The best email marketing software in 2026, and what it really costs

For most small businesses starting out, MailerLite is the best first choice: its free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, and the Comfort plan starts at $12 a month for 500 subscribers when billed monthly. Stores should look at Klaviyo, sales-led B2B teams at ActiveCampaign, and creators at Kit. The rest of this page explains how to match a tool to your business and what each option costs as your list grows.

Prices checked against each vendor\u2019s public pricing page on 7 October 2026. Plan names and list-size bands are shown as the vendor lists them.

Email marketing platforms compared

The table below lists twelve platforms by the situation each one suits best. Starting prices are the lowest paid or free entry points on each pricing page, with the plan and billing view shown.

Tool	Best for	Starting price (plan, billing)	Main limitation
MailerLite	Newsletters and small-business email	Free up to 250 subscribers; Comfort from $12/mo at 500 subscribers, monthly billing ($10.80/mo billed annually)	Lighter automation than ActiveCampaign or Customer.io
Brevo	Email, SMS and transactional sending in one account	Free: 300 email sends a day; Starter from $9/mo for 5,000 emails a month	Priced by monthly volume, so high-frequency senders need to check the band
Klaviyo	Ecommerce stores with product and order data	Email plan from $20/mo at 500 profiles; free plan for 250 profiles	Cost rises quickly with profile count
ActiveCampaign	B2B and sales-led follow-up	Starter from $15/mo at 1,000 contacts; free trial	Steeper learning curve and per-contact pricing
Mailchimp	First campaigns and small lists	Free up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month; Standard from $20/mo at 500 contacts	Price grows per contact; automation is shallower than specialist tools
Kit	Creators selling newsletters and digital products	Free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $33/mo billed annually for automations	Limited for stores and SaaS data
Drip	Ecommerce brands that want visual workflows	From $39/mo for 1 to 2,500 people; 14-day free trial	Less predictive tooling than Klaviyo
Customer.io	Product teams sending event-based messages	Essentials from $100/mo base; $145/mo at 10,000 profiles	Needs technical operators to set up events
Moosend	Budget automation and popups	Pro from $9/mo at 500 contacts, monthly billing ($7/mo billed annually)	Smaller integration catalogue
Campaign Monitor	Design-led brands and agencies	Lite from $13/mo at the 500-contact band, monthly billing	Automation is more limited than the leaders
Constant Contact	Event invitations, nonprofits and local groups	Lite from $12/mo, monthly billing; free trial, no permanent free plan	Basic automation
GetResponse	Email with funnels and webinars	Starter from $19/mo, monthly billing ($15.58/mo billed annually); free trial	Interface feels dated in places

Which tool fits which need

Start with the job you need done, not the feature list. This decision table gives a first pick for each common situation and the reason behind it.

If you need	Start with	Because
A free start for a newsletter under 250 subscribers	MailerLite	The free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, and the editor is simple to learn.
Email built on product catalogue and order data	Klaviyo	Its ecommerce data model supports store-specific segments and flows; the free plan covers 250 profiles.
Multi-step automation tied to a sales process	ActiveCampaign	Its journey builder handles branching logic, and the Starter plan includes standard CRM integrations.
Email, SMS and transactional sending in one bill	Brevo	Pricing scales by monthly email volume, which suits lists that are mailed infrequently.
Paid newsletters and creator tools	Kit	Its free tier covers up to 10,000 subscribers, and automations start on the Creator plan.
Webinars and sales funnels next to your email	GetResponse	Funnels, landing pages and webinars sit in the same account as your campaigns.
Event invitations and RSVPs	Constant Contact	Event tools are built in, and the interface is designed for non-marketers.
Automation on a modest list for the lowest paid entry	Moosend	The Pro plan starts at $9 a month for 500 contacts, with workflows and popups included.
Sending event data from your own product	Customer.io	Messages can be triggered by product events, but the setup needs technical input.

The tools, one by one

Each section covers who the tool suits, where it is strongest, where it falls short and how its pricing works. Follow the link in each section to the vendor\u2019s own pricing page before you buy.

MailerLite

Best for: small businesses, newsletter writers and volunteer teams who need a simple editor and a low entry price.

MailerLite does the core jobs well: signup forms, a clean drag-and-drop editor, basic automation and reporting. The free plan allows up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, so you can run a real newsletter before you pay anything. Once you grow, the Comfort plan starts at $12 a month for 500 subscribers when billed monthly, and the Power plan adds unlimited monthly emails at $25 a month on the same starting tier.

Where it falls short: branching journeys and behavioral triggers are thinner than those of ActiveCampaign or Customer.io. If your automations depend on many conditions, you will outgrow it.

Pricing: free up to 250 subscribers; Comfort from $12/mo at 500 subscribers (monthly billing). See MailerLite pricing.

Brevo

Best for: businesses that send a lot of email, want SMS in the same account, and need a transactional sending option.

Brevo prices by monthly email volume rather than by contact count, which makes it attractive for large lists that are mailed occasionally. The free plan allows 300 email sends a day for up to 100,000 contacts. The Starter plan starts at $9 a month for 5,000 emails a month with no daily sending limit, and the Standard plan at $18 a month adds automation, A/B testing and advanced reports.

Where it falls short: its template library is narrower than some design-led rivals, and its automation is less deep than the specialist platforms at the top end.

Pricing: free plan (300 emails a day); Starter from $9/mo for 5,000 emails a month. See Brevo pricing.

Klaviyo

Best for: online stores that sell physical products and want segments built from purchases, browsing and product data.

Klaviyo is built around customer and product data. If your store syncs its catalogue and orders, you can build segments on purchase history and send flows such as abandoned cart and post-purchase messages. The free plan covers 250 profiles and 500 email sends a month. The Email plan starts at $20 a month for 500 profiles, rising to $100 a month at 5,000 profiles and $150 a month at 10,000.

Where it falls short: outside ecommerce, much of its data model goes unused, and the cost climbs quickly with profile count. SMS is priced separately from email.

Pricing: free to 250 profiles; Email plan from $20/mo at 500 profiles. See Klaviyo pricing.

ActiveCampaign

Best for: B2B companies and sales-led businesses where email is one step in a longer follow-up process.

ActiveCampaign has one of the deepest automation builders in this group, supporting conditional branches, goal-based exits and handoffs to sales. The Starter plan includes standard CRM and ecommerce integrations. Its price is quoted per contact tier: the Starter plan starts at $15 a month at 1,000 contacts, and the Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans rise from $49, $79 and $145 a month at the same contact starting point.

Where it falls short: the learning curve is real, and a simple newsletter does not need this much machinery. Per-contact pricing also rewards list hygiene.

Pricing: Starter from $15/mo at 1,000 contacts; free trial. See ActiveCampaign pricing.

Mailchimp

Best for: people sending their first campaigns to a small list who want a familiar interface.

Mailchimp is quick to set up, has a large template library and connects to many common small-business tools. The free plan allows up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. The Standard plan starts at $20 a month for 500 contacts, and the price rises to $100 a month for the 2,501 to 5,000 contact band and $135 a month for 5,001 to 10,000 contacts.

Where it falls short: per-contact costs climb steadily, and automation depth lags the specialist tools as your needs grow.

Pricing: free up to 250 contacts; Standard from $20/mo at 500 contacts. See Mailchimp pricing.

Kit

Best for: creators, writers and course sellers who grow an audience first and sell products second.

Kit organizes subscribers with tags rather than separate lists, and it includes landing pages, forms, broadcasts and digital product sales. Its free tier covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms. Automations and email sequences start on the Creator plan, which is $33 a month billed annually, and the Pro plan is $66 a month billed annually.

Where it falls short: it is not designed for stores with product catalogues or for SaaS billing data, and the automation ceiling arrives sooner than on the platforms above.

Pricing: free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator $33/mo billed annually. See Kit pricing.

Drip

Best for: independent ecommerce brands that want store-based workflows without a large setup project.

Drip offers visual workflows, dynamic segments and onsite capture, with unlimited email sends on its plans. Pricing is set by the number of people on the list, starting at $39 a month for 1 to 2,500 people and rising to $89 a month for 4,501 to 5,000 people and $154 a month for 9,001 to 10,000 people.

Where it falls short: its predictive tooling is narrower than Klaviyo\u2019s, and it is less suited to teams that need deep product-data segmentation.

Pricing: from $39/mo for 1 to 2,500 people; 14-day free trial. See Drip pricing.

Customer.io

Best for: product teams that want messages triggered by in-app events and customer attributes, across email, push and SMS.

Customer.io is strongest when messaging depends on what users do inside your product. The Essentials plan starts at $100 a month, and profile-based pricing runs from $145 a month at 10,000 profiles to $235 at 20,000 profiles, billed monthly. Eligible early-stage companies can receive 12 months free through its Startup Program.

Where it falls short: setup needs developers or technical operators, and the cost includes both profiles and usage, so it suits teams that already have event data.

Pricing: Essentials from $100/mo; profile bands from $145/mo at 10,000 profiles. See Customer.io pricing.

Moosend

Best for: small businesses that want real automation workflows and popups for a low monthly cost.

Moosend includes a visual workflow builder, abandoned-cart flows, scoring and popups on its paid plans. The Pro plan for 500 contacts is $9 a month on monthly billing, or $7 a month billed annually. At 5,000 contacts the monthly price is $48, and at 10,000 contacts it is $88.

Where it falls short: its catalogue of integrations is smaller than that of the larger platforms, and its template range is more limited.

Pricing: Pro from $9/mo at 500 contacts (monthly billing); 30-day free trial. See Moosend pricing.

Campaign Monitor

Best for: brands and agencies where the look of each campaign matters and client accounts need separating.

Campaign Monitor focuses on well-designed campaigns, with strong template controls and account separation for agencies. The Lite plan is $13 a month for the 500-contact band on monthly billing, or $11.70 a month billed annually. The Essentials plan is $31 a month at the same band.

Where it falls short: its automation is more limited than that of the leading platforms, so behavior-driven sequences need another tool.

Pricing: Lite from $13/mo at 500 contacts (monthly billing). See Campaign Monitor pricing.

Constant Contact

Best for: nonprofits, schools and local organizations that send invitations, RSVPs and occasional newsletters.

Constant Contact includes event tools such as invitations and RSVPs, and its onboarding suits people with no marketing background. The Lite plan starts at $12 a month on monthly billing, or $10.20 a month billed annually. The Standard plan starts at $35 a month and adds automation, scheduling and A/B testing.

Where it falls short: automation is basic, and there is no permanent free plan, only a free trial.

Pricing: Lite from $12/mo, monthly billing; free trial. See Constant Contact pricing.

GetResponse

Best for: course sellers and marketers who run webinars and sales funnels next to their email.

GetResponse bundles email with landing pages, funnels and webinar hosting, so a launch can run from one account. The Starter plan is $19 a month on monthly billing, or $15.58 a month billed annually. The Marketer plan at $59 a month adds advanced segmentation and abandoned-cart recovery.

Where it falls short: the email editor and some settings feel dated, and the billing-event logic is thin for SaaS businesses.

Pricing: Starter from $19/mo, monthly billing; free trial. See GetResponse pricing.

What the tools cost at three list sizes

Entry prices hide the real cost. This table shows the monthly list price of the plan that matches roughly 500, 5,000 and 10,000 contacts. Where a vendor does not publish a price for that exact band, the cell says so. Check the pricing page at your own count.

Tool	About 500 contacts	About 5,000 contacts	About 10,000 contacts
MailerLite	Comfort from $12/mo (monthly billing)	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Kit	Free (basic broadcasts; automations on Creator, $33/mo billed annually)	Free (same features)	Free (same features)
Moosend	$9/mo (Pro, monthly billing)	$48/mo (Pro, monthly billing)	$88/mo (Pro, monthly billing)
Mailchimp	Standard from $20/mo	$100/mo (2,501 to 5,000 band)	$135/mo (5,001 to 10,000 band)
Klaviyo	Email plan $20/mo (500 profiles)	Email plan $100/mo (5,000 profiles)	Email plan $150/mo (10,000 profiles)
Drip	$39/mo (1 to 2,500 people)	$89/mo (4,501 to 5,000 people)	$154/mo (9,001 to 10,000 people)
Customer.io	Essentials from $100/mo (base)	Pricing on request	$145/mo (Essentials, 10,000 profiles)
Campaign Monitor	Lite $13/mo (monthly billing)	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
ActiveCampaign	Starter from $15/mo at 1,000 contacts	Pricing on request	Pricing on request

Brevo is priced by monthly email volume rather than contacts, so it is not shown in this band table. Constant Contact and GetResponse also set prices by plan and list size, so check their pricing pages for your band.

How to choose

Start with the pricing model. Per-contact tools charge for every person on your list, so their bill grows even when you email rarely. Volume tools charge for what you send. Work out which one your sending pattern favours before you compare entry prices.

Map the automations you need. Write down the three sequences you will run in the first six months, such as a welcome series, an abandoned-cart flow or a re-engagement campaign. If a plan cannot support them, the cheapest tier will cost you more in time.

Check your integrations. Confirm that the tool connects to your store, website, forms and calendar. For ecommerce, check for a native connection before you rely on a generic integration.

Test the workflow before you pay. Most vendors offer a free plan or trial. Build one real campaign and one automation during the trial, and check how long each step takes.

Switching platforms: a checklist

Moving lists is the easy part. Automations, suppression lists and sending authentication are where switches go wrong. Work through these steps in order.

Step	What to do	Done when
1. Export	Download every contact, tag and segment from the old platform.	You have a complete file and a copy of the old automations.
2. Clean	Remove hard bounces and unsubscribed contacts, and leave out anyone without clear permission.	The import file contains only addresses you can email.
3. Carry over suppressions	Import the unsubscribe and complaint lists before any campaign goes out.	Suppressed addresses cannot receive mail in the new tool.
4. Authenticate	Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your sending domain in the new platform.	The platform confirms the domain is verified.
5. Rebuild automations	Recreate welcome, cart and re-engagement flows, highest revenue first.	Each flow has been run with a test contact.
6. Run in parallel	Send one full campaign cycle from both tools, starting with your most engaged segment.	Open, click and delivery figures match what you expected.
7. Retire the old account	Keep the old account for 30 to 60 days, then cancel it.	No automation still runs from the old account.

How this page is built

Plan names, prices and list-size bands come from each vendor\u2019s public pricing page, checked on 7 October 2026. Feature descriptions come from vendor pricing pages and documentation. Prices change, so confirm the current figures on the vendor\u2019s site before you buy. To report a correction, see our how we evaluate page, or contact the editors.

Frequently asked questions

Which email marketing software is best for a small business?

For most small businesses starting out, MailerLite is the strongest first choice. Its free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, and the paid Comfort plan starts at $12 a month for 500 subscribers when billed monthly. If you already sell physical products online, Klaviyo is the better fit, and if you run a sales-led B2B pipeline, ActiveCampaign deserves a closer look.

How much does email marketing software cost?

Entry prices range from free to about $20 a month for small lists, but the pricing model decides what you pay as the list grows. Per-contact tools such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign raise the price as contacts increase. Volume-based tools such as Brevo price by monthly sends, and Kit’s free tier covers up to 10,000 subscribers for broadcasts, though automations need a paid plan. Compare prices at your real list size, not at the cheapest tier.

Is there a free email marketing tool?

Yes, several. MailerLite is free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Mailchimp is free up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Klaviyo’s free plan covers 250 profiles and 500 email sends a month. Brevo’s free plan allows 300 email sends a day for up to 100,000 contacts, and Kit’s free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers. Check each limit against your list before you commit, because free allowances change.

Which tool is cheapest for a large list?

It depends on whether you mail many contacts rarely or many contacts often. Volume-priced plans from Brevo can suit large lists that are mailed infrequently, while per-contact plans such as Drip and Mailchimp rise steadily with list size. Compare the price band for your exact contact count on each vendor’s pricing page, because the cheapest entry plan is often not the cheapest at 10,000 contacts.

Do I need a separate tool for transactional email?

Not always, but you should check. Some marketing platforms can send transactional messages such as receipts and password resets under the same plan, while others do not. Confirm this on the vendor’s pricing page or documentation before you rely on it. Keeping receipts and resets on a different sender from your newsletters is a common setup, but it adds a second system to manage.

How do I move to a new email platform without losing subscribers?

Export your full list, remove hard bounces and unsubscribed contacts, and import only the addresses you have clear permission to email. Carry suppression lists across before any campaign goes out, rebuild your welcome and automated sequences on the new platform, set up sending authentication (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) on your domain, and run both tools in parallel for one full campaign cycle before you cancel the old account.