Why Look for Constant Contact Alternatives?
Constant Contact is built for small businesses that want simple email, social posting, events and live help on the phone. Those strengths are real. But many owners start to look elsewhere once their needs grow. These are the most common reasons, based on Constant Contact's own plan details:
- No free plan. You get a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on new paid plans, but no way to stay on a free tier.
- Thin automation on lower plans. Lite includes 1 automation template and Standard includes 3. Unlimited and custom automations need Premium, which starts at $80/month billed monthly or $68/month prepaid annually.
- Limits on Lite. Lite has 1 user, 1 custom segment and no A/B testing.
- Hard-to-see prices. Constant Contact lists starting prices (Lite from $12/month monthly), but its per-contact price table sits behind a popup that we could not read. You need a quote to know what you pay at 2,500 or 10,000 contacts.
- US-only SMS. SMS is available only for US customers.
- Paid extras. Inbox preview is a $10/month add-on on every plan.
A note on our sources: Constant Contact's live pricing page blocked our requests in October 2026. Its prices and limits in this guide come from its own pricing page as captured on October 12, 2026. Where something was not confirmed there, we say so. Prices for every other tool come from that vendor's own pricing pages, checked in October 2026. All prices are in US dollars before tax.
Constant Contact review
What it is. Constant Contact is an email and digital marketing platform for small businesses and nonprofits, with social posting and ads, US SMS, event registration, payments and simple automation.
Pricing. Starting prices 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 your contacts each 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, subject line A/B testing and resend to non-openers.
- Premium: from $80/month monthly, or $68/month prepaid annually. Unlimited users, 24x sends, unlimited segments, unlimited and custom automations, ecommerce automation templates, revenue reporting and 500 US SMS per month.
Prices go up with your contact count. We could not confirm which list size the starting prices cover, or what each plan costs at 2,500 or 10,000 contacts, because that table was not readable. Ask for a quote.
Going over your send allowance does not stop sending; extra emails cost $0.002 each ($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 $10/month extra. Nonprofits get 20% off when prepaying 6 months and 30% off when prepaying 12, with no discount on monthly billing.
Key features. A drag-and-drop editor with an AI copy generator and BrandKit, social posting to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, a social ads manager, event registration, product sales, and 300+ integrations including Shopify, Canva and Eventbrite.
Pros. Live phone and chat on every plan. Events and payments are built in.
Cons. No free plan. Lite is thin on automation and segmentation and has no A/B testing. Custom automation needs Premium.
Who should stay. Local businesses and nonprofits that run events, post to social media and value phone support.
Who should switch. Owners who want automated journeys, a free plan or clear tier pricing.
Mailchimp review
What it is. Mailchimp (Intuit Mailchimp) is a widely used email and SMS platform for small businesses, with automation flows, landing pages and a large integration list.
Pricing. Free covers 250 contacts and 500 emails per month (250 per day). Monthly list prices:
- Essentials: $13 at 500 contacts, $45 at 2,500, $110 at 10,000. Sends are 10x contacts.
- Standard: $20 at 500, $60 at 2,500, $135 at 10,000. Sends are 12x contacts.
- Premium: from $350 at 10,000 contacts, with phone and priority support. Sends are 15x contacts.
Accounts with 10,000+ contacts get 15% off the first 12 months. Annual plans are only through Sales. Essentials and Standard have a 14-day trial with a card. Mailchimp shows some prices with a 12-month label, so check the renewal price at signup.
Key features. Standard gets the Customer Journey builder with branching and up to 200 flows; Essentials flows are limited to 4 steps. Paid plans include A/B testing and scheduling. SMS is an add-on from $20/month for 1,000 credits after approval, with MMS on Standard and Premium in the US and Canada. There are 300+ integrations.
Pros. You can start free. The integration list is the largest here.
Cons. Essentials automation is limited. Phone support only comes with Premium. Overage charges apply on paid plans.
Who should switch to it. Online stores and businesses with many connected apps, especially if they will use Standard.
Who should skip it. Owners who chose Constant Contact for phone help.
Brevo review
What it is. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, push, transactional messaging, a sales CRM and live chat.
Pricing. Brevo charges by monthly email volume. Free allows 300 emails a day, stores up to 100,000 contacts and runs automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Starter (monthly) is $9 for 5,000 emails, $25 for 15,000 and $32 for 20,000. Standard is $18, $49 and $69 for the same volumes. Yearly billing is 10% off. Professional starts at $499/month for 150,000 emails and adds phone support.
On Starter and Standard the tier caps stored contacts: 500 at 5,000 emails, 1,500 at 10,000 and 2,500 at 15,000. From 20,000 emails you can store up to 500,000 contacts. Going over a contact cap on the first three tiers moves you up a tier automatically.
Key features. Automation workflows that mix email and SMS (unlimited from Standard), transactional email and SMS through API or SMTP on all plans, abandoned cart recovery on all plans and a built-in CRM. SMS credits are sold 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, a generous free plan and SMS beyond the US.
Cons. Volume pricing is harder to compare. Removing the Brevo logo on Starter is a paid add-on, and Brevo's pages list two prices for it, so check at signup.
Who should switch to it. Businesses that want SMS outside the US, or order confirmation emails in the same tool.
Who should skip it. Heavy senders with large lists, since the bill follows email volume.
MailerLite review
What it is. MailerLite is an email marketing tool with built-in websites, landing pages and selling of digital products, bookings and paid newsletters.
Pricing. Free covers 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails per month with 3 automations. Comfort costs $12/month billed monthly or $10.80/month annually at 500 subscribers, $33 ($29.70) at 2,500 and $89 ($80.10) at 10,000. Comfort sends up to 10x the top of your tier. Power costs $25 ($22.50) at 500, $49 ($44.10) at 2,500 and $129 ($116.10) at 10,000, with unlimited emails (fair use). There is a 14-day trial with no card. MailerLite renamed and repriced its plans on June 16, 2026, so older prices you may find online are out of date.
Key features. Three editors on every plan, a visual automation builder with ecommerce triggers, 50 automations of up to 100 steps on Comfort, multivariate testing, dynamic content, websites and landing pages, and 100+ integrations including Shopify, Stripe and WooCommerce.
Pros. For the same starting price as Constant Contact Lite, Comfort gives you far more automation plus A/B testing.
Cons. No phone support (Power adds 24/7 live chat). SMS and transactional email run through MailerSend, a separate product.
Who should switch to it. Constant Contact Lite or Standard users who want real automation without paying for Premium.
Who should skip it. Anyone who depends on phone support or SMS.
AWeber review
What it is. AWeber is a long-running email service for small businesses and creators, with automations, landing pages, web push and simple ecommerce. It also sells a done-for-you setup.
Pricing. Monthly price and annual total:
- Lite: $15 / $150 at 500 subscribers, $35 / $350 at 2,500, $100 / $1,000 at 10,000. Sends 10x subscribers.
- Plus: $30 / $240 at 500, $55 / $550 at 2,500, $135 / $1,350 at 10,000. Sends 12x subscribers.
- Done For You: $20/month billed annually plus a $79 setup fee, shown as a limited-time price (normally $599).
The pricing page shows Lite at $12.49/month and Plus at $19.99/month when billed annually at 500 subscribers. Lite and Plus have a 14-day trial. AWeber also offers a free account, but its pages do not state the free plan's limits.
Key features. Automations (behavioral automation on Plus), an AI landing page builder and signup form builder, email split testing, web push notifications, link-in-bio, and selling through email and landing pages.
Pros. Lite is cheap at 2,500 subscribers. Plus removes limits on lists, segments, landing pages and automations.
Cons. Lite allows only 1 list, 1 segment and 3 automations. Sales carry a 1.0% fee on Lite and 0.6% on Plus. No SMS on the pricing page.
Who should switch to it. Owners who want a simple tool at a low price and might pay for a done-for-you welcome sequence.
Who should skip it. Anyone who needs SMS.
GetResponse review
What it is. GetResponse is an email and automation platform with landing pages, webinars, a website builder, courses and ecommerce tools.
Pricing. Free covers up to 500 contacts and 2,500 messages per month, with a GetResponse badge and no A/B tests. Paid prices, monthly / annual per month:
- Starter: $19 / $15.58 at 1,000 contacts, $29 / $23.78 at 2,500, $79 / $64.78 at 10,000.
- Marketer: $59 / $48.38 at 1,000, $69 / $56.58 at 2,500, $114 / $93.48 at 10,000.
- Creator: $69 / $56.58 at 1,000, $79 / $64.78 at 2,500, $134 / $109.88 at 10,000.
Every paid plan has unlimited sends. New Free accounts get 14 days of premium features with no card. SMS and transactional email are only on Enterprise, which has custom pricing.
Key features. Visual workflows (1 on Starter, unlimited from Marketer), landing pages and a website builder, abandoned cart and contact scoring on Marketer, webinars for 100 attendees and a course creator on Creator, and 170+ integrations.
Pros. No send caps on any paid plan. Marketer is strong value for automation at 2,500 contacts.
Cons. Starter has only 1 workflow and no A/B testing. No SMS below Enterprise.
Who should switch to it. Businesses that email often, or want webinars and courses in one tool.
Who should skip it. Those who need SMS on a small budget.
Campaign Monitor review
What it is. Campaign Monitor, part of Marigold, is an email platform known for its templates and agency features such as sub-accounts, private labeling and client billing.
Pricing. Monthly prices; annual billing is 10% off (not on agency or multi-team plans):
- Lite: $13 at 500 contacts, $47 at 2,500, $117 at 10,000. Sends 5x contacts per month.
- Essentials: $31 at 500, $74 at 2,500, $182 at 10,000. Unlimited sends.
- Premier: $171 at 500, $182 at 2,500, $300 at 10,000. Unlimited sends, phone support.
There is no free plan, only a 30-day trial with 500 contacts and 500 emails. The website builder is a $10/month add-on on Lite and Essentials. SMS is only available to contracted customers, with no public pricing.
Key features. A builder with 100+ responsive templates and branded templates from your URL, automated journeys, Drip Campaigns, Marketing Studio for on-brand content, and transactional emails on paid plans within tier limits.
Pros. Unlimited users on every plan and transactional email included.
Cons. Lite's 5x send cap is the tightest here. Phone support starts at $171/month.
Who should switch to it. Agencies and brand-led marketers who manage several clients.
Who should skip it. Local businesses that send often on a small budget.
Head-to-Head: Price at 500, 2,500 and 10,000 Contacts
All prices are per month, billed monthly. Each row shows the cheapest paid plan, with the step-up plan for fuller automation in brackets.
| Tool | 500 contacts | 2,500 contacts | 10,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constant Contact Lite | From $12 (tier not confirmed) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Mailchimp Essentials (Standard) | $13 ($20) | $45 ($60) | $110 ($135) |
| Brevo Starter (Standard) | $9 ($18), 5,000 emails | $25 ($49), 15,000 emails | $32 ($69), 20,000 emails |
| MailerLite Comfort | $12 | $33 | $89 |
| AWeber Lite (Plus) | $15 ($30) | $35 ($55) | $100 ($135) |
| GetResponse Starter (Marketer) | $19 ($59), 1,000 minimum | $29 ($69) | $79 ($114) |
| Campaign Monitor Lite (Essentials) | $13 ($31) | $47 ($74) | $117 ($182) |
Because Constant Contact's tier table was not readable, the fairest test is simple: get a Constant Contact quote for your list size and compare it with this table. If you need custom automation, compare against Constant Contact Premium, which starts at $80/month (monthly).
Head-to-Head: Send Limits and Overage
| Tool | Monthly send limit | What happens when you go over |
|---|---|---|
| Constant Contact | 10x (Lite), 12x (Standard), 24x (Premium) contacts | Sending continues at $0.002 per email |
| Mailchimp | 10x (Essentials), 12x (Standard), 15x (Premium) contacts | Overage charges on paid plans |
| Brevo | Set by the email tier you buy | Monthly credits expire at renewal; prepaid credits never expire |
| MailerLite | 10x tier ceiling (Comfort); unlimited fair use (Power) | Upgrade to Power or wait for reset |
| AWeber | 10x (Lite), 12x (Plus) subscribers | Not stated on the pricing page |
| GetResponse | Unlimited on paid plans | Not applicable |
| Campaign Monitor | 5x (Lite); unlimited (Essentials, Premier) | Upgrade or pay for extra emails |
Constant Contact Premium's 24x allowance is generous, and its overage model means a busy month never stops a campaign. If you send several times a week, GetResponse, MailerLite Power and Campaign Monitor Essentials remove the cap.
Head-to-Head: Automation on Entry Plans
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Automation on that plan |
|---|---|---|
| Constant Contact | Lite | 1 automation template (Standard: 3; Premium: unlimited and custom) |
| 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) |
| MailerLite | Comfort | 50 automations, up to 100 steps each |
| AWeber | Lite | 3 automations, no behavioral automation (Plus: unlimited, behavioral) |
| GetResponse | Starter | 1 custom workflow plus a welcome series (Marketer: unlimited) |
| Campaign Monitor | Lite | Automated emails and pre-built journeys, limited to send volume |
This is where most Constant Contact users gain the most. On a Lite budget, MailerLite Comfort gives you a full automation builder. If you were thinking about Premium only for custom automations, Mailchimp Standard, Brevo Standard, AWeber Plus and GetResponse Marketer all offer unlimited workflows for less at small list sizes.
Head-to-Head: SMS, Support and Extras
SMS. Constant Contact offers SMS only for US customers (from $10/month for up to 500 messages on Lite and Standard; 500 a month included on Premium). Brevo sells SMS credits by country, from $0.0109 in the US. Mailchimp sells monthly credit blocks from $20 for 1,000 credits, with MMS in the US and Canada on Standard and Premium. GetResponse keeps SMS for Enterprise, and Campaign Monitor only offers it through a sales contract. MailerLite and AWeber do not include SMS in their plans.
Support. Constant Contact's live phone and chat on every plan is its biggest advantage. Mailchimp adds phone support on Premium, Brevo on Professional ($499/month) and Campaign Monitor on Premier ($171/month at 500 contacts). MailerLite Power adds 24/7 live chat. AWeber lists 24/7 support on Lite and priority 24/7 support on Plus.
Extras. Constant Contact has events and social ads. GetResponse has webinars and courses on Creator. MailerLite and GetResponse include website builders. Campaign Monitor has agency tools. Brevo and Campaign Monitor include transactional email.
How to Choose: Decision Framework
- Is phone support a must? Stay with Constant Contact, or budget for Mailchimp Premium, Brevo Professional or Campaign Monitor Premier.
- Do you need SMS outside the US? Choose Brevo.
- Do you mainly want better automation for the same money? Choose MailerLite Comfort.
- Do you rely on many apps or a Shopify or WooCommerce store? Choose Mailchimp and plan for Standard.
- Do you send several times a week? Choose GetResponse or MailerLite Power for unlimited sends.
- Do you want someone to set it up for you? Look at AWeber Done For You.
- Are you an agency? Choose Campaign Monitor.
If you are leaving because of Constant Contact as a company, note that Moosend's site now describes Moosend as a Constant Contact company.
When you move, export your contacts with their tags and opt-in status, rebuild your welcome automation first, and send to your most engaged contacts for the first few campaigns before mailing your whole list.
The Verdict: Final Recommendations
MailerLite is the best Constant Contact alternative for most small businesses. Comfort starts at the same $12/month (monthly) as Constant Contact Lite at 500 subscribers and includes 50 automations, A/B testing and landing pages. At 2,500 subscribers it costs $33 and at 10,000 it costs $89, billed monthly.
Choose Brevo for the lowest bill and SMS beyond the US.
Choose Mailchimp for a free start and the most integrations.
Choose GetResponse for unlimited sends and webinars.
Choose AWeber for a simple tool with a done-for-you setup.
Choose Campaign Monitor for agency work and polished templates.
Stay with Constant Contact if live phone support on every plan, events and social posting are why you chose it.
Conclusion
Constant Contact remains a good fit for owners who want to pick up the phone and get help. But its lower plans are thin on automation, it has no free plan, and its tier prices take a quote to find. If those points bother you, MailerLite gives you more automation for the same starting price, and Brevo, Mailchimp and GetResponse cover SMS, integrations and frequent sending. Get a Constant Contact quote for your list size, compare it with the tables above, and trial your top two choices before you switch.
Marcus Williams