Best Email Marketing Tools in 2026

A pricing-first comparison. We show what each tool charges, what it actually costs to run, and who it's best for. No affiliate links. No sponsored placements.

Tool Starting Price Pricing Model Free Tier Best For
FairMail $0.001-0.003/email Pay per use Free actions on signup Occasional users who don't want a subscription
Mailchimp $13-350/mo Per-contact monthly (charges for dormant contacts) 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month Beginners wanting an all-in-one marketing platform with templates
ConvertKit $29-79/mo Per-subscriber monthly 1,000 subscribers (limited features) Creators and bloggers who want simplicity
ActiveCampaign $29-149/mo Per-contact monthly with feature tiers 14-day trial Teams needing advanced automations and CRM integration
Brevo $25-65/mo Per-email-volume monthly (unlimited contacts) 300 emails/day Budget teams wanting unlimited contacts with per-email pricing
Constant Contact $12-80/mo Per-contact monthly 60-day trial Small businesses wanting simple email campaigns with events

FairMail

FAIR

$0.001-0.003/email per email sent. No subscription, no seat limits. Infrastructure cost: $0.0001/email.

Best for occasional and moderate users who don't use email marketing tools heavily enough to justify a monthly subscription. Full pro features from the first use.

Try FairMail free →

Mailchimp

$13-350/mo. Per-contact monthly (charges for dormant contacts). Free tier: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month.

Best for: Beginners wanting an all-in-one marketing platform with templates

Common complaints:

  • Charges for unsubscribed and inactive contacts
  • Dramatic price jumps as list grows
FairMail vs Mailchimp →

ConvertKit

$29-79/mo. Per-subscriber monthly. Free tier: 1,000 subscribers (limited features).

Best for: Creators and bloggers who want simplicity

Common complaints:

  • Expensive per subscriber
  • Visual automations are basic
FairMail vs ConvertKit →

ActiveCampaign

$29-149/mo. Per-contact monthly with feature tiers. Free tier: 14-day trial.

Best for: Teams needing advanced automations and CRM integration

Common complaints:

  • Complex pricing with many tiers
  • Per-contact pricing scales aggressively
FairMail vs ActiveCampaign →

Brevo

$25-65/mo. Per-email-volume monthly (unlimited contacts). Free tier: 300 emails/day.

Best for: Budget teams wanting unlimited contacts with per-email pricing

Common complaints:

  • Deliverability concerns
  • Interface can be clunky
FairMail vs Brevo →

Constant Contact

$12-80/mo. Per-contact monthly. Free tier: 60-day trial.

Best for: Small businesses wanting simple email campaigns with events

Common complaints:

  • Difficult cancellation process
  • Price increases without warning
FairMail vs Constant Contact →

What email marketing tools actually cost to run

Email Marketing: Infrastructure cost is roughly $0.0001/email. FairMail charges $0.001-0.003/email. Mailchimp charges $13-350/mo.

Infrastructure costs based on AWS/GCP published pricing. Updated quarterly.

See All Fair Products →

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Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.