For most small businesses, the right starting point is based on active contacts, newsletter volume and whether you need automated follow-ups. MailerLite fits a very small list on its free plan, Kit gives creators generous free broadcasts, and GetResponse is a strong paid starting point when you need forms, pop-ups and one custom automation workflow.
Before paying, count the people you expect to email, then compare that number with the next two contact tiers. Check monthly and annual billing separately, confirm sending limits, and make sure your website can embed the signup form you need.
Key takeaways
- Choose by active contacts, sending volume, forms and automation, not by the lowest starting price alone.
- MailerLite Free is limited to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails every 30 days.
- Kit Free allows up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, but paid plans are needed for visual automations and email sequences.
- GetResponse Starter includes unlimited sending, one custom automation workflow, landing pages, forms and pop-ups.
- Authentication helps mailbox providers assess your messages, but it does not guarantee inbox placement.
- Review the final message, postal address, sender identity, subject line and unsubscribe path before sending.
What does a small business need from email marketing?
A small business usually needs four things first: a contact list it can manage, a simple way to send newsletters, signup tools for its website and enough automation for a welcome message or follow-up. The platform should also make it practical to unsubscribe contacts, authenticate a business-domain address and control the bill as the list grows.
Start by counting active subscribers, not every person who has ever appeared in a spreadsheet. Then estimate how often you will send promotions, announcements or newsletters. A list of 500 people receiving four campaigns per month has a different sending requirement from a list of 500 people receiving one message per week plus a welcome sequence.
Forms, pop-ups and landing pages matter when the website is responsible for collecting new subscribers. Kit Free includes unlimited forms and landing pages. GetResponse Starter includes landing pages, signup forms and pop-ups. MailerLite Free includes three forms and one landing page. These limits affect how many signup paths you can create without moving to a higher tier.
Automation means a message or sequence is sent after an action, such as joining a list. Kit Free does not include visual automations or email sequences. GetResponse Starter includes one custom automation workflow, and MailerLite Free includes three automations. If you plan to send receipts, password resets or account notices, confirm transactional email support separately. Marketing automation does not automatically provide transactional delivery.
Your next step is to identify whether you need newsletters only, or newsletters plus a welcome sequence, lead follow-up or customer journey. That decision narrows the choices faster than comparing every feature on every pricing page.
Which platform fits newsletters, forms and basic automation?
For a newsletter-only business with a small list, MailerLite Free is the clearest starting point when 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails every 30 days are enough. Its free plan includes three automations, three forms, one website and one landing page. When the active-subscriber limit is exceeded, sending is locked until the account is upgraded or active subscribers are removed.
Kit Free fits a creator or small publisher that wants a larger free contact allowance and frequent broadcasts. The plan allows up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited forms, unlimited landing pages and unlimited broadcasts. The tradeoff is direct: visual automations and email sequences require a paid plan. A local business that needs a welcome series should account for that before choosing Kit because the generous broadcast allowance does not include every automation feature.
GetResponse Starter fits a business that wants a paid entry plan with the main website collection tools in one place. The documented plan includes unlimited email sending, one custom automation workflow, landing pages, signup forms and pop-ups. One workflow may cover a basic welcome path, but more advanced automation, ecommerce features and unlimited workflows require a higher plan.
Mailchimp is familiar and offers a free plan for 250 contacts. Its Essentials plan adds scheduling and testing, while Standard adds automations, personalization and optimization. Contact and email-send limits can lead to overages, so a business should compare the next contact tier before treating the free plan as a long-term choice.
Constant Contact fits a business that wants a straightforward email marketing product with Lite, Standard and Premium levels. Lite includes one automation template, Standard includes three and Premium includes unlimited custom automations. The tradeoff is that sending allowances are tied to contact count, and additional sends can add cost.
HubSpot fits a business that wants marketing tools alongside a wider customer-management system. HubSpot Free is available for up to two users, while Starter pricing depends on seats and marketing contacts. The entry seat price alone is not a complete estimate for a growing list.
For most first-time small-business users, MailerLite is the practical free starting point, GetResponse is the stronger paid fit for forms and one basic workflow, and Kit is the better free broadcast choice when automation can wait.
What does each platform include at its starting tier?
The starting tiers differ in what they count and what they restrict. The table below uses US pricing information and plan details documented for October 30, 2026. Where a plan shows no renewal amount, check the provider’s renewal terms on its cart page before paying.
Kit says its annual plan provides 12 months for the price of 10. Treat the $390 payment as annual prepayment, not as a monthly payment. GetResponse’s annual figure is also an annual billing arrangement, even though its pricing page displays an effective monthly amount.
MailerLite’s Comfort and Power plans differ in sending. Comfort uses a monthly sending limit tied to the subscriber tier, while Power starts at $25 per month and includes unlimited monthly emails subject to fair use. Mailchimp’s Standard plan starts at $20 per month, but its contact and sending rules still need to be read beside the price.
A useful decision is to confirm the automation, form and landing-page limits at checkout. The starting label can hide a limit that matters more to your website than the headline price.
What will the plans cost as your list grows?
Contact pricing becomes the main issue once a list moves beyond the smallest tier. Kit bills by confirmed active subscribers and automatically moves an account to the next tier when the limit is exceeded. Kit does not impose an email-sending limit on its paid plans, but the subscriber tier still controls the bill.
GetResponse uses the peak number of active subscribers during the billing month and also counts contacts added during that month. A list that grows beyond its purchased size can be charged at a higher level. GetResponse advertises unlimited email sending, but unlimited sending does not mean unlimited contacts at one fixed price.
MailerLite counts active subscribers. Its paid accounts move automatically to the next subscriber tier when the limit is exceeded, while downgrades take effect at the next billing cycle. The Comfort plan has a monthly sending limit tied to the subscriber tier. Power includes unlimited monthly emails subject to fair use.
Mailchimp applies both contact and email-send limits. Its pricing page warns that overages can apply when those limits are exceeded. A business using Mailchimp should compare the bill at 500, 1,000 and 2,500 contacts, then add expected campaign volume to the calculation.
Constant Contact ties sending to contact count. Lite allows sends equal to 10 times the contact count, Standard allows 12 times and Premium allows 24 times. Additional sends are listed at $0.002 per send. A business sending frequent campaigns should include those possible extra sends in its estimate rather than comparing subscription prices alone. Prices checked October 28, 2026.
HubSpot’s marketing email allowance depends on marketing contacts and the selected plan. HubSpot lists 2,000 monthly sends for free tools and five times the marketing-contact tier’s limit for paid plans. Seats add another cost variable, so a two-person business and a five-person team may receive very different totals.
Before you pay, request the complete quote after entering marketing-contact volume and seats. Ask for a written quote showing seats, marketing contacts, billing period and renewal terms. Then read the current provider calculator and overage terms for the selected tier.
Are free plans, trials and the first paid bill different?
Yes. A free tier continues at $0 under its limits, a free trial temporarily provides paid features, and a refund window applies after a paid charge under stated conditions. These are separate arrangements and should not be treated as interchangeable. Prices checked October 28, 2026.
Kit Free is a continuing free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers. Kit’s Creator and Pro trials last 14 days without a card. Kit Creator is documented at $33 per month for 1,000 subscribers, or $390 billed yearly. The renewal rate is the provider’s current rate for the selected subscriber tier, so compare it before paying. Kit says a new customer may request a full refund within 30 days of the first payment.
GetResponse has a Free account and a 14-day premium-feature trial. Starter is listed at EUR 16 per month for 1,000 contacts when billed monthly and EUR 13.12 per month on a 12-month term (in EUR, as listed by the provider). Check the USD price, renewal rate and any upfront amount at checkout before starting automatic billing.
MailerLite has a Free plan and a 14-day premium-feature trial without a card. Its Comfort plan starts at $12 per month, and annual billing saves 10%. Enter the active-subscriber count on MailerLite’s US pricing page and record the displayed annual total before checkout.
Mailchimp has a Free plan, plus a 14-day trial for paid plans. Trial users can send up to 100 emails without payment information. Constant Contact lists a free trial but no permanent free plan. Its Lite plan starts at $10.20 per month billed annually. The annual upfront total and renewal price must be confirmed before payment. Its 30-day refund guarantee has eligibility requirements.
Read the current plan terms and checkout total before starting a paid subscription. Also confirm refund eligibility and exclusions in the current US terms.
How should you set up authentication, sending limits and deliverability?
Use a business-domain sending address, such as an address at your company’s domain, rather than relying on a personal mailbox. Authentication connects that domain to the sending platform through DNS records.
SPF identifies approved sending services. DKIM adds a signed mark that helps receiving systems check whether the message came from an authorized service. DMARC tells receiving systems how to handle messages that fail those checks. Kit documents SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup through a verified sending domain. GetResponse, Mailchimp and Constant Contact also document these records, and MailerLite requires domain authentication for custom-domain sending after its trial period.
Authentication is a configuration tool, not a guarantee that every message reaches the inbox. A verified domain can still send messages that are filtered as spam if recipients do not engage, the content is misleading or the sending pattern is poor.
Sending limits also affect the plan decision. Kit paid plans and GetResponse Starter advertise unlimited email sending, subject to their account terms. MailerLite Free allows 2,500 emails every 30 days. Constant Contact’s sending allowance is tied to contacts, and Mailchimp applies contact and send limits.
Set up authentication before sending a major campaign, then check the platform’s current sending rules. Keep the sending address, business identity and unsubscribe path consistent across campaigns.
What legal requirements apply before sending commercial email?
US commercial email must use truthful header information and subject lines, include a valid physical postal address and provide a functioning opt-out method. The Federal Trade Commission’s CAN-SPAM guidance also requires an opt-out mechanism that can process requests for at least 30 days after the message is sent.
A business must honor an opt-out request within 10 business days. It cannot charge a fee, demand information beyond an email address and preferences, or require more than replying by email or visiting one web page. The business remains responsible when another company sends the email on its behalf.
Permission-based collection is a practical safeguard. GetResponse advises acquiring lists properly, using explicit permission and processing unsubscribe requests. Do not upload a purchased list simply because a platform accepts the file.
Provider tools handle parts of this work. Kit requires a physical address in emails and supports unsubscribe pages and verified sending domains. MailerLite provides an unsubscribe-page builder and subscriber preference center on paid plans. Constant Contact provides unsubscribe handling and account-level acceptable-use requirements. Mailchimp, GetResponse and HubSpot provide marketing-contact and email tools, but the business remains responsible for lawful collection and truthful content.
Before sending, review the final email, physical address, sender identity, subject line and unsubscribe path. If a promotion is an advertisement, label it in the way required for the message and situation.
How do you connect the platform to a business website?
Most platforms connect through an embedded signup form, a pop-up, a landing-page link or an integration supported by the website builder. The practical question is whether the form can place new subscribers in the right list and trigger the intended welcome message.
Kit Free includes unlimited forms and landing pages. GetResponse Starter includes signup forms, pop-ups and landing pages. MailerLite Free includes three forms and one landing page. These tools can reduce the need for custom code, but the exact installation method depends on the website platform.
Before choosing, check whether your site can embed the provider’s form code or connect through an available integration. Test the form on a phone and desktop, submit a real test address and confirm that the contact enters the correct audience. Then check whether the welcome automation starts only after the required confirmation step.
If your website sells products, confirm whether order updates and account messages use a separate transactional email service. A marketing platform may handle promotional campaigns without serving as the delivery system for receipts or password resets.
For the next website decision, compare the best website builder for small business and confirm that its forms, landing pages and ecommerce tools connect to the email platform you choose.
Frequently asked questions
The answers below cover decisions that usually come after comparing the starting plans.
Which platform is cheapest for a very small list?
MailerLite Free allows 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails every 30 days. Kit Free allows up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, while Mailchimp Free allows 250 contacts.
Which platform is better for an automated welcome email?
GetResponse Starter includes one custom automation workflow, and MailerLite Free includes three automations. Kit Free excludes visual automations and email sequences, so Kit requires a paid plan for those features.
Do I need a landing page if my website already has a signup form?
No, but a landing page can give you a separate signup destination for an ad, event or specific offer. Kit, GetResponse and MailerLite document landing-page tools at the stated starting levels, with different limits.
Does the price rise when the list grows?
Yes. Kit, GetResponse, MailerLite, Mailchimp, Constant Contact and HubSpot use subscriber, contact, seat or sending limits that can raise the bill. Compare the current tier with the next two tiers before paying.
Can a marketing platform send order updates?
Not automatically. Marketing platforms document newsletters, campaigns and marketing automation, so you must confirm transactional email support separately before using one for receipts, password resets or account notices.
Can I use my own business domain?
Yes, the documented platforms support domain authentication or custom-domain sending, subject to their setup rules. You will need access to your domain’s DNS records for SPF, DKIM or DMARC configuration.
Does a free plan include unsubscribe handling?
Provider tools support parts of unsubscribe handling, but the business remains responsible for lawful collection and prompt opt-out processing. Review the platform’s unsubscribe settings before importing contacts or sending a campaign.
Is annual billing always cheaper?
Not automatically for every plan or tier, but the documented examples show annual savings for Kit, MailerLite and Constant Contact. Compare the annual upfront total, renewal rate, refund terms and cancellation rules before selecting annual billing.
What should I record before paying?
Record the active-contact tier, seats, sending allowance, monthly or annual billing term, upfront total, renewal terms, overage rules and refund conditions. Keep the quote or checkout summary so you can compare the next bill with the plan you selected.
What is the next step after choosing a platform?
Prepare a permission-based list, create a business-domain sending address, draft the signup offer and decide how often you will send. Then embed the form, send a test message and confirm the authentication and unsubscribe settings before the first campaign.
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