You've got a website. You've got visitors. Now what?
The problem most small businesses hit around month two is this: people come, look around, and leave. No email captured. No way to bring them back.
An email list fixes that. It's the one marketing channel you actually own — unlike social media, where the algorithm decides who sees your posts. A list of 500 genuinely interested people is worth more than 5,000 followers who never see your content.
But "get an email tool" is easier said than done. There are dozens of options, wildly different pricing, and each one claims to be the best.
Here's an honest comparison of what actually matters.
What to look for in an email tool
Before comparing specific platforms, here are the things that separate good tools from bad ones for a small business:
Free tier quality. A free plan that's actually usable — not a 14-day trial or a 100-subscriber limit that expires.
Pricing growth. What does it cost when you hit 1,000 subscribers? 5,000? This is where most tools get expensive.
Ease of use. You shouldn't need a tutorial to send your first email.
Automation. Welcome sequences, drip campaigns, and behavior-triggered emails matter more than fancy templates.
Deliverability. Your emails need to actually land in inboxes, not spam folders. This varies a lot between providers.
Ownership of the relationship. Some tools are best for creators and personal brands. Others are built for e-commerce or B2B. Match the tool to your situation.
The tools worth considering
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Best for: Creators, bloggers, newsletter writers, and anyone building an audience first.
Kit is built specifically for people who publish content and want to grow an audience around it. The interface is designed for bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, and newsletter operators.
Free tier: Up to 10,000 subscribers. Yes, really.
Paid plans: Start around $29/month, scaling with subscriber count.
What it does well:
- Genuinely generous free plan — the only major tool offering 10,000 free subscribers
- Automation built for creators (welcome sequences, content upgrades, tags)
- Clean, distraction-free writing experience — better than most email editors
- Integrates with WordPress, Substack alternatives, and most creator platforms
- Landing pages and forms included, so you don't need a separate tool
What it doesn't do well:
- Not ideal for heavy e-commerce or complex CRM needs
- Fewer advanced segmentation features than competitors at higher tiers
- No built-in SMS
Who should use it: If your business is built around content — a blog, a newsletter, a course, a community — Kit is the natural choice. The free tier alone makes it worth trying.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Best for: Small businesses that need email, SMS, and CRM in one place.
Brevo is an all-in-one platform. Email marketing, SMS campaigns, a CRM, transactional emails, and live chat — all under one login.
Free tier: 300 emails per day, unlimited contacts. Generous if you're just starting.
Paid plans: Start around $9/month, scaling with volume.
What it does well:
- Combines email, SMS, and CRM — replaces multiple tools
- Very affordable for the feature set
- Transactional email (order confirmations, password resets) included
- Good for businesses with both email and SMS marketing needs
What it doesn't do well:
- Interface is more complex than creator-focused tools
- Marketing automation has a steeper learning curve
- Less intuitive for pure content/creator use cases
Who should use it: If you run an online store, a service business with SMS reminders, or want CRM and email together, Brevo's combined value is hard to beat.
Mailchimp
Best for: Beginners who want the most familiar, well-known platform.
Mailchimp is the name everyone knows. It's been the default email tool for over a decade.
Free tier: Up to 500 contacts, 1,000 emails per month.
Paid plans: Start around $13/month, scaling with contacts and features.
What it does well:
- Extremely well-documented — tutorials and help articles for everything
- Huge integration ecosystem
- Templates and drag-and-drop editor are polished
- Familiar interface if you've used it before
What it doesn't do well:
- Pricing scales fast — 2,500 contacts starts around $60/month
- Free tier is much smaller than Kit's
- Automation requires a paid plan
- Has become more expensive and less creator-friendly over the years
Who should use it: If you want the safest, most-supported option and don't mind paying more for it. Good for traditional businesses with a "standard" email marketing need.
MailerLite
Best for: Budget-conscious small businesses that still want a polished experience.
MailerLite is the "sensible middle ground" — better free tier than Mailchimp, cleaner interface than Brevo, cheaper than Kit at scale.
Free tier: Up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails per month.
Paid plans: Start around $10/month.
What it does well:
- Great free tier for the first 1,000 subscribers
- Clean, modern interface
- Good automation for the price
- Strong deliverability
What it doesn't do well:
- Smaller creator/community of tutorials than Mailchimp
- Fewer integrations than Mailchimp
- Free tier caps at 1,000
Who should use it: If you're past 500 subscribers but not ready to pay much, MailerLite is the natural step between "free" and "serious."
Quick comparison
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Starts At | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | 10,000 subscribers | ~$29/month | Creators, bloggers, content-first businesses |
| Brevo | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts | ~$9/month | Email + SMS + CRM combined |
| Mailchimp | 500 contacts | ~$13/month | Beginners who want the familiar option |
| MailerLite | 1,000 subscribers | ~$10/month | Budget-conscious after the free tier |
How to choose
Ask yourself three questions:
1. What's the primary thing you're trying to do?
- Grow an audience around content → Kit
- Send email and SMS, manage customers → Brevo
- Send straightforward campaigns and don't mind paying more → Mailchimp
- Stay cheap for as long as possible → MailerLite
2. How many subscribers will you realistically have in 12 months? If under 1,000: any of these work. If 1,000–10,000: Kit's free tier is a huge advantage. If 10,000+: check pricing carefully — this is where tools diverge sharply.
3. What else do you need besides email? SMS → Brevo CRM → Brevo Landing pages → Kit Simple integrations → Any of them
What I'd actually recommend
For most small businesses with a content-driven or creator-driven angle: start with Kit. The 10,000-subscriber free tier is unique in the market, and the platform is built for exactly the kind of business most small operators run.
If your business sells physical products or services that benefit from SMS and CRM: start with Brevo. You get more tools in one place for less money.
If you want the safest, most-supported option: Mailchimp is fine. You'll pay more, but you'll never be stuck.
If you're mostly budget-driven: MailerLite.
None of these are mistakes. The mistake is waiting to start. An email list you build today will be worth more in two years than any social following you grow in the same time.
One last thing
Don't overthink the tool selection. Pick one, set up a simple welcome email, put a signup form on your site, and start. You can always migrate later.
The businesses that win with email marketing aren't the ones with the perfect tool — they're the ones who actually send emails.
Building your website first? Read our comparisons of Webflow vs WordPress, Squarespace vs WordPress, and Wix vs WordPress.
