FollowUpThen

FollowUpThen is an email-based reminder service for scheduling personal nudges and shared follow-ups. It suits people who work from email and want reminders without connecting their inbox. Its focused workflow is appealing, but the free plan’s monthly cap and the paid add-on pricing deserve a close look.

Overview

Put a date or time before FollowUpThen’s email address and it schedules a reminder. It accepts thousands of date formats, including intervals, specific dates and recurring reminders. That keeps a simple follow-up close to the conversation instead of requiring a separate task tool, though it is a narrower choice than a general-purpose planner.

Use BCC to keep a reminder private to its sender, or CC to send the due follow-up to everyone in the message’s To field. Upcoming reminders can be managed in the web app, by emailing [email protected], or through a daily agenda. The multiple routes suit an email-centered workflow; readers who want a broader workspace for managing work may need another tool.

Key features

Listed add-ons include response detection, SMS notifications, recurring reminders, persistent tasks and automatic cancellation when a reply arrives. The service also lists Zapier, which it says connects to 4000+ other apps, and Google Calendar features for managing follow-ups. These options can extend a basic reminder workflow, but several useful capabilities sit among optional add-ons rather than the core free plan.

Basic email reminders do not require an inbox connection, a practical privacy advantage for people reluctant to grant email access. FollowUpThen says message bodies are stored with 128-bit encryption, then automatically deleted between four weeks and six months after a follow-up is sent. Its privacy mode deletes message bodies and attachments when a reminder is scheduled, retaining the subject and headers for threading. For support, debugging and system operations, however, headers and subjects are saved in an unencrypted searchable format.

The company says it undergoes an annual security audit by a Google-approved third party that performs manual and automated penetration testing. Users can delete their account and export follow-ups as a portable CSV; a data processing agreement for EU customer data is available on request. Those are useful safeguards and controls, though they do not eliminate the retained-header trade-off.

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and allows 50 active follow-ups per month, free forever. It is a sensible way to try the email-address workflow or keep a modest reminder queue, but frequent users may run into its monthly ceiling.

The Base Plan costs $5 a month, billed $5/mo (monthly). It includes basic functionality, attachments, calendar integration, tasks, cancellation and recurring follow-ups. This is the clearest paid option for someone who needs those capabilities regularly; the price is monthly rather than an annual commitment.

Skills is an à la carte add-on plan billed $2~20/mo, with examples including response detection, SMS and calendar integration. A 14-day trial is offered, giving prospective users a short window to assess whether the workflow and paid capabilities fit.

Platforms

FollowUpThen supports Android, iOS and the web. The company says its email-address-based service works on mobile phones, PCs, tablets and other devices, so reminders can be initiated from a range of devices without a dedicated desktop-only workflow.

Who it's for

FollowUpThen is strongest for individuals and small groups who already handle follow-ups in email and want a lightweight way to schedule them. Private BCC reminders and shared CC reminders cover distinct needs, while the web app and daily agenda offer alternatives to managing the queue entirely in an inbox. Readers looking for a full sales engagement or project-management system should compare broader tools.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Basic reminders need no inbox connection, which limits the access required for the core workflow.
• Pro: BCC and CC support private and group follow-ups without changing the basic email-centered approach.
• Pro: The free plan lasts indefinitely, and the 14-day trial gives users a chance to assess paid features.
• Con: The free tier is capped at 50 active follow-ups per month, which can constrain heavier use.
• Con: Skills add-on pricing spans $2~20/mo, making the cost of specific extras less predictable.
• Con: Headers and subjects remain searchable in unencrypted form for operational purposes, even though privacy mode removes message bodies and attachments.

Alternatives

Choose Mixmax if tracked emails and sequence recipients are central: its free plan includes 20 tracked emails per month and up to 50 sequence recipients per month, while its Inbox Copilot plan costs $29 per mon. Choose Boomerang if you want a scheduler with Gmail and Google Workspace support and a free allowance of 10 message credits per month; its Personal plan is $4.98 a month, billed annually.

Yesware is an alternative for basic email open and attachment tracking, with a free plan that also includes 10 campaign recipients per month and Meeting Scheduler. Hunter may suit users focused on finding contacts and sending sequences: its free plan includes 50 monthly credits, one connected email account and 500 recipients per sequence.

For Gmail-oriented mail merges, templates and scheduled email, Mailmeteor has a free Hobby plan with 500 emails per month, templates, tracking, scheduling and attachments. Right Inbox offers a free plan for solo use, limited to five emails per month and excluding mail merge, sequences and CRM integration. Scurry is another web-based option, with a free Seedling plan that includes 100 Acorns per month, three emails per sequence and one active workflow.

SendLater is a Windows alternative for users who need to schedule an email once or set a resend delay of up to four hours; its Pro upgrade costs $30 a year.

Readers comparing categories can also browse Email Scheduling Software and Sales Follow-Up Software.

Verdict

Choose FollowUpThen if you want to schedule private or shared follow-ups from email without connecting your inbox, and its 50-active-follow-up free cap or $5 monthly Base Plan matches your needs. Look elsewhere if you need a wider work-management suite, or if you want add-on costs to be clearer before committing.