All 5 recommendations
Est. prices as of 24 Feb 2026
#1 · Brevo · Best Value
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Free - $300/month
Unlimited contacts on free tier, SMS included—the obvious choice for bootstrapped founders
- âś“ Truly unlimited contacts forever free (up to 300 emails/day)
- âś“ SMS marketing included in all plans
- âś“ Advanced automation and CRM at no extra cost
- âś“ No credit card required for free tier
- âś— Interface feels dated compared to modern competitors
- ✗ Free tier limited to 300 emails daily—hits fast if you grow quickly
#2 · Mailchimp · Crowd Favorite
Mailchimp
Free - $350/month
The familiar choice—free for up to 500 contacts, but paid tiers get pricey fast
- âś“ Free plan supports up to 500 contacts with unlimited sends
- âś“ User-friendly interface, great for beginners
- âś“ Built-in A/B testing and basic segmentation free
- âś“ Integrates with most popular tools
- âś— Premium automation locked behind expensive plans ($20+/month minimum)
- âś— Free tier lacks email templates compared to competitors
- âś— Pricing jumps aggressively once you scale past 500 contacts
#3 · Loops · Hidden Gem
Loops
$25 - $500/month
Purpose-built for SaaS founders—transactional + marketing in one, no free tier but worth it
- âś“ Combines transactional and marketing emails (no separate billing)
- âś“ Beautiful, modern interface and drag-and-drop editor
- âś“ Exceptional automation and behavioral triggers
- âś“ Transparent pricing with no contact-based tiers
- ✗ No free plan—minimum $25/month is higher entry barrier
- âś— Smaller ecosystem of integrations vs. established players
- âś— Younger product with less community documentation
#4 · Klaviyo
Klaviyo
$20 - $1,200+/month
E-commerce powerhouse—overkill for most bootstrapped SaaS, perfect if you sell physical products
- âś“ Industry-leading segmentation and personalization for e-commerce
- âś“ Free tier up to 250 contacts with full feature access
- âś“ Pre-built flows optimized for conversion (abandoned cart, post-purchase)
- âś“ Built-in SMS and push notifications
- ✗ Pricing scales aggressively—$20/month for 250 contacts jumps to $300+ quickly
- âś— Overkill for non-e-commerce businesses
- âś— Learning curve steeper than simpler alternatives
#5 · ConvertKit
ConvertKit
$25 - $399/month
Creator-focused, beautiful design—wrong tool if you're not selling digital products or courses
- âś“ Subscriber-based pricing (not contact-based) is transparent and predictable
- âś“ Exceptional for creators, writers, and course builders
- âś“ Beautiful subscriber experience and modern UI
- âś“ Built-in landing pages and forms without extra tools
- âś— Lacks advanced e-commerce automation most SaaS founders need
- ✗ No free plan—minimum $25/month even for small lists
- âś— Pricing only makes sense at 1,000+ subscribers; unsuitable for earliest stage