There's no shortage of direct mail companies. Open Letter Marketing, Yellow Letter HQ, Handwrytten, and Thanks.io all offer solutions that overlap with what Ballpoint Marketing provides.

So how do you choose?

The answer isn't just comparing prices. The best direct mail company for your business depends on how the mail is produced, the type of campaigns you're running, the support you need, and whether you're looking for a vendor or a long-term marketing partner.

Below is an honest comparison of some of the biggest names in direct mail so you can decide which one fits your business best.

What Should You Compare in a Direct Mail Company?

Before choosing a provider, consider more than just the price per piece.

Some of the biggest differences between direct mail companies include:

• Is the mail handwritten or printed with a handwritten-style font?
• Is the company built for bulk marketing campaigns or CRM automation?
• Are there subscription fees?
• Is postage included?
• Will someone help you improve your campaigns, or simply print and mail them?
• Does the company specialize in your type of business?

Those are the criteria we'll use throughout this comparison.

A Quick Note on How Ballpoint Marketing Started

Ballpoint Marketing launched in 2019 with one focus: handwritten-style direct mail at scale. Real ballpoint pens writing real mail pieces that help businesses stand out in crowded mailboxes.

Everything we've built since has grown from that original focus. That matters when comparing companies that entered handwritten mail from different directions.

 

Ballpoint Marketing vs. Open Letter Marketing

Who they are

Open Letter Marketing is one of the most recognized names in direct mail. They've specialized in print marketing for years and later introduced a handwritten product (Real Penned) alongside their traditional offerings.

Mail type

Open Letter Marketing's foundation is printed direct mail, with handwritten options added later.

Ballpoint Marketing was built around True Pen Addressed mail from day one. Most of our products are available as either True Pen Addressed or printed versions, giving businesses flexibility without sacrificing authenticity.

Pricing

Open Letter Marketing's printed mail generally starts around $0.70 per piece depending on quantity.

Ballpoint Marketing's printed mail is similarly priced, while handwritten-style mail starts as low as $.84 per piece. Postage is included.

Support

Open Letter Marketing focuses on providing printing and mailing services.

Ballpoint Marketing also includes unlimited campaign strategy calls to help customers improve list selection, messaging, and campaign performance.

Best fit

Open Letter Marketing is an excellent choice for businesses focused primarily on printed direct mail. If you're looking for handwritten-style mail backed by campaign strategy and ongoing support, Ballpoint Marketing is built for that experience.

 

Ballpoint Marketing vs. Yellow Letter HQ

Who they are

Yellow Letter HQ built its reputation around the classic yellow letter format that became popular in real estate investing. Today they offer several printed products, including handwritten-style pieces.

Mail type

Yellow Letter HQ's handwritten products use printed fonts designed to resemble handwriting.

Ballpoint Marketing uses real ballpoint pens to write each piece, creating natural variations in ink and style that are difficult to replicate with print.

Pricing

Yellow Letter HQ's printed mail starts around $0.70 per piece at higher volumes.

Ballpoint Marketing offers comparable pricing for printed mail, with True Pen Addressed mail starting at $.84 per piece.

Support

Yellow Letter HQ focuses primarily on providing mailing services.

Ballpoint Marketing includes unlimited campaign coaching to help customers improve results before, during, and after their campaigns.

Best fit

Yellow Letter HQ is a strong option for businesses looking for traditional printed yellow letters.

If handwritten-style mail and campaign guidance are priorities, Ballpoint Marketing offers both.

Ballpoint Marketing vs. Handwrytten

Who they are

Handwrytten is one of the largest names in automated handwritten mail. Their platform integrates with many CRMs and allows businesses to trigger handwritten cards automatically throughout the customer journey.

Mail type

Both companies create handwritten mail using real pens. The difference is how the products are intended to be used.

Handwrytten is designed primarily for CRM automation and triggered mailings, such as thank-you cards, birthdays, or follow-up notes.

Ballpoint Marketing focuses on high-volume outbound prospecting campaigns for businesses that rely on direct mail to generate leads.

Pricing

Handwrytten offers subscription plans that reduce per-piece pricing for frequent users.

Without a subscription, pricing starts around $3.75 per piece. With a subscription, pricing can drop to around $1.19 per piece.

Ballpoint Marketing's True Pen Addressed mail starts as low as $.84 per piece with no monthly subscription required.

Support

Handwrytten provides platform documentation and customer support.

Ballpoint Marketing pairs every customer with campaign strategy support to help maximize response rates and return on investment.

Best fit

Handwrytten is an excellent solution for businesses sending personalized CRM-triggered mail.

For large-scale handwritten prospecting campaigns, Ballpoint Marketing is purpose-built for that workflow.

Ballpoint Marketing vs. Thanks.io

Who they are

Thanks.io has become a popular platform for automated direct mail, particularly for customer follow-up and marketing automation.

Mail type

Thanks.io uses a printed handwritten-style font designed to resemble handwriting.

Ballpoint Marketing uses real ballpoint pens to write every piece.

If authenticity is important to your campaign, that's an important distinction.

Pricing

Thanks.io's pay-as-you-go pricing for a standard 4x6 postcard starts around $1.14 per piece.

Ballpoint Marketing's handwritten-style mail starts as low as $.84 per piece with no subscription required.

Support

Thanks.io is designed as a self-service platform with customer support when needed.

Ballpoint Marketing includes unlimited campaign strategy sessions for customers who want guidance beyond simply sending mail.

Best fit

Thanks.io is a great fit for automated customer follow-up campaigns connected to a CRM.

For businesses looking for genuine handwritten direct mail at scale without a subscription, Ballpoint Marketing is built specifically for that use case.

Which Direct Mail Company Is Right for You?

Every company on this list serves a different audience, and each one does something well.

The biggest difference isn't whether these companies can send mail, they all can.

The real question is what kind of partner you're looking for.

If your priority is traditional print marketing, Open Letter Marketing or Yellow Letter HQ may be a great fit.

If you're automating handwritten notes inside your CRM, Handwrytten or Thanks.io make a lot of sense.

If you're looking for direct mail built for lead generation, transparent pricing, real ballpoint pens, and campaign strategy included from day one, that's exactly what Ballpoint Marketing was built to do.

Ready to see what handwritten direct mail could do for your business?

Schedule a free strategy call and we'll help you build the right campaign for your goals.