How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest credible entries are Brevo ($9/month Starter) and MailerLite ($12/month Comfort), both with free plans.
- Klaviyo ($20/month) owns ecommerce automation; ActiveCampaign ($15/month Starter) owns B2B multi-step workflows.
- Kit's free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers: the most generous free tier for creators.
- HubSpot Starter ($20/seat/month) looks cheap until you need real automation: Professional starts around $890/month.
Every email tool promises automation. Most buyers end up using three workflows: a welcome series, an abandoned cart, and a win-back. The difference between the tools is not the feature list; it is what those three workflows cost at your list size, and what happens to the price when you grow from 1,000 contacts to 10,000. These nine cover the real market, from $9/month starters to the platforms that charge by the contact.
#1
ActiveCampaign
Best for: Small teams running serious multi-step drip campaigns and sales follow-up
Visit activecampaign.com
Starting price$15/month billed annually (Starter, 1,000 contacts)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
ActiveCampaign is the automation builder's pick. Conditional branching, goals and site tracking are usable without a developer, and the built-in CRM with lead scoring keeps B2B follow-up in one system. Starter is $15 per month billed annually ($19 monthly) for 1,000 contacts; Plus is $49 ($59 monthly); Pro is $79 ($99 monthly). Email sends are capped at 10x contacts on Starter and Plus, 12x on Pro.
The honest catch is the tier math. The $15 entry buys basic email marketing; real automation work starts at Plus, and Starter-to-Plus roughly triples the base price. At 5,000 contacts, Starter runs about $79 per month annual and Plus about $145; at 10,000, about $149 and $189. For teams running serious lifecycle campaigns, the builder justifies Plus. For newsletters, it is overkill.
What we like- Among the most capable visual automation builders in this price range
- Built-in CRM, lead scoring and 1,000-plus integrations
- AI features (predictive sending, AI content) from Plus upward
Watch out for- Starter limits automations to 5 actions per workflow, so real automation starts at Plus
- Steep price jumps between tiers and contact bands
#2
Klaviyo
Best for: Ecommerce and DTC brands, especially Shopify stores
Visit klaviyo.com
Starting price$20/month (Email plan, 251-500 active profiles)
Free planYes (free plan up to 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month)
Klaviyo is the ecommerce default for a reason: purchase and browse events sync in real time, so flows target behavior, not list membership. Prebuilt flows cover the whole lifecycle, and predictive analytics come standard. The Email plan starts at $20 per month for 251-500 active profiles; Email plus SMS starts at $35. At 5,000 active profiles the Email plan is about $100 per month; at 10,000 about $150.
The catch is cost predictability. Email, SMS and add-ons bill separately, and list hygiene is mandatory since you pay per active profile. Unsubscribed and suppressed contacts do not count, which helps. For B2B newsletters it is the wrong tool; for stores, the revenue attribution per flow usually pays for the subscription several times over.
What we like- Native ecommerce data sync powering prebuilt abandoned cart, welcome and post-purchase flows with revenue attribution
- Predictive analytics (churn risk, predicted lifetime value) included
- You only pay for active profiles
Watch out for- The 2025 switch to active-profile billing raised costs for large, lightly-mailed lists
- SMS, WhatsApp and reviews bill separately
#3
Mailchimp
Best for: Small businesses wanting one familiar tool for newsletters and basic journeys
Visit mailchimp.com
Starting price$13/month (Essentials, up to 500 contacts, 5,000 sends)
Free planYes (up to 250 contacts, 500 sends/month)
Mailchimp is the tool everyone has heard of, and the onboarding shows it: templates, landing pages and integrations are polished for generalist marketers. Essentials is $13 per month for 500 contacts; Standard from $20 adds multi-step Customer Journey automations with predictive segmentation; Premium starts at $350 per month.
The contact-counting model is the tax. Unsubscribed, non-subscribed and duplicate contacts all push you into higher brackets; only archived or deleted contacts are excluded. List hygiene is a cost-control task, not a nice-to-have. One 2026 comparison puts Standard around $100 per month at 10,000 contacts. For straightforward newsletters and basic journeys, the familiarity is worth it. For advanced automation, ActiveCampaign gives more per dollar.
What we like- Easiest onboarding of the big names with a huge template library and 300-plus integrations
- Standard adds the Customer Journey builder with send-time optimization
- Strong ecommerce features on paid plans
Watch out for- Bills for unsubscribed contacts too, inflating real bills
- Multi-step automation requires Standard ($20/month minimum)
#4
HubSpot Marketing Hub
Best for: B2B teams wanting CRM-centered marketing with a sales handoff
Visit hubspot.com
Starting price$20/seat/month (Marketing Hub Starter, 1,000 marketing contacts)
Free planYes (free CRM tools with limited marketing features)
HubSpot is the CRM that does email, not the other way around. Marketing-to-sales handoff lives in one record: workflows update lifecycle stages, scores and deal associations directly. Starter at $20 per seat per month includes 1,000 marketing contacts, and non-marketing contacts store free up to a large limit.
The pricing cliff is real. Starter's automation is deliberately limited, and Professional starts around $890 per month for 3 seats and 2,000 contacts, roughly 45 times Starter. You cannot downgrade contact tiers mid-contract. For B2B teams already committed to the HubSpot CRM, the integration is the argument. As a standalone email tool for newsletters, it is the wrong buy.
What we like- Workflows read and write actual CRM data (lifecycle stage, lead score, deals)
- You only pay for marketing contacts, the rest store free
- Genuinely generous free tier to start
Watch out for- Starter automation is capped at 10 automated email actions
- The jump to Professional (about $890/month plus a $3,000 onboarding fee) is enormous
#5
GetResponse
Best for: Solopreneurs, coaches and course creators wanting email plus webinars and funnels
Visit getresponse.com
Starting price$19/month (Starter, 1,000 subscribers, unlimited sends)
Free planYes (free plan up to 500 contacts)
GetResponse bundles the creator stack: email, webinars (up to 100 attendees on Marketer), funnels, landing pages and automation in one subscription. Starter at $19 per month covers 1,000 subscribers with unlimited sends and autoresponders; Marketer from $59 adds branching automation journeys; Creator from $69 targets course sellers.
The plan ladder is the evaluation. Autoresponders start on Starter, but real automation needs Marketer, and at 5,000 contacts the numbers climb (Starter about $46 per month, Marketer about $95, per October 2026 figures). Deliverability includes domain authentication; dedicated IP is an add-on from Marketer. For webinar-led businesses, replacing three subscriptions with one is the pitch. For pure email automation, the specialists give more.
What we like- Built-in webinar hosting, conversion funnels, landing pages and paid ads creator in one bill
- Unlimited email sends on paid plans
- 24/7 live chat and email support on entry plans
Watch out for- Real automation is gated behind the $59/month Marketer plan
- Interface is denser than Mailchimp or MailerLite
#6
Kit
Best for: Bloggers, YouTubers, course sellers and newsletter publishers
Visit kit.com
Starting price$39/month (Creator, up to 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly)
Free planYes (free Newsletter plan up to 10,000 subscribers)
Kit, formerly ConvertKit, is the creator platform. The free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms, the most generous free tier here, though automation is limited to one basic visual automation. Creator is $39 per month monthly ($33 annual) for 1,000 subscribers; Creator Pro is $79 ($66 annual).
The cost curve is the catch. Crossing 10,000 subscribers jumps to about $139 per month on Creator, and advanced reporting plus engagement scoring need Pro. Tag-driven automations are clean and simple, and monetization tools (paid newsletters, digital products, referrals on Pro) suit creators. For newsletters and audiences, the free tier is unbeatable; for ecommerce, Klaviyo or Drip fit better.
What we like- Tag-based subscriber management with a visual automation builder for sequences and funnels
- Kit Commerce sells digital products and paid newsletters from the account
- Creator Network and free migration help newsletters grow
Watch out for- Late-2025 price rises made the $39 entry the most expensive starter on this list
- Weak fit for stores needing purchase-data automation
#7
MailerLite
Best for: SMBs and creators wanting the lowest credible price for newsletters and moderate automation
Visit mailerlite.com
Starting price$12/month (Comfort, up to 500 subscribers, 5,000 emails/month)
Free planYes (up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month)
MailerLite is the price leader for straightforward email marketing. Comfort at $12 per month covers 500 subscribers with 5,000 emails, premium features like the AI writing assistant and smart sending; Power from $25 adds unlimited sends under fair use. You only pay for active subscribers you actually email, and Comfort runs about $49 per month at 5,000 subscribers, $89 at 10,000.
The free plan's 2026 cuts (1,000 to 250 subscribers) make it a trial in practice, and Comfort's send cap (10x your tier) plus feature limits push heavy senders to Power. Account approval complaints are documented, so keep your signup clean. Deliverability reputation is strong for the price class. For regular newsletters with moderate automation, nothing credible costs less.
What we like- Transparent per-subscriber pricing that skips unsubscribed, inactive and duplicate contacts
- Interface non-technical users learn fast, with automation even on free
- A/B testing on every plan
Watch out for- Free plan was cut sharply in June 2026, so it is effectively a trial
- No phone support and no transactional email or SMS
#8
Brevo
Best for: SMBs with large lists but moderate send volumes; multi-channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp) in one vendor
Visit brevo.com
Starting price$9/month (Starter, 5,000 emails/month)
Free planYes (300 emails/day, up to 100,000 contacts)
Brevo's volume-based model flips the usual math: paid plans store unlimited contacts and you pay for sends. A 50,000-contact list emailed once a month costs Standard at about $56 per month, where contact-priced tools would charge far more. Starter is $9 per month ($8.08 annual equivalent) for 5,000 emails; Standard from $18 adds automation; Professional from $499 covers 150,000 emails.
The gating is the catch: no automation and branded emails on Starter, so budget Standard as the real entry. A 5,000-contact weekly newsletter (20,000 sends) needs Standard at about $65-$69 per month. The automation builder covers workflows and A/B testing but is simpler than ActiveCampaign's. For big lists mailed lightly, the volume model wins by a mile.
What we like- Prices on email volume, not contacts, so large selectively-mailed lists stay cheap
- Transactional email, SMS, WhatsApp and CRM from the same account
- One of the lowest entry prices for multi-channel automation
Watch out for- Marketing automation is not on Starter
- You need Standard from $18/month
- Starter emails carry Brevo branding without a $12/month add-on
#9
Drip
Best for: Established DTC ecommerce brands on Shopify or WooCommerce
Visit drip.com
Starting price$39/month (up to 2,500 active contacts, unlimited sends)
Free planNo (14-day free trial, no credit card)
Drip is Klaviyo-style lifecycle automation with a simpler builder and flatter pricing. Every tier includes dynamic segments, on-site campaigns and revenue attribution; the workflow editor consistently rates easier than Klaviyo's. Pricing is $39 per month for 2,500 active contacts, about $89 at 5,000, $154 at 10,000, with unlimited sends throughout.
The floor price is the barrier: $39 before you have proven email revenue, with no free tier to grow into. SMS availability has been inconsistent, so confirm before buying for SMS. There is no landing page builder, so lead capture needs a third-party tool. For established stores doing $100K-plus that want behavior-based flows without Klaviyo's complexity, the per-contact math and the builder both argue for Drip.
What we like- Unlimited email sends at every tier with 50-plus prebuilt ecommerce playbooks
- Deep native Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Magento integrations with revenue attribution
- One plan with all features, no upsell gates
Watch out for- $39/month is a real commitment for a brand-new store
- No free tier to grow into
Frequently asked questions
How much does email automation software cost?
From $9 to about $150 per month for a 5,000-contact list. Brevo Starter is $9/month, MailerLite Comfort about $49, GetResponse Starter about $46, ActiveCampaign Starter about $79, Drip $89, Klaviyo about $100. Kit's free plan covers 10,000 subscribers at $0. HubSpot Professional starts around $890/month: a different universe.
What is the cheapest email automation tool?
Brevo ($9/month Starter, though automation needs $18 Standard) and MailerLite ($12/month Comfort) are the cheapest paid entries. Kit is free to 10,000 subscribers. The honest answer depends on your list: Brevo's volume pricing wins for large lightly-mailed lists, MailerLite's per-subscriber pricing wins for small engaged lists.
Which is better for ecommerce: Klaviyo or Drip?
Klaviyo for the deepest ecommerce data model: real-time purchase and browse sync, predictive analytics, and the biggest integration ecosystem, starting at $20/month. Drip for the simpler builder and flatter pricing: $39/month for 2,500 contacts with unlimited sends and no feature gates. Both do abandoned cart and post-purchase well; Klaviyo scales further, Drip is easier to run.
Do I need marketing automation or just email marketing?
Email marketing sends newsletters and broadcasts. Marketing automation runs behavior-triggered workflows: welcome series, abandoned carts, win-backs, lead scoring. If you send the same email to everyone, you need email marketing ($9-$20/month). If emails should react to what contacts do, you need automation, and the real tiers start at $39-$59/month (Drip, GetResponse Marketer, ActiveCampaign Plus).
How many contacts can I have on the free plans?
Kit: 10,000 subscribers. Brevo: 100,000 contacts (300 emails/day). Mailchimp: 250 contacts. MailerLite: 250 subscribers. Klaviyo: 250 profiles. GetResponse: 500 contacts. HubSpot: limited free marketing features. Free plans are for starting out; expect to pay once email becomes a real channel.
Will switching email tools hurt deliverability?
Temporarily, sometimes. Warm up the new sending domain gradually, authenticate it (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and migrate engaged subscribers first. Most tools on this list include guided domain authentication; dedicated IPs are available on higher tiers (ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, Brevo Professional). Do not blast a cold list from a new tool on day one.
Every vendor counts "contacts" differently, and the definition is where bills inflate. Mailchimp bills unsubscribed contacts. Klaviyo bills only active profiles. MailerLite skips unsubscribed, inactive and duplicates. Brevo does not count contacts at all on paid plans. HubSpot bills marketing contacts only.
Before comparing prices, clean your list and learn each vendor's definition. A 10,000-contact Mailchimp list with 3,000 unsubscribes bills like 10,000; on Klaviyo it bills like 7,000; on Brevo it bills like your send volume. The cheapest sticker price with the most aggressive counting is often the most expensive bill. Ask for the definition in writing before you migrate.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
| ActiveCampaign | Small teams running serious multi-step drip campaigns and sales follow-up | $15/month billed annually (Starter, 1,000 contacts) | No (14-day free trial) |
| Klaviyo | Ecommerce and DTC brands, especially Shopify stores | $20/month (Email plan, 251-500 active profiles) | Yes (free plan up to 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month) |
| Mailchimp | Small businesses wanting one familiar tool for newsletters and basic journeys | $13/month (Essentials, up to 500 contacts, 5,000 sends) | Yes (up to 250 contacts, 500 sends/month) |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | B2B teams wanting CRM-centered marketing with a sales handoff | $20/seat/month (Marketing Hub Starter, 1,000 marketing contacts) | Yes (free CRM tools with limited marketing features) |
| GetResponse | Solopreneurs, coaches and course creators wanting email plus webinars and funnels | $19/month (Starter, 1,000 subscribers, unlimited sends) | Yes (free plan up to 500 contacts) |
| Kit | Bloggers, YouTubers, course sellers and newsletter publishers | $39/month (Creator, up to 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly) | Yes (free Newsletter plan up to 10,000 subscribers) |
| MailerLite | SMBs and creators wanting the lowest credible price for newsletters and moderate automation | $12/month (Comfort, up to 500 subscribers, 5,000 emails/month) | Yes (up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month) |
| Brevo | SMBs with large lists but moderate send volumes; multi-channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp) in one vendor | $9/month (Starter, 5,000 emails/month) | Yes (300 emails/day, up to 100,000 contacts) |
| Drip | Established DTC ecommerce brands on Shopify or WooCommerce | $39/month (up to 2,500 active contacts, unlimited sends) | No (14-day free trial, no credit card) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: email automation tools and email marketing automation software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plan names and prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared feature lists, automation builder quality, contact-counting models, deliverability features and list-size fit. Prices were cross-checked across multiple independent reviews dated August to October 2026 plus vendor-owned pages; where figures were unverified we left them out rather than guessing.
Sources we checked (11)
- https://www.activecampaign.com/pricing/
- https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing/
- https://mailchimp.com/pricing/
- https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/marketing/
- https://www.getresponse.com/pricing/
- https://kit.com/pricing/
- https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing/
- https://brevo.com/pricing/
- https://drip.com/pricing/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/email-marketing
- https://www.capterra.com/email-marketing-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.