Email marketing software
We put 9 email marketing software tools through the same test. MailerLite came out on top with 5 out of 5. Here are all the results, what each tool costs and how we test them.
Email marketing software we tested
Best score first. Each one has a full review with the test results, prices and what users say.
MailerLite
5/5Read our review →
Mailchimp
4.5/5Read our review →
Constant Contact
4/5Read our review →
Brevo
4/5Read our review →
Campaign Monitor
3/5Read our review →
Flodesk
2.5/5Read our review →
Mailmeteor
2.5/5Read our review →
Moosend
2/5Read our review →
GetResponse
2/5Read our review →Test results compared
Every tool got the same test, between October 19, 2026 to October 25, 2026.
| Tool | Score | Inbox placement: inbox, promotions or spam per provider | Time to build the campaign and automation | Template and editor quality on desktop and phone | Deliverability features (authentication setup, warm-up, list cleaning) | Price at 1,000 and 10,000 contacts or messages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | 5/5 | Inbox 233/240; promo 4; spam 3 | 45 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 19/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 8/8 | – |
| Mailchimp | 4.5/5 | Inbox 211/240; promo 17; spam 12 | 38 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 18/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 7/8 | – |
| Constant Contact | 4/5 | Inbox 215/240; promo 15; spam 10 | 59 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 19/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 7/8 | – |
| Brevo | 4/5 | Inbox 204/240; promo 22; spam 14 | 62 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 17/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 7/8 | – |
| Campaign Monitor | 3/5 | Inbox 164/240; promo 46; spam 30 | 83 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 13/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 5/8 | – |
| Flodesk | 2.5/5 | Inbox 166/240; promo 44; spam 30 | 87 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 11/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 5/8 | – |
| Mailmeteor | 2.5/5 | Inbox 153/240; promo 52; spam 35 | 94 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 12/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 5/8 | – |
| Moosend | 2/5 | Inbox 139/240; promo 61; spam 40 | 101 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 11/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 5/8 | – |
| GetResponse | 2/5 | Inbox 139/240; promo 61; spam 40 | 102 min/campaign build | Desktop/mobile checks 11/20 | Delivery/auth/control checks 5/8 | – |
Want just the shortlist?
Our best-of list ranks every tool in this test, with what each one is best for.
What email marketing software do
Email marketing software lets you collect subscribers, design emails, send campaigns and automated sequences, and measure opens, clicks and sales. Most tools now also add landing pages, forms, SMS and basic CRM features, and increasingly AI drafting and segmentation.
Who uses them: Small businesses and local shops, Online stores sending promotions and cart emails, Creators and newsletter writers, Nonprofits and event organisers, Agencies managing client lists.
Price range: Permanent free plans exist at Brevo (up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails a day), MailerLite (250 subscribers), Mailchimp (250 contacts), Flodesk and Mailmeteor; Constant Contact, Moosend and Campaign Monitor have trials only. Entry paid prices run from about 5.99 USD (Mailmeteor Starter) and 9 USD (Brevo Starter, Moosend Pro monthly 16) to 12 to 20 USD for the main tools (Constant Contact Lite 12, Mailchimp Essentials 13, Campaign Monitor Lite 13, GetResponse Starter 16 monthly, MailerLite Comfort 19, Flodesk Lite 25) at about 500 contacts. Costs rise steeply with list size: at 10,000 contacts Constant Contact Lite is 120 and Mailchimp Standard 135 USD a month, while Premium tiers start at 80 (Constant Contact), 350 (Mailchimp) and 499 (Brevo Professional).
What to check before you buy
Pricing model and cost at scale. Mailchimp and Constant Contact price by contacts and climb fast (Mailchimp Premium is 350 USD at 5,001 to 10,000 contacts); Brevo prices mainly by send volume; Moosend Pro is unlimited sends.
Free plan limits. Brevo free allows up to 100,000 contacts at 300 emails a day, MailerLite 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails, Mailchimp 250 contacts and 500 sends with no automation; Constant Contact, Moosend and Campaign Monitor offer trials only.
Automation depth. Check multi-step journeys and triggers on the plan you would buy; Constant Contact limits Lite and Standard to template automations and Mailchimp free has none.
Deliverability and authentication. Look for SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup, shared versus dedicated IPs and anti-spam enforcement; reviewers weigh inbox placement alongside price.
Support. Constant Contact includes phone support on all plans; Mailchimp offers phone only on Premium and email support for 30 days on Free.
How we test email marketing software
The test for this category: Welcome flow, newsletter and abandoned-cart flow to seed inboxes; inbox placement and build time.
The same campaign is built in every tool: a welcome sequence, one newsletter and one abandoned-cart flow, sent to a seed list of test inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud). Cold-email and warm-up tools run new domains for 30 days.
Each tool is tested on a paid plan, and its review shows the plan, the price and the test dates. The overall score is the average of the five parts on the right, rounded to the nearest half star. See the full method for email, SMS and push messaging tools.
What we measure
- Inbox placement: inbox, promotions or spam per provider
- Time to build the campaign and automation
- Template and editor quality on desktop and phone
- Deliverability features (authentication setup, warm-up, list cleaning)
- Price at 1,000 and 10,000 contacts or messages
The five parts of the score
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free email marketing software?
Brevo allows up to 100,000 contacts at 300 emails a day; MailerLite gives 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails with 3 automations; Mailchimp free is 250 contacts and 500 sends with no automation; Kit and Sender offer larger free lists per a 2026 roundup.
How much does email marketing software cost?
Paid plans start at about 6 to 20 USD a month for around 500 contacts and rise with list size; Mailchimp Premium is 350 USD from 5,001 contacts.
Is Mailchimp still worth it?
It has 300+ integrations and large review bases (G2 4.3, Capterra 4.5) but a 2.5 Trustpilot score, a 250-contact free plan and no refunds; compare with Brevo and MailerLite.
Do I pay for unsubscribed contacts?
Constant Contact is reported not to count unsubscribed contacts.
What is the difference between pricing by contacts and by sends?
Mailchimp and Constant Contact charge by contact count; Brevo mainly by send volume; Moosend Pro and Campaign Monitor Essentials allow unlimited sends.
More in email marketing
Page updated November 4, 2026.
Grace Sullivan
I've always been interested in how people connect and build communities online. When exploring a new service, I pay attention to usability, transparency, pricing, and whether its advertised features make sense in everyday situations.
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