5 Best Internal Newsletter Software in 2024

The 5 Best Internal Newsletter Softwares of 2024

1. Connecteam — Best all-in-one internal newsletter software

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   Start for free

   Why I chose Connecteam: An intuitive interface, feature-rich mobile app, and proactive customer support team put Connecteam at the top of my list of the best employee newsletter software. 

   Let’s dive into Connecteam’s key internal communication tools. 

   Customizable content creation 

   Connecteam lets you create targeted employee updates using easy drag-and-drop functionality. You can add images, videos, GIFs, and files to make posts relevant and engaging. Plus, Connecteam lets you customize posts with your brand’s color, which is a great touch. 

   In addition, I was impressed with the ability to embed live polls, YouTube videos, and shortcuts to other features within updates, which sets Connecteam apart. 

   Moreover, Connecteam’s auto-translate tool lets employees read your content in their native language. I love this because it boosts inclusion while reducing errors or ambiguity in messaging. 

   Smart publishing 

   Connecteam lets you publish posts to your entire company in a social media-style feed. But you can also send them to the feeds of a select few using custom distribution lists. I appreciated the flexibility of sending posts immediately or scheduling publishing later.  

   I was also a fan of the fact that you don’t need to send content as cluttered email communications—you can publish news straight to employees’ mobile apps in real time and even alert them through push notifications so no one misses an update. 

   Even better, Connecteam lets you ask employees to confirm they’ve read a message and schedule reminders for those who haven’t confirmed by a certain date. These automated reminders help get eyes on content and save you the hassle of following up. 

   Interactive updates

   Unlike traditional newsletters, which push updates through internal emails, Connecteam’s feed lets employees engage with every post through likes, comments, and emojis. Employees can ask questions, tag each other with @ mentions, and even participate in live polls through these posts. I love how interactive this is and believe it helps create a sense of community. 

   That said, I also appreciate that you can disable interactions when needed—for instance, when you need to deliver difficult news or emergency updates and want to avoid negative comments or panic on the feed. 

   Reporting dashboard 

   Connecteam provides detailed insights into how employees are engaging with your content. You can see who’s viewed posts, when, and how many times. You can also see if they liked or commented on posts, which is a great way to understand what content employees relate to most.

   In-app chat, employee directory, and more operations, HR, and engagement tools

   Connecteam has an online team chat to connect with employees in private or group chats. The chat lets you add files, images, videos, GIFs, and audio notes for richer internal communications. 

   I like having this option for constant contact with employees while on the job—better for answering live questions, providing instructions, and more. 

   There’s also a built-in employee directory where you can store details for every employee and their emergency contacts. This way, you don’t need to save work contacts to your personal address book. Plus, you can call, email, text, or chat with team members with a single click from the directory. 

   Finally, Connecteam isn’t limited to communications features. It offers a range of operations and HR management features, including employee task tracking, job scheduling, time tracking, training, and much more. Plans start at just $29/month for up to 30 users. There’s also a free trial for everyone and a free plan for small businesses with fewer than 10 users. 

   Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Try Connecteam here!

   Key Features

   • Customizable content creator

   • Auto publishing

   • Interactive newsfeed

   • Reporting dashboard

   • Work chat

   • Employee directory

   Pros

   • All-in-one employee newsletter software

   • Confirmation receipts and push notifications

   • Mobile app, accessible from anywhere

   • Free plan for small businesses

   Cons

   • Newsfeed doesn’t currently support live videos

   Pricing

   Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users

   Join Connecteam - The Best Business App for Internal Newsletters

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2. 

   Workshop — Good for email-based newsletters

   Available on

   • Web

   

   Workshop is an employee newsletter software solution designed for internal comms. 

   Why I chose Workshop: Workshop offers a range of features for creating, distributing, and tracking your company’s internal emails. 

   Here are its key offerings:

   Drag-and-drop content builder

   Workshop offers a drag-and-drop editing tool and lets you add images, videos, GIFs, and more to design custom employee emails. You can also choose from a library of pre-designed templates or create and clone your templates from scratch. 

   Plus, you can import graphics and designs into Workshop’s content builder directly from Canva and preview your content before publishing. I like these tools because they make it easy for anyone—including those with no coding or design skills—to create content. 

   That said, I wish Workshop supported more than just email-based communications. For instance, there’s no social media-style feed or in-app chat. I believe emails will continue to be replaced by more instant forms of communication, so Workshop is behind in this area.  

   Multiple publishing and management options 

   You can create distribution lists to send emails to only the relevant team members. You can also schedule emails to go out in advance and integrate your calendar for a full view of scheduled comms. In addition to employee email addresses, you can share the email newsletters as PDFs on other communications platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Sharepoint. 

   Moreover, you can generate a unique QR code that opens directly into a crafted email. I think this is a great way to share important information, such as placing these on table tops, bulletin boards, etc. Further, you can track who hasn’t opened emails and send them reminders via the platform. 

   While Workshop offers many ways to send employees email newsletters, they can’t engage with your content. They can answer pulse surveys but can’t like, comment, add reactions, or interact with each other, which I think is a miss. 

   Reporting 

   Workshop tells you who has and hasn’t opened your emails. It also provides data on clicks, open rates, and survey results and even tells you what time of the day your content performs best. Again, I only wish there was a way to track employees’ sentiments around the content, which would have been possible through tracking likes, comments, and reactions.

   What users say about Workshop

   I found it very easy to implement my existing skillset into the Workshop software, which was essential given I utilize the platform daily.

   Brianna G.
   Corporate Communications Coordinator

   

   while it looks good once its sent out, it is REALLY hard to use. not very logical the way certain blocks are set up.

   Rachel I.
   People Business Partner

   

   Compare the best Workshop alternatives

   Key Features

   • Drag-and-drop content editor
   • Template library
   • Distribution lists
   • Reporting

   Pros

   • You can import graphics from Canva
   • Send content to Slack and Microsoft Teams

   Cons

   • Employees can’t like, comment, or react to content
   • No in-app chat

   Pricing

   Starts at 250/month for 250 employees Trial: No Free Plan: No

3. 

   Simpplr — Good for its social intranet

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Simpplr is an employee experience platform with communication and employee engagement tools. 

   Why I chose Simpplr: I was impressed with Simpplr’s AI tools, so I had to include the platform on my list.

   I’ve summarized Simpplr’s key features below. 

   Newsletter creator 

   Simpplr lets you build newsletters using smart blocks for different sections and drag-and-drop tools to edit content and move things around. You can add images, videos, external links, and more. 

   Moreover, there’s a customizable template library to get you started. I thought this was a great option for those who don’t have the time to start from scratch. You can reach your audience using email, Slack, or the Simpplr desktop and mobile apps. 

   Company intranet 

   Simpplr isn’t limited to email communications. It has a company intranet that acts as a centralized hub for company information. You can set up employees’ homepages with personalized news, reading recommendations, and more based on their jobs, departments, and locations. 

   The intranet also stores employee profiles so you can find team members’ contact details and see their titles, departments, and other information. Additionally, there’s a social media-style feed where you can post news, updates, videos, etc., and workers can react through likes and comments. I only wish Simpplr offered other emoji reactions—for instance, to downvote something. 

   AI tools 

   Simpplr offers several AI tools. The platform’s AI can generate ideas and recommend relevant content to assist you in crafting newsletters and posts. It also has a content governance tool that automatically deletes expired posts. 

   While this is a great way to keep things clean, I worry it might delete important information before everyone’s seen it. I’d have preferred some sort of notification showing how many users haven’t seen something before it auto-deletes. 

   Finally, an AI assistance chatbot can answer employee queries about company policies, procedures, and so on, which I thought was pretty impressive. 

   Surveys and more 

   Simpplr lets you create custom surveys from scratch. You can build a quick pulse survey or something more in-depth with various questions, including free text and multiple choice. Deliver these straight to your employees’ smartphones for better participation. 

   In addition, Simpplr offers a few more tools, including recognition features and engagement analytics. However, it has no other workforce management features, such as task tracking or an in-app chat.

   What users say about Simpplr

   The Simpplr platform really creates a sense of belonging, and brings out our company’s culture in one place.

   Bryant H.
   Business Development Representative

   

   The format is an overwhelming amount of info to look at. It has a blog feel, which is cool, but it’s not always easy to find the info I’m looking for.

   Alyssa C.

   

   Read our in-depth Simpplr review Compare the best Simpplr alternatives Visit Simpplr

   Key Features

   • Newsletter builder
   • Company intranet
   • Surveys
   • AI chatbot

   Pros

   • AI content governance
   • Mobile app

   Cons

   • No emoji reactions to posts
   • No task management or in-app chat

   Pricing

   Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes — 14-day, by request only Free Plan: No

4. 

   Nectar — Good for internal recognition and shout-outs

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Mac

   

   Nectar is an employee engagement solution with tools for recognition, rewards, and internal communications. 

   I chose Nectar: This platform partners with the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), lending it some credibility. Despite catering only to manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services, it boasts some great features. 

   Let’s have a look at what Nectar offers. 

   Content builder

   Nectar’s drag-and-drop content builder lets you create newsletters from scratch. You can add images, videos, and GIFs to make content more engaging. I also like that Nectar offers AI assistance with writing—for instance, by suggesting a structure for your content or generating ideas based on an existing structure. 

   Nectar also has pre-designed templates for announcements, events, and other company-wide updates for those who can’t build from scratch. 

   The most impressive part, though, is that Nectar lets you fully customize your newsletters. While other platforms allow you to change colors, this enables you to change your font, add a logo, and adjust layouts to align with your brand. 

   Multi-channel distribution 

   Once your content is ready, you can distribute it to the entire company or specific lists via email, SMS, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or other communications platforms. Announcements can come from company-verified email addresses so employees know it’s legitimate. 

   While I appreciate the different ways to send information, Nectar doesn’t seem to let employees view the information within their apps. I also didn’t see a way to distribute content through push notifications or send auto-reminders to those who haven’t read it. Finally, employees can read but not interact with your content through likes, comments, etc., which is disappointing.

   Reporting and analytics

   Nectar provides insights such as open rates, click-through rates, and event RSVPs. I appreciate this but would have liked to see more engagement data, which could have been possible if the platform let employees like or comment on content. 

   Recognition and rewards

   Nectar’s primary offering is its recognition and reward features. You can give employees shout-outs, reward them with points, and give them gift cards for good work. While employees can’t react to newsletters, they can applaud each other’s recognition posts.

   What users say about Nectar

   I really like that Nectar is user friendly and the software is easy to navigate.

   David C.
   Educator

   

   App is a little clunky. Not all website features are available on the app.

   Verified user
   Hospital & healthcare

   

   Visit Nectar

   Key Features

   • Content builder
   • Multi-channel distribution
   • Reporting
   • Recognition and rewards

   Pros

   • Distribution lists to send targeted content
   • AI writing assistance

   Cons

   • No auto-reminders to see content
   • Employees can’t interact with content

   Pricing

   Starts at $2.50/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes

5. 

   Staffbase — Good for analytics

   Available on

   • Web
   • iOS
   • Android

   

   Staffbase is an employee communication platform designed to improve workplace engagement and streamline internal communications.

   Why I chose Staffbase: The platform offers a range of internal communication and engagement features, including email and newsfeed-based information-sharing tools. 

   Here are Staffbase’s core features:

   Email builder

   Staffbase offers a drag-and-drop email designer and customization options to help you create engaging email communications that reflect your brand’s look and feel. While I couldn’t see ready templates, you can create standardized email templates to avoid the hassle of starting from scratch every time. 

   Another functionality I like is the ability for authors to collaborate on email designs in real time. I imagine this saves a lot of back-and-forth in writing and editing newsletters. 

   Moreover, you can send emails to everyone or set lists and see analytics for each email, including open rates, click rates, and read times for different teams, departments, and locations. 

   The one downside is that you can’t set auto-reminders for those who haven’t read the newsletter—you must follow up manually. 

   Newsfeed

   In addition to emails, you can post news and updates to an internal social media-style feed that users can access through their desktops or employee apps. You can share images, videos, audio files, and surveys and tailor what posts appear on employees’ feeds based on their roles, teams, or locations. Users can tag each other with @ mentions, like, comment on, and react to posts, giving you insights into their sentiments around your content. 

   Intranet and digital signage

   Staffbase also acts as a company intranet. Employees see a homepage personalized with news, reading materials, surveys, recommended training, relevant events, and more. They can also access the contact information for every employee through the people directory. 

   One feature that sets Staff apart is the digital signage tool. You can create digital signage with the latest news, events, or other updates and display these for employees. I think this is a great way to ensure people see essential information even if they’re busy on the job. 

   I like this intranet feature as it makes Staffbase feel like a complete internal communication platform. But I wish there were other workforce management tools, such as task management, time tracking, scheduling, etc., so businesses wouldn’t need to sign up for all these essentials on separate platforms.

   What users say about Staffbase

   The Staffbase customer support is second to none. From initial calls to implementation to monthly maintenance, I have felt supported all along the way.

   Sara S.
   PDGA radio podcast co-host

   

   Staffbase isn’t intuitive to use and the interface is challenging to set up.

   Alexandra B.
   Purchasing clerk

   

   Read our in-depth Staffbase review Compare the best Staffbase alternatives Visit Staffbase

   Key Features

   • Email designer
   • Newsfeed
   • Intranet
   • Reporting

   Pros

   • Live editing and collaboration on emails
   • Digital signage

   Cons

   • No auto-reminders for reading emails
   • No task or time management features

   Pricing

   Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No