Email marketing is the highest-ROI channel for small businesses - $36 returned for every $1 spent according to industry benchmarks. But you do not need to pay $100+/month to get started. Several platforms offer powerful email marketing with automation, templates, and analytics at $0-9 per month. We compared pricing, feature limits, and deliverability rates to find the cheapest options that still deliver professional results.
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1. MailerLite
MailerLite Cheapest Paid Plan
Free for up to 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans start at $9/month. Includes drag-and-drop editor, automation workflows, landing pages, pop-ups, and A/B testing. Best value per dollar in email marketing.
- Free up to 1,000 subscribers
- Paid from $9/mo for 500 subs
- Automation workflows on all plans
- Landing page and pop-up builder
- A/B testing for subject lines and content
2. Brevo
Brevo (Sendinblue) Best Free Tier
Free for 300 emails per day (unlimited contacts). Paid from $25/month for 20K emails. Includes email, SMS, and chat in one platform. Transactional email API included.
- Free: 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts
- Email + SMS + chat in one tool
- Marketing automation workflows
- Transactional email API included
- CRM with contact management
3. Mailchimp
Mailchimp Most Popular Free
Free for up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends/month. Paid from $13/month. The most recognized name in email marketing with a huge template library and integration ecosystem.
- Free up to 500 contacts
- 1,000 sends/month on free plan
- 300+ integrations available
- Pre-built email templates
- Basic reporting and analytics
4. Moosend
Moosend Best Budget Automation
Paid plans from $9/month for 500 subscribers. No free plan but offers a 30-day trial. Strong automation builder with conditional logic, weather-based triggers, and product recommendations.
- Plans from $9/month
- Advanced automation workflows
- Product recommendation engine
- Real-time analytics dashboard
- Landing page builder included
5. EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus Best for Simple Campaigns
Free for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails/month. Paid from $9/month. Simple and focused - no bloat. Uses Amazon SES for excellent deliverability at low cost.
- Free up to 2,500 subscribers
- 10,000 emails/month on free plan
- Amazon SES deliverability
- Simple drag-and-drop editor
- Basic automation sequences
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Key Limit |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Cheapest Paid Plan | Free up to 1,000 subscribers |
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | Best Free Tier | Free: 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts |
| Mailchimp | Most Popular Free | Free up to 500 contacts |
| Moosend | Best Budget Automation | Plans from $9/month |
| EmailOctopus | Best for Simple Campaigns | Free up to 2,500 subscribers |
How We Tested
We signed up for each free plan and used it for real work over two weeks. We evaluated ease of setup, daily usability, feature completeness on the free tier, and the upgrade path when free limits are reached. Our recommendations prioritize tools where the free plan is genuinely useful, not just a demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest email marketing platform?
MailerLite is the cheapest paid email marketing platform, starting at $9/month for 500 subscribers with automation, landing pages, and A/B testing. Mailchimp and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) also offer free plans for up to 500 and 300 emails/day respectively.
Is Mailchimp still free?
Yes, but with limits. Mailchimp Free allows up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month. You get basic templates, one audience, and limited reporting. For most small businesses, this is enough to get started. Paid plans start at $13/month.
Can I do email automation for free?
Yes. MailerLite Free (1,000 subscribers), Brevo Free (300 emails/day), and Mailchimp Free all include basic automation workflows. MailerLite offers the most generous free automation - multi-step workflows, triggers, and delays at no cost.