Best Email Marketing for Small Business: 5 Tools Compared

By Jody Rourke · Published October 23, 2026 · Last updated October 23, 2026 · Prices checked October 23, 2026

The best email marketing for small business owners who run a service company depends on two jobs: sending seasonal reminders to past customers, and asking for a review after each job. For a free list of up to 10,000 subscribers, Kit Free covers broadcasts, but automated sequences need a paid plan [2].

For the lowest yearly price on a paid plan with automations at 1,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign Starter is $15/month billed annually ($180 a year), with 1 user, as of Oct. 22, 2026 [7]. If 2 or 3 people need a login, MailerLite Comfort includes 3 user seats and is $17.10/month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers, as of Oct. 22, 2026 [4].

How we checked this: Compared from official docs and pricing pages, with prices as of 2026-10-22 (Brevo as of 2026-10-23), plus Kit, Brevo, MailerLite and Mailchimp help pages read on 2026-10-23. We haven't tested these tools hands-on. For other tool types, see the best AI tools for small business.

Best email marketing for small business: quick picks by situation

How we picked

We included tools with official pricing or plan pages we could read, and judged them on fit for a small service business with a handful of people. We looked at free-plan limits, automations for review requests, seats, and cost as the list grows. We recommend what fits the job, not what pays us.

The list isn't a ranking.

• You want to stay free with a big list: Kit Free is $0 for up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited broadcasts and tagging [1][2].
• You want automations on a free plan: MailerLite Free allows 3 active automations, for up to 250 subscribers [4][10]. Brevo Free lets up to 2,000 unique contacts enter active automations [9].
• You want automations and logins for 2 or 3 people: MailerLite Comfort is $17.10/month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers, with 3 user seats, as of Oct. 22, 2026 [4].
• Automation is the main job: ActiveCampaign Starter is $15/month billed annually for 1,000 contacts, as of Oct. 22, 2026 [7].
• You already use Mailchimp: it's free for up to 250 contacts [5]. Before you pay more, read Mailchimp alternatives for small business.

Why people look for options

If you start on a free plan, you'll run into its limits as your list grows. The limits differ a lot:

• List size on free plans. Mailchimp Free and MailerLite Free stop at 250 [5][4]; Kit Free goes to 10,000 subscribers [2].
• Automations on free plans. Kit Free leaves out visual automations and email sequences [2]. On Mailchimp's Free plan automation flows aren't included [5].
• Seats. Mailchimp Free has 1 seat [6], and Brevo Free allows only the account owner [9]. If an office manager and an owner both need a login, check seats first.
• Send limits. Brevo Free sends up to 300 emails a day [9], and Mailchimp Free allows 500 sends a month [6].

Kit

Kit's Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited forms, landing pages and broadcasts, plus tagging and segmentation [2]. A broadcast is a one-off email you send to your list; a sequence is a set of emails that goes out automatically, one after another. That's enough for seasonal reminders sent by hand.

Visual automations, the automation template library, email sequences, and rules are only on paid plans [2]. Past 10,000 subscribers, you need to upgrade to keep sending [2].

Creator adds email sequences and visual automations [3], so a review-request email can go out when you tag a finished job.

Creator is $33/month billed yearly ($390 a year) or $39 billed monthly for 1,000 subscribers, as of Oct. 22, 2026 [1]. Creator includes 2 team members; Pro has unlimited team members [3].

Paid plans have a 14-day free trial with no card required [3]. When you go over your plan's limit, Kit moves you to the next subscriber tier automatically [1].

Not for: you, if you want automated review requests on a free plan, because Kit Free leaves out sequences and automations [2].

MailerLite

MailerLite Free is $0 for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, with 2 user seats [4]. Free allows 3 active automations [4][10].

Comfort gives you 10 times the top of your subscriber tier in emails each month, so the up-to-1,000 tier gets 10,000 emails [4].

Comfort includes 3 user seats [4], and yearly billing saves 10% [4]. MailerLite has a 14-day free trial with no credit card [4].

For every plan and tier, see MailerLite pricing.

Not for: you, if your list is over 250 and you want to stay free, because that's the Free plan's limit [4].

Mailchimp

Mailchimp's Free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with 1 seat [6]. Essentials includes 3 seats and Standard 5 seats [5].

Essentials is limited to 4 flow steps per automation, and Standard allows up to 200 flows [5]. Essentials and Standard have a 14-day free trial [5].

Not for: you, if you need longer automated sequences on the cheapest plan, because Essentials stops at 4 flow steps [5].

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign's plans are Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise, and its pricing cards say billed yearly [7]. Starter has 1 user and 5 actions per automation; Plus has 1 user and unlimited actions [7].

Monthly sends are 10 times your contacts on Starter and Plus [7]. It offers a free 14-day trial [7]. For a head-to-head, read ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp.

Not for: a team where 2 people need logins on a budget, because Starter and Plus include 1 user [7].

Brevo

Brevo Free has no time limit [9]. It sends up to 300 emails a day, stores up to 100,000 contacts, and lets up to 2,000 unique contacts enter active automations [9].

Free emails carry a "Sent with Brevo" sticker, and Free allows 1 user [9].

Brevo Starter is $9/month billed monthly or $97 a year billed yearly ($8.08/month), for 5,000 emails a month and up to 500 contacts, as of Oct. 23, 2026 [8]. Brevo sets paid plans by monthly email volume, and each volume tier has a contact limit [8].

Not for: you, if you send one big seasonal blast to more than 300 people, because Free sends the rest only when you resend it on later days [9].

Comparison table

The price is set by the vendor, so check their page before you buy.

Cost at 3 list sizes

Here's the price per month at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 people on your list, in USD [1][4][5][7].

Kit and MailerLite count subscribers [1][4]; Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign count contacts [5][7]. Brevo isn't here because it prices by monthly email volume, with a contact limit on each tier [8].

Mailchimp's page also shows limited-time offers on some bands; we list its regular price [5].

Worked example, one year for a small customer list. This is our math, from the per-month prices in the table above:

• MailerLite Comfort, billed yearly, for 1,000 subscribers: $17.10 x 12 = $205.20 a year [4].
• ActiveCampaign Starter, billed annually, for 1,000 contacts: $15 x 12 = $180 a year [7].
• Kit Creator, billed yearly, for 1,000 subscribers: Kit lists $390 a year [1].
• Mailchimp Essentials, billed monthly, for 501-1,500 contacts: $26.50 x 12 = $318 a year [5].

Check seats too: ActiveCampaign Starter has 1 user [7], while MailerLite Comfort has 3 seats [4].

How to choose and switch

1. Count your list. Use only active customers and leads. Kit counts only unique, active subscribers [1].
2. Pick your 2 jobs. If you only send seasonal reminders, a free plan with broadcasts can work. If you want a review request after every job, you need automations: Kit Creator [3], MailerLite [4], Brevo [9] or ActiveCampaign [7].
3. Count logins. Check the seat limits above for everyone who sends.
4. Start a trial. Kit, MailerLite, Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign all list a 14-day trial [3][4][5][7]. Import a small test group and send yourself one test email first.
5. Switching from Mailchimp? See what moves and what doesn't in Mailchimp alternatives, or compare two finalists in MailerLite vs Kit.

If you also need a sales pipeline, see CRMs with email features in HubSpot alternatives.

FAQ

What is the best email marketing platform for a small business?

It depends on the job. For a big free list, Kit Free covers up to 10,000 subscribers [2]. For low-cost automations, MailerLite Comfort is $19/month billed monthly for 1,000 subscribers, as of Oct. 22, 2026 [4].

What is the best free email marketing for small business?

Of the free plans here, Kit Free has the biggest list you can email with no daily send cap: up to 10,000 subscribers, but no sequences [1][2]. Brevo Free stores up to 100,000 contacts but sends up to 300 emails a day [9]. MailerLite Free includes 3 active automations for up to 250 subscribers [4][10].

Can these tools send review requests automatically?

Yes, with an automation. Kit needs a paid plan for that [2]. MailerLite Free allows 3 active automations [4][10], and ActiveCampaign Starter allows 5 actions per automation [7].

How much does email marketing cost for a small business?

At 1,000 subscribers or contacts, as of Oct. 22, 2026, the paid plans in our cost table run from $15/month billed annually on ActiveCampaign Starter [7] to $39/month billed monthly on Kit Creator [1], or $0 on a free plan if you fit its limits [2][4].

What to do next

Count your active list, then find that size in the cost table.

Start a free plan or trial with the tool that fits both jobs, and test it on a small group first.

For the bigger picture, read the best AI tools for small business, or see every plan in MailerLite pricing.

Prices checked October 23, 2026. Prices and plans change; confirm on each vendor's site.

Last updated: October 23, 2026