Best Email Marketing Software for Small Business (2026)
Shortlist Software is reader-supported. If you sign up through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
Updated October 26, 2026. Prices below were checked against each company’s own pricing page on this date.
Email is still one of the cheapest ways for a small business to bring customers back: announcing a sale, sending a monthly newsletter, or following up automatically when someone joins your list. The catch is pricing. Most email tools charge by the number of contacts or emails you send, so the tool that’s cheapest today can become expensive as your list grows.
We compared six popular email marketing platforms on what matters to a small business: free plan limits, the real starting price, how pricing scales, and who each one is the wrong fit for.
Our quick picks
- Best overall value: MailerLite. Automations on a free plan, and paid plans from $10.80 a month.
- Best for large lists you email occasionally: Brevo. Priced by emails sent, not by contacts stored.
- Most generous free plan: Kit. Free for up to 10,000 subscribers.
- Best for automation: ActiveCampaign. Multi-step automations on every plan.
- Best for live support: Constant Contact. Live phone and chat help from marketing experts.
- Most familiar: Mailchimp. Free for under 250 contacts.
Email marketing software comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Starting paid price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Overall value | Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo | $10.80/mo (500 subscribers) |
| Brevo | Big lists, occasional sends | 300 emails/day | $8.08/mo (from 5,000 emails/mo) |
| Kit | Newsletters and creators | Up to 10,000 subscribers | $33/mo (1,000 subscribers) |
| ActiveCampaign | Automation | No | $15/mo (1,000 contacts) |
| Constant Contact | Live support | No | $10.20/mo |
| Mailchimp | Familiar, beginner-friendly | Under 250 contacts | $13/mo (Essentials) |
*Starting prices as shown on each company’s pricing page. Most are the annual-billing price; Mailchimp’s is its “starts at” monthly price. Prices rise as your list grows.
MailerLite: Best overall value
MailerLite gives small businesses the core tools they need (campaigns, automations, signup forms and a landing page) at a price that stays low as you get started. Even the free plan includes automations.
Pricing
The free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 2 user seats. Comfort costs $12 a month, or $10.80 a month billed yearly, for 500 subscribers and 5,000 monthly emails. Power is $22.50 a month billed yearly for up to 500 subscribers and unlimited monthly sends. Paid features can be tried free for 14 days with no credit card.
Why we like it
- Automations, signup forms and a landing page on the free plan
- Low paid price for a full set of features
- Comfort includes 3 user seats and 50 automations
Who it’s not for
Businesses that need live phone support or advanced sales features. The free plan offers knowledge base support only, and email support starts on paid plans.
Brevo: Best for large lists you email occasionally
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) prices its plans mainly by how many emails you send rather than how many contacts you store. That suits a business with a big customer list that only emails a few times a month.
Pricing
The free plan lets you send up to 300 emails a day. Starter is $9 a month ($8.08 billed yearly) from 5,000 emails a month, and Standard, which adds marketing automation and A/B testing, is $18 a month ($16.17 billed yearly). SMS credits are sold separately.
Why we like it
- Pricing based on email volume, not list size
- Email and SMS in one place
- Unlimited automated workflows on the Standard plan
Who it’s not for
Businesses that email a large list often. When pricing follows email volume, frequent sending pushes you into higher tiers. Marketing automation also starts on Standard, not Starter.
Kit: Most generous free plan
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is built for creators and newsletter writers, and its free plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms.
Pricing
Free for up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator, which adds unlimited automations and sequences, is $33 a month for 1,000 subscribers ($390 billed yearly). Pro is $66 a month for 1,000 subscribers, and Kit was offering a first-year discount when we checked. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Why we like it
- Free for up to 10,000 subscribers
- Unlimited landing pages and forms on every plan
- Built-in tools to sell digital products and paid newsletters
Who it’s not for
Local service businesses and stores that want industry templates or ecommerce-style campaigns. Kit is designed around creators, and automations require the $33-a-month Creator plan.
ActiveCampaign: Best for automation
ActiveCampaign is known for automation: emails triggered by what each contact does, multi-step follow-ups and segmentation. It suits businesses ready to put their marketing on autopilot.
Pricing
Starter is $15 a month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts, with 10,000 email sends a month and 1 user. Plus, which adds landing pages, cross-channel marketing and generative AI, is $49 a month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts. A free trial is available, but there is no free plan.
Why we like it
- Multi-step marketing automation on every plan
- More than 250 pre-built email templates
- Room to grow with optional CRM add-ons on higher plans
Who it’s not for
Beginners who only need a simple monthly newsletter. You’d be paying for automation you may not use, and there’s no free plan.
Constant Contact: Best for live support
Constant Contact has served small businesses for years and stands out for human help: every plan includes live phone and chat support with marketing experts, plus 1:1 onboarding.
Pricing
Lite starts at $10.20 a month, Standard at $29.75 and Premium at $68, all billed annually. Prices rise with your number of contacts and email sends. A free trial is available, but there is no free plan.
Why we like it
- Live phone and chat support on every plan
- 1:1 onboarding to get you started
- Social media posting and event tools alongside email
Who it’s not for
Budget-focused owners who are comfortable learning on their own. Lite includes just 1 automation template, so most businesses will want Standard at $29.75 or more.
Mailchimp: Most familiar
Mailchimp is the name most people know. It’s easy to start with, which is why it’s often a small business’s first email platform.
Pricing
Free for businesses with under 250 contacts. Essentials starts at $13 a month and Standard at $20 a month, with a 14-day free trial. Prices increase with your number of contacts, and Mailchimp offers 15% off for lists of 5,000 or more contacts.
Why we like it
- A familiar, beginner-friendly interface
- Free plan to try the basics
- A 14-day trial of the Standard plan
Who it’s not for
Growing lists on a budget. The free plan stops at 250 contacts, and prices rise quickly as your list grows. Sending is paused if you exceed your contact or email limit on the free plan.
How to choose email marketing software
- Count your contacts and sends. Most tools price by list size; Brevo prices by email volume. Choose the model that matches how you email.
- Price your list a year from now. A free plan for 250 contacts doesn’t help much if you’ll have 2,000 by next summer.
- Decide whether you need automation. Welcome emails and follow-ups are worth it for most businesses, but check which plan includes them.
- Think about support. If you want a person on the phone, Constant Contact is built for that.
How we chose
We compared each platform’s current pricing pages, free plan limits, trial terms and plan features as of October 26, 2026, and judged them by what a small business needs. Our guides are based on research, not hands-on testing, so use the free plans and trials to see which one you like before you commit. Prices change often, so confirm the current price on the provider’s site.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free email marketing software for small business?
Kit has the largest free plan in this guide, covering up to 10,000 subscribers. MailerLite’s free plan is smaller (250 subscribers) but includes automations, and Brevo’s free plan allows up to 300 emails a day.
How much does email marketing cost for a small business?
Paid plans in this guide start between about $8 and $33 a month for a small list. Costs rise as your list or sending volume grows.
Is Mailchimp still free?
Yes, for businesses with under 250 contacts. Above that, you’ll need a paid plan, starting with Essentials from $13 a month.