Best Email Marketing Software for Small Business (2026)

Email is still the marketing channel you own. Social platforms change their rules overnight, but your list is yours, and a good newsletter keeps you in front of people until they're ready to buy. The right software makes writing, sending and automating those emails easy.

The tools below are well known and widely used by small businesses. They all send newsletters and automated emails, so the differences are in focus and feel. I've focused on what each one is known for, so shortlist two and build the same welcome email in both.

What should you look for in email marketing software?

• Ease of use. A drag-and-drop editor and clear templates save hours each week.
• Automation. Welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails and tagging do work while you sleep.
• Deliverability. Your emails need to reach the inbox, so look for domain authentication and list hygiene tools.
• Forms and landing pages. Built-in sign-up forms help you grow your list.
• Segmentation. Sending the right email to the right people keeps engagement up.
• Integrations. Check it connects to your website, shop and CRM.

Email marketing tools compared

Tool	Best for	Stand-out feature
Mailchimp	All-round small business email	Templates, automation and audience tools
Kit	Creators and newsletter writers	Tagging and creator-focused features
MailerLite	Simple, clean email marketing	Easy editor and landing pages
Brevo	Email, SMS and transactional email	Multichannel messaging
ActiveCampaign	Advanced automation	Visual automation builder
Klaviyo	Online shops	Ecommerce data and segmentation
AWeber	Small businesses that want support	Easy setup and templates
Constant Contact	Local and event-based businesses	Email plus event tools

Plans and features change often, so check each vendor's current plans before you commit.

The best email marketing software for small business

1. Mailchimp

Mailchimp, owned by Intuit, is one of the best-known email marketing platforms. It covers newsletters, automations, landing pages, sign-up forms and audience segmentation.

Who it suits: small businesses that want a familiar all-round tool.

What stands out: templates and how easy it is to get started.

Watch out for: as your list grows, compare plans carefully, as other tools may suit a bigger list better.

2. Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

Kit, formerly ConvertKit, is email marketing built for creators. It's known for subscriber tagging, visual automations, landing pages and features for selling digital products and newsletters.

Who it suits: coaches, authors, podcasters and newsletter writers.

What stands out: creator focus, with tools for growing a newsletter and earning from it.

Watch out for: its templates are deliberately simple, so it's less suited to heavily designed emails.

3. MailerLite

MailerLite is known for a clean, easy editor, plus automations, landing pages, sign-up forms and a simple website builder.

Who it suits: small businesses that want a straightforward tool that looks good.

What stands out: simplicity. It's easy to learn and pleasant to use.

Watch out for: new accounts go through an approval process, so set up your account and sending domain early.

4. Brevo

Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, covers email marketing, SMS, WhatsApp campaigns, transactional email and a simple CRM.

Who it suits: businesses that want email and text messages in one platform.

What stands out: multichannel messaging, plus transactional email for order confirmations and receipts.

Watch out for: with so many channels, start with email and add others as you need them.

5. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is known for powerful marketing automation, with a visual builder for complex customer journeys and a built-in CRM for sales.

Who it suits: businesses that want detailed automation based on behaviour.

What stands out: automation. You can build journeys that react to what each contact does.

Watch out for: it takes time to learn, so it's more than you need if you only send a monthly newsletter.

6. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is email and SMS marketing built for online shops. It connects closely with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, using purchase and browsing data for segmentation and automation.

Who it suits: ecommerce businesses selling products online.

What stands out: ecommerce data, which powers abandoned cart, browse and win-back emails.

Watch out for: it's built for online stores, so service businesses may find it doesn't fit.

7. AWeber

AWeber is one of the longest-running email marketing tools. It covers newsletters, automations, landing pages and templates, and it's known for its customer support.

Who it suits: small businesses that want an easy start and help when they need it.

What stands out: support and simplicity.

Watch out for: its automation is less advanced than ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo.

8. Constant Contact

Constant Contact is email marketing for small businesses, with templates, automations, social posting and event management tools.

Who it suits: local businesses, charities and organisations that run events.

What stands out: event tools alongside email.

Watch out for: compare its automation with other tools if you plan detailed sequences.

How to choose the right email marketing software

Start with your business model. If you sell products online, Klaviyo is built for it. If you're a creator, coach or newsletter writer, Kit and MailerLite are strong. If you want detailed automation, look at ActiveCampaign, and if you want email and text messages together, Brevo. Mailchimp, AWeber and Constant Contact suit small businesses that want an easy all-rounder.

Then think about where you'll be in two years. Moving a list between tools is possible but fiddly, so choose one you can grow into. Whatever you pick, set up authentication for your sending domain, start with a welcome email and send consistently. Your list is worth far more than the tool you send it with.

If you're weighing up options, see my guide to the best Mailchimp alternatives and my Mailchimp vs ConvertKit comparison. Once you've chosen, read how to use email marketing automation to save time.

If you write a newsletter as a creator rather than run a shop or service, my guide to email marketing tools for creators looks at the same choice from that angle.

Building a tool in this space? Here's how tools get considered for my roundups.

This guide is part of my AI for Small Business: 25 Plain-English Guides to Automation, Marketing, Sales and Admin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best email marketing software for small business?

Mailchimp and MailerLite are strong all-rounders, Kit suits creators, ActiveCampaign suits advanced automation, Klaviyo suits online shops and Brevo suits email plus SMS.

Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?

Yes. ConvertKit rebranded as Kit. It's the same email platform for creators, with the same core features.

What is the easiest email marketing software?

MailerLite, Mailchimp and AWeber are known for being easy to learn, with drag-and-drop editors and ready-made templates.

Is there free email marketing software?

Yes. Several tools, including MailerLite, Kit and Brevo, have a free version with limits on contacts or emails. Check the current limits before you choose.

Where to check the details

• the UK government's business support pages
• the UK Information Commissioner's guidance on direct marketing