Best email marketing for a small business (2026)
No star ratings. Every platform we track, its real price at 1,000 subscribers, and who the vendor says it is for.
Short answer: If you want to start free, beehiiv and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) both publish a free plan that covers a small list. If you are already past a few hundred subscribers and want the cheapest paid tier, MailerLite is the lowest published price at 1,000 subscribers in our 2026-09-25 check. If you want the platform to also sell ads and paid subscriptions for you, that is a different product at a different price.
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Email platforms for a small business, side by side
| Platform | Cost at 1,000 subscribers | Free plan | Best for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | $49 | Yes | Newsletter operators who want an ad network and paid subscriptions built in. | Plain email marketing — you are paying for newsletter monetization you may never use. |
| Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | $33 | Yes | Creators who want the most generous free tier in email. | Anyone who needs advanced automation on the free plan — it is one basic automation. |
| MailerLite | $19 | Yes | Small lists that want a real free plan and cheap paid tiers. | Big lists — the free plan shrank to 250 subscribers and the ladder climbs fast. |
| ActiveCampaign | $19 | No | Businesses that want serious automation and a CRM in one place. | Anyone on a tight budget — the price climbs steeply with contacts. |
Cost at 1,000 subscribers, monthly billing, read from each vendor's own page on 2026-09-25.
Start here if you have no list yet
beehiiv publishes a free plan (Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, 3 publications, 1 team seat). Kit (formerly ConvertKit) publishes a free plan (Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages and forms, unlimited broadcasts, tagging and segmentation, sell digital products). MailerLite publishes a free plan (250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo, 2 user seats, 1 website, 1 landing page, 3 signup forms).
What actually costs you money later
Two things: your list size and your send volume. Every platform here prices on one or both, and the first paid tier is where a free plan stops being free. The table above shows the 1,000-subscriber price for exactly that reason.
How we picked
We did not. There is no score on this page. We listed every email platform we track, read its published price at 1,000 subscribers, and printed it next to who the vendor itself says the product is for. Pick the row that matches your list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best email marketing service for a small business?
It depends on your list size, which is why we publish the price at 1,000 subscribers rather than a star rating. The cheapest paid tier at that size in our 2026-09-25 check is MailerLite.
Can I start with a free plan and move later?
Yes, and most people should. Every platform here lets you export your list, so the switching cost is mostly re-doing your automations.
Do I need a paid plan to send a newsletter?
No. Free tiers cover a small list and a monthly send allowance. You pay when you outgrow the subscriber cap or the send cap.
How current are these prices?
Read from the vendors' own pages on 2026-09-25, re-checked weekly.