Prices and limits checked 23 October 2026. All of these platforms price paid plans by number of contacts and change prices often. Use the comparison sheet with each vendor’s own calculator.
Most “best email platform” lists rank tools by features you’ll never use. For a small business the decision usually comes down to four questions: how you sell, which tools you already have, how far automation needs to go, and what it costs at your list size.
Start with how you sell
| You are… | Start your shortlist with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An online store (Shopify, WooCommerce) | Klaviyo, Omnisend | Built around store data: products viewed, carts, orders. Abandoned cart, browse and post-purchase flows work out of the box. |
| A service business with a CRM | Your CRM’s email tool (HubSpot, Zoho Campaigns with Zoho CRM) | Leads, deals and emails in one place. No sync to maintain. |
| A business mostly sending newsletters | Mailchimp, Brevo, Zoho Campaigns | Simple campaigns, decent automation, lower cost at small sizes |
| Wanting email, SMS and WhatsApp in one tool | Brevo (WhatsApp on higher plans), Klaviyo (SMS and WhatsApp in some markets) | Check UAE availability of each channel before relying on it |
Free plans (as listed on 23 October 2026)
| Platform | Free plan limits |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Up to 250 profiles, 500 emails a month |
| Mailchimp | Up to 250 contacts |
| Omnisend | 250 contacts, 500 emails a month |
| Zoho Campaigns | Up to 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails a month |
| Brevo | Free plan available (check current daily sending limit) |
| HubSpot | Free marketing tools for up to 2 users, with HubSpot branding |
Free plans are good for learning a tool. Most growing businesses outgrow them within months, so compare the paid tier you’ll actually need.
Automation depth
The flows that make money for small businesses (welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back) need triggers, delays, conditions and exit rules. Check what each plan includes:
- Mailchimp: its automation flows allow up to 4 steps on Essentials and up to 200 steps, with branching, on Standard and above.
- Klaviyo and Omnisend: flows built around store events (viewed product, started checkout, placed order).
- HubSpot: marketing automation workflows need a paid Marketing Hub tier. Check which tier includes the workflows you need.
- Brevo: marketing automation is listed from its Standard plan.
See your first lifecycle flows for which flows to build first.
Pricing: compare at your list size
Every platform here charges more as your contact list grows, and some count contacts differently (all contacts, subscribed contacts, or “active profiles”). To compare fairly:
- Count your marketable contacts today, and estimate the count in 12 months.
- Use each vendor’s pricing calculator for both numbers.
- Add channel costs (SMS credits, WhatsApp message fees) if you’ll use them.
- Note any onboarding fees. HubSpot’s Professional and Enterprise tiers, for example, list required one-time onboarding.
Clean your list before migrating. Paying for contacts who never open is a common waste. See the subscription audit for the same discipline across your tools.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Does it integrate natively with your store or CRM, and does the integration sync orders and events, not just contacts?
- Can you send in Arabic with right-to-left templates?
- Does it support your sending domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and one-click unsubscribe? See SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained.
- Where is data stored, and what do its terms say about data processing? See UAE PDPL and marketing consent.
- Can you export your contacts, consent records and engagement history if you leave?
Migrating platforms
- Export contacts with consent status, source and date, and suppression lists (unsubscribes, bounces, complaints).
- Rebuild flows before switching off the old platform. Don’t leave a gap where abandoned carts get no emails.
- Warm up sending gradually if you move to a new sending domain or IP.
Frequently asked questions
Is Klaviyo worth the price for a small store?
It often is once your list and order volume grow, because store-driven flows bring in revenue without manual work. At very small list sizes, Omnisend, Mailchimp or Brevo may be cheaper. Compare at your contact count.
Can we use our CRM for email instead?
If you’re a service business and your CRM includes email marketing, usually yes. It keeps leads, deals and emails together. Check the tier you need for automation.
What about WhatsApp?
WhatsApp marketing needs the WhatsApp Business Platform. Some email platforms connect to it, or you can use a separate tool. See WhatsApp marketing that doesn’t get you blocked.
If you’d like help choosing and setting up a platform, that’s part of our growth funnel service.
Free download · Excel worksheet
Email platform comparison sheet
Score each platform against your needs, and record its price at your contact count (monthly and over a year), so the comparison uses today's prices, not ours.
Download itNo sign-up. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
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