The short version
Best overall
Mailchimp
Best for ecommerce
Klaviyo
Best free plan
Kit
If you send a newsletter and a few promotions, Mailchimp or Brevo, whose $9 Starter plan is now the cheapest paid entry here. If you run a store, Klaviyo or Omnisend, and the extra cost is usually earned back. If email is part of a B2B sales process, ActiveCampaign. Creators and anyone with a big list and no budget should start with Kit.
All ten at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mailchimp | Small businesses wanting brand recognition and simple email campaigns | $13/mo | 250 contacts |
| 2 | Klaviyo | Ecommerce stores requiring advanced segmentation and predictive analytics | $20/mo | 250 profiles |
| 3 | Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue) | Businesses with large contact lists but lower send frequency | $9/mo | 300 sends a day |
| 4 | MailerLite | Teams prioritizing design quality and ease of use | $12/mo | 250 contacts |
| 5 | ActiveCampaign | B2B companies needing CRM, sales automation, and complex workflows | $15/mo | No |
| 6 | Constant Contact | Local businesses, nonprofits, and event-heavy organizations | $12/mo | No |
| 7 | Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | Bloggers, podcasters, course creators, and digital product sellers | $33/mo | 10,000 subscribers |
| 8 | Moosend | Small teams wanting enterprise features at startup pricing | $9/mo | 30-day trial |
| 9 | Omnisend | Ecommerce stores wanting omnichannel automation (email + SMS + push) | $11.20/mo | 250 contacts |
| 10 | GetResponse | B2B companies using webinars for lead generation and sales | $19/mo | No |
1
Best overall
Mailchimp
Pricing
Free (250 contacts), Essentials $13/month, Standard $20/month, Premium $350/month
Free tier
Yes, 250 contacts
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
- Free tier cut to 250 contacts in 2026, steep price jumps at scale, duplicates across audiences count separately
2
Best for ecommerce
Klaviyo
Pricing
Free (250 profiles, 500 sends), Email from $20/month, Email + SMS from $35/month
Free tier
Yes, 250 profiles
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
Best for big lists that mail rarely
Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)
Pricing
Free (300 sends/day), Starter $9/month, Standard $18/month, Professional $499/month
Free tier
Yes, 300 sends a day
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
Best value
MailerLite
Pricing
Free (250 contacts, 2,500 sends), Comfort from $12/month, Power from $25/month
Free tier
Yes, 250 contacts
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 cut to 250 subscribers in 2026, fewer third-party integrations than Mailchimp
5
Best for B2B automation
ActiveCampaign
Pricing
Starter $15/month (1,000 contacts), Plus $49/month, Pro $79/month, Enterprise $145/month, billed annually
Free tier
No
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
Best for events and nonprofits
Constant Contact
Pricing
Lite $12/month, Standard $35/month, Premium $80/month
Free tier
No
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
Best for creators
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Pricing
Free (10,000 subscribers), Creator $33/month, Pro $66/month
Free tier
Yes, 10,000 subscribers
Kit, renamed from ConvertKit in 2024, is built for people who sell what they make: newsletters, courses, digital products. The free plan now covers 10,000 subscribers with basic automation, and the paid tiers add visual automations, a creator network for referrals, and paid newsletter tools.
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
Cheapest automation
Moosend
Pricing
Free 30-day trial, Pro $9/month (unlimited sends), Enterprise custom
Free tier
No (30-day trial)
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
Best email plus SMS
Omnisend
Pricing
Free (250 contacts, 500 emails/month), Standard from $11.20/month (500 contacts), Pro from $41.30/month (2,500 contacts)
Free tier
Yes, 250 contacts
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
Best with webinars
GetResponse
Pricing
Starter $19/month, Marketer $59/month, Creator $69/month, Enterprise custom
Free tier
No
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
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.
Questions people ask
Which email marketing platform has the best free plan?
Kit (formerly ConvertKit): 10,000 subscribers free with basic automation. Everyone else cut their free tiers in 2026: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, MailerLite, and Omnisend now stop at 250 contacts, and Brevo caps sends at 300 a day rather than limiting contacts.
What does email marketing software cost for a small business?
Between $9 and $33 a month at 1,000 contacts for most tools here, rising with list size. Brevo ($9) and MailerLite ($12) are the cheapest entries; Klaviyo and Mailchimp climb fastest as a list grows. ActiveCampaign quotes its prices billed annually.
Do I need Klaviyo or is Mailchimp enough for a store?
Mailchimp is enough for a store that sends a weekly promotion. Klaviyo earns its price once you want abandoned-cart flows, product-based segments, and revenue attribution per email; most stores see the difference above a few thousand contacts.