Email Marketing Software Reviews: What Actually Works

There are dozens of email marketing platforms out there, and they all claim to be the best. Having tested most of them, I can tell you: they're not all created equal. Some are overpriced for what you get. Others nickel-and-dime you with hidden fees. A few are genuinely excellent.

This guide breaks down the top email marketing tools with real pricing, actual feature limitations, and honest opinions about who should use what. No fluff, no sponsored rankings—just practical advice to help you pick the right tool.

Quick Comparison: Email Marketing Software at a Glance

Mailchimp Review: The Big Name That's Getting Expensive

Mailchimp is the 800-pound gorilla of email marketing. Everyone knows the name, but that brand recognition comes with a price—literally.

Mailchimp Pricing Breakdown

Mailchimp offers four plans: Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium. The paid plans start at $13/month for 500 contacts on Essentials. Standard begins at $20/month for the same contact count, with Premium jumping to $350/month for 10,000 contacts.

Here's the thing that gets people: Mailchimp charges based on contacts, not emails sent. And they count unsubscribed contacts toward your total unless you manually archive them. For 2,500 contacts, expect to pay around $45/month on Essentials or $60/month on Standard.

What's Good About Mailchimp

• Extremely polished drag-and-drop editor
• Excellent template library
• Solid integrations with virtually everything
• Good deliverability for most users
• Robust analytics and reporting

What Sucks About Mailchimp

• Prices have increased significantly over the years (some users report 16% or more)
• Free plan is now extremely limited (500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month)
• Automation is only available on paid plans
• Charges you for inactive and unsubscribed contacts unless you clean your list
• Premium plan is wildly overpriced at $350+/month

Verdict

Mailchimp works well if you're just starting out and have under 500 subscribers. Once your list grows, the costs escalate quickly and there are better options for the money. The free plan used to be generous; now it's basically a demo.

Brevo Review: Best Value for High-Volume Senders

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) takes a different approach: they charge based on emails sent, not contacts stored. This makes them dramatically cheaper for businesses with large lists who don't email constantly.

Brevo Pricing Breakdown

Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts. The Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails. Standard starts at $18/month for 5,000 emails with added features like landing pages and A/B testing. Professional pricing starts at $499/month for high-volume senders needing 150,000+ emails monthly.

There's a catch though: removing the Brevo logo on the Starter plan costs an extra $10.80/month. So your $9 plan quickly becomes $20 if you want professional-looking emails.

What's Good About Brevo

• Unlimited contacts on all plans (huge for list builders)
• SMS and WhatsApp marketing built-in
• Pay-as-you-go credits that never expire
• Marketing automation included on free plan
• CRM functionality included

What Sucks About Brevo

• Daily sending limit on free plan (300/day) is restrictive
• Logo removal costs extra on Starter
• Customer support can be slow according to user reviews
• Some users report deliverability issues
• Advanced features require Standard plan or higher

Verdict

Brevo is excellent if you have a large contact list but don't need to email them constantly. The email-based pricing model saves serious money. Just budget for the logo removal fee if you're on Starter. Check out our full Brevo pricing breakdown and Brevo review for more details.

ActiveCampaign Review: Automation Powerhouse

If you need serious marketing automation, ActiveCampaign is the gold standard. It's not the cheapest, but the automation builder is legitimately best-in-class.

ActiveCampaign Pricing Breakdown

ActiveCampaign doesn't offer a free plan—only a 14-day trial. The Starter plan begins at $19/month for 1,000 contacts. Plus starts at $49/month, and Pro jumps to $79/month for 1,000 contacts. At 10,000 contacts, you're looking at $125+ on Starter alone.

Prices scale aggressively with contact count. This is where ActiveCampaign gets expensive fast.

What's Good About ActiveCampaign

• Best-in-class automation builder
• Excellent segmentation capabilities
• Built-in CRM (with sales pipeline on higher plans)
• Site tracking and behavioral targeting
• Predictive sending and content features on higher tiers
• Free migration service from other platforms

What Sucks About ActiveCampaign

• No free plan
• Prices jump significantly as your list grows
• Learning curve for the automation features
• CRM features require paid add-ons ($68-111/month)
• SMS is a separate add-on starting at ~$17/month
• Live chat support isn't 24/7

Verdict

ActiveCampaign is worth it if you'll actually use the automation features. If you just need to send newsletters, you're overpaying. It's ideal for ecommerce, SaaS, and B2B companies running complex email sequences.

AWeber Review: Simple But Showing Its Age

AWeber has been around since 1998—one of the OGs of email marketing. It's reliable and straightforward, but it's starting to feel dated compared to newer competitors.

AWeber Pricing Breakdown

AWeber offers three paid tiers: Lite starts at $15/month for 500 subscribers, while Plus offers enhanced features for growing businesses. The free plan covers up to 500 subscribers with 3,000 emails per month. However, in December 2024, AWeber increased prices by 50-150% and eliminated grandfathered pricing, frustrating many long-time users.

What's Good About AWeber

• Very easy to use, minimal learning curve
• Solid deliverability track record
• Good customer support (phone, email, chat)
• RSS-to-email for bloggers
• Most features available on all paid plans

What Sucks About AWeber

• Recent price increases upset the user base
• Automation is basic compared to competitors
• Interface feels outdated
• Limited segmentation options
• Template designs look dated
• Costs can add up for larger lists

Verdict

AWeber is fine for basic email marketing—newsletters, simple autoresponders, that kind of thing. But the recent price hikes make it harder to recommend when alternatives like MailerLite offer more for less. Read our AWeber pricing guide for the full breakdown.

Try AWeber free for up to 500 subscribers →

MailerLite Review: Best Free Plan Available

MailerLite has one of the most generous free plans in email marketing. It's become the go-to recommendation for solopreneurs and small businesses on tight budgets.

MailerLite Pricing Breakdown

The Forever Free plan includes 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. That's actually usable, unlike Mailchimp's gutted free tier. Paid plans start at around $10/month for 500 subscribers when you need features like the landing page builder or selling digital products.

What's Good About MailerLite

• Generous free plan that actually works
• Clean, modern interface
• Landing page and website builder included
• Automation on free plan (limited)
• Pop-up forms and signup boxes

What Sucks About MailerLite

• Free plan has MailerLite branding
• Approval process for new accounts can reject some businesses
• No spam testing or design preview across email clients
• Limited advanced features compared to premium tools

Verdict

MailerLite is perfect for bootstrapped businesses that need solid email marketing without the price tag. The free plan punches well above its weight.

Moosend Review: All Features, One Price

Moosend takes a refreshing approach: all features are available on a single paid plan. You pay more as your list grows, but you never hit feature walls.

Moosend Pricing Breakdown

Moosend's Pro plan starts at $7/month for 500 contacts with unlimited emails. There's no free plan, but they offer a 30-day free trial. What sets Moosend apart is that all Pro features—automation, landing pages, transactional emails—are available at every tier.

What's Good About Moosend

• All features on one plan (no upselling)
• Very affordable entry point
• Unlimited emails
• Strong automation capabilities
• Good for affiliate marketers (allowed on platform)

What Sucks About Moosend

• No free plan
• Smaller template library
• Less brand recognition
• Fewer integrations than major players

Verdict

Moosend is an excellent choice if you want powerful features without playing the pricing tier game. It's particularly good for affiliate marketers who get rejected by other platforms.

Which Email Marketing Software Should You Choose?

Here's my honest recommendation based on different situations:

For Absolute Beginners (Under 500 Subscribers)

Go with MailerLite. The free plan is genuinely useful, and you won't outgrow it immediately. Mailchimp's free plan is too limited now.

For Growing Small Businesses

Brevo is your best bet. The unlimited contacts model means your costs stay predictable as you grow. Just factor in logo removal if brand matters to you.

For Ecommerce and Complex Automation

ActiveCampaign is worth the premium. The automation builder alone justifies the cost if you're running abandoned cart sequences, complex nurture flows, or need CRM integration.

For Simple Newsletter Needs

MailerLite or Moosend. Don't overpay for features you won't use. Both get the job done at a fraction of what Mailchimp charges.

For Tight Budgets with Large Lists

Brevo's email-based pricing wins. Store 100,000 contacts and only pay when you actually send. No other mainstream platform offers this.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Before you commit to any platform, watch out for these sneaky charges:

• Logo removal fees: Brevo and others charge extra to remove their branding
• Overage charges: Going over your contact or send limit triggers automatic upgrades
• SMS add-ons: Multi-channel features usually cost extra
• CRM/Sales tools: Often separate products with separate pricing
• Landing pages: Sometimes locked behind higher tiers
• Dedicated IPs: Typically $200+/year for serious senders

Final Thoughts

Email marketing software is a competitive market, which is good news for buyers. Prices have come down while features have improved. The key is matching your actual needs to the right tool.

Don't pay for automation you'll never build. Don't pay per contact if you rarely email your list. And definitely don't assume the biggest name is the best value—it usually isn't.

Start with free trials, test the interfaces yourself, and pick the tool that fits how you actually work. For most small businesses in our experience, that's either MailerLite (free/cheap) or Brevo (best value). ActiveCampaign if you need the power; skip everything else unless you have a specific reason.

For more guidance on email marketing strategy, check out our guide on email marketing for small business and our roundup of the best email marketing software.