Choose an email marketing service by its fit with your audience and workflow, rather than an unsupported “best” ranking. This refreshed comparison considers Mailchimp, Brevo and MailerLite using their public product information.
The earlier version compared LookingLion, MailMaster and SendMagic without adequate provider documentation. Those unsupported recommendations have been removed. This is a desk-based comparison, not a deliverability or customer-support test.
Mailchimp: audience-based planning
Mailchimp publishes Free and paid Marketing plans. Its current Free contact ceiling is 250. Before choosing a tier, check how contacts are counted, the included send volume and which automation features belong to the selected plan. Do not confuse a paid-plan trial with permanent Free features.
Brevo: check the daily send allowance
Brevo’s Free-plan documentation lists 300 daily email sends. Unused allowance does not roll over. The daily cap can affect a newsletter that must reach a larger audience at one time, so assess timing as well as total monthly volume.
MailerLite: check the post-trial feature set
MailerLite publishes a Free plan alongside a premium-feature trial. Confirm subscriber and sending limits, automation access and support for the plan that remains after the trial. Verify the required features on the provider’s current pages.
Run the same small test on each shortlist
Create a sample newsletter, connect the intended signup form, send to your own test inboxes and export the test contacts. Note the steps required to segment subscribers, correct a broken link and stop a campaign. Evaluate the final cost at the audience size you expect, including add-ons.
Questions before importing a list
Can the source of each subscriber’s permission be documented? Does the service support the site or store integration you need? Can contacts and suppression records be exported? Which functions require a higher tier? Record these answers before committing to a platform.
Sources and review notes
Reviewed October 25, 2026. Sources: Mailchimp plans, Brevo Free-plan limits, and MailerLite Free plan. For a more focused starting point, read our free email marketing tools guide.
