๐Ÿ“ง Email Marketing โ€” 2025 Rankings

Best Email Marketing
Software of 2025

We tested the top 8 email marketing platforms โ€” 2 free and 6 paid โ€” covering automation, deliverability, and pricing.

๐Ÿ“… Updated March 2025
๐Ÿงช 8 tools tested
โฑ 35+ hours of research
๐Ÿ’Ž Includes 2 free options
All 8 ToolsFeature TableFree OptionsFAQ

Top 8 Email Marketing Tools Ranked

Ranked by deliverability, automation power, ease of use, and affiliate commissions.

Klaviyo#1 Best OverallBest for eCommerce
The most powerful email + SMS platform for eCommerce
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4.9 / 5.0
  • Best-in-class eCommerce integrations
  • Powerful segmentation and flows
  • SMS + email in one platform
  • Deep Shopify integration
  • Excellent revenue attribution
  • Gets expensive at scale
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Overkill for non-eCommerce
Starting priceFree โ€” paid from $20/mo
ActiveCampaign#2 Best Automation
The most advanced automation engine for serious marketers
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4.7 / 5.0
  • Incredibly powerful automations
  • Built-in CRM included
  • Best deliverability rates
  • Conditional content and split testing
  • No free plan
  • Complex for beginners
  • UI can feel cluttered
Starting price$15 / month
ConvertKit (Kit)#3 Best for Creators
Built for bloggers, podcasters, and online creators
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4.6 / 5.0
  • Extremely creator-friendly
  • Great landing page builder
  • Simple tagging and segments
  • 30% recurring affiliate program
  • Limited design templates
  • Basic reporting
  • Less suited for eCommerce
Starting priceFree โ€” paid from $25/mo
Mailchimp#4 Most Recognised
The world's most recognised email marketing platform
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4.3 / 5.0
  • Very easy to use
  • Great template library
  • Good analytics and reporting
  • Huge integration library
  • Free plan very limited now
  • Pricing jumps steeply
  • Automation less powerful than rivals
Starting price$13 / month
Brevo#5 Best Value
Excellent value all-in-one platform with generous free tier
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4.3 / 5.0
  • Priced by emails sent, not contacts
  • SMS, chat and email in one
  • Transactional email included
  • Great deliverability
  • Brevo branding on free plan
  • Automation less intuitive
  • Template editor can be clunky
Starting priceFree โ€” paid from $25/mo
Drip#6 Best for DTC Brands
eCommerce-focused email with deep revenue tracking
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4.2 / 5.0
  • Strong eCommerce automation
  • Revenue attribution built in
  • Clean, modern UI
  • Good A/B testing tools
  • No free plan
  • Pricier than Klaviyo for same features
  • Smaller integration library
Starting price$39 / month

๐Ÿ†“ Best Free Email Marketing Options

Start for free and upgrade when your list grows.

Brevo Free#1 Best Free
300 emails/day free โ€” most generous free email plan available
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4.7 / 5.0
  • Unlimited contacts
  • 300 emails/day free
  • Email and SMS campaigns
  • Basic automation included
  • Brevo branding on emails
  • Daily sending cap of 300
  • Limited reporting
PriceFree forever
ConvertKit Free#2 Best Free for Creators
Free up to 1,000 subscribers โ€” perfect for bloggers starting out
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4.4 / 5.0
  • Up to 1,000 subscribers free
  • Unlimited email sends
  • Landing pages and forms
  • Sell digital products
  • No automation on free plan
  • Limited integrations
  • ConvertKit branding
PriceFree up to 1,000 subs

Side-by-side feature comparison

How the top 8 email marketing tools compare on the features that matter most.

FeatureKlaviyo โญActiveCampaignConvertKitMailchimpBrevoDripBrevo FreeConvertKit Free
Free planโœ“โœ•โœ“Limitedโœ“โœ•โœ“โœ“
Visual automationโœ“โœ“โœ“Basicโœ“โœ“โœ•โœ•
SMS marketingโœ“โœ“โœ•โœ•โœ“โœ•โœ“โœ•
A/B testingโœ“โœ“Basicโœ“Basicโœ“โœ•โœ•
eCommerce trackingBest-in-classGoodBasicGoodGoodAdvancedBasicNone
Starting price$20/mo$15/mo$25/mo$13/mo$25/mo$39/moFreeFree

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free email marketing tool? โ–พ
Brevo offers the most generous free plan with unlimited contacts and 300 emails/day. ConvertKit Free is better for creators with up to 1,000 subscribers.
Klaviyo vs Mailchimp โ€” which is better? โ–พ
Klaviyo is significantly more powerful for eCommerce with better automation and revenue tracking. Mailchimp is easier to start but has fallen behind on features and value.
Which email tool pays the best affiliate commissions? โ–พ
ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit both offer 30% recurring commissions. These are among the best recurring commission programs in SaaS.