Email marketing remains the digital channel with the highest ROI — between $36 and $42 for every dollar spent, according to DMA and Litmus studies from 2025. But that ROI doesn’t happen by itself. It comes from the platform you choose, how you configure it, and how well it fits your business needs.
In 2026, the email marketing landscape is more competitive than ever. There are dozens of platforms, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Some excel at complex automations, others at ease of use, and others at value for money. We analyzed the six most relevant platforms and compared them on concrete criteria: features, pricing, scalability, and who they are best suited for.
Whether you’re an online store just getting started, an agency managing multiple clients, or a B2B business with long sales cycles, this guide will help you make an informed decision.
Quick comparison: all 6 platforms
Before diving into the details, here’s a bird’s-eye view to help you quickly compare what each platform offers:
| Platform | Best For | Key Feature | Starting Price | Free Plan? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | Complex automations + CRM | Visual automation builder | From $29/mo | No (14-day trial) |
| Brevo | Value for money | Email + SMS + WhatsApp | Free / $25/mo | Yes (300 emails/day) |
| Sender | Low budget / beginners | Simple UI + automations | Free / $15/mo | Yes (15,000 emails/mo) |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Content creators | Landing pages + sequences | Free / $25/mo | Yes (10,000 subscribers) |
| Mailchimp | Small-medium brands | Templates + integrations | Free / $13/mo | Yes (500 contacts) |
| Klaviyo | Advanced e-commerce | Behavioral segmentation | Free / $20/mo | Yes (250 contacts) |
Detailed review: each platform
We tested each platform and evaluated it based on features, ease of use, customer support, and value for money. Here’s what we found:
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is the clear leader when it comes to complex automations. Its visual automation builder lets you create flows with branches, conditions, and multiple actions — things most competing platforms simply cannot match at the same level. It also includes a built-in CRM, making it ideal for sales teams that want to combine email marketing with their sales pipeline. Pricing starts at $29/month and scales up as your list grows, which makes it pricier than alternatives for small teams. The learning curve is steeper, but once you master the platform, the possibilities are nearly limitless. Best suited for B2B businesses, SaaS companies, and teams that need sophisticated automations combined with CRM.
Try ActiveCampaignBrevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo has evolved from a simple email tool into a full marketing platform that includes email, SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat. Its pricing model differs from most competitors: you pay per number of emails sent, not per number of contacts, which makes it extremely cost-effective for companies with large lists but lower sending frequency. The free plan includes 300 emails per day. On the automation side, Brevo covers the most common scenarios but does not reach ActiveCampaign’s level of complexity. The interface is clean and intuitive. Best suited for small and medium businesses that want an all-in-one tool without paying separately for SMS and email.
Try BrevoSender
Sender is one of the most underrated email marketing platforms out there. The free plan offers up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month — significantly more generous than Mailchimp or Brevo. The interface is straightforward and no-nonsense. It includes basic automations (welcome series, abandoned cart), popup forms, and integrations with the major e-commerce platforms. On the downside, it lacks advanced segmentation features and detailed reporting, and the email templates are fewer and simpler than the competition. Best suited for startups, freelancers, and small businesses that want a functional tool without significant costs.
Try SenderKit (formerly ConvertKit)
Kit (the ConvertKit rebrand) was built specifically for content creators: bloggers, YouTubers, course creators, and authors. Its core strength is the simplicity of email sequences and landing pages — you can build a complete funnel without needing a separate website. The free plan includes up to 10,000 subscribers (with limited features). Automations are visual and easy to set up, but they do not offer the same flexibility as ActiveCampaign. Email templates are minimal by design — Kit promotes text-first emails that look like personal messages rather than advertisements. Not ideal for e-commerce (it lacks native integrations with shop platforms), but for content creators it is one of the best options available.
Try KitMailchimp
Mailchimp is probably the most recognized email marketing platform in the world, and for good reason: the interface is intuitive, it has hundreds of integrations, and a mature ecosystem of templates and resources. The free plan is limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month — significantly less generous than it used to be. On paid plans (starting at $13/month), you unlock automations, A/B testing, and advanced segmentation. The main downside: pricing scales up quickly as your list grows, and some essential features (like send time optimization) are only available on the Premium plan ($350/month). For small businesses just starting out, Mailchimp remains a solid option, but there are more cost-effective alternatives available.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is the king of email marketing for e-commerce. Its native integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento means you get access to detailed data about each customer’s purchase behavior: products viewed, carts abandoned, average order value, purchase frequency. The segmentation based on this data is unmatched. It includes predictive analytics (forecasts for next order date, customer lifetime value) and pre-built flows for every e-commerce scenario. The downside: pricing. The free plan is limited to 250 contacts and 500 emails. On paid plans, costs scale up quickly — a store with 10,000 contacts pays around $150/month. If you run a serious online store and email marketing is a strategic channel, Klaviyo is the investment that pays for itself.
How to choose the right platform
There is no universally “best” platform — only the one that is best suited for your situation. Here are the criteria to evaluate:
- ✓List size — if you have under 1,000 subscribers, a free plan from Sender or Kit is enough. Over 10,000, carefully evaluate costs as you scale.
- ✓Budget — for minimal budget, Sender and Brevo offer the best value for money. If budget is not a concern, ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo give you the most powerful tools.
- ✓Business type — e-commerce means Klaviyo or Brevo. Content creators means Kit. B2B and SaaS means ActiveCampaign. General small businesses means Mailchimp or Sender.
- ✓Required features — need complex automations with branching? ActiveCampaign. Need SMS + email in one tool? Brevo. Need landing pages? Kit.
- ✓Integrations — check whether the platform integrates with the tools you already use: CMS, e-commerce platform, CRM, analytics tools.
A practical tip: don’t choose based on the starting price alone. Calculate the cost at the list size you expect to have in 12 months. Many platforms seem cheap initially but become significantly more expensive as you grow. Also, migrating from one platform to another is a costly and time-consuming process, so it is worth choosing well from the start.
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