The Best Email Marketing Software, Services and Platforms in 2026

What is the best email marketing software in 2026?

There is no single best email marketing software for everyone: the right choice depends on the size of your list, how often you send and where your data needs to be hosted. For a small list, a free plan such as Brevo's, Mailjet's or Zoho Campaigns' is often enough. For a large list you email only occasionally, a tool billed per email sent costs less than one billed per contact. And if GDPR compliance is your priority, data hosting matters as much as price.

We compared 10 email marketing tools on the criteria that really make a difference: free plan, first paid plan, billing model and the vendor's country of origin.

Key takeaways

• Brevo, Mailjet and Zoho Campaigns have the most generous free plans in terms of email volume.
• Mailchimp, MailerLite, Klaviyo and GetResponse bill by number of contacts: the price rises with your list, even if you rarely send.
• Brevo, Mailjet and Mailpro bill by the volume of emails sent.
• If you want your data hosted outside the United States, look at European and Swiss vendors: Brevo, Mailjet, GetResponse and Mailpro.

Email marketing software comparison table

Prices checked on 19 October 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page, monthly billing unless stated. Prices vary by currency, country and volume: check them before you choose.

Best email marketing platform for each need

If you only want the short answer, start here. Each pick is based on the free plans, prices and features in the table above.

Is your list large but you only email once or twice a month? With Mailpro you pay for the emails you send, not for the contacts you store — see Mailpro pricing.

The 10 email marketing tools in detail

1. Mailpro: Swiss email marketing software billed per send

Mailpro is email marketing software hosted in Switzerland since 2001 and built for the GDPR from the start. It brings newsletters, automated emails, SMS, forms and surveys together in one account. What sets it apart: it bills per email sent, not per contact, which makes it economical for large lists that receive only one or two emails a month.

• Strengths: Swiss hosting, billing per send, SMS and forms included, multilingual support.
• Good to know: fewer e-commerce integrations than specialised US tools.
• Best for: SMEs, associations, public bodies and businesses that care about data protection.

Discover Mailpro email marketing software and our comparison of Mailpro with Mailchimp, Brevo and others.

2. Brevo: the French email marketing leader

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is the best-known French email marketing platform. Its free plan lets you send 300 emails a day, and its paid plans are based on email volume rather than number of contacts.

• Strengths: a useful free plan, email, SMS and transactional email on one platform.
• Good to know: the Brevo logo stays in your emails on the entry plans unless you pay for the add-on.
• Best for: small businesses that want to start for free.

3. Mailjet: simple and built for teamwork

Mailjet, founded in France and now part of the Sinch group, offers a free plan of 6,000 emails a month and a collaborative editor. It is also widely used for transactional email through its API and SMTP relay.

• Strengths: generous free plan, API and SMTP included, real-time collaboration.
• Good to know: the free plan is capped at 200 emails a day and 1,000 contacts.
• Best for: marketing teams and developers sharing one tool.

4. Mailchimp: the American benchmark

Mailchimp is the best-known tool in the world, with a very large catalogue of integrations. Its pricing is based on number of contacts, which can get expensive as your list grows.

• Strengths: many integrations, automation tools, brand recognition.
• Good to know: the free plan is for very small lists only; data is hosted in the United States.
• Best for: online stores that already use tools connected to Mailchimp.

5. MailerLite: simplicity at a low price

MailerLite stands out for its clean interface, with landing pages and automations included even on small plans. The free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month.

• Strengths: quick to learn, good value for money.
• Good to know: prices shown in US dollars, billed by number of subscribers.
• Best for: creators, freelancers and small businesses.

6. HubSpot: email marketing inside a CRM

HubSpot offers email marketing as part of its CRM and marketing suite. It is a logical choice if you already use its CRM, but a big investment if all you need is a newsletter.

• Strengths: native CRM, sales and marketing tracked in one place.
• Good to know: the full plans cost considerably more than dedicated email tools.
• Best for: B2B sales and marketing teams already on HubSpot.

7. Klaviyo: the e-commerce specialist

Klaviyo is built for online stores: purchase-based segmentation, abandoned-cart reminders and product recommendations. The free plan covers 250 profiles and 500 emails a month.

• Strengths: deep e-commerce integrations, sales-focused automations.
• Good to know: the price rises quickly with the number of profiles.
• Best for: Shopify stores and growing online retailers.

8. GetResponse: email marketing and automation for SMEs

GetResponse, a Polish vendor, combines email marketing, automation and webinar tools. It has no permanent free plan but offers a 14-day trial; the first plan starts at $19 a month for 1,000 contacts.

• Strengths: unlimited sends on paid plans, automations, webinars.
• Good to know: prices shown in US dollars, billed by number of contacts.
• Best for: SMEs that want email and automation in the same tool.

9. Zoho Campaigns: the budget option

Zoho Campaigns is part of the Zoho suite. Its free plan goes up to 2,000 contacts and 6,000 emails a month, and its paid plans are among the cheapest on the market.

• Strengths: low prices, integration with other Zoho tools.
• Good to know: the interface is less intuitive than the market leaders'.
• Best for: businesses that already use Zoho CRM.

10. ActiveCampaign: advanced automation

ActiveCampaign is known for very advanced automation workflows and a built-in CRM. It is a powerful tool, but harder to learn than a classic newsletter tool.

• Strengths: advanced automations, contact scoring.
• Good to know: billed by number of contacts, steeper learning curve.
• Best for: marketing teams building complex customer journeys.

How do you choose email marketing software?

Six criteria separate most email marketing tools:

1. Billing model. Per contact or per send: this is often what makes the biggest price difference over a year.
2. Data hosting. For the GDPR, a European or Swiss vendor makes compliance simpler. Our guide to the best GDPR-compliant email marketing software covers this in detail.
3. Deliverability. Check that the tool lets you authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and manages the reputation of its IPs.
4. Automation. Welcome emails, birthdays, reminders: look at what is included in the plan you are considering, not only in the most expensive one. See Mailpro automated emails.
5. Extra channels. SMS, forms and surveys in the same account save you extra subscriptions. See SMS sending with Mailpro.
6. Support. Fast support in your language matters a lot the day a campaign gets stuck.

Billing per contact or per send: which costs less?

It depends on the ratio between the size of your list and the number of emails you send. Take an association with 20,000 contacts that sends one newsletter a month, which is 20,000 emails a month. With a tool billed per contact, it pays for 20,000 contacts every month, even when it sends nothing. With a tool billed per send, it pays only for the emails it actually sends.

On the other hand, a shop that emails a small list several times a week may be better off with per-contact billing. Run the numbers over a year with your own figures before you choose.

Frequently asked questions about email marketing software

What is the best free email marketing software?

By email volume, Mailjet (6,000 a month), Zoho Campaigns (6,000 a month for up to 2,000 contacts) and Brevo (300 a day) offer the most generous free plans. Free plans do have limits, though: the vendor's logo, number of contacts or reduced features. See also our selection of free newsletter software.

Which email marketing software is European?

Brevo and Mailjet were founded in France, GetResponse in Poland and MailerLite in Lithuania. Mailpro is a Swiss vendor with its data hosted in Switzerland.

What is the difference between email marketing software and a CRM?

Email marketing software is used to create, send and track email campaigns. A CRM centralises the history of your relationship with each customer, including sales. Some tools, such as HubSpot, combine both; others connect to your existing CRM.

Is email marketing software GDPR compliant?

Not automatically. You need to check where the data is hosted, whether the vendor signs a data processing agreement (DPA) and how it handles consent and unsubscribes. Mailpro is hosted in Switzerland and built for the GDPR from the start.

How much does email marketing software cost?

The first paid plans in this comparison range from about $3 to $19 a month for a small list, and the price rises with the number of contacts or emails. The billing model matters as much as the price shown: compare over a year with your own volume.

Related guides: best bulk email software and how to choose the best email marketing software for your business.

What is the best email marketing service for small businesses?

For most small businesses, the best email marketing service is one with a usable free plan or a low first plan and simple tools: Brevo, MailerLite and Mailjet are common choices. If your list is large but you send rarely, a service billed per send, such as Mailpro, usually costs less over a year.

Which email marketing provider is the cheapest?

On paid plans, Zoho Campaigns has the lowest entry price in this comparison ($3 a month billed yearly for 500 contacts). Free plans from Mailjet, Zoho Campaigns and Brevo cost nothing within their limits. Over a year, the cheapest provider depends on your list size and how often you send.

What are the biggest email marketing companies?

Mailchimp, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Brevo and ActiveCampaign are among the most widely used email marketing companies. Size is not the same as fit, though: compare billing model, data hosting and support for your own situation.