Why Email Marketing Software Matters in 2026
Email is still one of the cheapest ways for a small business to reach people who already know it. The catch is that the price and the limits of these tools changed a lot over the last year. MailerLite renamed and repriced its paid plans on June 16, 2026, and cut its Free plan from 500 to 250 subscribers. Flodesk retired its flat-rate unlimited plan for new members on December 2, 2025 and now charges by subscriber count. Brevo ties how many contacts you can store to the email volume you buy. So last year's comparison may no longer match your bill.
This guide compares seven tools a typical small business is likely to shortlist on four questions:
- What you get for free, and where the free plan stops.
- What you pay at 500, 2,500 and 10,000 contacts.
- How easy it is to build good-looking emails without a designer.
- How much automation you get on the cheapest paid plan.
All prices are in US dollars from each vendor's own pricing pages, checked in October 2026, before tax.
MailerLite review
What it is. MailerLite is an email marketing tool with a built-in website and landing page builder. It also lets you sell digital products, bookings and paid newsletter subscriptions. It is our top pick for a typical small business because it gives you real automation on the cheapest paid plan at a lower price than the other big names.
Pricing. The Free plan covers up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails per month, with 2 seats, 3 active automations of up to 5 steps, 1 website, 1 landing page and 3 forms. Sending locks once you pass 250 active subscribers.
Comfort costs $12/month billed monthly or $10.80/month billed annually at 500 subscribers. It rises to $19 ($17.10 annual) at 1,000, $33 ($29.70) at 2,500, $49 ($44.10) at 5,000 and $89 ($80.10) at 10,000. Comfort lets you send up to 10 times the top of your subscriber tier each month, so 10,000 emails at the 1,000 tier.
Power costs $25/month monthly or $22.50/month annually at 500 subscribers, $49 ($44.10) at 2,500 and $129 ($116.10) at 10,000. It adds unlimited emails (fair use), unlimited seats and unlimited automations. Enterprise covers lists above 200,000 subscribers.
Every new account gets a 14-day trial of premium features with no credit card. Annual billing saves 10%, and nonprofits get 30% off.
Key features. You get three email editors on every plan: drag-and-drop, a Simple editor and custom HTML. The visual automation builder supports ecommerce triggers. Comfort allows 50 active automations of up to 100 steps each, plus multivariate testing, dynamic content, an AI writing assistant, RSS campaigns and auto-resend. Email A/B testing is included even on Free. MailerLite connects to more than 100 tools, including Stripe, Shopify (two-way sync since August 27, 2026) and WooCommerce.
Pros. The cheapest proper automation builder here at 500 and 2,500 subscribers, and websites and landing pages are included.
Cons. The Free plan is much smaller than it was. SMS and transactional email run through MailerSend, a separate product with its own pricing. Older reviews quoting "Growing Business" or "Advanced" prices are out of date.
Who should use it. Shops, service businesses and solo owners who want a welcome series, automated follow-ups and a simple landing page at a low price.
Who should avoid it. Businesses that need SMS in the same tool, or that want live phone support.
Mailchimp review
What it is. Mailchimp (now Intuit Mailchimp) is the best-known email platform for small businesses. It covers email, SMS add-ons, automation flows, landing pages and a large app marketplace.
Pricing. Free covers 250 contacts and 500 emails per month (250 per day) with 1 seat. Paid plans are priced by contacts, with monthly list prices:
- Essentials: $13 at 500 contacts, $45 at 2,500, $110 at 10,000. Sends are 10x your contacts.
- Standard: $20 at 500, $60 at 2,500, $135 at 10,000. Sends are 12x your contacts.
- Premium: from $350 at 10,000 contacts. Sends are 15x your contacts.
Accounts with 10,000 or more contacts get 15% off the first 12 months. Annual plans are only available through Sales. Essentials and Standard come with a 14-day trial, which needs a card. Mailchimp's page shows some prices with a 12-month label, so check what the renewal price will be at signup.
Key features. Standard and Premium get the Customer Journey builder with branching and multiple starting points, up to 200 flows. Essentials gets automation flows limited to 4 steps. Paid plans include A/B testing, scheduling and branding removal. Standard adds send time optimization, dynamic content and generative AI. There are 300+ integrations, including an official Shopify app with abandoned cart reminders and an official WooCommerce plugin.
SMS is a monthly credit add-on on paid plans, from $20/month for 1,000 credits, after an application and approval. Unused credits expire each month. Transactional email is a separate add-on on Standard and Premium.
Pros. The integration list is the largest here, and email and SMS sit in one account.
Cons. Essentials automation is limited to 4 steps per flow. At 2,500 contacts Standard is $60/month against $33 for MailerLite Comfort, and at 10,000 it is $135 against $89 (all billed monthly). Going over your contact or send limit on a paid plan brings overage charges.
Who should use it. Online stores and businesses with many connected apps that will pay a little more for the integration list.
Who should avoid it. Owners on a tight budget who need automation, since that means Standard rather than Essentials.
Brevo review
What it is. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an all-in-one marketing and CRM platform. It covers email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, transactional messages, a sales CRM and live chat.
Pricing. Brevo prices paid plans by monthly email volume, not by contacts. Free allows 300 emails a day, stores up to 100,000 contacts and runs automation for up to 2,000 contacts, with the Brevo logo on emails.
Starter (monthly) costs $9 for 5,000 emails, $17 for 10,000, $25 for 15,000 and $32 for 20,000. Standard costs $18, $35, $49 and $69 for the same volumes. Yearly billing is 10% off. Professional starts at $499/month for 150,000 emails.
The volume tier also caps how many contacts you can store on Starter and Standard: 500 contacts at 5,000 emails, 1,500 at 10,000 and 2,500 at 15,000. From 20,000 emails a month you can store up to 500,000 contacts. If you pass the contact cap on the first three tiers, Brevo moves you up a tier automatically.
Key features. Automation workflows can mix email and SMS. Starter's automation covers up to 2,000 contacts; Standard has unlimited automation, A/B testing, send time optimization and removes the Brevo logo. Abandoned cart recovery is on every plan, including Free. Transactional email and SMS work through API or SMTP on all plans. SMS credits are bought separately in packs of 100, from $0.0109 per credit in the US; cost depends on country and message length.
Pros. The lowest entry price here, generous free contact storage, and SMS and order emails in one account.
Cons. Volume pricing takes some arithmetic. Starter keeps the Brevo logo unless you pay for an add-on, and Brevo's own pages list two different prices for it, so check at signup. To automate a list above 2,000 contacts you need Standard.
Who should use it. Businesses that send a steady, modest number of emails and want SMS or transactional email in the same place.
Who should avoid it. Anyone who sends several times a week to a large list, since the bill follows email volume.
Constant Contact review
What it is. Constant Contact is an email and digital marketing platform aimed at small businesses and nonprofits. Next to email it offers social posting and ads, US SMS, event registration and payments, and simple automation, with live phone and chat support.
Pricing. Constant Contact has no free plan. These are its starting prices as listed on its pricing page on October 12, 2026:
- Lite: from $12/month monthly, or $10.20/month prepaid for 12 months. 1 user, sends 10x contacts per month, 1 custom segment, 1 automation template.
- Standard: from $35/month monthly, or $29.75/month prepaid annually. 3 users, 12x sends, 10 segments, 3 automation templates, scheduling and subject line A/B testing.
- Premium: from $80/month monthly, or $68/month prepaid annually. Unlimited users, 24x sends, unlimited segments, unlimited and custom automations, ecommerce automation templates and 500 US SMS per month.
Prices rise with your contact count, but the per-tier table was not readable on the pricing page, so we cannot confirm what you pay at 2,500 or 10,000 contacts. Get a quote for your list size before you commit.
If you go over your monthly send allowance, sending continues and you pay $0.002 per extra email ($2 per 1,000). SMS on Lite and Standard is an add-on from $10/month for up to 500 messages, for US customers only. Inbox preview is a $10/month add-on. There is a free trial with no credit card, and new paid plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Nonprofits get 20% off when prepaying 6 months and 30% off when prepaying 12.
Key features. An editor with an AI copy generator and BrandKit, social posting and ads, event registration, product sales, and 300+ integrations including Shopify, Canva and Eventbrite.
Pros. Live phone and chat support on every plan, and events and payments built in.
Cons. Lite is thin on automation and segmentation and has no A/B testing. Real automation needs Premium.
Who should use it. Local businesses and nonprofits that run events, post to social media and want to call someone when stuck.
Who should avoid it. Owners who want automated customer journeys on a small budget.
ActiveCampaign review
What it is. ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and automation platform priced by contacts. CRM pipelines, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email are paid add-ons.
Pricing. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. The smallest priced tier in its price data is 1,000 contacts.
- Starter: $19/month monthly or $180/year at 1,000 contacts; $49 ($468/yr) at 2,500; $189 ($1,788/yr) at 10,000. Up to 25,000 contacts and 2 users.
- Plus: $59/month monthly or $588/year at 1,000; $119 at 2,500; $239 ($2,268/yr) at 10,000.
- Pro: $99/month monthly or $948/year at 1,000; $469 at 10,000.
- Enterprise: $179/month monthly or $1,740/year at 1,000.
These prices come from ActiveCampaign's own published price data, which its pricing page loads; the live page may differ slightly.
Key features. The automation builder supports if/else branches, goals, webhooks and date-based triggers. Starter caps each automation at 5 actions; Plus removes that cap and adds landing pages and branded forms. Pro adds automation split tests, predictive sending and content, site tracking and revenue attribution. Transactional email through Postmark is an add-on on all plans. SMS is an add-on from Plus up.
Pros. The most capable tool here for multi-step journeys that react to what people do.
Cons. The most expensive option here at 10,000 contacts. Because of Starter's 5-action limit, buyers who want its automation usually need Plus, at $59/month for 1,000 contacts (monthly).
Who should use it. Service businesses with a sales follow-up process, or shops with longer customer journeys, that will use the extra automation.
Who should avoid it. Anyone who mainly sends a monthly newsletter.
Kit review
What it is. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is email marketing built for creators. It handles newsletters, landing pages, forms, automations and selling digital products, plus a recommendation network and sponsorships.
Pricing. Free covers up to 10,000 subscribers with 1 user, unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts, tagging, and selling products. It has no visual automations and no email sequences.
Creator costs $39/month billed monthly or $390/year at 1,000 subscribers, $59/month for up to 3,000 and $139/month at 10,000 (monthly). Pro costs $79/month or $790/year at 1,000 and $189/month at 10,000. Annual billing equals 10 months of the monthly price. Until November 7, 2026, annual Pro is 25% off for the first year for lists up to 65,000, then renews at the normal annual rate. Creator and Pro have a 14-day trial with no card. Sales through Kit carry a 3.5% + 30c fee.
Key features. Creator adds unlimited visual automations and sequences, removes Kit branding, connects to 100+ apps and includes free migration. Kit lists SMS as a Creator feature but does not publish SMS pricing. Pro adds deliverability reporting, engagement scoring, a referral system and unlimited users.
Pros. No other tool here lets you send to 10,000 subscribers for free.
Cons. No automation on Free, and Creator is one of the pricier entry plans at small list sizes, with only 2 users.
Who should use it. Coaches, writers and educators who sell digital products or paid newsletters.
Who should avoid it. Local service businesses and stores that need ecommerce flows or SMS with published pricing.
Flodesk review
What it is. Flodesk is a design-focused email tool with forms, landing pages, link-in-bio pages, workflows and a built-in checkout for selling.
Pricing. Since December 2, 2025 new members pay by subscriber count (members from before keep their legacy plan). Prices are monthly / annual per month:
- Lite: $25 / $19 at 1,000 subscribers, $32 / $29 at 2,500, $72 / $66 at 10,000. 1 seat, 1 workflow, up to 25,000 subscribers.
- Pro: $28 / $25 at 1,000, $39 / $35 at 2,500, $79 / $72 at 10,000. 2 seats, unlimited workflows.
- Everything: $54 / $49 at 1,000, $87 / $79 at 2,500, $137 / $126 at 10,000. 3 seats, unlimited checkouts, abandoned cart automations.
Every paid plan has unlimited email sends. The Free plan includes forms, landing pages and link-in-bio. Flodesk's Free plan does not include email sending or workflow automations, so you need a paid plan to send. The free trial needs no card; its length is not stated.
Key features. Designer templates with custom fonts and layouts, a send time optimizer, resend to unopens, and Flodesk Checkout for sales pages, upsells, subscriptions and payment plans. Checkout payments go through Stripe at Stripe's rates with no Flodesk fee.
Pros. Unlimited sends make costs predictable, and Pro at 10,000 subscribers ($79/month monthly) undercuts MailerLite Comfort ($89).
Cons. No SMS, Lite's single workflow and seat are tight, and the smallest tier is 1,000 subscribers.
Who should use it. Brands where the look of every email matters, such as boutiques, photographers and coaches.
Who should avoid it. Businesses that need SMS, many integrations or advanced segmentation.
Head-to-Head: Free Plans Compared
| Tool | Free plan | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Yes | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, 3 automations, 2 seats |
| Mailchimp | Yes | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month (250/day), no real automation |
| Brevo | Yes | 300 emails/day, up to 100,000 contacts stored, automation for 2,000 contacts, Brevo logo |
| Constant Contact | No | Free trial, no card; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| ActiveCampaign | No | 14-day trial |
| Kit | Yes | 10,000 subscribers, no automations or sequences |
| Flodesk | Yes | Forms and pages; no email sending |
If you have a large existing list and only send newsletters, Kit's free plan goes furthest. If you want automation on a small free list, MailerLite's 3 automations and Brevo's 2,000-contact automation are the useful options. Brevo also lets you keep a big list for free, but 300 emails a day means one campaign to 3,000 people takes ten days.
Head-to-Head: Cost at 500, 2,500 and 10,000 Contacts
All prices are per month, billed monthly. Annual billing is cheaper for most tools (see each review).
| Plan | 500 contacts | 2,500 contacts | 10,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite Comfort | $12 | $33 | $89 |
| MailerLite Power | $25 | $49 | $129 |
| Mailchimp Essentials | $13 | $45 | $110 |
| Mailchimp Standard | $20 | $60 | $135 |
| Brevo Starter | $9 (5,000 emails) | $25 (15,000 emails) | $32 (20,000 emails) |
| Brevo Standard | $18 (5,000 emails) | $49 (15,000 emails) | $69 (20,000 emails) |
| Constant Contact Lite | From $12 (tier not confirmed) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| ActiveCampaign Starter | $19 (1,000 minimum) | $49 | $189 |
| Kit Creator | $39 (1,000 minimum) | $59 (up to 3,000) | $139 |
| Flodesk Lite | $25 (1,000 minimum) | $32 | $72 |
| Flodesk Pro | $28 (1,000 minimum) | $39 | $79 |
A few things the table hides:
- Brevo charges by emails, not contacts. At 10,000 contacts the $32 Starter tier gives you 20,000 emails a month, which is two sends to the full list. Starter automation also only covers 2,000 contacts, so automating all 10,000 needs Standard.
- Send caps differ. MailerLite Comfort and Mailchimp Essentials allow about 10 emails per contact per month. Flodesk has unlimited sends on paid plans; MailerLite Power has unlimited sends under fair use.
- Minimum tiers. ActiveCampaign, Kit and Flodesk start at 1,000 contacts, so a 500-contact list pays the 1,000 price.
For a typical small business at 500 to 2,500 contacts that wants automation, MailerLite Comfort is the cheapest option with a full automation builder. At 10,000 contacts, Brevo is cheapest if you send rarely, and Flodesk Pro is cheaper than MailerLite Comfort if you mostly care about design and unlimited sends.
Head-to-Head: Ease of Use and Templates
All seven tools have a drag-and-drop editor, so the differences are in the extras.
- MailerLite gives every plan three editors (drag-and-drop, Simple and HTML), plus a website and landing page builder with an AI landing page tool.
- Mailchimp limits templates on Free and adds generative AI and dynamic content on Standard.
- Constant Contact pairs its editor with an AI copy generator, BrandKit and live phone help on every plan, which matters most for owners who would rather call than read help articles.
- Flodesk makes design its main selling point, with designer templates and custom fonts.
- Brevo includes the drag-and-drop editor and templates on Free, plus its Aura AI assistant.
- ActiveCampaign offers AI content and image tools and an AI brand kit, but its depth comes with more settings to learn.
- Kit keeps the focus on newsletters and landing pages, with unlimited pages and forms on every plan.
On support, Mailchimp Free gets email help for 30 days, MailerLite Comfort gets 24/7 email (Power adds live chat), and Kit Free is email only.
Head-to-Head: Automation on Entry Plans
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Automation on that plan |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Comfort | 50 automations, up to 100 steps each |
| Mailchimp | Essentials | Flows limited to 4 steps (Standard: up to 200 flows with branching) |
| Brevo | Starter | Workflows for up to 2,000 contacts (Standard: unlimited) |
| Constant Contact | Lite | 1 automation template (Standard: 3; Premium: unlimited and custom) |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter | 5 actions per automation (Plus: unlimited) |
| Kit | Creator | Unlimited visual automations and sequences |
| Flodesk | Lite | 1 workflow (Pro: unlimited) |
A welcome series, an abandoned cart reminder and a birthday or re-engagement email are what most small businesses need first. On the cheapest paid plan, MailerLite Comfort and Kit Creator can handle all of those without an upgrade. Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign and Flodesk all push you up a plan before multi-step journeys become practical.
How to Choose: Decision Framework
Answer these questions in order:
- Do you need SMS in the same tool? Choose Brevo (credits from $0.0109 in the US) or Mailchimp (add-on from $20/month for 1,000 credits). Constant Contact also offers SMS, but only to US customers.
- Do you want to call someone for help? Constant Contact has live phone and chat on every plan.
- Are you a creator selling digital products or a paid newsletter? Kit, especially if your list is under 10,000 and you can start on Free.
- Is email design your top priority? Flodesk.
- Do you need branching automation for a sales process? ActiveCampaign Plus or Mailchimp Standard.
- Does your store or booking app only connect to one tool? Check its integration list; Mailchimp's 300+ integrations make it the safest bet.
- None of the above? Start with MailerLite. Use the 14-day trial to build your welcome automation, then decide between Comfort and Power based on how often you send.
Before you commit, check how each tool counts deleted contacts. MailerLite, for example, counts deleted subscribers until your next billing date.
The Verdict: Final Recommendations
MailerLite is our pick for a typical small business. Comfort costs $12, $33 and $89 per month at 500, 2,500 and 10,000 subscribers (billed monthly), with 50 automations, landing pages and a website builder. The trade-offs are the smaller Free plan and no built-in SMS.
Choose Mailchimp if your store and apps depend on its integrations and you can pay for Standard to get branching automation.
Choose Brevo if your budget is tight, you send a predictable volume, or you want SMS and transactional email next to marketing email.
Choose Constant Contact if live phone help, events and social posting matter more than automation. Ask for a quote at your list size first.
Choose ActiveCampaign if automation drives your sales and you are ready to start on Plus.
Choose Kit if you are a creator with a growing list, especially one under 10,000 subscribers.
Choose Flodesk if design is your brand and you do not need SMS.
Conclusion
Prices moved a lot this year, so check the numbers for your own list size rather than relying on older reviews. For most owners, MailerLite gives the best mix of price, automation and ease of use. Brevo wins on budget and SMS, Mailchimp on integrations, and Constant Contact on support. Pick two, run their free plans or trials side by side with your real welcome email, and keep the one that gets it built faster.
Marcus Williams