Email marketing tools all promise the same thing: more opens, more clicks, more sales. After sending over 2 million emails across 6 different platforms, I can tell you most of that is marketing fluff.
What actually matters? Deliverability (do your emails even reach the inbox?), ease of use (can you actually build the emails you want?), and automation (can you set it and forget it?).
I've run email campaigns for e-commerce stores, SaaS companies, content creators, and local businesses. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses that only become clear when you're in the trenches.
Let me save you the trial-and-error I went through.
How I Tested These Email Marketing
How I Evaluated These Platforms
Deliverability Testing: I sent identical campaigns from each platform to test email accounts across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. Tracked inbox vs spam placement.
Automation Building: I built the same 5-email welcome sequence on each platform. Measured time to build and flexibility of the tools.
Template Quality: Tested email rendering across 20+ email clients. Some platforms look great in Gmail but break in Outlook.
Support Quality: Submitted tickets and chat requests with real questions. Timed responses and rated helpfulness.
True Cost Analysis: Calculated actual costs at 1,000, 10,000, and 50,000 subscribers. The pricing tiers tell very different stories.
Mailchimp
Most popular email platform with powerful automation
Mailchimp is the most popular email marketing platform, known for its user-friendly interface, powerful automation features, and comprehensive marketing tools. Great for businesses of all sizes.
- Free plan for up to 500 contacts
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor
- Extensive template library
- Powerful automation features
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- Integrates with 300+ apps
- Pricing increases quickly with list size
- Limited features on free plan
- Customer support can be slow
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
Essentials
$13/mo
Most PopularStandard
$20/mo
MailerLite
Simple, affordable email marketing with generous free plan
MailerLite is known for its simplicity and affordability, offering a generous free plan and intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Perfect for small businesses and beginners who want powerful email marketing without complexity.
- Very affordable pricing from $10/mo
- Generous free plan (500 subscribers)
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Landing pages and website builder included
- Excellent deliverability rates
- 4.8/5 customer support rating
- Automation on free plan
- Free plan reduced from 1,000 to 500 subscribers
- Limited advanced automation
- Basic reporting compared to competitors
- Strict approval process for new accounts
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
Growing Business
$10/mo
Most PopularAdvanced
$20/mo
ConvertKit
Email marketing built for creators and bloggers
ConvertKit is designed specifically for creators - bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, and course creators. It excels at subscriber tagging, visual automation, and landing pages.
- Designed specifically for creators
- Powerful visual automation builder
- Excellent subscriber tagging
- Beautiful landing page templates
- Free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers
- Sells digital products natively
- Limited email template options
- No drag-and-drop email editor
- Fewer integrations than competitors
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
Creator
$9/mo
Most PopularCreator Pro
$25/mo
Klaviyo
E-commerce email marketing with Shopify integration
Klaviyo is the leading email marketing platform for e-commerce. With deep Shopify integration, powerful segmentation, and predictive analytics, it helps online stores maximize revenue.
- Deep e-commerce integrations
- Powerful segmentation based on purchase behavior
- Predictive analytics and CLV
- Pre-built e-commerce flows
- SMS marketing included
- Free for up to 250 contacts
- Expensive for large lists
- Steep learning curve
- Not ideal for non-e-commerce
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
$20/mo
Most PopularEmail + SMS
$35/mo
ActiveCampaign
Advanced automation with built-in CRM
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing with CRM and sales automation. It's known for having the most powerful automation builder and is great for businesses needing advanced workflows.
- Most powerful automation builder
- Built-in CRM included
- Excellent deliverability rates
- Site and event tracking
- Advanced segmentation
- Great for complex workflows
- No free plan
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
- CRM features require higher tier
Pricing
Lite
$29/mo
Plus
$49/mo
Most PopularProfessional
$149/mo
GetResponse
All-in-one marketing with email, webinars, and landing pages
GetResponse is an all-in-one marketing platform offering email marketing, landing pages, webinars, and marketing automation. With a generous free plan and AI-powered features, it's great for businesses that want multiple marketing tools in one platform.
- Free plan for up to 500 contacts
- Unlimited email sends on all paid plans
- Built-in webinar hosting
- AI-powered email and website builder
- Conversion funnels included
- 24/7 live chat support
- 18% discount on annual plans
- Webinar features require higher tiers
- Free plan has limited automation
- Interface can feel cluttered
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
Starter
$19/mo
Most PopularMarketer
$59/mo
Drip
E-commerce automation with 50+ prebuilt workflows
Drip is an e-commerce-focused email marketing platform with powerful automation and segmentation. With 50+ prebuilt workflows and deep integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, it helps online stores maximize revenue through personalized campaigns.
- Powerful e-commerce automation
- 50+ prebuilt workflows ready to use
- Dynamic behavior-based segmentation
- Deep Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce integrations
- Unlimited email sends on all plans
- Revenue dashboards and attribution
- Free migration for 17,500+ contacts
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
- Expensive for larger lists
- Best suited for e-commerce only
- Steep learning curve
Pricing
2,500 contacts
$39/mo
Most Popular5,000 contacts
$89/mo
10,000 contacts
$154/mo
Brevo (Sendinblue)
Affordable all-in-one marketing platform
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers email marketing, SMS, and CRM in one affordable platform. With generous free tier and pay-by-email pricing, it's great for budget-conscious marketers.
- Generous free plan (300 emails/day)
- Unlimited contacts on all plans
- SMS marketing included
- Built-in CRM
- Transactional emails included
- GDPR compliant (EU-based)
- Daily sending limit on free plan
- Email builder less intuitive
- Limited automation on lower tiers
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
Starter
$25/mo
Most PopularBusiness
$65/mo
Constant Contact
Easy email marketing with excellent support
Constant Contact is one of the oldest email marketing platforms, known for excellent customer support and ease of use. Great for small businesses and nonprofits.
- Excellent customer support (phone included)
- Very easy to use
- Event management tools
- Social media integration
- Good for nonprofits
- High deliverability rates
- No free plan (only trial)
- Automation is basic
- Higher price than competitors
Pricing
Lite
$12/mo
Standard
$35/mo
Most PopularPremium
$80/mo
AWeber
Reliable email marketing pioneer with 25+ years experience
AWeber is one of the original email marketing platforms, founded in 1998. Known for reliability and excellent customer support, it offers a free plan and straightforward tools for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
- Free plan for up to 500 subscribers
- 25+ years of email marketing experience
- Excellent deliverability rates
- 700+ integrations including Canva
- Done-for-you setup service available
- 24/7 customer support
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder
- Recent price increases (50-150%)
- Limited automation compared to competitors
- Dated interface design
- Basic reporting features
Pricing
Free
$0/mo
Lite
$12.5/mo
Most PopularPlus
$20/mo
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
After years of email marketing across these platforms:
Mailchimp remains the best starting point. The free tier is generous, and it does 80% of what most people need. Just watch out for pricing as your list grows.
ConvertKit is what I recommend for creators - bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters. The automation is intuitive, and it's built for people who aren't marketers.
Klaviyo is the clear winner for e-commerce. The Shopify integration and segmentation capabilities are unmatched. Yes, it's pricey, but the ROI is there.
ActiveCampaign is for the automation nerds. If you want complex, multi-step workflows, nothing else comes close.
Our Top Recommendation
Mailchimp
Most popular email platform with powerful automation. Starting at $13/mo.
Get MailchimpA Note From the Author
Email platforms update frequently. Features get added, pricing changes, deliverability fluctuates. I re-test these platforms every 6 months. Last update: December 2025.