---
title: "Cheapest Email Marketing Platforms in 2026: Complete Price Comparison"
canonical: https://emailsequenceai.com/blog/cheapest-email-marketing-2026
date: 2026-08-12
lastUpdated: Aug 12, 2026
category: "Comparisons"
publisher: EmailSequenceAI
---

# Cheapest Email Marketing Platforms in 2026: Complete Price Comparison

> **Quick answer**: The cheapest email marketing platforms in 2026 are: 1) Brevo ($25/mo, unlimited contacts), 2) MailerLite ($10/mo, best free plan), 3) GetResponse ($19/mo, best value with AI), 4) Mailchimp ($13/mo, most known), 5) ConvertKit ($0 free for 1,000 contacts). At 10,000 contacts, Brevo is 62-85% cheaper than Klaviyo.

# Cheapest Email Marketing Platforms in 2026: Complete Price Comparison

Email marketing pricing is confusing — every platform charges differently, and the "starting at" prices rarely reflect what you'll actually pay. We compared 8 platforms at 6 list sizes to find the truly cheapest options.

> ⚡ **QUICK ANSWER**: Cheapest email platforms: **Brevo** ($25/mo, unlimited contacts), **MailerLite** ($10/mo, best free plan), **GetResponse** ($19/mo, best value with AI), **Mailchimp** ($13/mo, most known), **ConvertKit** ($0 free for 1K). At 10,000 contacts, Brevo is **62-85% cheaper than Klaviyo**.

## Cheapest Email Platforms Ranked

### 1. Brevo — Cheapest Overall

**Starting price**: $25/month (Starter)
**Free plan**: 300 contacts, 300 emails/day
**Why it's cheapest**: Charges per email sent, not per contact. Unlimited contacts on all paid plans.

### 2. MailerLite — Best Free Plan

**Starting price**: $10/month (Growing Business)
**Free plan**: 1,000 contacts, 12,000 emails/month
**Why it's cheap**: Simple feature set, no premium add-ons, generous free tier.

### 3. GetResponse — Best Value (Features per Dollar)

**Starting price**: $19/month (Starter)
**Free plan**: 500 contacts
**Why it's great value**: Includes AI email writer, webinar hosting, 200+ landing page templates — features others charge $50+ more for.

### 4. Mailchimp — Most Known (But Not Cheapest)

**Starting price**: $13/month (Essentials)
**Free plan**: 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month
**Why it's not cheapest**: Pricing scales aggressively. At 10K+ contacts, it's 25-40% more than alternatives.

### 5. ConvertKit (Kit) — Best for Creators

**Starting price**: $25/month (Creator)
**Free plan**: 1,000 contacts
**Why it's decent**: Good free plan, but paid tiers get expensive fast.

### 6. ActiveCampaign — Best Automation (Premium Price)

**Starting price**: $15/month (Starter)
**Free plan**: 14-day trial only
**Why it's not cheap**: No free plan, and pricing jumps significantly with contacts.

### 7. Klaviyo — Best for Ecommerce (Most Expensive)

**Starting price**: $20/month (Email)
**Free plan**: 250 contacts, 500 emails/month
**Why it's expensive**: Premium pricing for ecommerce analytics. At 10K contacts, costs $170/mo.

### 8. HubSpot — All-in-One (Enterprise Pricing)

**Starting price**: $20/month (Starter)
**Free plan**: Free CRM with limited email
**Why it's not cheap**: Marketing automation starts at $890/month. Only worth it if you need full CRM.

## Full Price Comparison Table

| Platform | 1K contacts | 5K contacts | 10K contacts | 25K contacts | 50K contacts |
|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| **Brevo** | $25/mo | $25/mo | $25-65/mo | $37-145/mo | $57-275/mo |
| **MailerLite** | $10-20/mo | $35-50/mo | $70-100/mo | $165-230/mo | $320-450/mo |
| **GetResponse** | $19-59/mo | $54-95/mo | $79-114/mo | $174-245/mo | $299-399/mo |
| **Mailchimp** | $13-20/mo | $50-60/mo | $61-100/mo | $250/mo | $350/mo |
| **ConvertKit** | $0-25/mo | $45/mo | $73/mo | $166/mo | $346/mo |
| **ActiveCampaign** | $15-29/mo | $49-79/mo | $79-145/mo | $225-325/mo | $375-575/mo |
| **Klaviyo** | $30/mo | $100/mo | $170/mo | $400/mo | $720/mo |
| **HubSpot** | $20/mo | $890+/mo | $890+/mo | $890+/mo | $3,600+/mo |

## Best Platform by List Size

### Under 1,000 contacts: MailerLite (Free)
- 1,000 contacts, 12,000 emails/month
- Basic automation, landing pages, signup forms
- No credit card required

### 1,000-5,000 contacts: GetResponse ($19-54/mo)
- Best value with AI tools and webinars
- 200+ landing page templates
- Advanced automation on Marketer plan

### 5,000-10,000 contacts: Brevo ($25-65/mo)
- Unlimited contacts, per-email pricing
- 55-85% cheaper than Klaviyo
- SMS marketing included

### 10,000-25,000 contacts: Brevo ($37-145/mo)
- Still cheapest due to per-email model
- Business plan adds advanced automation

### 25,000-50,000 contacts: GetResponse ($174-399/mo)
- Best balance of price and features
- AI tools, webinars, advanced automation
- 20-45% cheaper than Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign

### 50,000+ contacts: Brevo ($57-275/mo) or GetResponse ($299-399/mo)
- Brevo for low email frequency (cheapest)
- GetResponse for full feature set (best value)

## Free Plans Compared

| Platform | Free Contacts | Free Emails/mo | Automation | Landing Pages | Ecommerce |
|----------|-------------|---------------|-----------|--------------|-----------|
| **MailerLite** | 1,000 | 12,000 | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| **ConvertKit** | 1,000 | Unlimited* | Basic | Yes | No |
| **GetResponse** | 500 | Unlimited* | Basic | Yes | No |
| **Brevo** | 300 | 9,000 (300/day) | Basic | Yes | No |
| **Mailchimp** | 500 | 1,000 | No | Yes | No |
| **Klaviyo** | 250 | 500 | Basic | No | Yes |

*Unlimited emails on free plans with platform badge

## Which Should You Choose?

**Choose Brevo if**: You want the cheapest option, have a large list, or send emails infrequently. Best for price-sensitive businesses.

**Choose MailerLite if**: You have under 1,000 contacts and want the best free plan. Best for beginners and small newsletters.

**Choose GetResponse if**: You want the best value (most features per dollar). AI tools, webinars, and 200+ templates make it the best all-around platform. Best for growing businesses.

**Choose Mailchimp if**: You need 300+ integrations or already use it alongside other tools. Best for integration-heavy setups.

**Choose Klaviyo if**: You run an ecommerce store doing $50K+/month and need advanced analytics. Best for serious ecommerce only.

## Our Top Recommendation: GetResponse

For most businesses, **GetResponse** offers the best balance of price and features:

- **$19/month starting** (cheaper than Mailchimp at most tiers)
- **AI email writer** (no one else includes this)
- **Webinar hosting** (unique feature)
- **200+ landing page templates** (most in the industry)
- **Free plan** (500 contacts with AI tools)
- **Advanced automation** on Marketer plan

[Try beehiiv Free →](/go/beehiiv)

## Cheapest Option: Brevo

If price is your only concern, **Brevo** is unbeatable:

- **$25/month** with unlimited contacts
- **Per-email pricing** means you only pay for what you send
- **SMS + WhatsApp** included
- **62-85% cheaper than Klaviyo**

[Try Brevo Free →](/go/brevo)

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**Bottom line**: Don't just look at starting prices — look at what you'll pay at your actual list size. Use our free [Pricing Calculator](/tools/pricing-calculator) to see your exact monthly costs across all platforms. For most businesses, GetResponse or Brevo will save you 30-70% vs Mailchimp or Klaviyo.

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Source: https://emailsequenceai.com/blog/cheapest-email-marketing-2026 — © 2026 EmailSequenceAI