthly newsletter. Add more later.

Getting Started

Pick a tool from this list. Then:

  1. Import your patient list
  2. Set up annual exam reminder sequences
  3. Create contact lens reorder reminders
  4. Send a monthly newsletter with optical promotions

Start simple and expand later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Set up an automated sequence starting about a month before the exam is due. Send a friendly heads-up, then a direct reminder with booking link, and a final notice mentioning insurance benefits that may reset. Personalize with their name for better open rates.

Most successful practices send 2-4 emails per month including automated reminders, plus a monthly newsletter with eye health tips or optical promotions. Focus on relevance over frequency.

Send emails about new frame arrivals, seasonal promotions, and lens technology updates. Segment by previous purchases or frame preferences when possible. Include quality images of featured frames.

Both work well together. Email for confirmations with detailed information, text for day-before and morning-of reminders. Text has higher open rates for urgent messages.

Collect email during patient intake. Add website signup offering eye care tips or exclusive optical offers. Ask at checkout if you can send appointment reminders. Never buy email lists.

Open rate (aim for 25%+), click rate (3-5%), unsubscribe rate (under 0.5%). Most importantly, track appointments booked and optical purchases from email campaigns.

Many platforms integrate with optometry practice management systems or can sync via Zapier. This automates adding patients and syncing appointment data.

Calculate when patients will run low based on their supply quantity. Send a reminder 2 weeks before they run out with easy reorder options. Make the process as simple as clicking a link.

Keep them short, personal, and relevant. Examples: '{{first_name}}, your eye exam is due' or 'New frames just arrived' work well. Avoid spam triggers.

Yes. At minimum, segment by contact lens wearers versus glasses only. You can also segment by last visit date, age group, or insurance type for more targeted messaging.

Ready to grow your optometrist practice?

Start your free trial today. Set up your first email sequence in minutes with AI-powered content generation.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com