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Email Marketing & Automation Software (2026)

Compare four email marketing and automation platforms: Brevo, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot and Zoho. See who each one suits, what the free plans include, and how pricing works. Prices were last checked in September 2026.

Which email marketing platform fits you?

The right tool depends on how much automation you need and whether you also need a CRM. Brevo is the easiest place to start because of its free plan. ActiveCampaign suits teams that want advanced if/then automation. HubSpot suits teams that want sales and marketing on one record. Prices below were last checked in September 2026.

If you need…

Start with

A free plan and low-cost sending

Brevo

Advanced automation and lead nurturing

ActiveCampaign

Marketing, sales and support in one CRM

HubSpot

An all-in-one business suite on a budget

Zoho

Email marketing platforms compared

Tool

Free plan

Entry price

You pay based on

Watch out for

Brevo

300 emails/day, 100,000 contacts stored

$9/mo

Email volume

Add-ons: logo removal $9/mo, dedicated IP $251/yr

ActiveCampaign

No (14-day trial)

$15/mo (annual, 1,000 contacts)

Number of contacts

Unsubscribed contacts count on newer accounts

HubSpot

Free tools, 2 users

$9/seat/mo (Starter)

Seats and contacts

Professional starts at $800/mo plus a one-time onboarding fee

Zoho

Free CRM, 3 users

$14/user/mo (CRM)

Users

Email runs through a separate app

Last verified: September 2026. Confirm on each vendor’s site before you buy.

How email platform pricing works

The price you see is only the start. Our reviews found three different ways platforms charge:

  • By email volume (Brevo). You pay for how much you send, not how big your list is. This helps if you have a big list you email rarely.
  • By contacts (ActiveCampaign). Cost rises as your list grows. On accounts created after November 2025, unsubscribed and bounced contacts count too. Clean your list often.
  • By seat and tier (HubSpot). Starter is cheap, but Professional Marketing Hub starts at $800 a month and requires a one-time onboarding fee of about $3,000.

The upgrade path: Brevo, then ActiveCampaign, then HubSpot

Many small teams grow in steps. Start with Brevo to send newsletters and basic automation on the free plan. Move to ActiveCampaign when you need branching automation and lead scoring. Move to HubSpot when sales and support need to work from the same contact record as marketing. Pick the step you need now, not the one you might need in two years.

How to choose

  1. Estimate your list in 12 months. Contact-based pricing grows with your list. Volume-based pricing grows with how often you send.
  2. Check the free plan limits. Brevo’s free plan caps you at 300 emails a day, and unused sends don’t carry over.
  3. Decide if you need a CRM. If sales follow-up matters, ActiveCampaign or HubSpot save you a separate tool.
  4. List your channels. Brevo covers email, SMS and WhatsApp. ActiveCampaign adds WhatsApp and SMS on its automation flows.
  5. Budget for extras. Onboarding fees, add-ons and AI credits can change your real cost.

How we evaluate

We compare tools on ease of use, automation depth, pricing clarity, plan limits and value. Our scoring is explained on the Rating Methodology page.

FAQ

It depends on your needs. Brevo suits small teams that want a free plan and low entry prices. ActiveCampaign suits teams that need advanced automation. HubSpot suits teams that want marketing and sales on one CRM. Pick by the features you need now.
Yes. Brevo’s free plan allows 300 emails a day and stores up to 100,000 contacts for 1 user. HubSpot offers free tools for up to 2 users. ActiveCampaign has no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Free plans have limits, so check them before you rely on one.
Entry prices in our reviews start at $9 per month for Brevo Starter and $15 per month for ActiveCampaign Starter, billed annually at 1,000 contacts. HubSpot Marketing Hub Starter is $9 per seat per month, and Professional starts at $800 per month. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor’s site.
It depends on the tool. For ActiveCampaign accounts created after November 2025, unsubscribed, bounced and unconfirmed contacts count toward your billing limit. Brevo bases paid plans on email volume instead of contact count. Clean your list regularly either way.
Email marketing means sending campaigns and newsletters to a list. Marketing automation sends messages automatically based on what people do, such as signing up or abandoning a cart. ActiveCampaign is built around automation. Brevo and HubSpot offer both.
Not always. A newsletter business can work without one. If sales teams follow up with leads, a CRM linked to your email data helps. ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Brevo and Zoho each include CRM features.
Brevo shows no standard public coupon. Its clearest saving is 10% off yearly billing. ActiveCampaign gives 20% off annual billing and a startup program with up to 90% off the first year for eligible companies. HubSpot lists startup and nonprofit discounts. Confirm current terms on each vendor’s site.
Brevo connects with Shopify and WooCommerce for abandoned cart and customer data workflows. ActiveCampaign also integrates with both. Ecommerce-focused brands should also compare dedicated tools like Klaviyo and Omnisend before choosing.

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