Choosing the right email marketing service is one of the most impactful decisions for your marketing stack. The right platform saves you money, scales with your growth, and connects with the tools you already use.
This guide compares the leading email marketing solutions across features, pricing, ease of use, and best use cases.
What Makes a Great Email Marketing Service
Before comparing platforms, understand the core capabilities that separate good services from great ones:
Must-Have Features
| Feature | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop editor | Build emails without coding |
| Marketing automation | Trigger emails based on behavior |
| List segmentation | Send targeted content |
| Analytics & reporting | Measure and optimize campaigns |
| Deliverability tools | Ensure inbox placement |
| Integrations | Connect with your existing stack |
| Mobile optimization | 60%+ of emails opened on mobile |
Nice-to-Have Features
- Built-in CRM
- SMS and WhatsApp marketing
- Landing page builder
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Transactional email support
Top Email Marketing Services Compared
Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)
Best for: Growing businesses needing multi-channel marketing at an affordable price.
Brevo stands out with its per-email pricing model (rather than per-contact), built-in CRM, and multi-channel capabilities including email, SMS, and WhatsApp.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts |
| Starting Price | $9/month (5,000 emails) |
| Automation | Visual workflow builder included |
| CRM | Built-in, free |
| SMS/WhatsApp | Included (pay per message) |
| Transactional Email | Included via API/SMTP |
For Shopify stores, Tajo extends Brevo with real-time sync of customers, products, orders, and events, enabling automated abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase sequences, and loyalty programs.
Mailchimp
Best for: Very small businesses and beginners wanting a familiar brand.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month |
| Starting Price | $13/month |
| Automation | Basic on free, advanced on paid |
| CRM | Basic contact management |
| SMS | Available (US only) |
Mailchimp’s per-contact pricing gets expensive as lists grow. At 10,000 contacts, expect $100+/month. See our Mailchimp alternatives guide for more affordable options.
ActiveCampaign
Best for: Businesses needing advanced automation and CRM.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | None (14-day trial) |
| Starting Price | $29/month |
| Automation | Industry-leading workflows |
| CRM | Full CRM with sales pipeline |
| SMS | Add-on available |
Powerful but complex. Best for teams with automation experience. Compare in our ActiveCampaign alternatives guide.
Klaviyo
Best for: E-commerce brands willing to pay premium for deep store integration.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month |
| Starting Price | $20/month |
| Automation | E-commerce focused flows |
| CRM | E-commerce profiles |
| SMS | Included (pay per message) |
Premium pricing - at 10,000 contacts, Klaviyo costs $150/month vs. Brevo’s $18/month. See our Klaviyo vs Mailchimp comparison.
HubSpot
Best for: Enterprise companies needing a full marketing suite.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | 2,000 emails/month, limited features |
| Starting Price | $20/month (Starter) |
| Automation | Excellent with Marketing Hub |
| CRM | Full-featured, free tier |
| SMS | Enterprise plans only |
Expensive at scale but comprehensive. See HubSpot alternatives for more options.
Pricing Comparison at Scale
| Contacts | Brevo | Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign | Klaviyo | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | Free | Free | $29 | Free | Free |
| 5,000 | $9 | $69 | $79 | $100 | $50 |
| 10,000 | $18 | $100 | $139 | $150 | $100 |
| 25,000 | $35 | $270 | $259 | $400 | $250 |
| 50,000 | $65 | $385 | $389 | $720 | $750 |
Brevo pricing based on email volume, not contacts. Others based on contact count.
How to Choose the Right Solution
By Business Type
| Business Type | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify store | Brevo + Tajo | Deep e-commerce sync, multi-channel |
| Small business | Brevo | Best free plan, scales affordably |
| Content creator | ConvertKit | Built for newsletters |
| B2B company | ActiveCampaign | Advanced automation + CRM |
| Enterprise | HubSpot | Full marketing suite |
By Priority
- Lowest cost: Brevo (per-email pricing, generous free plan)
- Best automation: ActiveCampaign
- Easiest to use: Mailchimp
- Best for e-commerce: Brevo + Tajo or Klaviyo
- All-in-one suite: HubSpot
Migration Considerations
Switching platforms is straightforward - most services let you export/import contact lists via CSV. Key things to plan for:
- Export your contact lists with all custom fields
- Recreate your automation workflows
- Update signup forms and integrations
- Warm up sending on the new platform gradually
- Update SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records
Making Your Decision
Start with these questions:
- What is your budget? If limited, start with Brevo’s free plan
- How many contacts do you have? Per-email pricing (Brevo) saves money for large lists
- What channels do you need? Email only, or email + SMS + WhatsApp?
- What integrations matter? Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce?
- How complex are your automations? Simple sequences or multi-step workflows?
Most platforms offer free plans or trials. Test 2-3 options before committing. For a broader comparison including more platforms, see our guide to the best email marketing platforms.