Sales and marketing software · Researched comparison
Best Email Marketing Automation Software in 2026
The best pick for most teams that want a clear, low public starting price for automation is Brevo Starter at $9 per month, or $97 per year (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). MailerLite Comfort, which the vendor described as starting at $12 per month, is the pick when you want a simple list tool with a published comfort tier (MailerLite pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
By The Computer Manual Editorial Team · Published 14 Nov 2026 · Last verified 14 Nov 2026
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Key takeaways
Brevo Starter is $9 per month, or $97 per year. Standard is $18 per month, or $194 per year (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
MailerLite described Comfort as starting at $12 per month and Power as starting at $25 per month (MailerLite pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Klaviyo lists a $0 free plan, Email at $20 per month, and Marketing at $25 per month, with a $1 first-month offer on eligible Marketing plans (Klaviyo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Omnisend showed a $0 plan and a Standard rate of $11.20 per month after a 30 percent promotion (Omnisend pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Mailchimp lists a $0 plan with a 250-contact limit and a 12-month promotional rate of $20 per month on a paid column. The later regular rate was not readable in the text we fetched (Mailchimp pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Tool
Best for
Standout feature
Starting price (checked 14 Nov 2026)
Free plan or trial
1 Brevo
Teams that want a low, dated starting price for automation
Starter and Standard list prices
Starter $9 per month, or $97 per year, checked 14 Nov 2026
Sign-up on the pricing page
2 MailerLite
Solo marketers who want a simple comfort tier
Comfort and Power starting prices
Comfort starting at $12 per month, checked 14 Nov 2026
Free plan listed on the page
3 Omnisend
Commerce teams that want email and SMS in one place
Free plan plus a promoted Standard rate
Standard shown at $11.20 per month after a 30 percent promotion, checked 14 Nov 2026
Free plan, no credit card listed
4 Klaviyo
Commerce teams that will pay for profiles and flows
Free, Email and Marketing starting prices
Email $20 per month, checked 14 Nov 2026
Free plan listed
5 Mailchimp
Teams comparing a widely known email brand
Free plan plus a 12-month promotional paid rate
Free $0, paid column shown at $20 per month for 12 months, checked 14 Nov 2026
Free plan with a 250-contact limit
How we picked
We considered 9 email and lifecycle tools and shortlisted 5 with a public pricing page we could read on 14 Nov 2026. ActiveCampaign's page did not yield a usable figure in the extracted text, so it is not in the table. Weights follow how we score tools. This guide sits in sales and marketing software.
01
Brevo
Best for: Teams that want a low, dated starting price for automation
Brevo lists Starter at $9 per month in USD, or $97 per year, from 5,000 emails per month (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Standard is $18 per month, or $194 per year, and is the tier the page describes for automation and testing. Professional is $499 per month, or $5,389 per year.
Pros
The Starter figure is low and easy to put in a memo.
Annual totals are printed next to monthly rates.
Automation is called out on Standard, so you can see when you must step up.
Cons
Starter may be too limited if you need the automation features reserved for Standard (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Professional at $499 per month is a different spend class.
Email volume steps will change the bill as the list grows.
Price: Starter is $9 per month, or $97 per year (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Skip it if you already run commerce flows in a Shopify-native platform and will not move them.
Verdict. Brevo is the starting point when you want a public price and room to add automation on Standard.
02
MailerLite
Best for: Solo marketers who want a simple comfort tier
A comparison note on MailerLite pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026, described Comfort as starting at $12 per month and Power as starting at $25 per month.
The main plan widgets on that page were partly script-driven, so those starting figures are the ones we could read in the text.
Pros
Comfort is positioned as a full toolset for a small list.
A starting price is published, not hidden behind a quiz.
Power is listed if Comfort is too small.
Cons
Some prices on the page only appeared in script, so you should confirm your list size at checkout (MailerLite pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Starting prices change with subscriber bands.
Advanced HTML features may sit above Comfort.
Price: Comfort is described as starting at $12 per month (MailerLite pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Skip it if you need a commerce data platform more than a list tool.
Verdict. MailerLite is a clear small-team option when Comfort at $12 is enough.
03
Omnisend
Best for: Commerce teams that want email and SMS in one place
Omnisend lists a $0 plan. Standard was shown at $11.20 per month after a 30 percent promotion, with a $48 figure and a $33.60 due-today figure also on the page (Omnisend pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
A higher pack was shown at $41.30 per month after the same style of promotion. SMS was described as starting at $0.007 per SMS. Confirm the unpromoted rate at checkout.
Pros
A free plan lets a store test before it pays.
Email and SMS are discussed on one pricing page.
Promotional and total figures are both visible if you read carefully.
Cons
Promotional rates should not be the only number in a 12-month model (Omnisend pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
The unpromoted Standard rate was not printed as a single clear monthly figure in the text we read.
SMS and add-ons can raise the bill above the email headline.
Price: Standard was shown at $11.20 per month after a 30 percent promotion (Omnisend pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Skip it if you only send newsletter blasts and do not need commerce automations.
Verdict. Omnisend fits stores that want email and SMS together, provided you budget the unpromoted rate.
04
Klaviyo
Best for: Commerce teams that will pay for profiles and flows
Klaviyo lists a $0 free plan with 500 emails per month to 250 active profiles (Klaviyo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). Email is $20 per month for 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails per month.
Marketing is listed at $25 per month, with a limited-time $1 first month on eligible plans for up to 5,000 active profiles. Confirm the offer terms on that page.
Pros
Free and paid starting prices are both public.
Email and Marketing are separated, so you can see the step up.
Profile counts are printed with the plans.
Cons
The $20 Email plan is tied to 500 active profiles, so growth changes the bill (Klaviyo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
The $1 first month is a promotion, not a lasting rate.
SMS and other usage lines can sit on top of the plan price.
Price: Email is $20 per month, and Marketing is $25 per month, on the starting columns we read (Klaviyo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Skip it if you only needed a $9 newsletter tool and have no commerce profile data.
Verdict. Klaviyo is the pick when store profiles and flows matter more than the lowest starter price.
05
Mailchimp
Best for: Teams comparing a widely known email brand
Mailchimp lists a $0 plan with a limit of 250 contacts (Mailchimp pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). A paid column showed $20 per month for 12 months as a 50 percent promotional offer.
The later regular monthly rate was not readable in the extracted text, so we do not invent it. A Premium column showed $350 per month for 12 months on the same promotion.
Pros
A free 250-contact plan is still listed.
The 12-month promotional rate is dated and visible.
The brand is familiar to many finance teams.
Cons
The regular post-promo rate was not readable on this check (Mailchimp pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
A 250-contact free cap is tight for a growing list.
Premium at a $350 promotional rate is far above the starter need.
Price: A paid column was shown at $20 per month for 12 months. The later regular rate could not be read (Mailchimp pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026).
Skip it if you need a firm 12-month total and cannot get the regular rate in writing.
Verdict. Mailchimp is worth comparing, but only after you record the rate that applies when the 12-month offer ends.
Price the list size, not only the brand
Brevo Starter at $9 per month is the cheapest dated paid start in this table (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). That only stays true if Starter includes the automations you need. If you must be on Standard, the comparison becomes $18 per month against MailerLite Comfort from $12 and Klaviyo Email at $20.
Write your current contact count next to each plan's included band before you call one tool cheaper.
What is the cheapest paid email automation tool here?
Brevo Starter at $9 per month, or $97 per year, is the lowest dated paid start we recorded (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). Confirm that Starter includes the automations you need, or budget Standard at $18.
Should a Shopify store start on Klaviyo?
Start on Klaviyo if you will use profiles and flows and can live with Email at $20 per month for 500 active profiles (Klaviyo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). If you only needed a cheap newsletter tool, Brevo or MailerLite may be enough.
How should we treat promotional rates?
Write the promotional rate and the unpromoted rate in the same memo. Omnisend and Mailchimp both showed promotions on 14 Nov 2026. If the regular rate is not readable, ask the vendor to confirm it before you buy.
Is a free plan enough to launch?
Klaviyo, Omnisend and Mailchimp still list a $0 plan. Free caps on contacts or emails are tight. Use them to test deliverability, then pick a paid band that matches your list.
What to check before you buy
Count contacts and monthly sends before you compare plans.
List the automations you must have in month one.
Record promotional and regular rates side by side.
Check whether SMS is included or billed separately.
Confirm deliverability support on the plan you will actually buy.
Plan an export of lists and automations.
Re-check the price when your list crosses the next band.
FAQ
What is the best email marketing automation software for most teams in 2026?
Brevo Starter is the best pick for most teams that want a low public price, at $9 per month or $97 per year (Brevo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). Choose Klaviyo if commerce profiles matter more than the starter price.
How much does MailerLite cost?
The text we could read described Comfort as starting at $12 per month and Power as starting at $25 per month (MailerLite pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). Confirm the band for your list size at checkout.
Does Klaviyo have a free plan?
Yes. Klaviyo lists a $0 plan with 500 emails per month to 250 active profiles (Klaviyo pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). Email then starts at $20 per month.
Why is ActiveCampaign missing from the table?
We opened its pricing page on 14 Nov 2026, but the extracted text did not include a usable public figure. We would rather omit it than invent a price.
Is Mailchimp $20 per month forever?
No. The $20 figure we read was a 12-month promotional rate (Mailchimp pricing, checked 14 Nov 2026). The later regular rate was not readable in the text we fetched.
