Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels
Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels
If you’re a small business choosing email software, start with a platform that fits your audience and goals: newsletters to build trust, campaigns to drive sales, and automation to scale your time. The best picks here balance ease of use, deliverability-minded tooling, and free plans that let you launch before you pay.
| # | App | Best for | Pricing | Worldwide rank | 30-day trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mailchimp | All-around small business | Free plan + paid | #769 | −3% |
| 2 | MailerLite | Simple automation + landing pages | Free plan + paid | #4,143 | +3% |
| 3 | Brevo | Email + SMS + light CRM | Free plan + paid | #2,996 | +3% |
| 4 | GetResponse | Funnels and conversions | Free plan + paid | #7,663 | +2% |
| 5 | AWeber | Small teams getting started | Free plan + paid | #13,075 | +1% |
| 6 | Campaign Monitor | Beautiful campaigns at scale | Paid | #15,323 | +19% |
| 7 | Kit | Creators with digital products | Free plan + paid | #4,013 | +6% |
| 8 | beehiiv | Newsletter growth features | Free plan + paid | #5,673 | +2% |
| 9 | Mailjet | Marketing + transactional email | Free plan + paid | #10,607 | +9% |
| 10 | SendPulse | Multichannel messaging | Free plan + paid | #13,862 | −13% |
| 11 | Substack | Paid newsletters | Free | #423 | +6% |
| 12 | Ghost | Owned blog + newsletter | Open source | #4,326 | −3% |
Mailchimp combines an approachable campaign builder with audience tools and automation that suit most small teams. It’s a solid first pick whether you run a service business, local shop, or online store.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Costs and complexity can rise as your list and automation needs grow; map your must-haves early.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #769 worldwide (−3% in 30 days)
MailerLite focuses on clean design, straightforward automation, and built-in landing pages and forms. It’s ideal if you want a lean stack without extra tools.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Advanced ecommerce and deep CRM features are limited compared with fuller suites.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #4,143 worldwide (+3% in 30 days)
Brevo unifies email, SMS, and simple CRM/sales tools so you can manage campaigns and pipelines in one place. It’s a good fit for small teams that want multichannel outreach without managing separate apps.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: If you need deep ecommerce or advanced CRM, you may outgrow its sales features.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #2,996 worldwide (+3% in 30 days)
GetResponse blends email, automation, and landing pages aimed at converting leads into customers. Choose it when you want campaign flows that track from opt-in to purchase.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Power users will appreciate the breadth; casual senders might not use everything.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #7,663 worldwide (+2% in 30 days)
AWeber offers straightforward email marketing with automation, an AI-assisted toolkit, and landing pages. It’s great when you want dependable basics and a gentle learning curve.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Design customization and advanced workflows are simpler than some power-focused platforms.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #13,075 worldwide (+1% in 30 days)
Campaign Monitor emphasizes elegant, on-brand newsletters and marketing emails with solid list management. Pick it if visual polish and consistency are core to your brand.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Paid plans only; consider total cost as your list grows.
Pricing: Paid · Traffic: #15,323 worldwide (+19% in 30 days)
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is built for creators who publish, nurture, and sell. It combines newsletters, automations, and digital product sales to turn audience attention into income.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: It’s creator-centric; traditional ecommerce features are lighter than in merchant-focused platforms.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #4,013 worldwide (+6% in 30 days)
beehiiv centers on growth for newsletters with referrals, ad options, and analytics. It’s ideal for media-style publications and founders growing a list as a product.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Advanced ecommerce and deep automation are not its focus.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #5,673 worldwide (+2% in 30 days)
Mailjet supports both marketing campaigns and transactional email via an API. Choose it if you want one provider for newsletters plus order and account-related messages.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Requires coordination if non-technical and technical teams both manage sending.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #10,607 worldwide (+9% in 30 days)
SendPulse is a multichannel platform spanning email, SMS, and chatbots. If you want to orchestrate campaigns across channels with one contact base, it’s a practical option.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Multichannel breadth may be overkill if you only need simple newsletters.
Pricing: Free plan + paid · Traffic: #13,862 worldwide (−13% in 30 days)
Substack lets you publish posts and podcasts, send newsletters, and add paid subscriptions. It’s perfect when content is your product and you want to monetize directly with readers.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: It’s oriented around publications; classic marketing automation is limited.
Pricing: Free · Traffic: #423 worldwide (+6% in 30 days)
Ghost is open-source publishing that pairs a blog with newsletters and memberships. It’s a strong choice if you want full ownership of your site and audience with email built in.
Why we like it:
Watch out for: Self-hosting and customization can require more setup than a plug-and-play service.
Pricing: Open source · Traffic: #4,326 worldwide (−3% in 30 days)
Start with your primary goal:
Then weigh these practical criteria:
Creators and solo founders
Ecommerce and DTC
Local services and B2B
If you want to see what tools are trending before you commit, scan Trending apps or browse Popular apps. You can also jump into Marketing and Blogging & Newsletters to compare similar platforms side by side.
Zivvi tracks a catalog of 2,300 web apps and ranks them by real worldwide traffic (the Tranco list), which averages multiple independent data sources for a research-focused view of popularity. The worldwide traffic ranks you see here are from the Tranco list as of November 6, 2026, and the 30-day change compares each app’s rank from about a month earlier to the latest snapshot. We evaluate usefulness for small businesses based on fit for newsletters, campaigns, and automation; availability of a free plan; and clarity of core features.
There are no paid placements in our picks, and traffic is a signal, not the final word. We consider audience fit (creators vs. ecommerce vs. B2B), tooling breadth (e.g., landing pages, SMS, transactional email), and learning curve. To explore further or compare alternatives, check Search or submit your own product at Submit an app.
For most small businesses, start with an all-rounder like Mailchimp or MailerLite. They offer approachable editors, essential automation, and free plans so you can validate your approach before upgrading. If you need SMS or CRM-lite features, consider Brevo.
Several options provide meaningful free tiers: Mailchimp, MailerLite, Brevo, GetResponse, AWeber, Mailjet, SendPulse, Kit, and beehiiv. Each free plan differs in contact and send limits and feature access, so check the provider’s site for current details.
Newsletter platforms like beehiiv, Substack, and Ghost focus on publishing and audience growth, with simple automations and monetization for creators. Marketing suites such as Mailchimp, GetResponse, and Brevo add broader automation, segmentation, and sometimes SMS or CRM features aimed at driving sales.
You only need transactional email if you send order confirmations, account alerts, or password resets. If that’s you, pick a tool like Mailjet that supports both marketing campaigns and transactional messages so you can manage everything in one place.
For ecommerce, choose platforms with conversion-focused automations and transactional support, like GetResponse or Mailjet. For B2B and services, a straightforward editor and simple nurture flows from Mailchimp, MailerLite, or AWeber will cover most needs.
Most platforms let you export contacts and import them elsewhere, and recreating basic automations is usually manageable. Plan your segments and naming conventions up front to make migration cleaner, and test a few campaigns in the new tool before fully switching.
Ready to start? Compare more tools in Marketing and Blogging & Newsletters, see what’s Trending, or list your own product at Submit an app.
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The newsletter platform built for growth.
Start a newsletter and get paid by readers.
Open source publishing for newsletters and blogs.
Design, send, and automate marketing and transactional emails.
Email marketing and automation for growing businesses.