Best Email Automation Software
Only the platforms that fit "best email automation software", tested with the same list and the same campaigns to seed inboxes.
Last Updated: Sep 2026Suggested email marketing software for you
KKit (formerly ConvertKit)
Good
8.3
Free up to 10,000 subscribers — the most generou...Learn More
KKlaviyo
Good
8.3
Abandoned-cart flow built from templates in minu...Learn More
for automation
Email marketing softwareMailchimp alternativesFree email marketing toolsNewsletter platformsEmail marketing for small businessEmail marketing for ecommerceCheapest Email Marketing at 5,000 Contacts
1
MailerLite (Growing Business) - The best inbox placement in our test, a clean editor, real automation and landing pages — at a third of Mailchimp's price Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- 97% inbox placement — best here
- $39 at 5,000 contacts with automation and unlimited emails
- Landing pages, forms and a site builder included
Excellent
9.0
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$0 · checked Sep 11
39 USD/mo
Yes, 1,000 subscribers
2
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) (Creator) - Built for people who publish: tags instead of lists, a visual automation builder, paid newsletters and a creator network that grows your list Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Free up to 10,000 subscribers — the most generous free tier here
- Tag-based subscriber model suits creators
- Sell products and paid newsletters without another tool
Good
8.3
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$0 · checked Sep 11
79 USD/mo
Yes, 10,000 subscribers (Newsletter plan)
3
Klaviyo (Email) - The ecommerce platform: every Shopify order, browse and cart in every profile, predictive analytics and the flows that make store email pay Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Abandoned-cart flow built from templates in minutes with product data already there
- Predicted next-order date and lifetime value on every profile
- 96% inbox placement
Good
8.3
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$0 · checked Sep 11
100 USD/mo
Yes, 250 contacts
4
ActiveCampaign (Plus) - The deepest automation builder in the test — conditions, splits, goals, lead scoring, a CRM — for businesses whose email is a sales process Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Our re-engagement flow with scoring and branching was only fully possible here
- CRM with pipelines on Plus
- Site tracking and conditional content
Good
8.1
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$79 · checked Sep 11
79 USD/mo
No (14-day trial)
5
Mailchimp (Standard) - The most integrations, the most templates and the name everyone knows — now priced like a premium product with a shrunken free tier Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Integrates with everything — QuickBooks, Shopify, Canva, Salesforce
- Largest template library; generative AI writing
- Customer journeys are flexible on Standard
Fair
7.8
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$0 · checked Sep 11
100 USD/mo
Yes, 500 contacts (limited)
Frequently asked questions about email marketing software
Which platform lands in the inbox most?
On our seed test MailerLite, Kit and Klaviyo placed 96–97% of sends in the inbox; Mailchimp and Brevo 94%; ActiveCampaign 93%; Beehiiv 92%. Differences this small mostly come from your own list hygiene and authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), which every platform here walks you through.
How much should I pay at 5,000 contacts?
From $0 (Beehiiv, up to 2,500 free, then $39) to about $100 (Klaviyo) a month. Mailchimp Standard is about $100 at this size; MailerLite about $39; Kit about $79; Brevo prices by emails sent, not contacts, so a small list that mails often pays less.
Newsletter tool or marketing platform?
Creators who write a newsletter and sell a few things: Kit or Beehiiv. Stores: Klaviyo, which knows what each subscriber bought. Everyone else — services, nonprofits, B2B — Mailchimp, MailerLite, Brevo or ActiveCampaign depending on how much automation you want.
How do you test email platforms?
The same 5,000-contact opt-in list is imported into each platform with the same custom fields. We send four campaigns to 40 seed addresses across four providers and record inbox, promotions-tab and spam placement. We build a welcome series, an abandoned-cart flow and a re-engagement flow in each, time a first campaign, and price the plan at 5,000 contacts with automation.
*Scores: Deliverability 25 · Editor & automation 25 · Segmentation & data 15 · Ease of use 15 · Value 20; score = Σ ÷ 10, ties break on the earlier test date. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.
#1 MailerLite9.0 · $0
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