The top email marketing tools for small business in 2026 are Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite, Constant Contact, Kit, Omnisend, GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and HubSpot.
Most offer a free plan or a free trial, and paid plans start between about $9 and $20 a month for a small list.
The best pick depends on what you sell, how big your list is, and whether you need simple newsletters, automated sequences, online store features, or a full CRM.
This guide compares all ten from a small business owner's point of view. You'll see what each tool costs, where it shines, where it falls short, and which type of business it suits.
You'll also learn the rules that apply to every sender, such as Gmail's authentication requirements and the FTC's CAN-SPAM law.
Prices and features come from vendor pricing pages and review sites checked between October 16 and October 19, 2026, and each carries a source.
Plans change often, so confirm the numbers on the vendor's own site before you buy.
The Short Answer
- Best for beginners: Mailchimp or MailerLite
- Best low-cost all-in-one with SMS and a free CRM: Brevo
- Best for local businesses that want phone support: Constant Contact
- Best for creators and newsletters: Kit
- Best for online stores: Omnisend or Klaviyo
- Best for advanced automation: ActiveCampaign
- Best for webinars and funnels: GetResponse
- Best if you want a CRM and email together: HubSpot
What to Look For in an Email Marketing Tool
Pricing that fits your list
Some tools price by the number of contacts, and others by the number of emails you send.
Mailchimp's plans are tiered by contact count, while Brevo's plans scale with emails sent per month (Mailchimp pricing page and EmailToolTester, August 2026).
A tool that looks cheap at 500 contacts can cost much more at 10,000, so price your list at its current size and at double.
Deliverability and authentication
Gmail requires senders that reach close to 5,000 messages a day to personal Gmail accounts to set up SPF and DKIM, publish a DMARC record, keep user-reported spam rates below 0.1% (and never reach 0.3%), and offer one-click unsubscribe on marketing messages.
The same page says Gmail's enforcement against non-compliant traffic ramped up from November 2025 (Google Workspace Admin Help, email sender guidelines).
Small senders usually fall below that threshold, but good tools walk you through authentication anyway.
Legal compliance
In the United States, the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says you must honor opt-out requests within 10 business days, include a valid physical postal address, and avoid deceptive subject lines.
Each violating email can draw a civil penalty of up to $53,088 (FTC, page last modified July 22, 2025). Check that your tool adds unsubscribe links and address footers by default.
Automation and segmentation
A welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, and birthday emails can run without you.
Look at how many automations each plan allows and whether you can split your list by behavior.
Templates, integrations, and support
Make sure the editor suits you and that the tool connects to your store, website, or booking system. If you want help from a person, check which plan includes phone or chat support.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans start at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Beginners, templates, integrations | Yes, 250 contacts | $13 per month |
| Brevo | Low-cost email, SMS, and CRM | Yes, 300 emails per day | $9 per month |
| MailerLite | Simple, affordable email | Yes, 250 subscribers | $12 per month |
| Constant Contact | Local businesses, events, support | No, free trial | $12 per month |
| Kit | Creators and newsletters | Yes, up to 10,000 subscribers | $33 per month |
| Omnisend | Online stores | Yes, 250 contacts | $16 per month |
| GetResponse | Funnels and webinars | See vendor page | $19 per month |
| ActiveCampaign | Advanced automation with CRM | No, 14-day trial | Request pricing |
| Klaviyo | Ecommerce data | Yes (per third-party sources) | About $20 per month (third party) |
| HubSpot | CRM plus marketing | Free CRM (per third-party sources) | Varies by seat and plan |
Vendor prices come from each company's pricing page. Klaviyo and HubSpot figures come from third-party roundups, which are noted below.
1. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the best-known name in email marketing, and it remains a solid choice for beginners who want a large template library and many integrations.
Plans and pricing: Mailchimp's page lists a Free plan with 250 contacts and a send limit of 500 per month (250 per day), Essentials from $13 per month, Standard from $20 per month, and Premium from $350 per month.
The paid prices are shown with a 12-month commitment, and the page lists a 15% discount for the first 12 months for businesses with 10,000 or more contacts. Cost rises as your list grows.
What stands out: Standard includes up to 200 automation flows, branded templates, custom reports, dynamic content, generative AI at no added cost, and one personalized onboarding session.
Essentials limits automations to four flow steps, and the Free plan doesn't include automation or Mailchimp branding removal.
Watch out for: SMS is an add-on in select countries, and prices climb with your contact count.
Best for: Small businesses that value polish, integrations, and name recognition.
2. Brevo
Brevo bundles email, SMS, WhatsApp, a free CRM, and transactional email into one low-cost platform.
If you want to read a fuller overview, this Brevo email marketing guide covers features, pricing, and pros and cons, and you can compare its figures with the ones below.
Plans and pricing: According to EmailToolTester (updated August 5, 2026), Free costs $0 for 300 emails per day and up to 100,000 contacts. Starter starts at $9 per month for 5,000 emails.
Standard starts at $18 per month and adds landing pages, A/B testing, and logo removal.
Professional starts at $499 per month, and Enterprise is negotiated at about $10,000 per year.
TechRadar (updated February 22, 2026) lists annual billing at $8.08, $16.17, and $449.08 per month for Starter, Standard, and Professional.
What stands out: EmailToolTester (updated August 17, 2026) praises its workflow automation, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns, free CRM, and generous free plan.
Watch out for: The free plan caps sending at 300 emails per day, landing pages are basic, phone support is for Professional and Enterprise only, and extras such as a dedicated IP (251peryear)andlogoremovalonStarter(9 to $10 per month, depending on the review) add up.
The same reviewers say the jump from Standard to Professional is steep.
Mailchimp or Brevo? If you're torn between the two, see this Mailchimp vs Brevo comparison.
As a rough rule, Brevo suits large lists that you email infrequently, and Mailchimp suits owners who want templates and integrations first.
Third-party comparisons can lag behind vendor changes, so verify prices on both vendors' pages.
Best for: Small businesses that want email plus SMS on a tight budget.
3. MailerLite
MailerLite focuses on simplicity and value, which makes it a common pick for bloggers, small agencies, and course creators.
Plans and pricing: The pricing page shows Free at $0 for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month, Comfort from $12 per month, Power from $25 per month, and a custom Enterprise plan for 200,000 or more subscribers.
Annual billing saves 10%, and nonprofits get 30% off paid plans. The page doesn't show the subscriber tiers for Comfort and Power, so use the calculator.
What stands out: Comfort includes 50 active automations, 10 landing pages, and 10 forms. Power removes those limits, adds live chat support, and gives you unlimited seats.
The page says every paid plan gets the full feature set.
Watch out for: The free plan's 250-subscriber cap is much smaller than Brevo's contact limit of up to 100,000.
Best for: Small teams that want clean design, easy automation, and predictable pricing.
4. Constant Contact
Constant Contact suits local businesses, nonprofits, and event organizers who want human support.
Plans and pricing: The pricing page lists Lite at $12 per month, Standard at $35, and Premium at $80, with annual-billed rates of $10.20, $29.75, and $68 per month.
Email sends are capped at 10, 12, or 24 times your contact count, and overage costs $0.002 per send (about $2 per 1,000), though sending isn't blocked.
It offers a free trial with no credit card and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What stands out: All plans include live phone and chat support, 300 or more integrations, and event and payment tools.
Standard adds email scheduling, subject line A/B testing, and an AI campaign builder. Premium adds dynamic content, revenue reporting, and a priority support team.
Watch out for: SMS is an add-on from $10 per month on Lite and Standard, and the page shows both monthly and annual prices, so check which one you're seeing.
Best for: Local businesses and nonprofits that value hands-on support.
5. Kit (Formerly ConvertKit)
Kit is built for creators who sell products, courses, or subscriptions to an audience.
Plans and pricing: Kit's page lists a Free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers, Creator at 33permonth(390 per year) for 1,000 subscribers, and Pro at $66 per month list, with a limited first-year price of $50.
Free includes unlimited landing pages, forms, and broadcasts, plus tools for selling digital products and subscriptions, but not visual automations or email sequences.
Creator adds those, along with SMS and 24/7 support.
Watch out for: The page doesn't explain how paid prices scale above 1,000 subscribers, so use its calculator before you commit.
Best for: Writers, coaches, and course creators growing a paid audience.
6. Omnisend
Omnisend targets online stores that want email, SMS, and web push in one tool.
Plans and pricing: The page shows Free at $0 (250 contacts and 500 emails per month), Standard at 6,000 emails for 500 contacts, Pro with unlimited emails for 2,500 contacts, and a custom plan for lists above 150,000 profiles.
The page lists Standard at $11.20 per month and Pro at $41.30 per month with a three-month prepay (30% off), while its description says paid plans start from $16 per month.
An earlier check of the same page showed Pro at $59 per month when billed monthly. Pro includes SMS credits from $50 per month.
What stands out: All plans include free migration and 24/7 support. Pro adds five AI tools, including a product recommender.
Watch out for: The page shows prices only for its default contact selections, and some details conflict between the feature table and the FAQ, so check your list size in the calculator.
Best for: Small online stores that want email and SMS together.
7. GetResponse
GetResponse bundles email marketing with landing pages, funnels, and webinar hosting.
Plans and pricing: The page lists Starter at 19permonth(15.58 billed yearly), Marketer at 59(48.38 yearly), Creator at 69(56.58 yearly), and a custom Enterprise plan.
It lists unlimited monthly email sends on all plans but doesn't show contact limits in the content reviewed.
What stands out: Starter includes AI content tools, a landing page builder, and one custom automation workflow.
Marketer adds unlimited automations, advanced segmentation, abandoned cart recovery, and sales funnels. Creator adds webinars, a website builder, and a course creator.
Watch out for: Webinars start on the Creator plan, and the page's meta description advertises a lower price than any plan listed.
Best for: Course creators and marketers who run webinars and funnels.
8. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is the pick when automation drives your business. It combines email, a built-in CRM, and advanced segmentation.
Plans and pricing: The pricing page offers Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise tiers with a free 14-day trial and no credit card, but it shows no prices without a contact count and request form.
InboxArmy (updated September 8, 2026, and published by an email marketing agency) lists about $15, $49, $79, and $145 per month for the four tiers at small list sizes, so verify those with ActiveCampaign.
What stands out: Plus and above include unlimited automation actions and landing pages. Pro adds predictive and conditional content and attribution tracking, and Starter limits each automation to five actions.
Watch out for: There is no free plan, and the learning curve is steeper than with simpler tools.
Best for: Marketers who need lead scoring, complex automations, and sales and marketing in one place.
9. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is built around ecommerce data, so it works best for online stores that want to send emails based on purchases and browsing behavior.
Plans and pricing: Klaviyo's own page didn't display prices when checked. Third-party roundups (Mailercloud, updated October 9, 2026, and InboxArmy) list a free plan up to 250 profiles and paid plans from about $20 per month, with SMS adding to the cost.
What stands out: Deep segmentation and tight integrations with major store platforms.
Watch out for: Pricing depends on active profiles, so costs can rise as your store grows.
Best for: Ecommerce brands that want revenue-focused flows like abandoned cart and post-purchase emails.
10. HubSpot
HubSpot pairs marketing email with one of the best-known CRMs, which helps when sales and marketing share the same contacts.
Plans and pricing: HubSpot's pricing page didn't display plan details when checked.
According to InboxArmy, the free CRM includes basic email, starter seats run about $15 to $20 per month, Marketing Hub Professional starts around $890 per month, and Enterprise around $3,600 per month. Mailercloud lists Marketing Hub Starter at $18.
Watch out for: The jump from Starter to Professional is large.
Best for: Businesses that want a unified CRM and can grow into higher tiers.
How to Choose the Right Tool
- Start with your list size. Price each tool at your real contact count now and at double that in a year.
- Pick your channel mix. If you send SMS or WhatsApp alongside email, compare those costs.
- Rank your must-have features. Automation, landing pages, A/B testing, and CRM sit on different plans in different tools.
- Test support. Ask a pre-sales question and see how fast a person answers.
- Run a trial. Most tools above offer a free plan or trial, so send a real campaign before you commit.
If you want a wider field to compare, this guide to the best Brevo alternatives covers eleven more options, and you can check each vendor's pricing page against it before you decide.
Getting Started: A Simple Plan
- Pick one goal. A welcome email, a monthly newsletter, or an abandoned cart reminder is enough to start.
- Clean your list. Include only people who agreed to hear from you, and remove bounced addresses.
- Authenticate your domain. Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records using your tool's setup guide.
- Build a template. Keep your logo, colors, and footer consistent, with your physical address and an unsubscribe link.
- Set up one automation. A welcome email is the easiest first step.
- Send, then measure. Watch opens, clicks, and unsubscribes, and adjusts one thing at a time.
- Keep spam complaints low. Gmail's guidance says to keep user-reported spam rates below 0.1%.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying a tool for the sticker price. Check the price at your real list size.
- Skipping authentication. Unauthenticated email is more likely to land in spam.
- Buying or scraping lists. Send only to people who opted in.
- Hiding the unsubscribe link. Both Gmail and the FTC expect a working opt-out.
- Ignoring the free plan's limits. Daily and monthly caps can pause sending.
- Forgetting add-ons. SMS, logo removal, dedicated IPs, and extra seats raise the bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free email marketing tool for small businesses?
Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers but excludes visual automations and sequences. Brevo's free plan allows up to 100,000 contacts with a 300-per-day send cap. Mailchimp, MailerLite, and Omnisend cap free plans at 250 contacts.
What is the cheapest paid email marketing tool?
Brevo starts at $9 per month for 5,000 emails, and MailerLite starts at $12 per month. Prices rise with your list size and volume, so compare at your actual numbers.
Which tool is best for an online store?
Omnisend and Klaviyo focus on store data and abandoned cart flows. Omnisend lists a free plan and Pro with SMS credits, while Klaviyo is reported at about $20 per month by third-party sources.
Do I need to authenticate my email domain?
It's strongly advised. Gmail requires SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for senders reaching close to 5,000 messages a day to personal Gmail accounts, and good practice helps smaller senders too.
Is email marketing regulated?
Yes. In the United States, CAN-SPAM requires an opt-out honored within 10 business days, a valid physical address, and no deceptive subject lines, with penalties of up to $53,088 per violating email.
Can I switch tools later?
Yes. Export your contacts, clean the list, authenticate your domain on the new tool, and send to your most engaged subscribers first.
The Bottom Line
Choose Mailchimp or MailerLite for simplicity, Brevo for low-cost email and SMS, Constant Contact for support, Kit for creators, Omnisend or Klaviyo for stores, GetResponse for webinars and funnels, ActiveCampaign for advanced automation, and HubSpot when you want a CRM.
Price each option at your real list size, confirm current plans on the vendor's site, and test one with a real campaign before you move your list.
Sources
- Google Workspace Admin Help, Email sender guidelines.
- Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: a compliance guide for business. Page last modified July 22, 2025.
- TechRadar, Brevo review. Updated February 22, 2026.
- EmailToolTester, Brevo pricing (updated August 5, 2026) and Brevo review (updated August 17, 2026).