8 Best AWS Alternatives to Netcore in 2025 (Expert-Tested)

Office desk with computer displaying data analytics dashboards and servers in the background at dusk.

You’re making a smart move by looking for AWS alternatives to Netcore. Email marketing brings in $36 for every dollar spent, so picking the right platform really matters for your profits.

The numbers are huge – 4.37 billion email users worldwide in 2023. Finding the right AWS competitor can be tricky. Companies that nail personalization see their revenue jump by 10-15%, and this needs better tools than what Netcore currently provides. Better deliverability rates (usually between 80-90%) or more features might be what you’re after, so we’ve put the top platforms to the test.

Let me share 8 AWS alternatives that work better than Netcore in 2025. We’ve tested each platform to help businesses like yours get better results – from Braze’s way of connecting with customers to Customer.io’s powerful automation tools.

CampaignHQ

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CampaignHQ is a customer engagement platform native to AWS, tailored for businesses seeking the efficiency and deliverability of Amazon SES without the intricacies of handling everything directly within AWS. It provides teams with a comprehensive marketing platform that allows them to design, plan, and oversee campaigns on both Email and WhatsApp through one straightforward interface. This renders it particularly beneficial for startups and small to medium-sized businesses that require dependability and automation yet lack a complete in-house engineering team to establish everything.

A key advantage of CampaignHQ is its integration of Amazon SES deliverability with intuitive automation and robust segmentation capabilities. Marketers can design customized workflows that immediately react to customer behaviors such as sign-ups, purchases, or abandoned carts, providing a method to enhance repeat interaction and elevate conversions. It additionally allows for custom fields and audience targeting to make certain that each message seems personal and pertinent.

CampaignHQ features integrated AI tools that help create engaging subject lines, enhance copy, and produce campaign concepts derived from top-performing content trends. This assists non-technical founders and efficient marketing teams to develop refined messaging more quickly, all while keeping control over branding and tone. The editor allows for drag-and-drop elements as well as HTML for teams seeking greater customization.

Pricing is among the platform’s most notable distinguishing factors. Rather than restricting advanced features to higher-tier plans, CampaignHQ provides equitable and clear pricing according to the number of contacts, enabling smaller teams to access enterprise-level capabilities. Companies expanding from a few hundred to thousands of contacts can grow without unexpected expenses.

Though sophisticated workflow configuration might require some initial training, CampaignHQ provides an excellent mix of automation, multi-channel communication, and delivery optimization at an affordable price. For teams embracing AWS and looking for a Netcore alternative that keeps both performance and simplicity at the forefront, CampaignHQ stands out as a scalable solution built for modern engagement and long-term growth.

Braze

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Braze emerges as a reliable alternative for businesses that need better customer engagement than Netcore offers. The platform started as Appboy in 2011 and rebranded to Braze in 2018. It shines brightest with its mobile-first marketing strategies and cross-channel capabilities.

Braze’s value comes from its up-to-the-minute data analysis that lets you send messages right when users take action, not hours later in batch updates. The platform’s Canvas Flow feature helps create complex user experiences through email, push notifications, SMS, WhatsApp, and in-app messaging.

In spite of that, you need to think about Braze’s hefty price tag. Yearly costs run between $60,000 and $200,000 based on your company’s size and needs. While smaller companies can afford this more easily than Salesforce options, many startups find the cost out of reach.

The platform excels at creating tailored experiences – a crucial feature since companies that utilize personalization can boost revenue by 10-15%. Success stories back this up. Canva saw their message opens jump 55% and clicks surge 47% through personalized campaigns.

The platform packs powerful features but has its drawbacks. The interface looks dated compared to newer platforms and you’ll probably need developers to customize it. On top of that, support quality isn’t consistent worldwide, though US and EU customers get better service.

Iterable

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Iterable’s cross-channel engagement platform gives businesses a powerful AWS alternative to Netcore. The platform helps marketers connect with users through email, SMS, push notifications, in-app messages, and web notifications to drive better engagement and boost user lifetime value.

The platform’s standout feature is Workflow Studio, which provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. Users can create advanced customer communication flows without any coding knowledge. The platform delivers tailored messages based on user behavior through live tracking. This capability outperforms Netcore’s automation features, with reviewer ratings showing Netcore at 8.7 and Iterable at 7.9.

Iterable’s AI capabilities make it unique. Brand Affinity™ segments users automatically based on their engagement patterns. The Send Time Optimization analyzes each user’s behavior to pick the best message delivery times. Users can also run multiple A/B tests simultaneously across different channels.

The platform’s pricing isn’t public, but reports indicate base costs of $1,000 per month for 100,000 user profiles. Enterprise plans cost about $220,000 yearly for 10M profiles. Setup fees begin at $4,000.

Iterable works best for B2C companies in e-commerce, retail, and media sectors. Major brands like Zillow, DoorDash, and Box use this flexible platform. It fits growing businesses and organizations with large customer bases perfectly.

MoEngage

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MoEngage stands out as an informed customer platform that helps businesses looking for AWS alternatives to Netcore. The platform handles more than a billion consumers monthly and sends over 30 million messages per minute in single campaigns. These numbers make it a reliable choice for large operations.

Sherpa, MoEngage’s AI engine, forms the platform’s backbone. It studies customer behavior and creates customized experiences through eleven different channels. Users can manage email, push notifications, SMS, in-app messages, and web notifications from one dashboard.

The platform’s pricing structure starts with a free plan that supports up to 10,000 Monthly Tracked Users. Businesses can then choose from paid Growth and Enterprise tiers based on their needs. Some sources indicate the simple plan costs between $499-$999 monthly.

The platform scores 9.3 in integrations compared to Netcore’s 7.4. This makes MoEngage a great fit for companies with complex tech stacks. Marketers can design targeted campaigns using the platform’s predictive insights about customer churn and buying patterns.

MoEngage stores data for only 180 days. This limitation might affect campaigns targeting customers inactive for longer periods. Despite this, the platform’s detailed analytics and segmentation tools have earned the trust of over 1,350 global brands.

Twilio SendGrid

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Twilio SendGrid stands out as a robust email delivery platform for businesses looking for reliable AWS alternatives to Netcore. This cloud-based SMTP provider delivers over 148 billion emails monthly with a remarkable 99% deliverability rate.

SendGrid’s core strength lies in its dual functionality. Developers can use the Email API while marketers benefit from Email Marketing Campaigns. The platform’s proprietary Mail Transfer Agent delivers emails to their intended destinations and improves engagement and ROI.

The platform offers various pricing tiers based on volume and features. Users can send 100 emails daily with the free plan. Paid options include:

Essentials: Starting at $19.95/month for 50,000-100,000 emails
Pro: Starting at $89.95/month with dedicated IPs included
Premier: Custom pricing for enterprise needs

SendGrid shines with its dynamic templates, live analytics, and automation features. The platform’s email testing feature verifies links and ensures proper display on all devices.

The platform blends naturally with CRM systems and e-commerce platforms to create optimized workflows.

Users have reported some drawbacks. The setup process can be challenging and support response times are sometimes slow. Without HTML knowledge, the drag-and-drop editor’s customization options are limited.

SendGrid proves to be a solid alternative to Netcore’s offerings when deliverability matters more than complex automation.

Amazon SES

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Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) is a cloud-based email platform that helps businesses automate high-volume email sending. This AWS service handles both transactional and marketing emails with pay-as-you-go pricing at just $0.10 per 1,000 emails sent.

Industry giants like Netflix, Pinterest, and Reddit use Amazon SES for their communication needs. The platform maintains strict performance standards to ensure high deliverability rates. Bounce rates must stay under 5% and complaints need to stay below 0.1%.

The service prioritizes security with complete authentication methods including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. The platform blends with other AWS products such as S3, Lambda, and SNS to create automated workflows.

Amazon SES offers great value for cost-conscious businesses. Sending 100,000 emails through Amazon SES costs about $69.70, while MailChimp charges $350.00 for similar volume. Companies hosting applications on Amazon EC2 or AWS Elastic Beanstalk get 62,000 free emails monthly.

The Virtual Deliverability Manager gives vital insights into email performance metrics and automatically implements best practices to improve inbox placement.

All the same, new users might struggle with the original setup that needs technical knowledge of DNS management, SMTP configuration, and AWS infrastructure. On top of that, it offers fewer advanced automation features compared to dedicated email marketing solutions.

Klaviyo

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Klaviyo’s powerful marketing automation platform serves as one of the top AWS alternatives to Netcore, designed specifically for ecommerce businesses. More than 143,000 paying users trust this platform, which combines customer data with over 350 native integrations to deliver customized communications through multiple channels.

The platform features an impressive AI engine (K:AI) that drives content generation, audience growth, and product recommendations. Businesses can easily create sophisticated email flows for abandoned carts, welcome series, and lost customer campaigns without any coding knowledge.

The pricing structure remains simple and depends on contact count:

Free: Up to 250 contacts with 500 emails monthly
Email Plan: Starting at $20/month for up to 500 contacts with 5,000 emails
Email+SMS Plan: Starting at $35/month with 1,250 SMS credits

Klaviyo demonstrates superior segmentation capabilities with a score of 4.88, while Netcore scores 8.7. The platform’s drag-and-drop automation builder enables marketers to create complex customer flows that adapt to behavior instantly.

New users might find the initial setup challenging. The extensive documentation and quick customer support team make the transition from Netcore to this AWS alternative much easier.

Customer.io

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Customer.io stands out as a behavioral-based AWS alternative to Netcore because of its strong data capabilities. The platform combines data management with marketing automation, which helps businesses create sophisticated customer communication based on live user actions.

Marketers can design complex campaigns without coding through the platform’s visual workflow builder. Developers also get enough technical flexibility to customize their needs. Customer.io handles millions of user events each day and keeps segmentation almost instant.

Pricing follows a three-tier structure:

Essentials: $100/month for 5,000 profiles and 1M emails
Premium: $1,000/month (billed annually) with custom volumes
Enterprise: Custom pricing with dedicated hardware

Customer.io’s custom objects feature sets it apart from other AWS alternatives to Netcore. This feature lets you personalize messages using relationship data instead of just profile attributes. Your campaigns can be highly targeted with almost unlimited possibilities.

The platform’s impact shows in numbers. Businesses using Customer.io see a 31% increase in trial-to-paid conversion rates and a 27% drop in customer churn. However, new users might find it hard to navigate the platform’s steep learning curve. The high-watermark billing system charges based on the maximum profile count reached in any month.

Conclusion

Your specific business needs and budget will determine the best email marketing platform for you. I tested these AWS alternatives to Netcore and found unique advantages in each platform. Braze does well with up-to-the-minute data analysis and experience orchestration, but comes at a premium. Iterable’s Workflow Studio helps you involve customers across channels effectively. MoEngage’s AI-powered Sherpa engine analyzes customer behavior across eleven channels.

Twilio SendGrid might be your best bet with its 99% deliverability rate if you want reliable email sending. Amazon SES gives you the best value through its pay-as-you-go model. Ecommerce businesses should look at Klaviyo for its automation features and 350+ integrations. Customer.io takes time to learn but offers powerful behavioral-based marketing tools.

Your team’s technical skills, channel requirements, and integration needs should guide your final choice. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, but picking the right one can improve your marketing ROI by a lot. You can start using these ideas right away by signing up at Campaign HQ to raise your customer engagement levels.

The digital world changes faster every day. You need a platform that meets your current needs and gives you room to grow in the future.

FAQs

Q1. What are some top alternatives to Netcore for email marketing? Some of the best alternatives to Netcore include Braze, Iterable, MoEngage, Twilio SendGrid, Amazon SES, Klaviyo, and Customer.io. Each platform offers unique features and capabilities to suit different business needs and budgets.

Q2. How does Amazon SES compare to other email marketing platforms? Amazon SES stands out for its pay-as-you-go pricing model, high deliverability rates, and seamless integration with other AWS services. It’s particularly cost-effective for high-volume senders but may require more technical expertise to set up compared to some other platforms.

Q3. Which platform is best for e-commerce businesses? Klaviyo is specifically designed for e-commerce businesses, offering powerful marketing automation, over 350 native integrations, and AI-powered features like content generation and product recommendations. It’s trusted by over 143,000 paying users in the e-commerce sector.

Q4. What factors should I consider when choosing an email marketing platform? When selecting an email marketing platform, consider factors such as your team’s technical expertise, required communication channels, integration needs, scalability requirements, pricing structure, and specific features like personalization and automation capabilities.

Q5. How can these platforms improve my email marketing ROI? These platforms can significantly boost your email marketing ROI through features like advanced personalization, real-time data processing, AI-powered insights, improved deliverability rates, and sophisticated automation capabilities. For example, some businesses have reported up to 31% increase in trial-to-paid conversion rates and 27% reduction in customer churn after implementing these solutions.