FluentCRM
Self-hosted email marketing and CRM plugin by WPManageNinja: unlimited contacts, campaigns and automation funnels, sending through your own SMTP or ESP.
91
Icegram Express
Self-hosted newsletter plugin (formerly Email Subscribers) with forms, post notifications and a drag-and-drop editor; Max adds automations and integrations.
Free installs50K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~5.4KLikely 2.7K–11K
Vendor claims120K+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.6/51,170 reviews
Price from$99/yrFreemium
Last updated23 Oct 2026Version 5.9.40
Overview
Icegram Express, formerly Email Subscribers & Newsletters, is a long-running WordPress newsletter plugin that stores subscribers and campaigns in your own database. It is aimed at bloggers and small businesses who want sign-up forms, broadcasts and automatic new-post emails without paying a SaaS provider per contact.
How it works
The free version provides popup, inline, widget and shortcode forms with single or double opt-in and a privacy checkbox, unlimited lists, CSV import and export, newsletters, broadcasts and automatic post notifications. Emails are designed in a drag-and-drop editor with basic blocks or in HTML, and campaign reports show opens, clicks and unsubscribes. Sending goes through WordPress mail (and therefore any SMTP plugin), Pepipost, or Icegram’s own mailer, which the changelog introduced with a free allowance of 100 emails per day.
Free vs Max
The pricing page now lists two plans: Lite (free) and Max at $99 a year for three sites. Max adds:
- Autoresponders, sequences, welcome emails and post digests
- WooCommerce abandoned-cart and order triggers, plus LearnDash and membership-plugin triggers
- Custom fields, bounce handling, email validation and spam scoring
- Native connectors for SMTP, Mailgun, SendGrid, SparkPost, Postmark, Brevo and Mailjet
- Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms and Forminator integrations, and detailed reports
Strengths and limitations
The free plugin covers the basics most blogs need, with no subscriber or campaign limits, and Max is inexpensive compared with SaaS tools. Weaknesses are that automations use a trigger-and-action form rather than a visual canvas, there is no A/B testing, custom fields and bounce handling are paywalled, and revenue attribution is not offered. The vendor’s own pages are inconsistent about which form integrations are free, and sending reliability depends on your SMTP setup and cron.
Pick Icegram Express if you run a content site that mainly needs post notifications and occasional newsletters, and want an affordable upgrade path for WooCommerce automations.
Best for: Bloggers and small sites that want free self-hosted post notifications and newsletters with a low-cost upgrade.
Icegram Express is a solid free choice for post notifications and basic newsletters stored in WordPress. Max is good value for WooCommerce and membership triggers, but the lack of A/B testing, revenue reports and a visual workflow builder keeps it behind more automation-focused rivals.
Pros
- Free version has no limits on subscribers, campaigns or lists
- Automatic new-post notifications in the free plugin
- Popup, inline and widget forms with double opt-in
- Drag-and-drop email editor included free
- Inexpensive Max plan at $99 a year for three sites
- Multisite support with per-site lists
Cons
- Autoresponders, sequences and abandoned cart require Max
- No A/B testing or revenue attribution
- Custom fields and bounce handling are paid features
- No visual automation canvas
- Vendor pages disagree on which form integrations are free
Key features
What Icegram Express highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Popup, inline, widget and shortcode forms
- Single or double opt-in
- Unlimited lists and subscribers
- Automatic new-post notifications
- Newsletters and broadcasts
- Drag-and-drop editor with basic blocks
- Open, click and unsubscribe tracking
- Unlimited CSV import and export
- Send via SMTP or Icegram Mailer
- Gutenberg subscription form block
- Auto-clean inactive subscribers
- Multisite support
Pro / paid adds From $99/yr
- Autoresponders, sequences and welcome emails
- Post digests and timezone-based sending
- WooCommerce abandoned cart recovery
- LearnDash and membership triggers
- Custom fields and personalisation
- Automatic bounce handling
- Email validation and spam scoring
- SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark connectors
- Form-plugin integrations
- Detailed and exportable reports
- Advanced editor blocks and templates
Feature checklist
22 of 25 features we track in Email Marketing & Newsletters, feature score 83/100
Campaigns 4/5
Drag & drop email builder Key
Design newsletters visually without code.
Drag-and-drop editor with basic blocks free; advanced blocks such as video and custom code in Max.
Included
Email templates
Ready-made newsletter and email templates.
Responsive templates and a template gallery free; pro templates in Max.
Included
New post notifications Key
Automatically email subscribers when you publish (RSS to email).
New posts are emailed automatically with title, image, excerpt and author keywords.
Included
Scheduled campaigns
Schedule newsletters for a set date and time.
Campaigns can be scheduled; timezone-based and send-time optimised scheduling are paid.
Included
A/B testing
Test subject lines or content variations.
No A/B testing appears on the plugin page, product page or pricing table.
Not included
Automation 3/4
Automation workflows Key
Welcome series, drip sequences and trigger-based emails.
Basic workflows exist free; autoresponders, sequences and welcome emails need Max.
Partial
WooCommerce marketing emails Key
Abandoned cart, purchase follow-ups and customer segments from WooCommerce.
Free segments Woo buyers; abandoned cart and order-status triggers are Max.
Paid version Max
Visual automation builder
Build workflows on a visual canvas with conditions and delays.
Workflows are set up as trigger, rules and actions in a form, not on a visual canvas.
Not included
Membership & LMS triggers
Automations triggered by membership, course or form events.
LearnDash, MemberPress, PMPro and other membership triggers are Max features.
Paid version Max
Subscribers & lists 7/7
Sign-up forms Key
Embedded, popup or slide-in subscription forms.
Popup (exit intent, scroll, timer), inline, widget, shortcode and block forms.
Included
Double opt-in
Confirmation emails before subscribers are added.
Single or double opt-in with a privacy checkbox in the free plugin.
Included
Lists, tags & segments Key
Organise subscribers with lists, tags and dynamic segments.
Unlimited lists and engagement filters; custom-field filters need Max.
Included
Custom subscriber fields
Store extra data such as birthday or company.
Contact custom fields and field-based targeting are tagged as Max in the changelog.
Paid version Max
CRM contact profiles
Full contact timeline with emails, purchases and activity.
Contact records with list status; engagement score and last-opened data are Max; no full timeline.
Partial
Import & export subscribers
CSV import/export or migration from other services.
Unlimited CSV import and export, plus import of WP users and Woo customers; Mailchimp import listed as Pro.
Included
Unsubscribe & preference centre
Subscribers manage lists or unsubscribe themselves.
One-click unsubscribe page; no documented centre for managing individual lists.
Partial
Sending & deliverability 5/5
Subscribers stored in WordPress Key
Contacts and campaigns live in your own WordPress database.
Subscribers, lists and campaigns are stored in the WordPress database.
Included
Send through your own SMTP or ESP
Use Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun or your own SMTP to send.
Sends via WordPress mail so any SMTP plugin works; native Mailgun, SendGrid and similar connectors are Max.
Included
Built-in sending service
Vendor-run sending service included or available.
Icegram Mailer sending service, introduced with 100 free emails per day.
Included
Bounce handling
Detects bounced emails and cleans the list.
Automatic bounce handling for lists is tagged as a Max feature.
Paid version Max
No subscriber cap in the free version
Free plan has no low limit on subscribers or emails.
Free plan lists unlimited contacts, emails, forms and lists.
Included
Reports & integrations 3/4
Open & click reports Key
Track opens, clicks and unsubscribes per campaign.
Opens, clicks and unsubscribes per campaign free; detailed reports in Max.
Included
Revenue tracking
Attributes WooCommerce or other sales to emails.
No sales attribution to campaigns is listed on the plugin or pricing pages.
Not included
Form plugin integrations
Add subscribers from WPForms, Gravity Forms, Fluent Forms and similar.
Pricing table lists CF7, WPForms, Gravity, Ninja and Forminator integrations under Max only.
Paid version Max
GDPR consent tools
Consent checkboxes, consent records and data export/erase.
Double opt-in and privacy checkbox free; no consent log or export/erase tools documented.
Partial
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Lite
Freeper year1 site
Free forever: unlimited contacts, emails, forms and lists; basic editor blocks and summary reports.
Max
$99per year3 sites
Automations, WooCommerce abandoned cart, custom fields, bounce handling, ESP connectors, form and membership integrations, detailed reports. 30-day money-back.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Icegram Express?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
50K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
120K+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~5.4K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 55K free installs x 8% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when some key features are paid) gives 4.4K. The vendor claims 120K+ sites in total. Taking away about 55K free installs leaves 65K, and 80% of that is 52K. Vendor totals are loose, so we only move our figure part of the way toward it, from 4.4K to 5.4K. Likely range: 2.7K to 11K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
8,066 downloads last week, 13.1M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 5.9.40 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 23 Oct 2026 (10 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 3.9+, PHP 7.0+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 1 of 5 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 9 May 2014 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back (source, 11 Oct 2026) Shown as a 30-day money-back guarantee badge on the pricing page. |
|---|
Icegram Express compared
Alternatives to Icegram Express
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Groundhogg
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Brevo
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Noptin
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FAQ
Is Icegram Express free?
Yes. Icegram Express has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $99/yr.
How many sites use Icegram Express?
WordPress.org reports 50K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 120K+ sites in total. We estimate around 5.4K sites run the paid version.
Does Icegram Express have drag & drop email builder?
Yes: included. Drag-and-drop editor with basic blocks free; advanced blocks such as video and custom code in Max.
Does Icegram Express have new post notifications?
Yes: included. New posts are emailed automatically with title, image, excerpt and author keywords.
Does Icegram Express have automation workflows?
Yes: partial. Basic workflows exist free; autoresponders, sequences and welcome emails need Max.
Does Icegram Express have woocommerce marketing emails?
Yes: paid version (Max). Free segments Woo buyers; abandoned cart and order-status triggers are Max.
Does Icegram Express have sign-up forms?
Yes: included. Popup (exit intent, scroll, timer), inline, widget, shortcode and block forms.
Does Icegram Express have lists, tags & segments?
Yes: included. Unlimited lists and engagement filters; custom-field filters need Max.
Does Icegram Express have subscribers stored in wordpress?
Yes: included. Subscribers, lists and campaigns are stored in the WordPress database.
Does Icegram Express have open & click reports?
Yes: included. Opens, clicks and unsubscribes per campaign free; detailed reports in Max.
Is Icegram Express the same as Email Subscribers & Newsletters?
Yes. Icegram renamed Email Subscribers & Newsletters to Icegram Express; the WordPress.org slug is still email-subscribers.
What does the Max plan add?
Max ($99/year for three sites) adds autoresponders and sequences, WooCommerce abandoned-cart and order triggers, custom fields, bounce handling, ESP connectors, form and membership integrations and detailed reports.
Does the free version limit subscribers?
No. Both Lite and Max list unlimited contacts, emails, forms and lists. Your practical limit is your hosting and sending provider.
How are emails sent?
Through WordPress mail (so any SMTP plugin works), Pepipost or Icegram's own mailer. Max adds direct connectors for Mailgun, SendGrid, SparkPost, Postmark, Brevo and Mailjet. Scheduled sends rely on WP-Cron or a server cron job.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.