The Ten Stack

Top 10 Email Marketing Platforms for SMB 2026

Selecting the right email marketing platform determines deliverability rates, conversion velocity, and marketing ROI. This ranking evaluates platforms based on automation capabilities, pricing structure, ecommerce integration, and ease of use for small and medium businesses.

1. Mailchimp – Industry Standard with Free Tier

Website: https://mailchimp.com

Best for: Small businesses wanting brand recognition and simple email campaigns

Pricing: Free (500 contacts), Essentials $13/month, Standard $20/month, Premium $350/month

Mailchimp holds 60% market share for SMB email marketing. The free plan includes 1,000 monthly sends, basic templates, and forms. Upgrade unlocks automation, A/B testing, and behavioral targeting.

Key Strengths:

  • Universal brand recognition and accountant familiarity
  • Strongest free tier for startups (500 contacts, 1,000 sends)
  • 300+ integrations including Shopify, WordPress, Salesforce
  • AI-powered content generator and send-time optimization

Limitations: Steep price jumps at scale, duplicates across lists count separately, unsubscribers still charged

2. Klaviyo – Ecommerce Revenue Machine

Website: https://www.klaviyo.com

Best for: Ecommerce stores requiring advanced segmentation and predictive analytics

Pricing: Free (500 contacts, 15,000 sends), Email $20/month, Email + SMS $35/month

Klaviyo drove $14 billion in ecommerce revenue in 2022 through behavior-triggered automation. Deep Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integration enables product-specific targeting and abandoned cart recovery at scale.

Key Strengths:

  • Predictive analytics (next order date, churn risk, lifetime value)
  • Dynamic product recommendations in emails
  • Real-time behavioral triggers across web and email
  • Advanced segmentation using purchase history and browsing data

Limitations: Expensive at scale ($700+/month at 25,000 contacts), limited outside ecommerce, steeper learning curve

3. Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue) – Volume-Based Pricing

Website: https://www.brevo.com

Best for: Businesses with large contact lists but lower send frequency

Pricing: Free (300 sends/day), Starter $25/month, Business $65/month

Brevo charges by email volume rather than contact count. Send 20,000 emails monthly for $25 regardless of list size. Includes SMS marketing, CRM, and transactional email infrastructure.

Key Strengths:

  • Cost advantage for large lists with moderate sending (50,000 contacts, 20,000 sends = $25)
  • Built-in CRM and sales pipeline management
  • SMS, WhatsApp, and transactional email in single platform
  • Strong European deliverability and GDPR compliance

Limitations: 300 email/day cap on free tier, automation features less advanced than competitors

4. MailerLite – Visual Campaign Builder

Website: https://www.mailerlite.com

Best for: Teams prioritizing design quality and ease of use

Pricing: Free (1,000 contacts, 12,000 sends), Growing Business $9/month, Advanced $18/month

MailerLite delivers enterprise-level automation at entry-level pricing. Clean interface reduces learning curve. Includes landing pages, websites, and digital product sales at all tiers.

Key Strengths:

  • Intuitive drag-and-drop builder with 90+ templates
  • Generous free plan (1,000 contacts vs Mailchimp’s 500)
  • Built-in landing page and website creator
  • Advanced automation workflows at $9/month tier

Limitations: Free plan caps reduced September 2025, fewer third-party integrations than Mailchimp

5. ActiveCampaign – Automation Powerhouse

Website: https://www.activecampaign.com

Best for: B2B companies needing CRM, sales automation, and complex workflows

Pricing: Starter $15/month (1,000 contacts), Plus $49/month, Professional $79/month

ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, CRM, and sales automation in single platform. Site tracking triggers automation based on web behavior. 700+ integrations enable sophisticated multi-channel campaigns.

Key Strengths:

  • Most advanced automation builder (conditional logic, split testing, wait times)
  • Integrated CRM with deal tracking and lead scoring
  • Predictive sending and win probability analytics
  • Superior deliverability and inbox placement

Limitations: Complex interface requires training investment, no free plan, expensive at scale

6. Constant Contact – Event Management Focus

Website: https://www.constantcontact.com

Best for: Local businesses, nonprofits, and event-heavy organizations

Pricing: Lite $12/month, Standard $35/month, Premium $80/month

Constant Contact includes integrated event management with RSVP tracking, registration, and automated reminders. Strong deliverability reputation and extensive template library for professional communications.

Key Strengths:

  • Event management tools included (invites, RSVPs, ticketing)
  • Unlimited email sends on all plans
  • Excellent customer support and onboarding
  • 15% nonprofit discount and fundraising features

Limitations: Limited automation compared to ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo, fewer ecommerce features

7. ConvertKit – Creator Economy Platform

Website: https://convertkit.com

Best for: Bloggers, podcasters, course creators, and digital product sellers

Pricing: Free (1,000 contacts), Creator $25/month, Creator Pro $50/month

ConvertKit optimizes for content creators with visual automation builder, landing pages, and digital product sales. Seamless WordPress, Teachable, and Patreon integration.

Key Strengths:

  • Visual subscriber journey mapping
  • Sell digital products directly through email
  • Tag-based subscriber management (no list limits)
  • Commerce features for course creators

Limitations: Limited ecommerce features for physical products, fewer templates than competitors

8. Moosend – Budget Automation Champion

Website: https://moosend.com

Best for: Small teams wanting enterprise features at startup pricing

Pricing: Free 30-day trial, Pro $9/month (unlimited sends), Enterprise custom

Moosend delivers sophisticated automation, landing pages, and forms at $9/month with unlimited sends. 25+ workflow triggers and advanced behavioral tracking rival platforms 5x the price.

Key Strengths:

  • Unlimited sends at all price tiers
  • Advanced automation builder with 25+ triggers
  • Landing page and form builders included
  • AI-powered product recommendations

Limitations: Smaller integration ecosystem, support response times lag competitors

9. Omnisend – SMS + Email Unified

Website: https://www.omnisend.com

Best for: Ecommerce stores wanting omnichannel automation (email + SMS + push)

Pricing: Free (500 emails/month), Standard $16/month, Pro $59/month

Omnisend specializes in ecommerce with pre-built workflows for abandoned cart, welcome series, and post-purchase. Unified omnichannel dashboard manages email, SMS, and push notifications.

Key Strengths:

  • Ecommerce workflow templates (cart abandonment, browse abandonment, back-in-stock)
  • SMS and push notifications included in all plans
  • Strong Shopify integration and analytics
  • Product picker for dynamic recommendations

Limitations: Email-only volume limits lower than competitors, focused solely on ecommerce

10. GetResponse – Webinar Integration

Website: https://www.getresponse.com

Best for: B2B companies using webinars for lead generation and sales

Pricing: Email Marketing $19/month, Marketing Automation $59/month, Ecommerce Marketing $119/month

GetResponse bundles webinar hosting (up to 1,000 attendees) with email marketing. Webinar registrations automatically trigger email sequences and CRM updates.

Key Strengths:

  • Native webinar platform included (no Zoom required)
  • Conversion funnels with landing pages and payment processing
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • Strong deliverability rates

Limitations: Interface less intuitive than MailerLite, webinar features only on mid-tier plans

Selection Framework

By Monthly Email Volume

Under 10,000 sends: Mailchimp free tier, MailerLite $9, Brevo free (300/day)

10,000-50,000 sends: MailerLite $18, Moosend $9 (unlimited), Brevo $25

50,000-100,000 sends: Brevo $65, Klaviyo $60, ActiveCampaign $79

100,000+ sends: Negotiate custom pricing, prioritize deliverability reputation

By Business Type

Ecommerce Stores: Klaviyo, Omnisend, Shopify Email (not ranked but worth considering)

B2B/SaaS: ActiveCampaign, HubSpot (if budget allows), GetResponse

Content Creators: ConvertKit, MailerLite, Mailchimp

Local Businesses: Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Brevo

Nonprofits: Constant Contact (15% discount), Mailchimp, MailerLite

By Automation Needs

Basic (welcome series, newsletters): Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact

Intermediate (cart abandonment, segmentation): Omnisend, Klaviyo, Moosend

Advanced (behavioral triggers, predictive analytics): ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo

By Budget Reality

$0/month: Mailchimp (500 contacts), Brevo (300 sends/day), MailerLite (1,000 contacts)

Under $25/month: MailerLite $9-18, Moosend $9, Constant Contact $12

$25-50/month: Brevo $25, ConvertKit $25, ActiveCampaign $15-49

$50-100/month: ActiveCampaign $79, GetResponse $59, Omnisend $59

$100+/month: Klaviyo at scale, HubSpot, enterprise tiers

Critical Success Factors

1. Deliverability Infrastructure

Platform reputation determines inbox placement. Prioritize providers with authenticated domains, SPF/DKIM/DMARC setup, and dedicated IP options for high-volume senders.

2. List Hygiene

Platforms charging per contact (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ConvertKit) penalize poor list management. Regularly remove inactive subscribers. Volume-based pricing (Brevo) eliminates this concern.

3. Integration Ecosystem

Native integrations outperform Zapier connections. Verify CRM, ecommerce platform, and analytics tool compatibility before committing.

4. Automation Complexity

Match platform sophistication to team capability. ActiveCampaign’s power requires training investment. MailerLite delivers 80% of functionality with 20% of complexity.

5. Mobile Optimization

70% of emails open on mobile devices. All platforms offer responsive templates, but preview and test across devices before major campaigns.

6. Compliance Requirements

GDPR compliance mandatory for EU contacts. Brevo, MailerLite, and European providers offer stronger default compliance than US-based alternatives.

2026 Platform Trends

AI-Powered Optimization: Every platform now includes send-time optimization, subject line testing, and content generation. Differentiation lies in predictive analytics (Klaviyo) and behavioral automation (ActiveCampaign).

SMS Integration: Email-only platforms losing ground to omnichannel solutions. Expect continued pressure on pure-play email providers.

Pricing Consolidation: Mid-market squeeze intensifying. Free tiers shrinking (MailerLite cut free contacts), enterprise features moving downmarket.

Ecommerce Dominance: Klaviyo’s $9.5B valuation proves specialized ecommerce platforms capture premium pricing. Expect more vertical-specific solutions.

Decision Process

Week 1: Define requirements (list size, send frequency, automation complexity, ecommerce needs)

Week 2: Trial 2-3 platforms matching your profile, build identical campaign in each

Week 3: Test deliverability with small audience segment, measure open rates

Week 4: Evaluate reporting, ease of use, and support quality before committing

Avoid annual contracts until confident in platform fit. Month-to-month flexibility justifies higher pricing during evaluation phase.

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