Email marketing tools compared
What email marketing does
An email marketing tool collects people who give you their email address and lets you send them messages later — broadcasts (one-time updates), automated sequences (a series of emails triggered by a signup), and transactional emails (order confirmations, password resets). It's the most reliable way to reach the people who already raised their hand for what you do.
Unlike social media followers, your email list is yours. If a social platform changes its algorithm tomorrow, your reach disappears. Your email list goes with you wherever you go.
Why a new small business needs an email list
- It's the only marketing channel you fully own.
- Email subscribers convert into customers at higher rates than social media followers.
- You can talk directly to people who already trust you, instead of paying to reach strangers.
- If you eventually launch a paid product, your list is the first audience you sell to.
- Even a small list (a few hundred people) can support a real business if those people are the right fit.
What to compare before choosing
- Deliverability
- The most important number nobody advertises clearly. If your emails land in the spam folder, the rest of the features don't matter. Older, more established tools tend to have stronger deliverability reputations.
- Free tier limits
- How many subscribers and how many sends per month before you have to pay. MailerLite's free tier is the most generous; Kit and Brevo also offer real free tiers.
- Pricing as the list grows
- The price jumps at specific subscriber thresholds (often 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000). Look at the pricing page for where you expect to be in 12 months, not where you are today.
- Editor and templates
- Will you actually want to write in this editor every week? Drag-and-drop tools are easier; markdown-style or plain-text editors feel less constraining for writers.
- Automations
- Triggered sequences (welcome series, course delivery, cart abandonment). The cheapest plans usually have basic automations; advanced automation is a paid-tier feature on most tools.
- Integrations
- Does the tool connect cleanly to your website, your payment processor, your course platform? Native integrations are smoother than Zapier-mediated ones.
- Specialization
- Different tools are built for different jobs. Newsletter creators want different features than e-commerce stores. Pick the tool that matches your business model, not the most popular one.
Common mistakes
- Picking the cheapest tool without checking what its free tier becomes once your list grows.
- Buying advanced automation features you won't use for two years.
- Importing a list of email addresses you bought or scraped (your account will get banned, and rightly so).
- Switching email tools every six months. Migration is painful; pick a tool you can stay with for at least a year.
- Sending only when you have something to sell. Your list will forget you.
- Sending too often. Your list will get tired of you and unsubscribe.
At a glance
Five email tools, five distinct positioning slots. Each has its own expanded section below.
| Vendor | Best for | Positioning | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| KitCreator-focused | Newsletter creators and course sellers | Creator-focused | Details |
| MailerLiteBudget | Beginners with small lists | Budget | Details |
| BeehiivNewsletter-first | Newsletter-first businesses | Newsletter-first | Details |
| AWeberVeteran | Long-track-record vendor | Veteran | Details |
| BrevoAll-in-one | Email + SMS + CRM in one tool | All-in-one | Details |
Vendor buttons further down are placeholders. Real links go live as each program is approved.
Vendor breakdown
One section per vendor with the same structure: who it fits, who it doesn't, what it does well, what to watch out for, and our plain-English take.
How we picked these
Fit earns the recommendation, not the commission. Every vendor below gets the same treatment: who it fits, who it doesn't, what it does well, what to watch out for, and our plain-English take. When a pick pays us nothing, we say so — and include it anyway when it's the right call.
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Built for newsletter creators, course sellers, and paid communities.
Placeholder button — the real link will go live once the program is approved.
Best for
Content creators who plan to sell their own products (courses, paid newsletters, communities) directly to their list.
Who should use it
- You're a writer, podcaster, or course creator and your business is mostly your audience.
- You want creator-specific tools (paid newsletters, tip jars, landing pages built into the email tool itself).
Who should avoid it
- You only need basic transactional or notification email. Brevo's transactional tier is cheaper.
- You're running a marketing-automation-heavy business with deep segmentation needs. ActiveCampaign or HubSpot are better fits than any tool on this page.
Main benefits
- Cleanest interface among email tools for creators.
- Native support for paid newsletters and digital products.
- Deep integration with creator platforms (Substack import, Stripe, Teachable, Podia).
Main drawbacks
- More expensive per subscriber than MailerLite or Beehiiv at most list sizes.
- Limited transactional / operational email features compared to all-in-one platforms.
Our take
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is the right pick if your business is your audience. The 2024 rebrand moved them deeper into creator tools — paid newsletters, tip jars, landing pages built into the email tool itself. Older reviews still say 'ConvertKit' — translate as you read.
MailerLite
Best free tier in the category. Clean modern editor.
Placeholder button — the real link will go live once the program is approved.
Best for
Beginners with a small list (under 1,000 subscribers) who want a clean, modern tool that doesn't cost anything until they grow.
Who should use it
- You have fewer than 1,000 subscribers and want a free, full-featured plan.
- You want a clean, modern editor without the legacy interface of older tools.
Who should avoid it
- You need advanced segmentation, complex automation flows, or e-commerce-specific triggers. Look at Kit or Brevo.
Main benefits
- Best free tier in the email category (1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails per month).
- Clean, modern editor.
Main drawbacks
- Less specialized for creators than Kit; less newsletter-native than Beehiiv.
Our take
MailerLite is the right default for new lists. The free tier is genuinely useful and the editor is clean and modern. Recommend it to anyone with under 1,000 subscribers who wants a no-cost starting point.
Beehiiv
Newsletter-native platform with strong tools for paid subscriptions.
Placeholder button — the real link will go live once the program is approved.
Best for
Owners building or running a newsletter-first business. Substack-style audiences who want to keep more of the revenue.
Who should use it
- Your primary product is a newsletter (free or paid).
- You want native ad-network integration. Beehiiv runs its own ad marketplace.
- You're considering moving from Substack and want to keep more of the revenue.
Who should avoid it
- You're running a service business and only need basic email broadcasts. Beehiiv is overkill.
Main benefits
- Newsletter-native — built from the ground up for the medium.
- Strong tools for paid subscriptions, referrals, and audience growth.
- Built-in ad marketplace can monetize newsletters at scale.
Main drawbacks
- Newer than Kit, MailerLite, or AWeber — shorter track record on deliverability and stability.
Our take
Beehiiv is the right pick when 'I run a newsletter' is the actual business, not a side activity. The newsletter-native tooling — paid subscriptions, referrals, the built-in ad marketplace — is purpose-built for the medium. Wrong fit for a service business that only needs basic email broadcasts.
AWeber
Email marketing's longest-running provider. Strong long-term deliverability reputation.
Best for
Owners who specifically want a long-track-record vendor and value deliverability and longevity above modern UI.
Who should use it
- Stability and longevity matter to you. AWeber has run since 1998 with a consistent delivery reputation.
- You're already familiar with the AWeber dashboard and don't want to relearn a new tool.
Who should avoid it
- You want a modern, polished editor. The interface feels its age compared to Kit, MailerLite, or Beehiiv.
- You're new to email and would prefer cleaner onboarding. Try MailerLite or Kit first.
Main benefits
- Long-running deliverability reputation.
- Includes signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations alongside email broadcasts.
Main drawbacks
- Interface feels older than Kit, MailerLite, or Beehiiv.
- Less creator-focused than Kit; less newsletter-focused than Beehiiv.
Our take
AWeber's strength is longevity. Running since 1998 with a consistent delivery reputation, it's the 'I want a vendor that's seen everything' choice. The product feels its age compared to Kit, MailerLite, or Beehiiv — but the deliverability and long history are real assets.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Email plus SMS plus CRM plus marketing automation in one platform.
Placeholder button — the real link will go live once the program is approved.
Best for
Owners who want one tool for email, SMS, transactional email, and lightweight CRM — instead of stitching together separate vendors.
Who should use it
- You want one vendor for email, SMS, transactional email, and CRM together.
- You're running an e-commerce or service business with both marketing and operational email needs.
Who should avoid it
- You only need email broadcasts. The all-in-one platform is overkill.
- You're a creator focused on newsletters or paid communities. Kit or Beehiiv fits better.
Main benefits
- All-in-one platform: email, SMS, transactional email, CRM, and marketing automation.
- Generous free tier.
Main drawbacks
- Brand rebrand: existing reviews still say 'Sendinblue', which can read as outdated.
- Interface is broader and busier than focused tools like Kit or MailerLite.
Our take
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) earns the recommendation when the reader's business plan already needs more than email — typically a service or e-commerce business that will send order confirmations, run SMS campaigns, or track customer relationships in the same place. Wrong fit for a pure newsletter-first business; Kit or Beehiiv handle that better. Older reviews still call it 'Sendinblue' — translate as you read.
Which one should you pick?
The vendor sections above cover the specifics. Here is the framework we use when someone asks us in plain language:
- If your business is your audience
- Kit. Built for creators selling courses, paid newsletters, or communities directly to their list.
- If you have a small list and a small budget
- MailerLite. Best free tier in the category, with a clean modern editor.
- If you're running a newsletter as the actual product
- Beehiiv. Newsletter-native, with paid-subscription tools and a built-in ad marketplace.
- If you want a long-track-record vendor
- AWeber. Running since 1998, with one of the longest deliverability track records in the category.
- If you need email plus SMS plus CRM
- Brevo. All-in-one platform if you know you need more than email broadcasts.
Question to close this page
Are you primarily building a newsletter, building a customer list for a service business, or running an e-commerce store that needs more than email?