Best email marketing tool for a small newsletter: MailerLite vs Brevo vs Mailchimp

This page compares three widely-used email marketing tools for one specific job: running a small newsletter or list (roughly up to a couple of thousand subscribers) without drowning in price surprises. We do not claim hands-on deliverability benchmarks — we don't run paid sending tests on a zero budget — so every factual detail below points to the vendor's own pricing page (see Sources) with an access date. Confirm current numbers there before you commit.

The pricing model matters more than the headline price

These three charge in different units, which changes the cost curve as you grow:

• MailerLite prices mainly by number of subscribers; monthly email volume is largely unlimited on paid plans.
• Brevo prices around emails sent per month (with a free-forever entry tier), which suits irregular senders.
• Mailchimp prices by contacts and caps monthly sends as a multiple of your contact count.

What the free tiers actually allow (as listed on their pages)

• Mailchimp Free — the page states a limit of 250 contacts and up to 500 monthly email sends (250/day), single user seat, one audience.
• Brevo — advertises a 'free forever' plan with no credit card; paid Starter begins around 5,000 emails/month, with marketing automation and A/B testing arriving on the next tier up.
• MailerLite — offers a free plan and prices paid tiers by subscriber count; automations, forms and extra user seats are included on paid plans.

A fair way to decide in one sitting

1. Write down your real subscriber count today and your honest 12-month target.
2. Note how often you actually send — monthly-only senders often fit a 'priced by emails' model better than a 'priced by subscribers' one.
3. Check whether the automations you need (welcome series, tags) sit inside the free tier or the first paid tier.
4. Only then compare upgrade pricing at the tier you'd realistically hit.