Original research · Which email marketing tools does AI recommend to small businesses?
How often AI recommends Substack
We asked Claude 25 buyer questions about email marketing software for small business, on 3 separate days. Here is where Substack came up, and who was named instead.
Data collected 1 November – 2 November 2026 · 75 answers · Claude with web search · run 3 of 3
Substack at a glance
- Named in
- 8%6 of 75 answers
- Rank
- #16of 30 email marketing tools named
- Average position
- 2.7where it appears in the list
- Site read
- 0%answers that read substack.com
Against the most named
Share of all 75 answers that named each email marketing tool.
Question by question
Each question was asked once per run. “Most named” is the email marketing tool the answers to that question named most often, other than Substack.
| Question | Type | Substack | Most named |
|---|---|---|---|
| What's the best email marketing software for a small business? | shortlist | Not named | MailerLite |
| Which email marketing tool should a small business start with? | shortlist | Not named | MailerLite |
| What are the top email marketing platforms for small businesses in 2026? | shortlist | Not named | MailerLite |
| Best email newsletter tool for a local business with about 2,000 customers | shortlist | Not named | MailerLite |
| What email marketing software do most small businesses use? | shortlist | Not named | Mailchimp |
| Best free email marketing software for a small business | constraint | Not named | Brevo |
| Cheapest email marketing tool for a list of 5,000 subscribers | constraint | Not named | Brevo |
| Best email marketing platform for a small Shopify store | constraint | Not named | Omnisend |
| Best tool for sending a weekly newsletter as a solo creator | constraint | Named 3 of 3 · best #1 | beehiiv |
| Best email marketing software with good automation for a small business, like welcome series and abandoned cart emails | constraint | Not named | Klaviyo |
| Which email marketing service has the best deliverability so my emails don't go to spam? | constraint | Not named | ActiveCampaign |
| Best GDPR-compliant email marketing tool for a small business in the UK or EU | constraint | Not named | Brevo |
| Easiest email marketing software for a non-technical small business owner | constraint | Not named | MailerLite |
| Best email marketing tool that integrates with WordPress and WooCommerce | constraint | Not named | Omnisend |
| Best email marketing software for a small business with 25,000 contacts that doesn't get too expensive | constraint | Not named | Brevo |
| What are the best alternatives to Mailchimp for a small business? | alternatives | Not named | MailerLite |
| Klaviyo is getting too expensive for my store. What should I switch to? | alternatives | Not named | Klaviyo |
| Alternatives to Constant Contact for a small business | alternatives | Not named | Constant Contact |
| Mailchimp vs MailerLite for a small business | comparison | Not named | MailerLite |
| Klaviyo vs Omnisend for a small ecommerce store | comparison | Not named | Omnisend |
| Brevo vs Mailchimp for a small business on a budget | comparison | Not named | Brevo |
| Is Mailchimp's free plan good enough for a small business? | validation | Not named | Mailchimp |
| Is Kit (ConvertKit) worth it for a small newsletter? | validation | Named 3 of 3 · best #2 | Kit |
| Is ActiveCampaign too complicated for a small business? | validation | Not named | ActiveCampaign |
| I run a small online shop and a local café with about 3,000 email subscribers between them. I want to send a monthly newsletter and some automated emails for new customers without spending much. What would you recommend and why? | shortlist | Not named | Brevo |
By kind of question
| Question type | Answers naming Substack |
|---|---|
| Shortlist | 0% |
| Constraint | 10% |
| Alternatives | 0% |
| Comparison | 0% |
| Validation | 33% |
Want to move this number?
We run this check for Substack across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, show why the leaders get chosen, and fix what keeps you out of the answers. The full method is in the report.