On score, beehiiv comes out on top: it's free up to 2,500 subscribers, takes 0% of paid subscriptions, and comes with powerful growth and monetization tools. It's a newsletter platform, though, and less suited to ecommerce automation. If you run a store, Klaviyo and Omnisend pull ahead; if you want a cheap, clean all-rounder for a small business, MailerLite pairs an easy drag-and-drop editor with automations, landing pages and unlimited emails on every paid plan.
We compared 14 ESPs on entry price, how fast costs scale with your subscriber count, free plans, automation depth and deliverability. Use the calculator to see your estimated monthly cost at your actual list size, since pricing diverges sharply once you pass a few thousand subscribers.
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Best overall fit for a typical email tools buyer. Here's why, and when something else wins.
Newsletter platform built for growth, monetization and ads, with 0% take rate on paid subscriptions.
Why it fits: Highest TryToolFit score in this category (4.5 of 5). Best for: Newsletter creators and writers.
| Tool | Score | From | Free | Txn fee | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% | Newsletter creators and writers | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% | Startups on a budget | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% | Scaling ecommerce and DTC brands | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% | Solopreneurs and small businesses | Visit | |
| | $8.08 | ✓ | 0% | Businesses with big lists, modest send volume | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% | Ecommerce stores wanting email plus SMS | Visit | |
| | $7 | No | 0% | Cost-conscious small businesses | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% on email plans (Kit Commerce ~3.5% + $0.30 on product sales) | Creators who lead with email and newsletters | Visit | |
| | $13 | ✓ | 0% | Brands wanting a familiar all-rounder | Visit | |
| | $15 | No | 0% | Creators and SMBs focused on email automation | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% | Small businesses wanting simple autoresponders | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 0% (email and funnel plans) | Email-led marketers wanting funnels and webinars | Visit | |
| | Free Lowest | ✓ | 10% of paid subscription revenue (+ Stripe fees) | Independent writers and journalists | Visit | |
| | $25 | No | 0% | Creatives, coaches and small brands | Visit | |
| | $12 | No | 0% | Design-conscious brands | Visit | |
| | $9 | No | 0% | Small businesses | Visit | |
| | $39 | No | 0% | Ecommerce and DTC stores | Visit | |
| | $12 | No | 0% | Small businesses and nonprofits | Visit | |
| | $100 | No | 0% | Product-led SaaS teams | Visit | |
| | $14 | No | 0% | Mid-market marketers | Visit |
Score is our composite of independent user ratings, value, and feature breadth (how we score). Prices are entry-tier estimates; verify current pricing on each site.
Cost changes as your subscribers grow. Drag to your size to compare.
Drag to your size and we'll sort the tools cheapest-first and show where each one jumps a tier.
Affordable email and SMS marketing with a generous free plan for small businesses and ecommerce.
Data-driven email and SMS for ecommerce with deep analytics, predictive AI and powerful segmentation.
Clean, affordable email marketing with automations, landing pages and a generous-enough free tier.
Pay-per-email platform (formerly Sendinblue) with unlimited contacts, plus SMS, WhatsApp and CRM.
Omnichannel email, SMS and push built for ecommerce, with a free plan and pre-built automations.
Budget-friendly email marketing and automation for small businesses and ecommerce stores watching costs.
Email-first creator platform with landing pages, automations, and product sales.
The best-known email marketing brand with broad templates, AI tools and a small free plan that scales pricey.
Advanced email and marketing automation with an optional built-in CRM.
Veteran email autoresponder with a free plan, landing pages and reliable deliverability for small lists.
Email marketing with conversion funnels, landing pages, and built-in webinars.
Free newsletter and publishing platform that takes 10% of paid subscription revenue instead of a fee.
Design-first email tool with gorgeous templates, loved by creatives and small brands.
Design-focused email marketing for agencies and brands wanting polished, on-brand campaigns and automation.
Straightforward email marketing for small businesses and nonprofits wanting simple campaigns with personal support.
Ecommerce-focused email and SMS automation with strong segmentation and revenue tracking.
Beginner-friendly email and event marketing with strong support, social posting and a simple editor.
Behavioral, data-driven messaging automation for product-led teams running email, push and SMS at scale.
Advanced email and SMS marketing for mid-market marketers wanting automation, segmentation and deep reporting.
We email when pricing changes or a better option appears. One useful email, no spam.
Substack has no free trial: it never charges a monthly fee, at any list size. The real price is 10% of paid subscriptions; here's when beehiiv is cheaper.
Kit is free to 10,000 subscribers; MailerLite charges from 251 and hits $80/mo by 10,000. But once you need real automations, MailerLite is half the price.
Beehiiv vs Substack fee math: the revenue where beehiiv's Lite plan beats Substack's 10% cut at your list size, worked from $500 to $10,000/mo.
How much does email marketing cost? We computed 2026 pricing for 20 ESPs at four list sizes. The same 5,000-subscriber list runs $0 to $100 a month.
It depends on what you send. beehiiv has the highest score here: free up to 2,500 subscribers with a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions, which makes it the strongest pick for newsletter creators (Substack is the zero-monthly-cost alternative). Small businesses wanting a cheap, easy all-rounder often prefer MailerLite or Sender, while ecommerce stores tend to choose Klaviyo or Omnisend.
Most platforms charge by the number of subscribers (or active contacts) you store, so costs rise as your list grows. Brevo is an exception that bills by emails sent, and Substack takes a 10% cut of paid subscriptions instead of a monthly fee. Use the calculator above to estimate your cost at your real list size.
MailerLite is cheaper, easier to use and includes automations on lower tiers, making it the better pick for most small businesses. Mailchimp has a more recognizable brand and a larger integration library, but its pricing climbs faster as contacts grow.
