Choosing an email marketing tool can feel overwhelming. There are 30+ providers, each with 3-10 plans, and pricing is rarely apples-to-apples. After reviewing 525 plans across 29 providers for MailEyes, here's the framework we use.
Step 1: Identify your use case
The single biggest factor is who you're emailing and why. Tools fall into rough categories:
- E-commerce — Klaviyo, Drip, Brevo. Revenue attribution, abandoned cart, product recommendations.
- Creator / Newsletter — Beehiiv, Kit (ConvertKit), Substack-alternatives. Sequences, paid subscriptions, simple text-first design.
- SaaS — ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp Marketing+. Behavior-based automation, customer journey, in-app integrations.
- Small Business — MailerLite, Brevo, Constant Contact. Easy WYSIWYG, decent automation, low cost.
- Transactional — Postmark, Mailgun, SendGrid. APIs, deliverability over UX.
If you mix use cases (e-com + newsletter), a generalist like Mailchimp or Brevo works. If you go deep in one (DTC e-commerce), specialist tools win.
Step 2: Estimate your subscriber count and email volume in 6 months
Most tools price by subscribers, some by emails sent. Picking the wrong model gets expensive fast.
- If list grows but volume stays low: subscriber-based pricing hurts. Use volume-based (Brevo, Postmark).
- If list stays small but you send daily: volume-based hurts. Use unlimited-emails plans (Kit, ActiveCampaign).
Rule of thumb: 1 subscriber × 4 emails/month is typical. If you're way above or below, look for matched pricing.
Step 3: List your must-have features
Don't pay for features you won't use. Common must-haves:
- Marketing automation (drip, branching) — most paid tools have this. Free tiers usually don't.
- A/B testing — Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, Klaviyo.
- Landing pages — useful if you don't have a website builder.
- Webinars / Funnels — GetResponse uniquely bundles webinars.
- API & SMTP — needed for transactional or app integration.
- AI assistance — newer trend, Klaviyo and Mailchimp lead.
Step 4: Check deliverability scores
Deliverability matters more than you think. A 5% spam-folder rate compounds: a $100k campaign loses $5k. Independent benchmarks (e.g. Email Tool Tester) consistently put Kit, Postmark, and Klaviyo at the top.
Step 5: Try before you commit
Most tools offer 14-30 day free trials, and many (Mailchimp, MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, Beehiiv) have free plans up to 500-2,500 contacts. Use this 2-week window to import your list, send 1-2 campaigns, and check the inbox/spam ratio.
Quick-pick recommendations
- E-commerce on Shopify → Klaviyo
- Just starting a newsletter → Beehiiv (paid subs) or Kit (sequences)
- Small business on a budget → MailerLite or Brevo
- Mid-market with sales team → ActiveCampaign
- Need transactional API → Postmark or Mailgun
Not sure? Use our free pricing calculator to find the cheapest plan for your list size, or take the 60-second quiz.