Best Email Marketing Software (2026)
Our ranked shortlist of email marketing platforms for most businesses, based on official pricing and features.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our rankings. Learn more.
How we ranked
Criteria for this guide: Ease of use, breadth of features on entry plans, value at 1,000–10,000 contacts and room to grow. We apply our review methodology and use qualitative “best for” labels rather than numeric scores. Rankings are based on official documentation and pricing research; we haven’t yet completed hands-on testing of every tool.
Our ranking
1MailerLite — Best value overall
Full feature set on paid plans from a low starting price; free plan includes automations and a landing page.
Free plan: Free plan: up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, 2 seats, 3 active automations, 1 website and 1 landing page.
Starting paid price: From $12/mo
Read MailerLite review Visit MailerLite (opens official site)
2Brevo — Best for multichannel
Email, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email in one; volume-based pricing.
Free plan: Free plan: send up to 300 emails per day once the account is approved for sending. No credit card required to sign up.
Starting paid price: Check site for current pricing
3Mailchimp — Best known all-rounder
Huge integration ecosystem and a clear upgrade path.
Free plan: Free plan for under 250 contacts: max 500 sends/month (250/day), 1 seat, 1 audience; email support for the first 30 days only.
Starting paid price: Check site for current pricing
4ActiveCampaign — Best for automation
Deep visual automation and segmentation.
Free plan: No free plan. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Starting paid price: Check site for current pricing
Read ActiveCampaign review Visit ActiveCampaign (opens official site)
5Kit (ConvertKit) — Best for creators
Creator-focused tagging, sequences and commerce.
Free plan: Kit offers a free tier; current subscriber limits are shown dynamically on the pricing page—check site.
Starting paid price: Check site for current pricing
Read Kit (ConvertKit) review Visit Kit (ConvertKit) (opens official site)
6GetResponse — Best all-in-one suite
Unlimited sends plus funnels, webinars and courses.
Free plan: 14-day trial of premium features, then a free account with limitations (e.g. landing pages capped at 1,000 unique visitors/month, GetResponse badge on messages).
Starting paid price: From $19/mo (1,000 contacts, monthly)
Read GetResponse review Visit GetResponse (opens official site)
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Best value overall | Free plan |
| Brevo | Best for multichannel | Free plan |
| Mailchimp | Best known all-rounder | Free plan for under 250 contacts |
| ActiveCampaign | Best for automation | No free plan |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Best for creators | Kit offers a free tier; current subscriber limits are shown dynamically on the pricing page—check site |
| GetResponse | Best all-in-one suite | 14-day trial of premium features, then a free account with limitations (e |
Related comparisons
- Mailchimp vs Brevo
- Mailchimp vs MailerLite
- Kit (ConvertKit) vs MailerLite
- ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse
- beehiiv vs Kit (ConvertKit)
FAQ
What is the best tool for best overall?
Based on official pricing and features checked Oct 18, 2026, our top pick is MailerLite (best value overall): Full feature set on paid plans from a low starting price; free plan includes automations and a landing page.
How did you rank these tools?
We weighed: Ease of use, breadth of features on entry plans, value at 1,000–10,000 contacts and room to grow. Rankings are based on official documentation and pricing research, not paid placement.