Email marketing has been around for decades, but it’s still one of the most effective ways for small businesses to reach customers, nurture leads, and increase sales. It’s affordable, measurable, and delivers an impressive ROI when done right.
The challenge? Choosing the right platform.
With dozens of email tools promising automation, templates, and integrations, it’s easy to get stuck comparing features instead of launching campaigns. To save you time, we’ve narrowed the field to a handful of email marketing platforms that balance affordability, usability, and results for small businesses.
Why Your Email Platform Choice Matters
The right platform can help your business do much more than send newsletters. A good email tool lets you automate communication, track performance, and connect directly with the other systems you already use; like your CRM, website forms, and online store.
Before picking a platform, think about what you need most:
- Are you focused on growing your contact list?
- Do you want to automate customer follow-ups?
- Are design flexibility and branding a priority?
- How often will you send campaigns each month?
These answers will guide which platform makes sense for your size, team, and goals.
Our Picks for the Best Email Marketing Platforms
We reviewed several of the most popular platforms to find which ones truly fit the needs of small businesses, based on pricing, features, and ease of use.
1. Mailchimp
If you’ve ever researched email marketing tools, you’ve probably come across Mailchimp. It’s one of the most recognized platforms and for good reason: it offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, great templates, and integrations with hundreds of tools like WordPress, Shopify, and HubSpot.
Mailchimp’s free plan covers up to 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly sends, making it an easy starting point for small businesses. As your marketing grows, paid tiers unlock advanced automations, A/B testing, and analytics that help you fine-tune performance.
The downside? Costs can climb quickly as your contact list expands, and lower-tier plans have limited automation. But if you’re looking for something versatile and easy to grow into, Mailchimp is a solid all-around choice.
Best for: Businesses that want flexibility and room to scale.
2. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo takes a different approach to pricing: charging by the number of emails you send, not the number of contacts you store. That’s a huge advantage for businesses with large subscriber lists but lower monthly send volume.
The free plan lets you send up to 300 emails per day, and paid plans start at just a few dollars per month. Brevo also supports SMS campaigns, transactional emails, and simple automations.
It’s not the flashiest platform, and you’ll need to upgrade to remove Brevo branding or unlock more advanced analytics, but for small businesses watching their budgets, it’s hard to beat the value.
Best for: Businesses with big lists but modest sending needs.
3. Constant Contact
Constant Contact has built its reputation on being simple and dependable. It’s ideal for small business owners who want professional emails without a complicated setup process.
The editor is straightforward, templates are plentiful, and built-in scheduling helps you stay consistent. Where Constant Contact really shines is customer support: live chat and phone help are included, which isn’t something every platform offers.
You won’t find as many advanced automations or detailed segmentations here, but for those who value reliability over complexity, it’s an excellent fit.
Best for: Small businesses that want user-friendly tools and great support.
4. Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor stands out for design. Every template feels modern and brand-ready, giving businesses a polished look even without a designer.
The platform includes a visual journey builder for automated campaigns, plus send-time optimization and A/B testing in its higher-tier plans. It’s a bit pricier than others and offers fewer integrations, but for companies that view email as a branding tool, it’s worth the investment.
Best for: Brands that care deeply about presentation and design consistency.
5. Klaviyo
For eCommerce businesses, Klaviyo is the powerhouse. It’s built specifically for online stores, offering smart automations that connect directly with your products and customer data.
It’s especially strong at tracking revenue, abandoned cart recovery, and product recommendations; everything an online retailer needs to increase repeat sales. The trade-off is cost: Klaviyo can get expensive as your list grows, but for eCommerce, the return is often well worth it.
Best for: Online retailers who want to tie email directly to sales.
6. MailerLite
If you’re after simplicity and affordability, MailerLite is an excellent entry-level option. It includes essential features like automation, landing pages, and pop-ups, all wrapped in a clean, easy-to-use interface.
The free plan covers up to 1,000 subscribers, making it perfect for startups or service-based businesses that send occasional campaigns. You won’t get the depth of reporting or integrations offered by bigger tools, but it’s reliable and lightweight.
Best for: Startups, freelancers, or local businesses just getting started with email marketing.
7. HubSpot Marketing Hub (Starter)
HubSpot brings email, CRM, and automation together in one place. For businesses ready to connect their marketing and sales data, this all-in-one system can be a game-changer.
You can manage contacts, track customer interactions, and send personalized emails, all while keeping every lead’s history in your CRM. It’s more expensive than standalone tools and comes with a learning curve, but the value in long-term insights and automation is undeniable.
Best for: Businesses that want email marketing and CRM in one connected platform.
How to Choose the Right Platform
Here’s a quick way to narrow it down:
- Selling online? Go with Klaviyo or Mailchimp.
- Large list but low send volume? Brevo’s pricing model will save you money.
- Want something simple? Constant Contact or MailerLite.
- Design-focused? Campaign Monitor.
- Need email and CRM together? HubSpot.
For most small businesses, Mailchimp strikes the right balance of features, cost, and integrations.
Pricing & What to Expect
Email marketing platforms typically price based on either contacts or monthly sends.
- Contact-based pricing (Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor): You pay for how many people you store, even if you send less frequently.
- Send-based pricing (Brevo): You pay for how many emails you actually send, allowing unlimited contacts.
Free plans are a great place to start, but keep an eye on limits; many cap sends or add branding to outgoing messages. As your list grows, plan for tier upgrades that match your sending needs.
Deliverability & Setup Tips
No matter which platform you choose, setup matters. Authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), use clear subject lines, and always include an unsubscribe link. Run periodic list clean-ups to remove inactive contacts and maintain high deliverability rates.
If you’re switching tools, export your contacts carefully, test campaigns before fully transitioning, and rebuild automations step by step to avoid data loss.
Measuring Success
Don’t stop at open rates, dig deeper into metrics that actually reflect business results. Track:
- Click-through and conversion rates
- Sales or leads generated from email
- Subscriber growth
- Unsubscribe and spam complaint rates
These insights help you understand what resonates with your audience and where to make improvements.
Choosing the Right Platform Is About Fit
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all winner here. The best email platform is the one that matches your list size, sending habits, tech stack, and the level of automation you actually plan to use. If you need simple newsletters, start light. If you’re tying campaigns to a store or CRM, invest in tools that connect those dots. Pick the platform that lets you send consistently, learn quickly, and grow without headaches.
Get a Clear Email Plan, And the Right Platform to Match
Not sure which platform fits your business? TheeDigital can help you make sense of your options, integrate the right tools, and design campaigns that convert.
Contact us today by calling 919-341-8901 or filling out the form below.
Tags: Email Marketing
