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The Best Email Marketing Software

Seven platforms ranked on deliverability, automation, usability, and honest value — with a clear pick and who each one is wrong for.

Last updated Jul 2, 2026

Email is still the highest-ROI channel most businesses have, but the "best" platform depends entirely on whether you're a creator, an online store, or a lean team that just needs reliable broadcasts. We scored seven of the most established tools on what actually moves revenue — getting to the inbox, automating the right message, and not overpaying as your list grows.

  1. 1

    ActiveCampaign

    Our pick

    The deepest automation builder of the mainstream tools, with CRM and deliverability to match.

    8.1
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Best-in-class visual automation with conditional logic, split paths, and goal tracking
    • + Strong, consistently reported deliverability
    • + Built-in CRM and lead scoring bridge marketing and sales

    Cons

    • − Steeper learning curve than newsletter-first tools
    • − Costs climb quickly as your contact count grows
    • − Overkill if you only send occasional broadcasts
    From $15.00 per month (Starter, billed annually)
    Visit ActiveCampaign
  2. 2

    Klaviyo

    Best for ecommerce

    The default choice for ecommerce, with deep store data driving segmentation and revenue attribution.

    8.0
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Unmatched ecommerce segmentation using real order and browsing data
    • + Clear revenue attribution per flow and campaign
    • + Native SMS alongside email in one platform

    Cons

    • − Pricing scales aggressively with list size
    • − Little reason to choose it outside ecommerce
    • − Feature depth can overwhelm smaller stores
    From $20.00 per month (scales by contact count; free up to 250 contacts)
    Visit Klaviyo
  3. 3

    MailerLite

    Best value

    The best value: a clean editor and honest pricing that punch well above their cost.

    8.3
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Excellent price-to-feature ratio with a real free plan
    • + Clean, fast, genuinely easy editor
    • + Includes landing pages and websites at no extra cost

    Cons

    • − Automation logic is shallower than ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo
    • − Manual approval onboarding can delay first sends
    • − Fewer advanced integrations for complex stacks
    From $9.00 per month (Growing Business, billed annually; free up to 1,000 subscribers)
    Visit MailerLite
  4. 4

    Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

    Best for creators

    Purpose-built for creators, with tag-based subscribers and built-in monetization.

    7.9
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Tag-and-segment model fits creators and course sellers well
    • + Built-in paid newsletters and digital-product commerce
    • + Generous free tier up to 10,000 subscribers

    Cons

    • − Design-heavy, templated emails are not its strength
    • − Reporting is lighter than ecommerce-focused rivals
    • − Pricing rises steeply at larger subscriber counts
    From $25.00 per month (Creator, billed annually; free up to 10,000 subscribers)
    Visit Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
  5. 5

    Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

    Pay by emails sent, not list size — plus SMS, chat, and a CRM in one bill.

    7.4
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Send-volume pricing is cheap for large, low-frequency lists
    • + Bundles transactional email, SMS, chat, and CRM
    • + Unlimited contacts even on lower tiers

    Cons

    • − Editor and templates feel dated next to rivals
    • − Automation depth is mid-tier
    • − Daily send caps on the free plan
    From $9.00 per month (Starter; priced by emails sent, not contacts)
    Visit Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
  6. 6

    Mailchimp

    The most familiar name, with the broadest integrations — now priced at a premium.

    6.9
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Enormous integration ecosystem and brand familiarity
    • + Approachable for first-time senders
    • + Broad all-in-one marketing add-ons

    Cons

    • − Among the pricier options as contacts grow
    • − Automation is weaker than similarly priced rivals
    • − Free plan has been steadily trimmed
    From $13.00 per month (Essentials, scales by contact count; free tier available)
    Visit Mailchimp
  7. 7

    HubSpot Marketing Hub

    Email as one piece of a full CRM and marketing suite — powerful, but priced for teams.

    7.1
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Email lives natively inside a strong CRM
    • + Powerful workflows and lifecycle reporting for B2B
    • + Useful free CRM and starter tools to begin with

    Cons

    • − Professional tiers get expensive fast
    • − Overbuilt if you only need email
    • − Full value requires committing to the wider suite
    From $20.00 per month (Marketing Hub Starter; free tools available, Professional far higher)
    Visit HubSpot Marketing Hub

Side-by-side

The Best Email Marketing Software — score by criterion for each product.
Product Deliverability & sending infrastructure Automation & segmentation depth Ease of use & editor Value & pricing transparency Overall
ActiveCampaign 9.0 9.5 6.5 6.5 8.1
Klaviyo 9.0 9.5 7.0 5.5 8.0
MailerLite 8.0 7.0 9.0 9.5 8.3
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) 8.5 7.5 8.0 7.0 7.9
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) 7.5 7.0 7.0 8.5 7.4
Mailchimp 7.5 6.5 8.0 5.0 6.9
HubSpot Marketing Hub 8.0 8.5 6.5 4.5 7.1
How we scored this

We weight four criteria: deliverability & sending infrastructure (3), automation & segmentation depth (2), ease of use & editor (2), and value & pricing transparency (1.5), because a beautiful editor is worthless if your emails land in spam. Scores are our editorial assessment based on documented features, published pricing, and hands-on use; rankings are independent of any affiliate payout, and we name exactly who each tool is wrong for.