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The 5 Best Email Marketing Tools for Small Business

Affordable, easy-to-run email platforms with real free tiers to start.

Last updated Jul 2, 2026 for Small Business

Email remains one of the best-value channels a small business can own. We looked for platforms that are affordable to start, easy to run without a marketer, and ready to grow with your list. Each pick states who it suits best, and any affiliate links are disclosed and never change the ranking.

  1. 1 MailerLite Editor's pick

    Clean, affordable email marketing with a generous free plan.

    Freemium

    The best balance of price, simplicity and features, with a genuinely usable free plan and a clean editor that small teams pick up quickly.

    Pros

    • + Generous free plan
    • + Clean, easy editor
    • + Strong value for money

    Cons

    • − Fewer advanced features than enterprise tools
    • − Approval process for new accounts
    Free plan Self-serve
    Full profile Visit MailerLite
  2. 2 Brevo Popular

    Email, SMS and marketing automation with send-based pricing.

    Freemium

    Send-based pricing suits businesses with larger lists but lower send volume, and bundling SMS and a light CRM adds useful reach.

    Pros

    • + Priced on emails sent, not list size
    • + Email plus SMS and CRM
    • + Free tier with daily limits

    Cons

    • − Daily send cap on free plan
    • − Interface can feel busy
    Free plan Self-serve
    Full profile Visit Brevo
  3. 3 Mailchimp

    A broad email marketing suite with a well-known free tier.

    Freemium

    A familiar, broad suite with campaigns, landing pages and basic CRM in one place, handy if you want everything under one recognisable roof.

    Pros

    • + Broad feature set
    • + Free tier for small lists
    • + Many integrations

    Cons

    • − Gets pricey as lists grow
    • − Heavier than a pure email tool
    Free plan Self-serve Enterprise
    Full profile Visit Mailchimp
  4. 4 Kit Best free

    Email marketing and automation built for creators (formerly ConvertKit).

    Freemium

    A free plan for early lists plus tag-based automation makes it a strong pick for owner-operators and creators who want room to grow.

    Pros

    • + Free plan for small lists
    • + Powerful automation as you scale
    • + Creator-focused features

    Cons

    • − Automation needs a paid tier
    • − More setup than the simplest tools
    Free plan Self-serve
    Full profile Visit Kit
  5. 5 HubSpot

    A full CRM and marketing platform with a capable free tier.

    Freemium

    If email is a step toward a fuller marketing and CRM stack, HubSpot's free tools let a small business start emailing where its contacts already live.

    Pros

    • + Email tied to a free CRM
    • + Room to grow into marketing tools
    • + Central contact database

    Cons

    • − Advanced marketing features are pricey
    • − More than pure-email tools offer
    Free plan Enterprise
    Full profile Visit HubSpot
How we picked these

We judged cost to start, ease of use for non-specialists, automation and deliverability, and how far a free or entry tier goes before you hit a wall. We favoured tools a small team can adopt without training and note where each trades depth for simplicity.