Email is still the only marketing channel you own outright, which makes the platform choice worth getting right the first time. We build the same welcome sequence and the same broadcast in every tool we review, then compare what it costs when the list actually grows.
We compared 12 email platforms on real pricing, features and workflow fit. Mailchimp is the easiest start, ActiveCampaign the worth-it upgrade, Kit for creators, Klaviyo for stores.
Read the buying guideEvery email marketing review we have published, newest first.
beehiiv vs Substack compared on fees, features and growth tools: Substack wins on simplicity, beehiiv on automations and no cut of paid subscription revenue.
Read the reviewKlaviyo is the safer e-commerce pick with a free tier, SMS and predictive analytics, while Drip suits small email-only stores that want a simpler builder and a lower reported price.
Read the reviewMoosend vs Brevo compared on documented pricing, automation and channels: Brevo wins for most small businesses, while Moosend suits small, active lists.
Read the reviewBrevo prices by emails sent and Mailchimp by contacts stored, so a large list with occasional sends favors Brevo while frequent sends to a small list favor Mailchimp.
Read the reviewActiveCampaign vs HubSpot compared on documented pricing and automation depth, with ActiveCampaign for budget automation and HubSpot for a unified suite.
Read the reviewOmnisend is the cheaper, simpler pick for small stores; Klaviyo wins for deep segmentation and predictive analytics. Pricing and SMS billing compared on documented sources.
Read the reviewConstant Contact vs Mailchimp compared on documented pricing and setup: Constant Contact is simpler and better supported, Mailchimp is cheaper to start and more flexible.
Read the reviewKlaviyo suits online stores that want order data driving email and SMS; ActiveCampaign suits service and B2B businesses that need deep automation plus a built-in CRM.
Read the reviewGetResponse vs Mailchimp compared on documented pricing, free plans and features: GetResponse wins on webinars and funnels, Mailchimp on integrations and familiarity.
Read the reviewMailerLite wins on price and simplicity while Mailchimp wins on integrations and breadth, compared on documented 2026 plans, free tier cuts and list-size costs.
Read the reviewKlaviyo is the stronger documented fit for stores where email drives sales, while Mailchimp is the cheaper all-rounder for small lists and mixed marketing needs.
Read the reviewButtondown documented pricing and features compared with Mailchimp, Kit and Brevo: great for solo writers who want plain pricing, light for marketing teams.
Read the reviewMailgun suits developer-led teams wanting a low entry price and detailed logs, SendGrid suits teams wanting templates and campaigns too, compared on documented 2026 pricing.
Read the reviewBrevo is the better value for most small lists thanks to email-volume pricing and a bundled CRM and SMS; Zoho Campaigns suits teams already using Zoho apps.
Read the reviewMailjet compared on API sending, collaborative editing, and its September 2026 price increase against Brevo and Mailchimp, with honest notes on automation depth.
Read the reviewSendGrid compared on volume-based Email API and Marketing Campaigns pricing against Mailchimp and Brevo, with honest notes on the end of its free tier.
Read the reviewHubSpot Marketing Hub compared on its tiered pricing and mandatory onboarding fees against Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, with honest notes on the steep jump to Professional.
Read the reviewbeehiiv compared on its free tier and subscriber-based pricing for built-in newsletter monetization against Kit and Mailchimp, with honest notes on automation depth.
Read the reviewSubstack compared on its zero-cost start and 10 percent paid-revenue fee against Kit and Beehiiv, with honest notes on where the percentage model stops paying off.
Read the reviewFlodesk compared on its tiered pricing after retiring flat-rate billing and its design-first template editor against Kit and Mailchimp, with honest notes on automation depth.
Read the reviewEmailOctopus compared on its documented subscriber-based pricing and Amazon SES Connect option against Mailchimp and Brevo, with honest notes on template and automation depth.
Read the reviewZoho Campaigns compared on its documented free plan and subscriber pricing against Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, with honest notes on automation depth and template polish.
Read the reviewOntraport compared on its documented Basic, Plus and Pro pricing against ActiveCampaign and Kit, with honest notes on its all-in-one breadth versus entry price.
Read the reviewCustomer.io compared on its documented Essentials, Premium and Enterprise pricing against ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo, with honest notes on setup complexity versus behavioral automation depth.
Read the reviewMailmodo compared on its documented Lite, Pro, and Max pricing and AMP for Email features against Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, with honest notes on inbox support gaps.
Read the reviewSender compared on its documented Free Forever plan and paid pricing against Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, with honest notes on automation depth once a list grows.
Read the reviewSysteme.io compared on its documented free-to-paid pricing against ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp, with honest notes on its shallower automation depth.
Read the reviewKartra compared on its documented tiered pricing against ActiveCampaign and Kit, with honest notes on its entry-tier transaction fee and higher price point.
Read the reviewLoops compared on its documented contact-based pricing against ActiveCampaign and Kit, with honest notes on thinner automation depth for non-technical marketers.
Read the reviewAn honest MailerLite review from documented evidence: a real free tier, low-priced paid plans with automation and a website builder, and honest caveats on ecommerce depth and slow approvals.
Read the reviewCampaign Monitor compared on template design, deliverability, and subscriber-based pricing against Mailchimp and Brevo, with honest notes on automation gaps and scaling costs.
Read the reviewBenchmark Email compared on small-list pricing, editor ease, and deliverability against Mailchimp and Brevo, with honest notes on automation ceilings and send caps.
Read the reviewAn honest Drip review: e-commerce workflows with every feature on one plan from $39 monthly, weighed against deliverability complaints and thin native SMS.
Read the reviewOmnisend documented as the easiest ecommerce automation pick for small stores, with the fairest free tier, provided deep automation is not on your roadmap.
Read the reviewAn honest Moosend review: low per-subscriber pricing and a generous automation feature set, weighed against mixed deliverability reports and thinner ecommerce depth.
Read the reviewAn honest GetResponse review: webinars, funnels and automation bundled from ~$19 monthly, with a confusing plan ladder and contact-tier costs named.
Read the reviewAn honest AWeber review: veteran deliverability and simplicity, automation and pricing that trail the field, and exactly who should still pick it.
Read the reviewAn honest Constant Contact review: the easiest editor and bundled event tools, offset by contact-based pricing that climbs steeply with list growth.
Read the reviewAn honest Klaviyo review: the best store-data segmentation and flows in e-commerce email, priced by profile count, with the free tier and walls explained.
Read the reviewConvertKit (Kit) vs Mailchimp with 2026 pricing at three list sizes: Kit owns the creator free-runway to 10,000 subscribers, Mailchimp owns campaign marketing.
Read the reviewAn honest Kit (ConvertKit) review: the free plan to 10,000 subscribers, the steep paid jump above it, and exactly which senders should choose it or skip it.
Read the reviewThe best email marketing tools for online stores compared: Klaviyo as the benchmark, Omnisend as the value rival, Brevo for budget, with the flows that pay.
Read the reviewAn honest Brevo review: the free plan and volume pricing explained, where automation and reporting fall short, and which businesses should pick it.
Read the reviewThe 11 email template types that actually convert: welcome, abandoned cart, win-back and more, with the structure each needs and where they ship free.
Read the reviewAWeber vs GetResponse compared honestly: real pricing at three list sizes, the feature gap, the support reputation, and a clear pick for each sender.
Read the reviewThe 2026 email statistics that change decisions: honest open and click benchmarks, why opens lie, automation's advantage, all with named sources.
Read the reviewEmail automation explained plainly: what workflows, triggers and tags mean, the six automations worth building first, what tools cost in 2026, and a one-hour starter plan.
Read the reviewA practical zero-to-10K email list plan: one promise, a lead magnet people actually want, forms where intent lives, and the weekly habit that compounds, with honest timelines.
Read the reviewMailchimp is still excellent at the fundamentals but pricing has grown more complicated than the tool. Which businesses should stay, which should graduate, and what to know before paying.
Read the reviewMailchimp wins on ease and ecosystem, ActiveCampaign wins on automation and per-contact value as you grow. Real pricing math at 500, 5,000 and 25,000 contacts decides most choices.
Read the reviewSeven free email marketing plans that are genuinely free, not trials: Brevo, MailerLite, Kit, HubSpot, EmailOctopus, Sender and Mailchimp, with real limits and a pick for each sender type.
Read the reviewMailchimp is still the gentlest starting point because the editor explains itself and the free plan is enough to learn on. Brevo is the better pick if your list is small but you send often, since it prices by send volume rather than by contact count.
Some are, some are trials wearing a costume. The genuinely free plans usually cap your contact count or your monthly sends and add the provider's branding to your emails. The trap to watch is a free plan that excludes automation, because automation is the reason most businesses adopt these tools at all.
Fewer than you think. A list of a few hundred engaged buyers usually out-earns several thousand cold signups, so start collecting addresses on day one and worry about volume later. The cost of starting early is close to zero on a free plan.
