Best email marketing software for beginners
A free tier that is genuinely usable, and a single tool rather than five wired together.
Some links earn us a commission, at no cost to you. Commission is not a scoring
input — how we rank.
| # | Tool | Starting price | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Systeme.io Top pick | Free, then $17/mo Free tier | Anyone who wants one bill and one login rather than a stack of five tools. | | Visit |
| 2 | Brevo | Free, then £6/mo Free tier | Small businesses that want a free or very cheap start and would rather pay by sending volume than list size. | | Visit |
| 3 | Kit | Free, then $33/mo Free tier | Creators whose main asset is the email list itself, not the funnel around it. | | Visit |
| 4 | MailerLite | Free, then $19/mo Free tier | Small businesses that want reliable email, landing pages and simple selling at a low monthly price. | | Visit |
| 5 | AWeber | Free, then $25/mo Free tier | Small businesses and creators who value round-the-clock human support over the lowest price. | | Visit |
| 6 | GetResponse | £13/mo | Businesses that want webinars and courses in the same tool as the email list. | | Visit |
| 7 | ActiveCampaign | $15/mo | Businesses whose email depends on detailed automation and segmentation, and that expect to grow into a CRM. | | Visit |
Ranked on weighted capability scores, weighted most heavily towards free plan and ease of use. Commission is not an input — see methodology.
How this ranking was weighted
| Dimension | Weight | Systeme.io | Brevo | Kit | MailerLite | AWeber | GetResponse | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ×3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Ease of use | ×3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Breadth of features | ×2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Value for money | ×2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Email deliverability | ×1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Weighted total | 91 | 78 | 75 | 69 | 67 | 58 | 51 |
Capability scores are 1–5 per dimension. Weights reflect what matters for this use case. A tool we have not assessed on a dimension scores 3, not 0.
Why Systeme.io wins here
Strengths
- +The free plan is unusually generous — 2,000 contacts and unlimited email sending, and it never expires.
- +Replaces a funnel builder, email tool, course platform and affiliate system with one subscription.
- +No transaction fees on sales made through Stripe or PayPal.
Limitations
- −Each part of it is less capable than the best specialist tool in that category.
- −Email deliverability and analytics are basic next to dedicated platforms.
- −The free plan caps you at three funnels and one course, so growing creators hit the ceiling quickly.
The case for Brevo
A multi-channel marketing platform — email, SMS and automation — priced by emails sent, with a free plan. Small businesses that want a free or very cheap start and would rather pay by sending volume than list size.
Full Systeme.io vs Brevo comparison →
Common questions
Best email marketing software for beginners?
Systeme.io scores highest for beginners, at 91 out of 100 when weighted for free plan and ease of use. Brevo is second on 78.
Sources & verification
- help.aweber.com — checked 24 September 2026AWeber Free needs no credit card. Plans upgrade automatically when a list or its sending outgrows them; downgrades need a request to support.
- help.aweber.com — checked 24 September 2026AWeber Free allows one campaign or landing page, keeps AWeber branding, and has no split testing, saved segments or behavioural automation.
- kit.com — checked 23 September 2026Free up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts. Unlimited automations and sequences need a paid plan.
- systeme.io — checked 23 September 2026Free plan: 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, 1 blog, unlimited emails. Never expires, no card required.
- activecampaign.com — checked 24 September 2026No free plan; a 14-day free trial.
- aweber.com — checked 24 September 2026The page opens at 0–500 subscribers (Lite $15, Plus $30 monthly); the 501–1,000 figures are from its own price data.
- brevo.com — checked 24 September 2026Free forever with no credit card; up to 300 emails a day once the account is approved for sending.
- getresponse.com — checked 23 September 2026The pricing page offers a 14-day free trial of premium features and lists no free plan.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026No sales fee on paid newsletters; Stripe processes the payments.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026Free plan: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations, 1 website and 1 landing page. Paid newsletters, custom domains and removing the MailerLite logo need a paid plan.