Best Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Small businesses usually need email marketing tools that keep costs low while still covering the basics: an email builder, some automation, and a way to grow a list without a big upfront commitment. This ranking compares seven platforms using only their published pricing tiers and listed features, weighing free-plan availability, entry-level plan cost, and how much automation or landing-page capability is unlocked before you have to upgrade. The goal is to surface which tools let a small team get real functionality without immediately jumping to a $50+/month plan.
Full ranking
Best for: Cost-conscious small businesses that also need transactional email
Brevo offers a Free forever plan (300 emails/day, no credit card needed) and a Starter plan at $9/month for 5,000 emails, both well under what most small businesses spend elsewhere. Transactional email via API/SMTP/webhooks is included on all plans, and the AI content generator for subject lines and copy is available starting at the Starter tier.
- Free forever plan
- AI content assistant
- Transactional email API
Best for: Small businesses selling online that want automation without a big spend
MailerLite's Free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails with 2 user seats, and the Comfort plan at $12/month raises that to 500 subscribers and 5,000 emails with 3 seats. Marketing automation is included on every plan (3 automations on Free, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power), plus built-in Stripe, Shopify, and WooCommerce integrations.
- Free forever plan
- Marketing automation workflows
- E-commerce integrations
Best for: Small businesses that expect to outgrow a basic starter plan
Mailchimp's Free plan works for accounts under 250 contacts, and the Essentials plan starts at $13/month with 3 seats and 3 audiences, though automation is capped at 4 flow steps until you reach Standard ($20/month, up to 200 automation flows). Generative AI content tools are included at no extra cost on Standard and above.
- Free forever plan
- Marketing automation workflows
- AI content assistant
Best for: Small businesses wanting unlimited automations at a flat $20/month price point
AWeber's Lite plan at $12.50/month includes 3 landing pages and 3 automations, while Plus at $20/month unlocks unlimited lists, landing pages, automations, and users. It also lists detailed deliverability reporting and ecommerce integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and PayPal.
- Landing page builder
- Marketing automation workflows
- E-commerce integrations
Best for: Small businesses comfortable evaluating via trial before committing to a low-cost paid plan
Moosend's Pro plan starts at $9/month with contact tiers selectable via slider and 5 team members, and it includes an Email Newsletter Builder, landing pages, and A/B testing across all plans. The catch for small businesses is that the free option is a 30-day trial rather than a permanent free tier.
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Landing page builder
- A/B testing
Best for: Small businesses that plan to scale into Marketer-tier automation quickly
GetResponse's Starter plan is $19/month for a 1,000-contact list with unlimited sends, but it's limited to 1 custom automation workflow; unlimited automation workflows require the $59/month Marketer plan. SMS marketing and transactional email are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise plan, which pushes key features out of reach for most small budgets.
- Landing page builder
- AI content assistant
- Marketing automation workflows
Best for: Small businesses prioritizing built-in ecommerce integrations over lowest price
Constant Contact's entry-level Lite plan is priced at $20/month with no free tier, and A/B subject line testing isn't available until the $75/month Standard plan. It does bundle ecommerce marketing features and 300 integrations, including Shopify, across all plans, but the higher starting cost makes it a harder fit for the tightest small-business budgets.
- E-commerce integrations
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Marketing automation workflows
Buying guide
For small businesses, the first filter should be entry cost: Brevo and MailerLite both offer permanent free plans (300 emails/day and 250 subscribers respectively), while Mailchimp's free plan is capped at 250 contacts. If you need to start spending immediately, compare what's actually unlocked at the lowest paid tier rather than just the sticker price — AWeber's $12.50/month Lite plan caps automations at 3, while Brevo's $9/month Starter includes AI content assistance and transactional email from day one. Automation depth matters too: GetResponse's Starter plan only allows 1 custom workflow, and Constant Contact doesn't include A/B testing until its $75/month Standard plan. If ecommerce integrations are a priority, AWeber, MailerLite, and Constant Contact all list specific integrations like Shopify and WooCommerce. Finally, check whether features you need (SMS, transactional email, deliverability tools) are gated to top-tier or Enterprise plans, as with GetResponse's Enterprise-only SMS and transactional email, before assuming a low starting price covers your full needs.
Frequently asked questions
Which email marketing tool is cheapest for a small business just starting out?
Brevo and MailerLite both offer permanent free plans (Brevo: 300 emails/day; MailerLite: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails). For paid entry points, Moosend's Pro plan and Brevo's Starter plan both start at $9/month.
Is this ranking suited to businesses with very small contact lists?
Yes — it's built around small-business needs, favoring platforms like Mailchimp (free under 250 contacts) and MailerLite (free up to 250 subscribers) that offer meaningful features before requiring a paid upgrade.
Which platforms include marketing automation without an extra fee?
Mailchimp, Constant Contact, AWeber, Brevo, GetResponse, MailerLite, and Moosend all list marketing automation as supported, though limits vary — for example, Mailchimp's Essentials plan caps automation at 4 flow steps while MailerLite's Power plan offers unlimited automations.
Do any of these tools include ecommerce integrations for online sellers?
Constant Contact, AWeber, Brevo, GetResponse, and MailerLite all list ecommerce integrations. AWeber and MailerLite specifically mention Shopify and WooCommerce, while Constant Contact lists Shopify among 300 total integrations.
Which plan should a small business pick if it needs AI content help?
Brevo includes its AI content generator from the Starter plan ($9/month), and GetResponse includes AI-powered content generators across all plans starting at Starter ($19/month). Mailchimp only includes AI content assist from its Standard plan ($20/month) up.