The best email marketing software in 2026, ranked

The easiest tool to learn and the best value for small, simple lists. Paid plans start at $12 a month priced by subscriber, the free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, and automation is on every plan. There is no built-in CRM or SMS, and transactional email is a separate product, MailerSend.

Best for: Creators and small businesses who want a clean, approachable tool over sheer breadth.

The best all-round pick and the strongest free plan here: 300 emails a day against up to 100,000 stored contacts, because Brevo bills by emails sent, not contacts stored. Paid plans start at $9 a month, transactional email is included on every tier, and SMS and a CRM sit on the same bill. The cheapest paid tiers do cap contacts at 500 to 2,500.

Best for: Small businesses that want email, SMS, a CRM and transactional email on one bill.

The pick when automation depth decides it: branching workflows and a CRM a class above the others here. Paid plans start at $15 a month billed annually, but Starter caps automations at five actions, so most buyers need Plus at $49. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and new accounts are billed for every contact, including unsubscribes.

Best for: Teams whose results hinge on advanced, behaviour-driven automation.

The all-in-one value option, and the only one here with webinars and courses built in. Paid plans start at $19 a month ($15.58 billed annually) with unlimited sends on every paid tier. There is no permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial, and transactional email is limited to the Enterprise plan.

Best for: Small teams who sell through webinars or courses and want them in one platform.