Start with Mailchimp (simplest path for small lists)
For general-purpose email marketing with under 5,000 contacts, Mailchimp's drag-and-drop builder, pre-designed template library, and 300+ plug-and-play integrations make it the lowest-friction starting point. There's no coding required and most senders are live with their first campaign in under an hour. The free tier handles up to 500 contacts with 1,000 monthly sends—enough to validate the channel before committing to a paid plan.
- Recommendation: Mailchimp, Brevo
Recommended starting points
Based on your constraints, these products typically fit best. Read each decision brief to confirm pricing behavior and limits match your reality.
Mailchimp
The most widely adopted email marketing platform with intuitive drag-and-drop builder, basic automation, landing pages, and 300+ integrations. Free for 500 contacts; Standard $13.99/mo.
Brevo
Multi-channel marketing platform (formerly Sendinblue) with send-based pricing, unlimited contacts, and email + SMS + WhatsApp + chat. Free tier: 300 emails/day; Starter at $25/mo for 20,000 emails.
Why this recommendation
For general-purpose email marketing with under 5,000 contacts, Mailchimp's drag-and-drop builder, pre-designed template library, and 300+ plug-and-play integrations make it the lowest-friction starting point. There's no coding required and most senders are live with their first campaign in under an hour. The free tier handles up to 500 contacts with 1,000 monthly sends—enough to validate the channel before committing to a paid plan.