Paid Choosing the right email marketing software depends on your needs and budget. Many providers offer both free and paid plans, each with distinct limitations and benefits. Free plans let beginners start at no cost but usually cap subscriber count or emails sent, and often restrict advanced features. Paid plans unlock robust tools but require an investment. Below, we compare the two approaches and highlight some popular options.
Free Email Marketing Tools Free email services are great for startups or small lists, but they come with caveats. Generally, free plans limit the number of contacts or sends, and may include the provider’s branding in emails . Advanced features like complex automations, detailed analytics, or A/B testing are often locked behind paid tiers . In short, you “get what you pay for”: free plans cover basics, while richer functionality requires upgrade.
Some notable free plans include
MailerLite (Free): Up to 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month for free . The free tier surprisingly includes features like simple automation and signup forms, making it good for small businesses getting started. (Paid MailerLite plans start at about \$9/mo for more subscribers and unlimited emails.) Brevo / Sendinblue (Free): Allows unlimited contacts but only 9,000 emails per month (300 per day) on the free plan . Includes basic segmentation and marketing automation.
The trade-off is daily send limits and Brevo branding in free emails. Mailchimp (Free): Offers up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails/month on its free tier . However , many automations and advanced reports are disabled unless you upgrade. It’s easy to use but quite HubSpot CRM & Email (Free): Provides a built-in CRM with email marketing for up to 2,000 emails/ month . This is generous in send volume (no contact limits) but emails include HubSpot logos.
For ambitious growth, teams usually move to paid HubSpot plans for more power . Omnisend (Free): Up to 500 subscribers and 15,000 emails (2,000/day) free. Good for e-commerce businesses launching campaigns. Paid Omnisend tiers remove daily limits and branding. Others: Many tools like MailerSend, Zoho Campaigns, Mailjet, AWeber , and Moosend also have free tiers for small lists. Each one varies in contact limits, daily sends, and features, so compare carefully.17
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Paid Email Marketing Tools Paid plans unlock the full feature set of a platform, enabling serious email marketers to scale. Paid tiers
generally offer
Higher Volume: No send caps and higher subscriber allowances. Automation & Workflows: Advanced autoresponders, event-triggered emails, and branching logic. Segmentation & Personalization: Richer audience filters, dynamic content, and multi-list management. Analytics & Testing: Detailed reports, spam-test tools, A/B testing for subject lines and content. Support & Deliverability: Improved deliverability infrastructure, dedicated IPs (sometimes), and customer support.
Popular paid email platforms include
ActiveCampaign: Starts around \$15–\$20/mo for 1,000 contacts, and includes powerful automation, CRM integration, advanced segmentation, and email/send-time optimization. It’s widely recommended for businesses that need sophisticated workflows . ConvertKit: While it has a small free tier (up to 300 subscribers), its paid plans focus on bloggers/ creators and start roughly at \$15/mo. Known for automation and subscriber tagging but fewer e- commerce features.
Klaviyo: Favored by e-commerce; pricing scales with list size. It has robust predictive analytics (like churn and CLV) but can be costly. No free tier beyond a few hundred contacts. Constant Contact: Beginner-friendly interface with promotional email templates and event marketing tools. Plans start around \$20/mo (for up to ~500–1,000 contacts). Good deliverability and live support. HubSpot (Paid): At the enterprise level, HubSpot offers a full marketing suite with advanced email, workflows, and CRM.
It’s powerful but can be expensive once you exceed the free limits. GetResponse, Aweber, Moosend: These all have paid plans under \$30/mo for a few thousand contacts, offering automation, landing pages, and extensive analytics. Free vs Paid: Pros and Cons Free Plan Pros: No upfront cost; easy entry to test email marketing. Good for very small lists and basic newsletters. Instant access with minimal commitment.
Free Plan Cons: Strict limits on sends/contacts; often no automation/segmentation; provider branding; limited support; may not grow with you. Paid Plan Pros: Full access to features (automation, A/B testing, etc.); high sending limits; no ads/ branding; usually better deliverability; more robust analytics and customer support.•
Paid Plan Cons: Ongoing cost (which can rise with list size); potential complexity of advanced features; may require migration later if you scale. Which to choose? If your subscriber list is small and you’re experimenting, a free tool (e.g. MailerLite, Brevo) can be sufficient at first. Track your needs: if you hit limits or need advanced segmentation/automation, it’s time to upgrade. Many growing businesses find paid plans pay off through better engagement and sales.
For example, ActiveCampaign is frequently recommended when serious automation is needed, while Mailchimp’s paid tiers are simpler but more limited . Always weigh the ROI: investing in a paid plan can dramatically improve open rates, conversions, and time savings if it enables more targeted campaigns. As one review notes, “most free services restrict features” and if you need robust automation and analytics, “open your wallet” .