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Choosing an email platform is one of those decisions that is easy to make and annoying to undo. Migrating contacts, tags and automations later costs real time — so it pays to choose with next year’s list in mind, not just today’s.
The short answer
- Pick MailerLite for the best all-round value for small businesses.
- Pick Kit if you’re a creator growing a newsletter and selling digital products.
- Pick Mailchimp if integrations and brand familiarity matter most.
- Pick Brevo if you send often to a smaller list, or need SMS and transactional email too.
- Pick Klaviyo if you run an online store and want email to drive revenue.
How we compared them
We used our five criteria — fit for the job, results, real pricing, data and trust, and ease of use — and paid special attention to cost at realistic list sizes, because that’s where platforms differ most. Read the full method on our How we review page.
Ease of use
MailerLite and Kit are the quickest to learn: clean editors, sensible defaults, and automations you can build visually in minutes. Mailchimp is polished but has more menus to learn. Klaviyo assumes you’re running a store and want depth.
Automation
All five offer welcome series and basic automations. Differences appear in how deep you can go: Klaviyo excels at store-triggered flows, Kit at tag-based creator funnels, and MailerLite covers most small-business needs without upgrading to an expensive tier.
The cost trap
Free plans are designed to get you started, not to keep you cheap.
Most platforms price by contacts, so a list that grows from 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers can change your bill dramatically. Before choosing, check each platform’s pricing page at your expected size in 12 months — and whether the automations you need are included at that tier.
Deliverability basics
Whatever you choose, authenticate your sending domain (SPF, DKIM and DMARC), clean inactive subscribers regularly, and avoid buying lists. Good habits matter more than the platform for landing in the inbox.
Our recommendation
Start with MailerLite unless you have a clear reason not to. Creators should look hard at Kit, and stores at Klaviyo. Use the free plans to test your real workflow before you pay.
The picks, side by side
MailerLite
- Best for
- Small businesses that want a clean, affordable all-rounder
- Pricing
- Free plan available; paid plans scale with subscribers
What we like
- Easy drag-and-drop editor
- Automations, landing pages and forms included
- Strong value as your list grows
Watch out for
- Fewer advanced e-commerce features than Klaviyo
- Account approval step for new senders
Kit
- Best for
- Creators and newsletter writers selling digital products
- Pricing
- Free plan available; paid plans add automations and integrations
What we like
- Tag-based subscriber management
- Built-in tools for selling digital products
- Creator-friendly landing pages
Watch out for
- Design options are intentionally simple
- Can get pricey for very large lists
Mailchimp
- Best for
- Teams that want the best-known name and lots of integrations
- Pricing
- Free plan available; paid tiers add automation and testing
What we like
- Huge integration ecosystem
- Polished templates and reporting
- Familiar to most marketers
Watch out for
- Costs climb quickly as contacts grow
- Key automations sit in higher tiers
Brevo
- Best for
- Businesses that send a lot of email but have a smaller audience
- Pricing
- Free plan available; paid plans are based mainly on emails sent
What we like
- Pricing based on sends, not just contacts
- Email, SMS and chat in one place
- Transactional email support
Watch out for
- Editor feels less refined than some rivals
- Daily sending limits on the free plan
Klaviyo
- Best for
- Online stores focused on revenue from email and SMS
- Pricing
- Free plan available; pricing scales with active profiles
What we like
- Deep Shopify and store integrations
- Pre-built revenue flows (cart, browse, win-back)
- Strong segmentation and reporting
Watch out for
- Overkill for non-store businesses
- Gets expensive at larger list sizes
Frequently asked questions
Which email marketing platform is cheapest?
It depends on how you send. Contact-based pricing (most platforms) favors small lists; Brevo's send-based pricing can be cheaper if you have fewer contacts but send often. Always compare at your expected list size a year from now.
Is Mailchimp still worth it?
Mailchimp remains polished and well integrated, but many small businesses find better value in MailerLite or Brevo. It's worth it if you rely on its integrations or your team already knows it.
What's the best platform for Shopify stores?
Klaviyo is the usual choice for stores that want revenue-focused automations. Smaller stores on a budget often start with MailerLite or Shopify's own email tools.