‹ All comparisons
Best email marketing tools for small businesses
Mailchimp, Kit and ActiveCampaign compared on published pricing, contact limits and automation depth. Plan details are taken from each vendor's public pricing page and can change — verify before you subscribe.
Compare
Mailchimp Essentials
From $13/mo500 contacts, billed monthly
Kit (ConvertKit)
From $33/mo1,000 subscribers, billed monthly
ActiveCampaign Starter
See pricingPricing available at activecampaign.com/pricing
Free plan
Yes (250 contacts)
Yes (10,000 subscribers)
No (14-day trial)
Contacts (paid entry)
500
1,000
1,000
Automations
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
A/B testing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Best for
Beginners
Creators & bloggers
Growth-focused teams
Pros
- Generous free tier to start
- Drag-and-drop builder is polished
- Large template library
Cons
- Automation limited on lower plans
- Pricing jumps sharply as list grows
Pros
- Visual automation builder
- Best-in-class subscriber tagging
- Very generous free plan
Cons
- Fewer email templates than rivals
- eCommerce tools are basic
Pros
- Most powerful automation of the three
- Built-in CRM on higher plans
- Strong deliverability track record
Cons
- Steeper learning curve
- No free plan — trial only
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