Best Email Marketing Software: Honest Reviews and Real Pricing

You need an email marketing platform. There are about 500 options. Most "best of" lists just regurgitate marketing copy and rank whoever pays the highest affiliate commissions. Let's skip that.

I've tested these tools, dealt with their support teams, and watched pricing change mid-contract. Here's what you actually need to know.

Quick Summary: Who Should Use What

Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue) – Best Free Tier

Brevo does something clever: they charge based on emails sent, not contacts stored. If you have a big list but don't email frequently, this saves real money.

Brevo Pricing

The catch: Want to remove Brevo branding? That's $12/month extra. Response times for free users can stretch several days according to user feedback.

Best for: Small businesses with large contact lists but low sending frequency. The free tier with 100K contact storage is legitimately generous.

Read our full Brevo pricing breakdown and Brevo review.

AWeber – Solid for Creators and Affiliates

AWeber has been around since 1998. They're not flashy, but they work. The platform is particularly friendly to affiliate marketers—a space where other providers get weird about compliance.

AWeber Pricing

The catch: AWeber charges by subscribers, not emails. If your subscriber count exceeds your plan, they auto-upgrade you. Downgrades require contacting support—they won't do it automatically.

Best for: Content creators, bloggers, and affiliate marketers who need reliable deliverability and don't mind a slightly dated interface.

Try AWeber Free →

See our detailed AWeber pricing guide.

Mailchimp – The Familiar Name (But Not the Best Value)

Everyone knows Mailchimp. That's the problem—they know it too, and price accordingly. The platform has moved away from its email marketing roots and become a general marketing platform, which dilutes the core experience.

Mailchimp Pricing

The problem: Mailchimp charges for inactive contacts. You pay double for contacts who haven't engaged. The free plan is severely limited compared to competitors, and it's not as intuitive for simple email campaigns as it used to be.

Best for: Honestly? People who already use it and don't want to migrate. For new users, MailerLite or Brevo offer more for less.

Moosend – Underrated Value Pick

Moosend flies under the radar but delivers solid value. One thing I actually like: they include all Pro features on a single paid plan. You pay more only to increase contact limits, not to access more tools.

Moosend Pricing

The catch: No free plan (only a trial). But the straightforward pricing makes it easy to budget.

Best for: Small businesses and side-hustle affiliate marketers who want automation without complexity.

ActiveCampaign – Best for Serious Automation

If you need complex automation workflows—multi-step sequences triggered by user behavior, CRM integration, lead scoring—ActiveCampaign is the standard. It balances user-friendly design with powerful features.

What Makes It Different

ActiveCampaign connects the entire customer journey from lead generation to sales. You can split test up to five different email versions, track website activity, and build custom automations triggered by onsite behavior. There's even a built-in spam tester.

The catch: It's not cheap. Entry-level pricing is higher than simpler tools, and it gets expensive as your list grows. Overkill if you just need basic newsletters.

Best for: Growing businesses that need marketing automation, not just email blasts. Particularly good for B2B and SaaS companies with longer sales cycles.

Compare it with other options in our CRM software comparison.

Klaviyo – The Ecommerce Specialist

If you run an online store, Klaviyo speaks your language. It's built specifically for ecommerce with over 60 integrations, pre-built behavior-based workflows, and segmentation based on purchase history and predicted customer lifetime value.

Why Ecommerce Stores Love It

Klaviyo's segmentation goes deep—you can segment by engagement, purchase history, predicted next order date, or customer lifetime value. The SMS and MMS support is included, making it a true multi-channel platform.

The catch: Limited email volume relative to other platforms. Good for SMBs who can live with lower sending caps but need advanced features.

Best for: Shopify stores, DTC brands, and any ecommerce business serious about email-driven revenue.

Omnisend – Klaviyo Alternative

Another ecommerce-focused platform. Omnisend combines email, SMS, and web push notifications. The pre-made workflows for abandoned carts and product follow-ups save time.

Works seamlessly with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. If Klaviyo feels too expensive, Omnisend is worth testing.

MailerLite – Best for Simplicity

MailerLite's Forever Free plan gives you 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails. The trade-off? A small MailerLite logo in your email footer. For most people starting out, that's fine.

The platform includes a form builder and landing page builder—even on free. It's genuinely easy to use without being stripped down.

What's missing: No spam testing or design testing (you can preview and send test emails though). If you can live with that, it's hard to beat free.

If you're evaluating website builders too, check our website builder comparison.

HubSpot – When You Need Everything

HubSpot is a CRM giant that includes email marketing in its Marketing Hub. You get drag-and-drop editors, sophisticated automation, personalization, and detailed analytics—all tied to your CRM data.

The Reality Check

HubSpot's Professional plan starts at $1,250/month per organization, billed annually. That includes email marketing, content tools, and analytics. The price reflects the full platform, not just email.

Best for: Mid-to-large businesses already using HubSpot CRM, or companies that need tight integration between sales and marketing.

For smaller operations, see our CRM for small business guide.

What Actually Matters When Choosing

Pricing Models Explained

Most email marketing tools charge one of two ways:

Entry-level pricing typically starts around $7-15/month. Enterprise solutions can run $1,500+/month. Mid-tier plans with automation usually fall between $8-$949/month depending on features and scale.

Hidden Costs to Watch

Most tools charge monthly or annual subscriptions with pricing tied to contact volume, email frequency, and automation features. Review limits carefully before scaling campaigns—automatic upgrades can surprise you.

Features That Actually Matter

The Bottom Line

Just starting out? Go with Brevo's free tier or MailerLite. Both let you test email marketing without commitment.

Running an ecommerce store? Klaviyo or Omnisend—the ecommerce-specific features are worth it.

Need serious automation? ActiveCampaign balances power and usability. Worth the premium if automation drives your business.

Already in the HubSpot ecosystem? Stick with their Marketing Hub. Adding another tool creates more problems than it solves.

Tight budget but need features? Moosend at $7/month gives you everything without nickel-and-diming for each feature.

Most platforms offer free trials or free tiers. Test 2-3 options with your actual use case before committing. Import a small list, build a sequence, see how the interface feels. The "best" platform is the one that fits how you actually work.

For broader marketing needs, explore our guides on email marketing for small business and best CRM software.