Email marketing · 9 tools compared
What is the best email marketing tool in 2026?
Short answer
Klaviyo ranks first on published facts: a free plan (250 profiles, 500 emails/month). The cheapest paid option in the first year is Brevo ($96.96). 4 of 9 have a free plan.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | From | 1st year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Klaviyo | Ecommerce email and SMS automation | Yes | Free | $0 |
| 2. Brevo | Email and SMS on a budget | Yes | $8.08 / mo | $96.96 |
| 3. Zoho Campaigns | Email for Zoho suite users | Yes | Free | $0 |
| 4. MailerLite | Low-cost email for creators | Yes | $12 / mo | $144 |
| 5. Constant Contact | Small businesses wanting phone support | No | $10.20 / mo | $122.40 |
| 6. AWeber | Creators selling through email | No | $12.50 / mo | $150 |
| 7. ActiveCampaign | Marketing automation for growing teams | No | $15 / mo | $180 |
| 8. GetResponse | Email with funnels and webinars | No | $15.58 / mo | $186.96 |
| 9. Mailchimp | All-in-one email for small businesses | No | $20 / mo | $240 |
From = cheapest paid plan, billed yearly where offered. 1st year = that plan for 12 months.
How did we rank these 9 email marketing tools?
On published facts only, scored out of 7: free plan (2, or 1 for a trial), first-year cost against the others (up to 3), three or more paid plans (1), mobile apps (1). We do not test tools hands-on.
| Tool | Score / 7 |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | 6 |
| Brevo | 5.3 |
| Zoho Campaigns | 5 |
| MailerLite | 3.5 |
| Constant Contact | 2.9 |
| AWeber | 2.1 |
| ActiveCampaign | 1.8 |
| GetResponse | 1.4 |
| Mailchimp | 1 |
The 9 best email marketing tools, ranked
Klaviyo
Best for: ecommerce email and SMS automation
- Free plan
- Yes, 250 profiles, 500 emails/month
- From
- Free
- 1st year
- $0
Brevo
Best for: email and SMS on a budget
- Free plan
- Yes, Free forever plan
- From
- $8.08 / mo
- 1st year
- $96.96
Zoho Campaigns
Best for: email for Zoho suite users
- Free plan
- Yes, up to 2,000 contacts
- From
- Free
- 1st year
- $0
MailerLite
Best for: low-cost email for creators
- Free plan
- Yes, 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month
- From
- $12 / mo
- 1st year
- $144
Constant Contact
Best for: small businesses wanting phone support
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $10.20 / mo
- 1st year
- $122.40
AWeber
Best for: creators selling through email
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial
- From
- $12.50 / mo
- 1st year
- $150
ActiveCampaign
Best for: marketing automation for growing teams
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $15 / mo
- 1st year
- $180
GetResponse
Best for: email with funnels and webinars
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $15.58 / mo
- 1st year
- $186.96
Mailchimp
Best for: all-in-one email for small businesses
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial
- From
- $20 / mo
- 1st year
- $240
Which email marketing tool is cheapest?
Klaviyo, at $0 for the first year, then Zoho Campaigns at $0.
| Tool | Cheapest plan | 1st year |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Free | $0 |
| Zoho Campaigns | Free | $0 |
| Brevo | Starter | $96.96 |
| Constant Contact | Lite | $122.40 |
| MailerLite | Comfort | $144 |
| AWeber | Lite | $150 |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter | $180 |
| GetResponse | Starter | $186.96 |
| Mailchimp | Standard | $240 |
Which email marketing tools have a free plan?
4 of 9: Klaviyo, Brevo, Zoho Campaigns, MailerLite.
- Klaviyo: 250 profiles, 500 emails/month
- Brevo: Free forever plan
- Zoho Campaigns: up to 2,000 contacts
- MailerLite: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo pricing | klaviyo.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Brevo pricing | brevo.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Zoho Campaigns pricing | zoho.com/campaigns/pricing.html | 27 Oct 2026 |
| MailerLite pricing | mailerlite.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Constant Contact pricing | constantcontact.com/email-marketing/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| AWeber pricing | aweber.com/pricing.htm | 27 Oct 2026 |
| ActiveCampaign pricing | activecampaign.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| GetResponse pricing | getresponse.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Mailchimp pricing | mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare