About 10; min
Email marketing tools are expensive at scale. But several solid options cost under $20/month for small lists. We compared the best budget-friendly email platforms to find the sweet spot between price and features.
Last updated: March 18, 2026.
Best Cheap Email Marketing Tools Under $20/Month
| Tool | Price (1,000 contacts) | Free plan? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit (ConvertKit) | $39/mo (but free up to 10K) | Yes (10K subs, no automation) | Creators, newsletters |
| MailerLite | $10/mo | Yes (1,000 subs) | Best value overall |
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | $9/mo (unlimited contacts) | Yes (300 emails/day) | Transactional + marketing |
| Mailchimp Essentials | $13/mo | Yes (500 contacts) | E-commerce integration |
| Moosend | $9/mo | 30-day trial | Simple automation on a budget |
| Buttondown | $9/mo | Yes (100 subs) | Minimalist newsletters |
1. MailerLite — Best Value Under $20
MailerLite offers the best feature-to-price ratio in email marketing. At $10/month for 1,000 subscribers, you get automation, landing pages, a website builder, and a drag-and-drop email editor.
Free plan: 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month, basic automation, landing pages. Genuinely usable.
Why it wins: The free plan alone beats Mailchimp’s paid Essentials tier in several areas. The $10/month paid plan adds advanced automations, A/B testing, auto-resend, and removes MailerLite branding.
2. Brevo — Best for Unlimited Contacts
Most email tools charge by contact count. Brevo charges by email volume instead. The Starter plan at $9/month gives you unlimited contacts with 5,000 emails/month.
Free plan: Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day. Good for small daily sends.
Why it wins: If you have a large list but send infrequently, Brevo is dramatically cheaper than contact-based pricing. A 10,000-contact list on Mailchimp costs ~$100/month. On Brevo, it could cost $9/month if you send under 5,000 emails.
3. Kit (ConvertKit) Free — Best for Growing Creators
Kit’s free plan supports 10,000 subscribers with unlimited emails. No other major platform comes close to this generosity.
The catch: No automation on Free. You can send broadcasts but can’t build email sequences. For many creators just starting out, broadcasts are enough.
Why it wins: Build a massive list for free, then upgrade to the $39/month Creator plan when you need automations. The growth runway is unmatched.
4. Mailchimp Essentials — Best for E-Commerce
Mailchimp at $13/month (500 contacts) is pricier per subscriber than alternatives. But its Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integrations are the deepest in the industry.
Why it wins: Abandoned cart emails, product recommendations, purchase-based segmentation. If you sell products online, Mailchimp’s e-commerce features justify the premium.
5. Moosend — Cheapest Full-Featured Option
Moosend at $9/month includes automations, landing pages, transactional emails, and reporting. No free plan (30-day trial), but the paid tier is comprehensive for the price.
Why it wins: Everything you need for under $10/month. No feature gating on the base plan. Simple pricing that scales predictably.
6. Buttondown — Best for Minimalist Newsletters
Buttondown is for writers who want a newsletter, not a marketing platform. Markdown-based, no drag-and-drop, no bloat.
Free: 100 subscribers. Paid: $9/month for more subscribers and features.
Why it wins: If you just want to write and send a newsletter without learning a marketing platform, Buttondown is the simplest option.
Quick Decision Guide
Best overall value: MailerLite — $10/month for automation, landing pages, and a great editor.
Largest free list: Kit Free — 10,000 subscribers, unlimited sends.
Large list, low sends: Brevo — unlimited contacts, pay by email volume.
E-commerce store: Mailchimp — best product integrations despite higher pricing.
Just a newsletter: Buttondown — simple, writer-focused, $9/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cheapest email marketing tool?
Brevo and Moosend both start at $9/month. But Kit’s free plan (10,000 subscribers) is the cheapest way to start building a list.
Is Mailchimp still worth it in 2026?
For e-commerce, yes. For newsletters and creators, cheaper alternatives (MailerLite, Kit) offer better value. Mailchimp’s pricing has become the most expensive in its category.
Can I switch email tools later?
Yes. All major platforms support CSV export/import of subscriber lists. Automations and templates won’t transfer, but your contacts will.
Pricing verified as of March 18, 2026. Email tool pricing changes frequently based on subscriber count. Check current rates for your list size.
