Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in email marketing software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 13 tools, reviewed
#1 MailerLite
Straightforward newsletters, forms and automations at a fair price · Lithuania · mailerlite.com
Clean editor Fair pricing Strict account review
MailerLite does the ordinary work of email marketing without friction. The editor produces good-looking, mobile-safe campaigns quickly, sign-up forms and landing pages come with every plan, and the automation builder handles welcome series, re-engagement and tag-based branches without a manual. Deliverability is consistently strong, partly because the company vets new accounts and polices list quality.
- Pricing: Per subscriber tier / month. Free plan for small lists, then paid plans priced by subscriber count with automation and landing pages included. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Small businesses and growing newsletters
- Strengths: Drag-and-drop and rich-text editors; Visual automation builder; Landing pages and website builder.
Where it falls short
The account approval process can delay a first send, and accounts get paused quickly if bounce or complaint rates rise, which frustrates senders with older lists. Ecommerce segmentation and revenue attribution are basic next to Klaviyo.
Wrong for
Shops that need deep purchase-based segmentation and product recommendations, or senders with old, unverified lists; Klaviyo or Omnisend suit the first group better.
Visit MailerLite →
#2 Brevo
Send-volume pricing with transactional email and SMS built in · France · brevo.com
Send-based pricing Transactional email European vendor
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, prices mainly on the number of emails sent rather than the size of the list. A company with fifty thousand contacts that mails them twice a month pays far less here than on a contact-billed tool. The same account also sends receipts and password resets through a proper transactional API, and adds SMS and WhatsApp when needed.
- Pricing: Usage-based. Free plan with a daily sending cap, then paid plans priced mainly by monthly email volume; SMS and WhatsApp credits bought separately. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Large lists mailed occasionally
- Strengths: Campaign editor and templates; Transactional email via SMTP and API; SMS and WhatsApp campaigns.
Where it falls short
The campaign editor is serviceable but clumsier than MailerLite's. Free and entry-plan emails carry a Brevo badge. The product has spread into CRM, chat and loyalty features, and navigation feels crowded as a result.
Wrong for
A small list mailed several times a week, where contact-based tools cost less, or creators who want referral and monetization features.
Visit Brevo →
#3 Kit
Email platform for creators and newsletter businesses · United States · kit.com
Creator focus Audience growth Plain templates
Kit, known as ConvertKit until 2024, treats each subscriber as one record with tags rather than scattering them across separate lists, which keeps counts honest and segmentation simple. The recommendation network lets newsletters send readers to each other, which is one of the few built-in growth mechanisms in the category. Paid subscriptions and digital product sales sit next to the email tools.
- Pricing: Per subscriber tier / month. Free newsletter plan, then paid plans priced by subscriber count; automations and integrations on paid tiers. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Creators and newsletter-led businesses
- Strengths: Tag-based subscriber model; Visual automations; Creator Network recommendations.
Where it falls short
Templates are intentionally plain; brand-heavy promotional designs take effort. Ecommerce segmentation for a product catalog is weak. Teams used to list-based tools need time to adjust to tags.
Wrong for
Retailers sending product promotions and cart reminders, or businesses wanting richly designed campaigns; Klaviyo or Campaign Monitor suit those better.
Visit Kit →
#4 Mailchimp
The familiar email platform, now part of Intuit · United States · mailchimp.com
Huge integration list Contact-based billing Intuit-owned
Mailchimp still has the largest integration catalog in the category and an editor almost every marketer has used, which makes hiring and handover easy. The Standard plan lifts automation flows past Essentials' four-step cap and adds send-time optimization and predictive segments, and Intuit's ownership brings tighter links to QuickBooks.
- Pricing: Per contact tier / month. Limited free plan, then Essentials, Standard and Premium priced by audience contacts; overages apply above the plan limit. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Businesses wanting the widest integrations
- Strengths: Drag-and-drop editor; Marketing automation flows; Predictive segments.
Where it falls short
Billing counts all audience contacts, including unsubscribed ones, until they are archived, which inflates the bill for lists that are not cleaned. The free plan has been cut back repeatedly.
Wrong for
Budget-conscious senders with growing lists, or shops needing deep ecommerce flows; MailerLite, Brevo or Klaviyo offer more for the same money.
Visit Mailchimp →
#5 Klaviyo
Ecommerce email and SMS built on store data · United States · klaviyo.com
Ecommerce data Revenue attribution Expensive at scale
Klaviyo pulls every order, product view and cart event from the store and makes it usable in segments and flows without a developer. A marketer can target customers who bought twice but not in ninety days, or who viewed a category three times, and see revenue per message. The prebuilt flows for cart, browse and post-purchase are well tuned.
- Pricing: Per active profile tier / month. Free plan for small stores, then plans priced by active profiles, with SMS billed separately by credit. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Established online stores
- Strengths: Shopify and WooCommerce sync; Prebuilt abandoned cart and browse flows; Predictive customer lifetime value.
Where it falls short
Pricing climbs quickly with active profiles, and adding SMS can double the bill. The interface is dense and has a learning curve for non-specialists. For a store with modest traffic, much of the analytical depth goes unused.
Wrong for
Small shops with thin margins and modest traffic, or any non-commerce newsletter; Omnisend or MailerLite cover those needs for less.
Visit Klaviyo →
#6 Constant Contact
Email with phone support for local businesses and nonprofits · United States · constantcontact.com
Live support Event tools Dated editor
Constant Contact has served restaurants, churches, charities and local shops for more than two decades, and it still does that job well. The template library covers seasonal promotions and event invitations, event registration is built in, and a human answers the phone when a newsletter will not send.
- Pricing: Per contact tier / month. Tiered plans priced by contact count; no permanent free plan, trial available. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Local businesses and nonprofits
- Strengths: Template editor; Event registration and invitations; Social media posting.
Where it falls short
The editor and automation builder feel older than those in MailerLite or Brevo, and branching sequences are limited. Pricing by contact count lands above newer rivals for the same list. There is no free plan.
Wrong for
Growing online shops, publishers, or marketers comfortable without phone support; MailerLite, Omnisend or Kit give more for the price.
Visit Constant Contact →
#7 Omnisend
Ecommerce email and SMS for smaller online stores · Lithuania · omnisend.com
Ecommerce focus Lower cost Shopify and WooCommerce
Omnisend delivers the parts of ecommerce email that bring in most of the revenue for a smaller store: welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment and post-purchase flows, a product picker in the editor, and sales attribution per message. Setup on Shopify or WooCommerce takes an afternoon, and the defaults are sensible.
- Pricing: Per contact tier / month. Free plan for small stores, then plans priced by contact count, with SMS credits included on higher tiers. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Small and mid-sized online stores
- Strengths: Prebuilt ecommerce automations; Product picker and discount codes; SMS and push notifications.
Where it falls short
Segmentation and analytics are shallower than Klaviyo's; predictive fields and complex cohort logic are limited. The editor is capable but less flexible for highly designed campaigns. Integrations beyond the main commerce platforms are fewer.
Wrong for
High-volume brands wanting predictive analytics and deep data work, or non-commerce businesses; Klaviyo or MailerLite are better fits.
Visit Omnisend →
#8 GetResponse
Email, webinars and funnels from one platform · Poland · getresponse.com
Webinar hosting Funnels Feature sprawl
GetResponse bundles tools that many marketers otherwise buy separately: webinar hosting, landing pages, a funnel builder and an online course creator, all next to a capable email and autoresponder system. For someone selling training or coaching through webinars, having registration, reminders, replays and follow-ups in one place saves a lot of integration work.
- Pricing: Per contact tier / month. Free plan up to 500 contacts, then plans priced by list size, with webinars and the course creator on the Creator tier and above. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Webinar and course marketers
- Strengths: Email editor and autoresponders; Webinar hosting; Conversion funnels.
Where it falls short
The breadth makes navigation busy and some modules feel less refined than dedicated tools. Webinar attendee caps and advanced automation sit on higher plans.
Wrong for
Businesses that just need clean newsletters, or ecommerce stores; MailerLite or Omnisend are simpler and cheaper for those jobs.
Visit GetResponse →
#9 EmailOctopus
Low-cost newsletters without the extras · United Kingdom · emailoctopus.com
Low cost Simple editor Basic automation
EmailOctopus keeps email marketing cheap and uncomplicated. The editor is quick, forms and landing pages are included, and prices per subscriber sit among the lowest of any maintained platform. For a nonprofit, a hobby publication, a local club or a startup sending one newsletter a week, it covers the job with little learning.
- Pricing: Per subscriber tier / month. Generous free plan, then low-cost plans priced by subscriber count. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Budget newsletters and side projects
- Strengths: Drag-and-drop editor; Sign-up forms and landing pages; Basic automations.
Where it falls short
Automation is basic, with limited branching and few triggers. The integration list is short, and many connections rely on Zapier. Reporting is simple.
Wrong for
Teams planning complex nurture sequences, shops, or anyone needing multiple channels; MailerLite or Brevo offer more room for modestly more money.
Visit EmailOctopus →
#10 beehiiv
Newsletter publishing with growth and ad tools · United States · beehiiv.com
Publisher focus Ad network Referral program
beehiiv is built for people whose newsletter is a media product. Every issue also publishes to a hosted website with SEO controls, readers can earn rewards for referrals, and the ad network matches newsletters with sponsors. Paid subscriptions sit alongside.
- Pricing: Per subscriber tier / month. Free plan up to a subscriber cap, then plans priced by subscriber count with monetization features on higher tiers. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Newsletter media businesses
- Strengths: Hosted newsletter website; Referral program; Ad network and boosts.
Where it falls short
It is a publishing tool first; promotional campaigns, product blocks and ecommerce flows are limited. Automation is improving but thinner than MailerLite's. Ad network revenue depends on audience niche and is not guaranteed.
Wrong for
Companies using email to promote products or services, or shops; MailerLite, Brevo or Omnisend serve business marketing better.
Visit beehiiv →
#11 AWeber
Veteran autoresponder with round-the-clock support · United States · aweber.com
Autoresponders Live support Aging interface
AWeber has been sending email since 1998, and its core strengths come from that history: dependable deliverability, a straightforward autoresponder model that many info-product sellers still build around, and support that answers by phone and chat. Landing pages and a template library cover the basics.
- Pricing: Per subscriber tier / month. Plans priced by subscriber count, with trial access before paying. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Solo marketers wanting phone support
- Strengths: Autoresponder sequences; Drag-and-drop editor; Landing pages.
Where it falls short
The interface and editor lag newer platforms, and automation is linear with limited branching. Segmentation relies on tags without much behavioral depth. Integrations exist but the ecosystem is shrinking relative to rivals.
Wrong for
Marketers who want modern design tools or branching automation; MailerLite or Kit deliver more at a similar or lower price.
Visit AWeber →
#12 Campaign Monitor
Design-led email with agency client management · United States · campaignmonitor.com
Template design Agency tools Slower roadmap
Campaign Monitor built its name on well-designed templates and a client management layer for agencies: an agency can set up accounts for clients, lock template regions so the client can edit text without breaking the layout, and rebill usage. That model still works well for a studio running newsletters for a dozen small clients. Rendering across mail clients is reliable.
- Pricing: Per contact tier / month. Plans priced by contact count, with client billing options for agencies. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Agencies managing client newsletters
- Strengths: Design-focused template builder; Agency client accounts and rebilling; Automation journeys.
Where it falls short
The product has moved slowly since the merger that formed Marigold, and automation, segmentation and ecommerce features trail most of this list. Pricing by contact count is not competitive for larger lists. There is no free plan.
Wrong for
Single brands wanting modern automation or commerce features; MailerLite, Brevo or Klaviyo move faster and cost less at scale.
Visit Campaign Monitor →
#13 ActiveCampaign
Email campaigns wrapped around a deep automation engine · United States · activecampaign.com
Sequence-heavy senders Contact-band billing Steeper learning curve
Placed last because most buyers on this page want a newsletter tool, and ActiveCampaign is really a follow-up machine that also sends newsletters.
- Pricing: Per contact tier / month. Published plans billed by contact band, with a low-cost Starter tier and the stronger automation and reporting reserved for Plus and above. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Teams nurturing leads with branching sequences
- Strengths: Drag-and-drop campaign designer; If/else automation branches; Tag and custom field segmentation.
Where it falls short
For someone who only wants to mail a weekly roundup, the interface is crowded with automation, deal and contact-scoring screens they will never open.
Wrong for
Publishers, creators and shops that mostly broadcast.
Visit ActiveCampaign →
Questions and answers
What is the best email marketing software in 2026?
MailerLite ranks first of 13, best for small businesses and growing newsletters. Brevo is second (large lists mailed occasionally) and Kit third (creators and newsletter-led businesses). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
Do unsubscribed contacts count toward my email marketing bill?
On some platforms, yes. Mailchimp bills on audience contacts, including unsubscribed and non-subscribed records, until they are archived. Klaviyo bills on active profiles and lets you suppress inactive ones. Brevo charges by send volume, so dormant contacts cost little.
What do the Gmail and Yahoo sender requirements mean for my newsletter?
Since 2024, anyone sending in bulk to Gmail and Yahoo addresses needs SPF and DKIM on the sending domain, a DMARC record, a one-click unsubscribe header, and a spam complaint rate kept well under 0.3%.
Is a free email marketing plan enough to start?
For a list under a few hundred people and a monthly newsletter, usually yes. MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, GetResponse, EmailOctopus and beehiiv all have free tiers that send real campaigns.
Should an online store use a general email tool or an ecommerce one?
An ecommerce-specific tool is worth it once the store has steady traffic.
What is a dedicated IP and do I need one?
A dedicated IP is a sending address used only by your account, so its reputation reflects only your mail. It helps senders with high, steady volume, often above a few hundred thousand emails a month.
How many emails a month should a small business send?
There is no universal number, but consistency matters more than frequency. A regular weekly or monthly newsletter, plus automated welcome and re-engagement sequences, is a sustainable baseline for most small businesses.
Can I move my list from Mailchimp without losing subscribers?
Yes, if you export consent details along with addresses. Export all audiences with their tags, opt-in timestamps and unsubscribe status, import unsubscribes and cleaned addresses into the new platform's suppression list first, and then import active subscribers.
Which email tools support paid newsletters?
Kit and beehiiv both let a creator charge for subscriptions through Stripe and gate content for paying readers. MailerLite also offers paid newsletter subscriptions. General business tools such as Constant Contact, Brevo and Campaign Monitor are not built for this.
Do email marketing tools send transactional emails like receipts?
Some do. Brevo has a full transactional email service with SMTP and API sending. Mailchimp sells Mailchimp Transactional, formerly Mandrill, as a paid add-on on Standard and Premium. Klaviyo and Omnisend handle order confirmations for connected stores.
How do I know if my emails are reaching the inbox?
Open rates became unreliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection started preloading images, so look at clicks, replies and conversions instead. Check Google Postmaster Tools for your domain's spam rate and reputation.
