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
- Drip pricing scales with list size on every platform: Drip ($39/mo for 2,500), Klaviyo ($20/mo for 500) and Omnisend ($16/mo for 500) all climb as you grow.
- Ecommerce stores should shortlist Klaviyo, Drip and Omnisend: their abandoned-cart, post-purchase and win-back flows are built for selling, not newsletters.
- B2B and SaaS teams needing behavioral triggers should compare ActiveCampaign ($15/mo) and Encharge (from $79/mo) against the ecommerce-first tools.
- Budget senders have real options: Brevo ($9/mo), MailerLite ($12/mo) and Sender (from $7/mo) all run solid drip sequences with free tiers.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Drip | Ecommerce brands that live on automation | $39/month (up to 2,500 contacts, unlimited sends) | No (14-day free trial) |
 Klaviyo | Ecommerce brands that want data science in their flows | Free (from $20/month for 251-500 active profiles) | Yes |
 ActiveCampaign | B2B teams running complex nurture sequences | From $15/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts) | No (14-day free trial) |
 Omnisend | Ecommerce stores wanting email plus SMS | Free (from $16/month for 500 contacts) | Yes |
 Encharge | SaaS and B2B teams needing behavioral automation | From $79/month | No (free trial available) |
 GetResponse | Drip campaigns paired with webinars and funnels | From $19/month (1,000 contacts) | Yes |
 MailerLite | Simple automated sequences on a small budget | Free (from $12/month for 500 subscribers) | Yes |
 Brevo | Drip automation on send-based pricing | Free (from $9/month for 5,000 emails) | Yes |
 Sender | The cheapest way to run real automation | Free (from $7/month for 1,000 subscribers) | Yes |
Is your product missing or out of date?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.
The best email drip software
A welcome series that converts 10 percent of new subscribers beats a monthly newsletter that converts nobody. Drip campaigns, automated sequences triggered by behavior, are the highest-ROI emails most businesses never send. The tools below are ranked by how well they build those sequences, not by how pretty their templates are.
#1
Drip
Best for: Ecommerce brands that live on automation
Visit drip.com
Starting price$39/month (up to 2,500 contacts, unlimited sends)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
Drip is an ecommerce CRM disguised as email software. The visual campaign builder designs sequences around what subscribers do: browse, abandon, buy, repeat. Every plan includes unlimited sends, automation, segmentation and reporting, so the $39 entry for up to 2,500 contacts buys the whole product, not a teaser.
The pricing is straightforward but not cheap: $89 at 5,000 contacts, $154 at 10,000, custom beyond. There is no free tier. For online retailers whose revenue comes from flows, abandoned cart, welcome, win-back, post-purchase, Drip's behavior-first design earns its price. Newsletter-first businesses will find it more tool than they need.
What we like- Every feature enabled on every plan with unlimited email sends
- Prebuilt workflows for welcome, cart recovery and post-purchase
- Visual builder designed around subscriber behavior
Watch out for- No free plan, only a 14-day trial
- Pricing jumps to $89 at 5,000 contacts
- Ecommerce-focused, so B2B teams fit awkwardly
#2
Klaviyo
Best for: Ecommerce brands that want data science in their flows
Visit klaviyo.com
Starting priceFree (from $20/month for 251-500 active profiles)
Free planYes
Klaviyo turned ecommerce email into a data product. Beyond standard flows, its data science predicts customer lifetime value, churn risk and optimal send times, then builds segments automatically. The Shopify integration is the deepest in the industry. Pricing starts free for 250 profiles, then $20 a month for 251 to 500.
The honest complaint is cost at scale: Klaviyo is among the priciest options once your list grows, and small stores sometimes pay for sophistication they do not use yet. But for ecommerce brands where email drives a large share of revenue, the predictive features pay for themselves. Start free, upgrade when the flows prove their worth.
What we like- Predictive analytics flag VIPs and likely churners automatically
- Deepest Shopify and WooCommerce integrations
- Full automation available even on lower tiers
Watch out for- Costs scale aggressively with list size
- Smaller stores often feel the price before the value
- Learning curve for the advanced features
Starting priceFrom $15/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
ActiveCampaign is the B2B answer to Drip. Where ecommerce tools trigger on purchases, ActiveCampaign triggers on page visits, form fills, webinar attendance and deal stage changes, then routes contacts through branching sequences with goals and split testing. The built-in CRM means a drip campaign can create deals and notify salespeople. Starter begins at $15 a month for 1,000 contacts.
There is no free tier, and the builder's power demands study. Businesses that just need a welcome series should buy simpler. But for B2B teams where the drip campaign nurtures leads over months and hands them to sales, nothing at this price matches the depth.
What we like- Deepest automation builder in the SMB tier with conditional logic and goal tracking
- Built-in CRM connects drip campaigns to the sales pipeline
- Site tracking triggers behavior-based sequences
Watch out for- No free plan
- The depth brings a real learning curve
- Overkill for simple welcome sequences
Starting priceFree (from $16/month for 500 contacts)
Free planYes
Omnisend's pitch is the channel mix: welcome series that start with email, follow up by SMS and finish with push, all in one workflow. For ecommerce stores, that multichannel reach lifts recovery rates beyond email-only flows. The free plan covers 250 contacts and 500 emails, Standard starts at $16 a month for 500 contacts.
SMS is the cost to watch: it bills per message on top of the subscription, and international rates vary. Reporting draws some reviewer complaints next to Klaviyo's analytics. For stores that want Klaviyo-style flows with SMS included and a lower entry price, Omnisend is the pragmatic pick.
What we like- Email, SMS and push notifications in the same automation workflows
- Prebuilt ecommerce flows for carts, browse abandonment and post-purchase
- Free plan covers early-stage stores
Watch out for- SMS costs add up on top of the subscription
- Reporting is less detailed than Klaviyo
- Ecommerce-only focus
#5
Encharge
Best for: SaaS and B2B teams needing behavioral automation
Visit encharge.io
Starting priceFrom $79/month
Free planNo (free trial available)
Encharge targets the gap between Mailchimp simplicity and enterprise marketing automation: SaaS companies that need behavior-triggered onboarding, trial conversion and expansion sequences. The segmentation is built around what users do in the product, not just email opens. Plans start at $79 a month.
The price positions it above the general tools and below Customer.io and Iterable. The ecosystem is smaller than ActiveCampaign's. For product-led teams whose drip campaigns must react to in-app behavior, Encharge's focus beats generic automation. For everyone else, the premium is hard to justify.
What we like- Behavioral segmentation built for product-led companies
- Visual flow builder handles complex user journeys
- Strong for onboarding and activation sequences
Watch out for- Pricier entry than general tools
- Smaller template and integration library than incumbents
- No free tier
Starting priceFrom $19/month (1,000 contacts)
Free planYes
GetResponse pairs drip automation with the assets drips usually promote: webinars, landing pages and funnels. A course creator can run the webinar, the follow-up sequence and the sales page in one subscription starting at $19 a month for 1,000 contacts. The workflow builder handles welcome series, lead nurturing and cart recovery competently.
It will not match ActiveCampaign's conditional logic or Klaviyo's ecommerce depth. But for businesses whose funnel is webinar-led, the bundle math wins: one subscription instead of email plus a webinar tool. Confirm automation limits on your tier before building complex sequences.
What we like- Webinar platform and conversion funnels bundled with email automation
- Visual workflow builder covers standard drip sequences well
- Free plan for starters
Watch out for- Automation depth lags ActiveCampaign
- The interface tries to do a lot
- Ecommerce features are thinner than Klaviyo
Starting priceFree (from $12/month for 500 subscribers)
Free planYes
MailerLite proves drip campaigns do not require enterprise software. The automation builder creates welcome series, abandoned-cart sequences and re-engagement flows with a simplicity the powerful tools cannot match, and it starts at $12 a month for 500 subscribers. Even the free plan includes limited automation.
The ceiling is real: branching logic, behavioral triggers and CRM integration are thinner than the specialists. But most small businesses need five good sequences, not fifty clever ones. For welcome, onboarding, cart recovery, post-purchase and win-back, MailerLite covers the essentials at the lowest credible price.
What we like- Clean visual automation builder that beginners actually finish
- Automation available on the free plan
- Strong deliverability at a low price
Watch out for- Sequences are simpler than ActiveCampaign or Drip
- Advanced segmentation is limited
- No built-in CRM
Starting priceFree (from $9/month for 5,000 emails)
Free planYes
Brevo brings its send-based pricing to automation: $9 a month for 5,000 emails regardless of list size. For businesses with large lists running a few key sequences, that model undercuts every contact-based rival. The automation builder covers welcome series and standard flows, with deeper features on higher tiers.
It is not the deepest automation tool here. Teams needing behavioral branching should look at ActiveCampaign or Encharge. But for the common case, a big list, a handful of sequences, monthly campaigns, Brevo's pricing is the most forgiving in the category.
What we like- Volume-based pricing favors large lists with moderate sending
- Marketing automation included from the Business tier
- Transactional email in the same account
Watch out for- Automation is thinner than the specialists
- The free plan caps at 300 emails a day
- Contact-based senders must rethink budgeting
Starting priceFree (from $7/month for 1,000 subscribers)
Free planYes
Sender is the budget champion nobody talks about. The free plan allows 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails monthly with automation included, dwarfing every other free tier. Paid plans start around $7 a month for 1,000 subscribers. Reviewers rate it 4.7 on G2.
The trade-offs match the price: fewer native integrations, a thinner template library, less advanced automation than Drip or Klaviyo. But for small businesses that need working drip sequences at minimal cost, Sender is the best-kept secret in this list. Verify the integration list covers your stack before committing.
What we like- Most generous free plan here: 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month
- Paid plans from $7 with automation included
- High reviewer ratings for ease of use
Watch out for- Smaller brand with fewer integrations
- Advanced features lag the leaders
- Template library is thinner
Drip campaigns vs broadcast email
These are different jobs, and the tool ranking changes with the job. Broadcast email, newsletters and promotions, needs templates, deliverability and list management; almost any tool here handles it. Drip campaigns need triggers, branching logic, timing controls and goal tracking; that is where ActiveCampaign, Drip, Klaviyo and Encharge earn their price. Before buying, list the five sequences you will actually build in the first 90 days: welcome, abandoned cart or trial, post-purchase or onboarding, re-engagement, and one nurture sequence. If your list is really just newsletters, buy MailerLite or Brevo and save the money. If those five sequences will drive revenue, buy the automation depth and do not apologize for the price.
The list-growth trap
Every platform here prices on list size, which creates a perverse incentive: the bigger your list, the more you pay, including for contacts who never open anything. Before upgrading tiers, clean the list. Remove hard bounces, suppress chronic non-openers after a re-engagement attempt, and stop importing purchased lists, which hurt deliverability anyway. A 10,000-contact list with 30 percent engagement costs the same as a 6,000-contact list with 50 percent engagement on most platforms, but the smaller list performs better and costs less. Set a quarterly hygiene routine: one re-engagement campaign, then archive the silent. The platforms will not suggest this; their revenue depends on your list growing forever.
How we chose
We built this list from vendor pricing pages, product documentation and 2026 marketing automation comparisons, checked in October 2026. A tool made the cut only if it is actively sold today and serves real drip and automation work for small and mid-size businesses. Prices reflect published vendor rates verified in September and October 2026: Drip's $39, Klaviyo's $20, ActiveCampaign's $15, Omnisend's $16, Encharge's $79, GetResponse's $19, MailerLite's $12, Brevo's $9 and Sender's $7 entry points. We did not run hands-on trials. The trade-offs reflect consistent reviewer feedback and the documented billing models.
Frequently asked questions
What is drip email software?
Software that sends automated email sequences triggered by subscriber behavior or timing: welcome series, abandoned-cart reminders, onboarding sequences, lead nurturing and re-engagement campaigns. Unlike broadcast newsletters, drip campaigns run automatically once built, sending the right message based on what each contact does.
How much does drip email software cost?
Entry plans run $7 to $39 a month: Sender $7, Brevo $9, MailerLite $12, ActiveCampaign $15, Omnisend $16, GetResponse $19, Klaviyo $20, Drip $39, Encharge $79. Every platform scales pricing with list size, so a 10,000-contact list costs several times the entry price. Free plans cover 250 to 2,500 subscribers depending on the platform.
What is the difference between drip campaigns and marketing automation?
Drip campaigns are the tactic: pre-built sequences sent over time. Marketing automation is the broader capability: triggers, branching logic, scoring and CRM integration that power drips and much more. Simple tools do drip sequences; ActiveCampaign, Customer.io and Encharge do full automation. Buy the depth your sequences actually need.
Which drip tool is best for ecommerce?
Klaviyo, Drip and Omnisend are built for ecommerce, with deep Shopify and WooCommerce integrations and prebuilt flows for carts, browse abandonment and post-purchase. Klaviyo leads on data science, Drip on behavior-first building, Omnisend on email-plus-SMS value. Stores doing significant revenue through flows usually graduate to one of these three.
How many emails should be in a drip sequence?
Welcome series: 3 to 5 emails over one to two weeks. Abandoned cart: 2 to 3 emails within 72 hours. Onboarding: 4 to 7 emails across the trial period. Lead nurture: 5 to 8 emails over a month. More is not better: every additional email should earn its place with a distinct job, and unsubscribes spike when sequences overstay.
Can we run drip campaigns on a free plan?
Yes, with limits. Sender's free plan (2,500 subscribers) and Kit's free plan (10,000 subscribers for broadcasts) are the most generous. MailerLite, Brevo, Klaviyo and Omnisend include automation on free tiers with subscriber or send caps. Drip, ActiveCampaign and Encharge require paid plans. Start free to prove the sequences work, then pay as the list grows.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.drip.com/blog/klaviyo-alternatives
- https://encharge.io/omnisend-alternatives/
- https://www.winsavvy.com/mailchimp-vs-drip-the-best-email-marketing-tool-for-2024/
- https://www.getapp.ie/software/108541/drip1
- https://www.bigcontacts.com/blog/best-email-drip-campaign-software/
- https://www.selecthub.com/marketing-automation-software/klaviyo-vs-omnisend/
- https://www.emailvendorselection.com/ecommerce-email-marketing-software/
- https://dreamlit.ai/blog/best-email-marketing-small-business
- https://www.omnisend.com/blog/mailerlite-alternatives/
- https://www.engagebay.com/blog/mailerlite-alternatives/
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.