Best Email Marketing Platforms 2026

Mailchimp remains the most recognizable name in email marketing for good reason. Its intuitive drag-and-drop email builder makes creating professional campaigns effortless, even for complete beginners. The built-in CRM lets you manage contacts without a separate tool, while the AI content generator helps craft subject lines and body copy that actually convert. A/B testing is baked into every plan, letting you optimize send times, subject lines, and content variations with real data.

Predictive analytics powered by machine learning surface insights about which subscribers are most likely to purchase, churn, or engage, so you can target the right people at the right time. With 300+ integrations spanning e-commerce platforms, CRMs, social media, and more, Mailchimp plugs into virtually any tech stack. The free tier supports up to 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly sends, making it a solid starting point for new businesses.

ConvertKit (recently rebranded as Kit) is purpose-built for creators -- bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, and anyone selling digital products. Its visual automation builder lets you map out complex email sequences with drag-and-drop simplicity, while a flexible tag-based subscriber management system replaces rigid list segmentation with dynamic, behavior-driven tagging.

The platform doubles as a lightweight commerce engine, letting you sell digital products, paid newsletters, and subscriptions directly from your email campaigns. The Creator Network feature connects you with other creators for cross-promotion, helping you grow your audience organically. Perhaps most impressively, ConvertKit offers a free tier supporting up to 10,000 subscribers, making it by far the most generous free plan in the space.

ActiveCampaign is the undisputed automation powerhouse in email marketing. Its visual automation builder goes far beyond simple drip sequences, supporting conditional logic, split actions, goal tracking, and multi-channel workflows that span email, SMS, site messaging, and even Facebook Custom Audiences. The built-in CRM with lead scoring eliminates the need for a separate sales tool, making it ideal for businesses where marketing and sales need to work in lockstep.

With 900+ integrations and machine-learning-powered send-time optimization, ActiveCampaign ensures your emails land in inboxes at the exact moment each subscriber is most likely to open them. Conditional content blocks let you personalize individual sections within a single email based on subscriber data, and the platform consistently ranks among the highest in independent deliverability tests.

Brevo stands out by charging based on email volume rather than subscriber count, making it one of the most affordable options for businesses with large lists but moderate send frequency. Its transactional email engine is best-in-class, handling order confirmations, password resets, and shipping notifications alongside your marketing campaigns in a single platform. The free tier includes 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts, SMS marketing, and a basic CRM -- an unusually generous package for a no-cost plan.

Klaviyo is built from the ground up for e-commerce businesses, offering deep native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento. Its predictive analytics engine forecasts customer lifetime value, churn risk, and optimal discount amounts, letting you create hyper-targeted segments based on purchase behavior, browsing history, and predicted future activity. Pre-built automation flows for abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups, win-back campaigns, and product reviews mean you can have a sophisticated email program running within hours of connecting your store.

MailerLite punches well above its price point, offering a clean, distraction-free interface with all the essential features most small businesses need. The free plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails, and includes the drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, pop-ups, and basic automation. Paid plans start at just $10/mo and unlock advanced features like auto-resend campaigns, A/B testing, and the ability to remove MailerLite branding. It is an excellent choice for budget-conscious businesses that want professional results without enterprise complexity.

AWeber is one of the original email marketing platforms, and its decades of experience show in rock-solid deliverability and a library of 700+ email templates. The free plan includes up to 500 subscribers, landing pages, sign-up forms, and basic automation. AWeber excels at simplicity -- if you need straightforward newsletters and autoresponders without a learning curve, it delivers reliably. The Canva integration lets you design graphics directly within the email builder, and 24/7 live support (even on free plans) sets it apart from most competitors.

GetResponse differentiates itself with a built-in webinar platform, making it the only email marketing tool where you can host live and on-demand webinars, collect registrations via email, and follow up with attendees automatically -- all without third-party integrations. Beyond webinars, it offers a solid suite of conversion funnels, landing pages, paid ad management, and an AI-powered website builder. The free plan supports up to 500 contacts and includes basic email marketing, one landing page, and sign-up forms.

Constant Contact shines for organizations that rely on events -- nonprofits, local businesses, and community groups. Its built-in event management tools handle registration, ticketing, invitations, and RSVP tracking directly within your email campaigns. The social media posting and ad management features round out its offering as a multi-channel marketing hub for small businesses. While it lacks a free tier, the starting price of $12/mo includes phone support, which is increasingly rare in the industry.

Drip is a specialized e-commerce CRM that goes beyond basic email marketing with advanced revenue attribution, detailed customer behavior tracking, and pre-built automation playbooks designed specifically for online stores. Its visual workflow builder rivals ActiveCampaign in power, and deep Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integrations make setup straightforward. The higher starting price of $39/mo (for up to 2,500 contacts) reflects its premium positioning, but businesses that rely heavily on e-commerce email revenue often find the investment pays for itself through improved conversion rates and customer retention.