Best Email Marketing Tools with AI (2026): 4 Picks for Small Businesses, Newsletters and Automation
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Email marketing tools send newsletters, promotions and automated emails to people who joined your list. Most now include AI that drafts emails, suggests subject lines or builds an automation from a short description.
The best email marketing tool depends on what you send and how big your list is. Below we compare four AI email marketing tools: what each plan includes, what the AI actually does, what it costs and who should skip it.
The short answer
For automated sequences, pick ActiveCampaign ($15/mo billed yearly, 1,000 contacts). For a small budget, start free on Brevo. For a newsletter, start free on Kit (up to 10,000 subscribers). For email plus webinars, choose GetResponse ($15.58/mo billed yearly).
Quick picks
| Tool | Best for | Starts at | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
 ActiveCampaign | Automation-heavy email marketing | $15/mo Starter, billed yearly for 1,000 contacts | 14-day trial, no credit card; no free plan |
 Brevo | Sending on a budget, with SMS and WhatsApp options | Free plan up to 300 emails a day; Starter $9/mo for 5,000 emails | Free plan; no trial needed |
 Kit | Newsletters and creators | Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator $390/yr for 1,000 | Free plan; 14-day trial on Creator and Pro |
 GetResponse | Email plus webinars and online courses | $15.58/mo Starter, billed yearly; $19 month to month | 14-day trial; no free plan in the plan table |
List prices in US dollars before tax, read on the vendors' pricing pages on November 2, 2026 (ActiveCampaign on October 30, 2026).
What AI actually does in email marketing
AI email marketing means the tool does part of the work for you: it drafts copy, builds an automation from a sentence, picks a send time or suggests who to target. The four tools differ a lot in which of these jobs they cover, and on which plan.
| AI job | ActiveCampaign | Brevo | Kit | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drafts email copy or subject lines | Generative AI, from Plus | AI content generator, from Starter | Subject lines in the editor | Every plan (3 uses on Starter) |
| Builds automations or campaigns from a description | Every plan | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Picks the send time per contact | Predictive sending, Pro and Enterprise | From Standard | Not listed | Not listed |
| Suggests segments or answers data questions | Active Intelligence, limited below Pro | Aura AI, Professional only | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects ChatGPT or Claude to your account | Yes | MCP, from Starter | Kit MCP, Creator and Pro | Not listed |
| Other AI tools | AI images (Plus), scheduled account audits | AI Data Analyst, AI recommendations (Professional) | AI support assistant | AI landing pages; website and course builder (Creator); product recommendations |
“Not listed” means we didn't find the feature on the vendor's pricing or AI pages, not that it can't be done another way. From each tool's profile sources, checked October 30, 2026–November 2, 2026.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard way to let an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT read and act on data in another app, so you can ask it about your subscribers or campaigns in plain English.
How we chose
We compared the email marketing tools we have profiled from their official pricing and product pages, and every one lists AI features on its own site. We re-read the GetResponse, Brevo and Kit pricing pages with a US-based check on November 2, 2026. ActiveCampaign's page still showed placeholder prices to that check, so its prices are the USD figures we read in a browser on October 30, 2026. Kit's monthly prices were read with the page's billing toggle on October 30, 2026.
We haven't tested these tools hands-on yet, so we can't tell you which one gets the best open rates or deliverability. We tell you what each plan includes, what the AI does, who it suits and what you pay. Read more about how we review tools.
ActiveCampaign: best for automation-heavy email marketing
Email and marketing automation platform with Active Intelligence AI: builds campaigns, automations and segments from a prompt, drafts content and flags account issues.
- Type
- Email marketing and automation platform
- Starts at
- $15/mo, Starter, billed yearly for 1,000 contacts
- Free option
- 14-day trial, no credit card; no free plan
The entry plan includes:
- 1,000 contacts and 10,000 email sends a month, 1 user
- AI automation and campaign builders that work from a short description
- Active Intelligence (limited on Starter) and 500 AI credits a month
- Up to 5 lists and 15 active business goals
Plus is $49 a month, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145, all billed yearly at 1,000 contacts; prices rise as your list grows. Generative AI for email copy and images starts on Plus. Predictive sending (each contact gets the email at their likely best time) and conditional content need Pro. The page shows no month-to-month price. Core AI features keep working when credits run out; only advanced ones pause.
Who it's for: Small teams and online stores that want welcome series, cart reminders and follow-ups to run on their own, and are fine paying yearly.
Skip it if: You want a free plan or monthly billing, or you only send a simple newsletter.
Visit ActiveCampaignActiveCampaign pricing and profile
Source: activecampaign.com/pricing, checked October 30, 2026
Brevo: best for sending on a budget, with SMS and WhatsApp options
Email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing platform with a free plan, an AI content generator, AI send-time optimization, Aura AI segmentation and an MCP link to ChatGPT and Claude.
- Type
- Email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing platform
- Starts at
- Free plan, up to 300 emails a day; Starter $9/mo for 5,000 emails
- Free option
- Free plan; no trial needed
The entry plan includes:
- Starter: 5,000 emails a month at the entry price ($97 a year billed yearly)
- AI content generator for subject lines and email copy
- MCP connection to manage campaigns from ChatGPT or Claude
- 1 marketing seat
Standard ($18 a month or $194 a year) adds automation, A/B testing and AI send-time optimization. Aura AI segmentation and the AI Data Analyst need Professional, at $499 a month for 150,000 emails. Brevo prices by emails sent rather than by contacts, and prices rise with volume. SMS credits are sold separately, and WhatsApp needs Professional. You can also buy email credits that don’t expire instead of a plan.
Who it's for: Small businesses and shops that want a free start, send a few campaigns a month and may add SMS later.
Skip it if: You need automation on the cheapest paid plan (it starts on Standard), or you want AI segmentation without paying $499 a month.
Visit BrevoBrevo pricing and profile
Source: brevo.com/pricing, brevo.com/pricing.md, checked November 2, 2026
Kit: best for newsletters and creators
Email marketing for creators, formerly ConvertKit: newsletters, visual automations and digital product sales, with AI subject line writing and Kit MCP for Claude and ChatGPT.
- Type
- Email marketing for creators (formerly ConvertKit)
- Starts at
- Free plan, up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator $390/yr for 1,000
- Free option
- Free plan; 14-day trial on Creator and Pro
The free plan includes:
- Free: up to 10,000 subscribers and 1 user
- Unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms
- Subject line A/B tests with 2 subject lines
- Digital product sales, with 3.5% + 30¢ per sale
Creator is $39 a month or $390 a year for 1,000 subscribers. It adds Visual Automations, email sequences, 2 users and Kit MCP, which connects Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini to your account. Pro is $79 a month; billed yearly it is $593 for the first year under a limited 25% offer, then the standard rate. Kit’s built-in AI writing help is mainly for subject lines. Prices rise with subscriber count.
Who it's for: Writers, podcasters, coaches and course creators who send a regular newsletter and may sell digital products or paid subscriptions.
Skip it if: You run an online store that needs product recommendations and cart flows, or you want AI to draft whole emails.
Visit KitKit pricing and profile
Source: kit.com/pricing, kit.com/ai, checked November 2, 2026
GetResponse: best for email plus webinars and online courses
Email marketing and automation platform with an AI email and subject line generator, AI landing pages, AI product recommendations, webinars and a course creator.
- Type
- Email marketing and automation platform
- Starts at
- $15.58/mo, Starter, billed yearly; $19 month to month
- Free option
- 14-day trial; no free plan in the plan table
The entry plan includes:
- Unlimited email sends and 3 users
- 1 custom automation workflow
- AI email and subject line generator, capped at 3 uses
- AI landing page creator, capped at 3 uses
Marketer ($48.38 a month billed yearly, $59 monthly) lifts the AI caps, allows unlimited automation workflows and adds product recommendations. Creator ($56.58 yearly, $69 monthly) adds webinars for 100 attendees, an AI website builder and an AI course creator. Enterprise is custom. The pricing page doesn’t state the list size behind these prices, so check the price for your contact count before you pay. Charities and NGOs get 50% off monthly plans.
Who it's for: Small businesses, coaches and course sellers who want email, landing pages and webinars in one account.
Skip it if: You need several automations on a small budget (Starter allows one), or you want a free plan to grow on.
Visit GetResponseGetResponse pricing and profile
Source: getresponse.com/pricing, checked November 2, 2026
What a first year costs on each plan
The four tools don't price the same thing. ActiveCampaign and Kit charge by contacts or subscribers, Brevo charges by emails sent, and GetResponse doesn't state the list size on its pricing page. Here is what a year costs at each entry level, monthly versus yearly billing.
| Tool and plan | Volume the price covers | Billed yearly | Billed monthly, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign Starter | 1,000 contacts, 10,000 sends a month | $180 (12 × $15) | Not shown on the pricing page |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | 1,000 contacts, 10,000 sends a month | $588 (12 × $49) | Not shown on the pricing page |
| Brevo Starter | 5,000 emails a month | $97 | $108 (12 × $9) |
| Brevo Standard | 5,000 emails a month | $194 | $216 (12 × $18) |
| Kit Creator | 1,000 subscribers | $390 | $468 (12 × $39) |
| Kit Pro | 1,000 subscribers | $593 (first year only) | $948 (12 × $79) |
| GetResponse Starter | Not stated | $186.96 (12 × $15.58) | $228 (12 × $19) |
| GetResponse Marketer | Not stated | $580.56 (12 × $48.38) | $708 (12 × $59) |
List prices before tax. ActiveCampaign checked October 30, 2026; the others November 2, 2026. All four raise prices as your list or sending volume grows.
Brevo and Kit also have free plans, so a small list can cost nothing: Brevo allows up to 300 emails a day and Kit up to 10,000 subscribers, without automations.
Best email marketing platform for small business
Most small businesses need three things: a sign-up form, a regular campaign and one or two automated emails such as a welcome message. Here is how that maps to the four tools.
- A shop that wants automated follow-ups: ActiveCampaign builds automations from a description on every plan, from $15 a month billed yearly.
- A local business sending a monthly offer: Brevo's free plan or $9 Starter plan covers it; add Standard ($18) when you need automation.
- A coach or trainer who runs webinars: GetResponse Creator ($56.58 a month billed yearly) adds webinars and a course creator.
Best newsletter platform for creators
For a newsletter, Kit is the closest fit of the four. Its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms, and you can sell digital products and paid subscriptions from the same account (3.5% + 30¢ per sale). Upgrade to Creator when you want automated sequences, such as a welcome series for new readers.
Brevo's free plan works for a newsletter too, but it caps sending at 300 emails a day, so a list of a few thousand readers would need a paid plan to go out in one send.
How to choose an email marketing tool
Start with what you will send most often, then match your situation below.
| If you… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want welcome series, cart reminders and follow-ups to run on their own | ActiveCampaign | AI automation builder on every plan; predictive sending on Pro |
| Have little budget and send a few campaigns a month | Brevo | Free plan, $9 Starter with an AI content generator |
| Write a newsletter or sell digital products | Kit | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; built-in product sales |
| Run webinars or sell courses alongside email | GetResponse | Webinars, AI website builder and AI course creator on Creator |
Check these before you pay
- What the price is based on. Contacts (ActiveCampaign, Kit) and emails sent (Brevo) grow differently. Price your own list size on the vendor's page.
- Which plan has the AI you want. ActiveCampaign's generative AI starts on Plus; Brevo's AI segmentation needs Professional; GetResponse Starter caps AI emails at 3 uses.
- Automation limits. Brevo's automation starts on Standard, GetResponse Starter allows one workflow, and Kit's free plan has none.
- Promotional prices. Kit Pro's $593 yearly price applies to the first year only, then the standard rate.
- Billing period. ActiveCampaign shows only yearly prices; the others let you pay monthly at a higher rate.
Our suggestions are based on published plans, not hands-on tests, so use a free plan or trial with a real campaign before you commit. If you send outreach to people who haven't signed up, see our best cold email tools guide instead. For ad creatives and other campaign assets, see best AI marketing tools, and for longer copy, best AI writing tools.
FAQ
What is the best email marketing tool for small businesses?
It depends on what you send. For automated sequences such as welcome series and cart reminders, ActiveCampaign Starter is $15 a month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts. For a few campaigns a month on a tight budget, Brevo has a free plan and a $9 Starter plan. For email plus webinars, GetResponse Starter is $15.58 a month billed yearly.
Which email marketing platform has the best free plan?
Two of the four tools here have a free plan, and they suit different needs. Kit’s free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers but has no automations or sequences. Brevo’s free plan allows up to 300 emails a day. ActiveCampaign and GetResponse offer 14-day trials instead.
What is AI email marketing?
AI email marketing means using AI inside your email tool to do parts of the work for you: draft emails and subject lines, build an automation or segment from a short description, and send each email when a contact is most likely to open it. You still decide what to send and check the result.
Can AI write my marketing emails?
It can write a first draft. Brevo’s AI content generator (from Starter), GetResponse’s AI email generator (3 uses on Starter, more on higher plans) and ActiveCampaign’s generative AI (from Plus) all draft copy. Kit’s built-in AI focuses on subject lines. Read and edit every draft before you send it.
Is Kit (ConvertKit) worth it for newsletters?
Kit is built for newsletters: the free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts and landing pages. You pay when you need automations or sequences: Creator was $39 a month or $390 a year for 1,000 subscribers when we checked on November 2, 2026. It is a weaker fit for stores that need product recommendations.
ActiveCampaign vs Brevo: which is cheaper?
For a small list, Brevo is cheaper: it has a free plan, and Starter is $9 a month or $97 a year for 5,000 emails a month. ActiveCampaign has no free plan; Starter is $15 a month billed yearly ($180 a year) for 1,000 contacts. The two price differently, by emails sent versus contacts, so compare at your own volume.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Mailchimp?
We haven’t profiled Mailchimp yet, so we can’t compare its prices here. Among the four tools we checked, Brevo and Kit have free plans, Brevo Starter is $9 a month, and ActiveCampaign and GetResponse start at $15 and $15.58 a month billed yearly.
What is the difference between email marketing tools and cold email tools?
Email marketing tools send newsletters and automated emails to people who signed up for your list. Cold email tools send one-to-one outreach to prospects who haven’t, using many inboxes and warmup. If you need outreach, see our best cold email tools guide.
Sources
GetResponse, Brevo and Kit pricing pages checked November 2, 2026; ActiveCampaign pricing checked October 30, 2026. AI feature details from each tool's official pricing, AI and product pages, checked October 30, 2026 (linked from each profile).
- www.activecampaign.com/pricing
- www.brevo.com/pricing/
- www.brevo.com/pricing.md
- kit.com/pricing
- kit.com/ai
- www.getresponse.com/pricing
See every tool in AI Email Marketing.