Best Email Marketing for Small Business

What separates the best email marketing for small business picks?

Four platforms made the cut, and the gap between them is mostly about what you're paying for. MailerLite scores 9 and lands 97% of mail in the inbox in our test — the best here — at $39 for 5,000 contacts with automation and unlimited emails. Brevo scores 8.3 and charges by emails sent, not contacts: 5,000 contacts mailed four times a month costs $25, and transactional email, SMS and a CRM sit in the same account. ActiveCampaign scores 8.1 at $79, with the deepest automation builder in the test — conditions, splits, goals, lead scoring — but 93% inbox placement, the lowest here. Mailchimp scores 7.8 at $100 on Standard, with the largest template library and integrations into QuickBooks, Shopify, Canva and Salesforce.

What should I check before buying?

Our scoring weights deliverability and editor/automation at 25 each, value at 20, segmentation and ease of use at 15 each. Read your own list against that.

• Deliverability first. MailerLite's 97% and ActiveCampaign's 93% are the two ends of this test. If your list is cold or you send often, that gap matters more than any feature.
• How you're billed. Brevo prices by emails sent, so a big, quiet list costs almost nothing. MailerLite and Mailchimp price by contacts.
• Automation depth. ActiveCampaign's re-engagement flow with scoring and branching was only fully possible there. Brevo's automation needs the $65 Business plan; Mailchimp limits automation on Essentials.
• Segmentation. MailerLite's segmentation is simpler than Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign — fine for a small list, tight if you split by behaviour.
• Setup friction. MailerLite's approval process for new accounts takes a day. Plan around it if you're migrating this week.

MailerLite — for most small businesses

Best inbox placement here, a clean editor, landing pages, forms and a site builder included, at $39 for 5,000 contacts. Pick it if you want one tool that sends well and doesn't need a consultant.

Brevo — for big lists you mail rarely

If you have 5,000 contacts and mail four times a month, $25 covers it, with transactional email, SMS, a CRM and meetings in the same account. The editor is competent, not inspiring.

ActiveCampaign — for email as a sales process

Conditions, splits, goals, lead scoring and a CRM with pipelines on Plus. No free plan, and annual billing gets you the $79 price.

Mailchimp — for integrations and templates

QuickBooks, Shopify, Canva, Salesforce, the largest template library and generative AI writing. The free plan is cut to 500 contacts with branding.

For most small businesses, MailerLite at $39 for 5,000 contacts with 97% inbox placement is the pick. Brevo suits a large list you mail rarely, at $25 for 5,000 contacts mailed four times a month. ActiveCampaign is for email that runs a sales process, and Mailchimp is for the integrations and template library.