CONTACTMONKEY VS POlitemail
Why choose ContactMonkey vs. PoliteMail for internal comms
Communicators switch to ContactMonkey when they need Outlook-native, modern, and collaborative internal email software with reliable analytics, and fast support without crashes, manual uploads, or outdated systems.
What makes ContactMonkey different
Ditch disconnected tools and manual processes. ContactMonkey helps internal communicators do more with less, while actually improving engagement and demonstrating impact.
Analytics that actually work
What we heard about PoliteMail:
“We currently have a contract with PoliteMail but are very unhappy with it (‘I hate it’) especially their analytics.”
“PoliteMail has a heatmap but it’s often broken or unreliable.”
“PoliteMail has a reporting feature but it only allows us to compare two campaigns at a time.”
“They told me their analytics were superior, but honestly, they’re just busier… mostly the same, and not that accurate.”
How ContactMonkey wins:
- Real-time dashboards for opens, clicks, and read time
- Individual-level tracking with full engagement history
- Power BI and Tableau integrations via Analytics API
- Automated benchmarks and scheduled reports
Why it matters?
When analytics break or can’t show real comparisons, communicators lose the ability to prove engagement or ROI. Reports stop being credible.
Outcome
Back up your work with accurate, leadership-ready insights.
Built for Outlook without crashes or formatting issues
What we heard about PoliteMail:
“It’s the worst tool I’ve ever used in my whole entire career, and that started in 2002. Multiple crashes.”
“Formatting issues on mobile phones…sometimes emails will change fonts or colors randomly.”
“There’s no mobile preview option, so we spend a lot of time sending test emails to ensure formatting is correct before hitting send.”
“Last month we sent 122 emails with PoliteMail…we spend hours testing every single one.”
“They’re being told they’ll have to move over to PoliteMail’s dashboard soon because the plug-in will no longer be supported by the new Outlook.”
How ContactMonkey wins:
- 100% native to Outlook and Gmail; no plug-in instability
- Instant mobile preview across all devices
- SOC 2 Type II + ISO 27001 certified
- Reliable internal sending, no image breaks or crashes
Why it matters?
When emails break or crash, communicators waste hours testing instead of connecting with employees.
Outcome
Send confidently from Outlook or Gmail with seamless delivery and design consistency.
Collaboration that doesn’t disappear
What we heard about PoliteMail:
“PoliteMail does not have a collaboration feature, so we use a Google Doc to collaborate and then copy and paste content from the Google Doc into the template builder.”
“PoliteMail told us that’s why we run into so many formatting issues.”
“PoliteMail does not support copying and pasting into their template builder.”
“It takes two to three hours to create a newsletter from scratch.”
“I lost three hours of work at the weekend trying to do a global newsletter. It was horrendous.”
How ContactMonkey wins:
- Real-time co-editing and inline commenting
- Auto-save and version history built in
- Role-based permissions for teams of any size
- Shared templates and centralized asset library
Why it matters?
Without real-time co-editing or version history, collaboration becomes a copy-paste nightmare that costs hours and kills productivity.
Outcome
Work together faster and never lose progress again.
Design that’s modern and not from early 2000s
What we heard about PoliteMail:
“It’s not modern. It’s not fresh.”
“Designers don’t use the template builder because they don’t like it.”
“Do you know what’s so funny? I actually think building your own rubbishy tableized newsletter in Outlook would be better.”
“People even said they felt scammed, they thought it was going to be something it wasn’t.”
How ContactMonkey wins:
- Drag-and-drop, responsive builder that’s code-free
- Dynamic Content and multi-language support
- AI proofreading with ConfidenceCheck AI
- Campaign calendar for full visibility
Why it matters?
Outdated tools slow you down and make beautiful emails feel impossible. Modern internal comms teams need modern design flexibility.
Outcome
Create beautiful, on-brand emails without wrestling outdated templates.
Security and compliance that meet enterprise standards
What we heard about PoliteMail:
“Their IT team has preferred their outline/handle of GDPR compliance — that’s been an easy win for them.”
“Accenture uses PoliteMail and apparently can’t switch because their security measures are superior to any other platform.”
“They partnered with EchoMark to bring AI-driven security and confidentiality improvements with invisible watermarking.”
How ContactMonkey wins:
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, and SSO (Okta, Auth0, Azure AD)
- Regional hosting (US, CA, EU, AU)
- AES-256 / TLS 1.2 encryption
- Direct Active Directory sync
Why it matters?
Enterprise-grade security shouldn’t come at the expense of usability or agility.
Outcome
Security your IT loves, simplicity your comms team needs.
What we heard about PoliteMail
We speak to hundreds of internal communicators every week. Here’s what they’ve told us when we ask them about why they’re looking to switch from PoliteMail:
“It’s the worst tool I’ve ever used in my whole entire career, and that started in 2002. Multiple crashes.”
“Last month we sent 122 emails with PoliteMail…we spend hours testing every single one.”
“We don’t even know who our account manager is.”
Quotes reflect feedback collected from customer/prospect evaluations between 2024 and 2025. Product capabilities may have changed.
ContactMonkey vs. PoliteMail: Quick Comparison Snapshot
Features
ContactMonkey
PoliteMail
Outlook/ Gmail Integration
Native sending
Legacy plug-in; frequent crashes
Analytics & Reporting
Real-time dashboards; full comparisons
“Broken heatmap,” “2 campaign max”
Collaboration
Real-time co-editing + auto-save
“We use Google Docs to collaborate”
Template Design
Modern drag-and-drop builder
“Stuck in the early 2000s”
Support
Dedicated CSM + 24-hour SLA
“48-hour delay,” “poor support”
Security & Compliance
SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
GDPR only; limited integration
Innovation
AI proofreading + dynamic content
“Not modern. Not fresh.”
Reliability
Stable sending
“Crashes mid-update,” “lost work”
Customer Experience
Human support; simple UI
“Worst tool I’ve ever used”
“ContactMonkey’s Dynamic Content tool saves me hours. I no longer need to copy, paste, or duplicate emails—I can send one version to the whole company and track just that. It saves time, brain space, and prevents duplication errors.”
James Maiden
Sr. Internal Communication Specialist
“ContactMonkey makes it quick to create dynamic, engaging emails for our team. It was easy to implement and everyone who uses it picked it up really quickly.”
Jeff Genung
Sr. Director of Internal Communications
“ContactMonkey does the job extremely well; took almost no time to integrate, and is less expensive than competitors.”
Danielle T.
Director of Communications
“[ContactMonkey] really does allow our teams to be creative, but also provides the analytics to make sure we’re doing the right things.”
Jeremy Roberts
Sr. Manager of Communications, Go-To-Market & Incentives
