The Best Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses and Creators
Mailchimp, Kit, Brevo and MailerLite compared on free plans, price as your list grows and ease of use. Mailchimp is no longer the obvious default.
Mailchimp used to be the automatic answer. Then its free plan shrank, and today it's one of the least generous. If you're starting an email list now, you have better options.
Quick picks
- Best free plan for creators and newsletters: Kit (free up to 10,000 subscribers)
- Best for big lists on a budget: Brevo (unlimited contacts, pay by sending volume)
- Easiest all-rounder for small businesses: MailerLite
- Most familiar, most integrations: Mailchimp
Free plans compared
As of October 2026:
| Free plan limit | Catch | |
|---|---|---|
| Kit | Up to 10,000 subscribers | Limited automation, Kit promotes other newsletters |
 Brevo |
Unlimited contacts, 300 emails a day | Daily sending cap, Brevo branding |
| MailerLite | Small free plan | Limits were cut in recent years |
 Mailchimp |
250 contacts, 500 emails a month | Smallest free plan here |
Free plans change often. Check the current limits on each pricing page before you commit.
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Kit is built for people whose newsletter is the business: writers, coaches, YouTubers, course creators. Its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, which is remarkable. Paid plans add automation sequences, integrations and selling digital products.
Pick it if: you're building an audience and want to grow without paying for a long time.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo charges by how many emails you send, not how many contacts you have. The free plan allows unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails a day. It also includes SMS, WhatsApp campaigns and transactional emails like receipts.
Pick it if: you have a large list but email it occasionally, or you want marketing and transactional email in one place.
MailerLite
MailerLite is the easiest one to get good-looking emails out of, with a clean drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, simple automations and a fair price. Its free plan is smaller than it used to be, but paid plans are reasonable.
Pick it if: you run a small business and want something simple that just works.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp has the most integrations and the most templates, and nearly every e-commerce and website tool connects to it. But the free plan is now 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, and paid plans get expensive as your list grows. It also counts unsubscribed contacts toward some limits, so clean your list regularly.
Pick it if: you rely on an integration only Mailchimp has, or your team already knows it well.
What matters more than the tool
- Get permission. Only email people who signed up. Buying lists ruins your sender reputation and breaks anti-spam laws.
- Set up your domain properly (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Every tool above has a guide. It's the difference between the inbox and spam.
- Send consistently. A monthly email people expect beats a burst of five and then silence.
- Write like a person. Plain, friendly emails often outperform heavily designed ones.
Just starting? Follow our guide on how to start an email newsletter, or see the head-to-head Mailchimp vs Kit vs Brevo.
