If you’re in B2B and your emails are going to spam, you’re dead in the water. There are dozens of “go to market” tools screaming for your attention, all promising perfect inbox placement. Most of them either overpromise or add more complexity than they solve. This guide is for anyone tired of the hype—maybe you’re a founder, a growth marketer, or the unlucky person in charge of fixing deliverability. Let’s break down exactly how to compare Mailgenius with other B2B email tools, so you can actually get your emails delivered.
1. Get Clear: What Actually Matters for Email Deliverability
Don’t get distracted by shiny dashboards and buzzwords. When you’re comparing tools, focus on these core areas:
- Inbox Placement: Do your emails show up in the primary inbox, or do they get dumped in spam or promotions?
- Testing Capabilities: Can you see why your emails are flagged or filtered?
- Actionable Recommendations: Does the tool just flag problems, or does it tell you how to fix them?
- Ease of Use: Is it simple enough that you’ll actually use it, or does it require a PhD (or a consultant)?
- Support and Education: If you get stuck, can you get help—without waiting three days for a ticket reply?
- Price vs. Value: Are you paying for a bloated feature set you’ll never use?
Ignore the rest—especially any tool that claims to “guarantee” deliverability. No one can do that.
2. Make a Shortlist: Who’s Worth Comparing?
There’s no shortage of tools out there. Here are the main contenders you’ll probably be looking at:
- Mailgenius: Focused on deliverability testing and actionable fixes.
- MailTester: Quick, free spam score checks, but limited depth.
- GlockApps: Deeper testing, lots of reporting, but can get pricey and overwhelming.
- SendForensics: Heavy on analytics, less on hand-holding.
- Litmus/Email on Acid: Great for design and rendering, less focused on deliverability itself.
- MXToolbox: Good for technical checks, but not tailored for marketers.
Cut anything that isn’t built for B2B use cases or doesn’t actually help with deliverability. Most “all-in-one” sales automation tools (think Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo) say they help with deliverability, but their real focus is sending volume, not making sure you land in the inbox.
3. Compare Features—But Don’t Fall for Feature Creep
Let’s get real: most tools brag about features you’ll never use. Here’s what actually matters:
Deliverability Testing
- Mailgenius: Sends your email through real spam filters, then tells you exactly what’s wrong (e.g., missing DKIM, broken links, spammy phrases).
- GlockApps: Similar, but with heavier analytics—sometimes too much for non-techies.
- MailTester: Gives you a spam score, but doesn’t dig into the details or tell you what to do next.
Pro tip: Don’t just look for a “score.” You want clear, actionable feedback, not just a number.
Actionable Fixes
- Mailgenius: Offers plain-language “here’s what to fix and why” steps.
- SendForensics: Analytics-heavy; you might need to Google some of the terms to know what’s actionable.
- MXToolbox: Great for DNS and blacklist issues, but you’re on your own for copy or content problems.
Integrations & Workflow
- Mailgenius: Doesn’t try to be your whole workflow, but plays nicely with major ESPs and CRMs.
- GlockApps: Integrates with some major platforms, but setup can be clunky.
- Litmus/Email on Acid: Good for marketers who need pixel-perfect design, less about inbox placement.
Usability
- Mailgenius: Built for busy people; clear reports, no jargon.
- Others: Some tools assume you’re an email engineer. If you need to watch a 20-minute tutorial, move on.
Support
- Mailgenius: Responsive, human support (not just bots or endless knowledge base articles).
- GlockApps, SendForensics: Support is decent, but not known for hand-holding.
4. Test Drive: Don’t Trust the Marketing
You wouldn’t buy a car without driving it. Don’t pick a deliverability tool off a landing page testimonial.
- Send real campaigns (or a sample email) through each tool.
- See which one identifies actual issues you know you have. If you already know there’s a broken link or missing authentication, does the tool catch it? Or does it just say “everything’s fine” (when it’s not)?
- Check how easy it is to act on the advice. Do you understand what to fix, or are you left scratching your head?
- Time yourself. How long does it take to get a useful answer? If it takes hours, you won’t use it.
Red flag: If a tool gives you a “perfect score” but your emails are still going to spam, it’s not worth your money.
5. Watch Out for Common Pitfalls
There’s a lot of noise and a lot of nonsense. Here’s what to ignore:
- “Guaranteed Inbox” Claims: No tool can promise this. If they do, they’re lying.
- Overly Technical Reports: If you’re not a deliverability engineer, you shouldn’t need to become one.
- Bundled Features You’ll Never Use: Don’t pay extra for design previews, analytics dashboards, or “AI copywriting” unless you actually need them.
- One-and-Done Testing: Deliverability is a moving target. You need something you’ll actually use regularly, not just once a quarter.
6. Factor in Price—But Don’t Cheap Out
Of course, price matters. But the cheapest tool isn’t always the best value, and the most expensive isn’t always the best.
- Mailgenius: Offers a lot for the price, especially if you actually use the insights.
- MailTester: Free and fine for a quick check, but won’t help you fix much.
- GlockApps: Can get expensive fast, especially if you want advanced features.
- MXToolbox: Many features are free, but premium options add up.
Bottom line: If a tool saves you from one missed campaign or blacklisting, it’s paid for itself.
7. Decide What to Ignore (So You Don’t Get Stuck in Research Hell)
You don’t need:
- A tool that tries to be your whole sales stack.
- A million integrations you’ll never use.
- Fluffy dashboards with no actionable info.
- Anything that makes you feel dumb for not knowing deliverability jargon.
Focus on: “Can I use this to actually get more of my emails in the inbox, and is it simple enough to use every week?”
TL;DR: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Most deliverability tools want to dazzle you with features and complicated reports. Ignore the noise. Choose the tool that gives you clear, actionable fixes, doesn’t waste your time, and helps you get real results—like actually landing in the inbox.
Start simple: pick one (Mailgenius is a good bet for most B2B teams), run your next campaign through it, fix what’s flagged, and keep iterating. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Your job isn’t to become an email deliverability expert—it’s to get your message seen by the right people. Start there, tweak as you go, and save your time for what actually matters: growing your business.