Guide
Best Email Marketing Tools for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
ActiveCampaign is the best for automation and CRM; Brevo is the best low-cost volume and channels; Mailchimp is the best easy start. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026 and change often.
What are the best email marketing tools for agencies in 2026?
Email is still the channel most agencies run for clients, and the tools differ in how they price, how deep their automation goes, and what channels they add. Some price by contacts, others by send volume.
We compared three platforms agencies evaluate most often. The right choice depends on your client lists, how much automation they need, and whether they use SMS or transactional email.
Our shortlist, in order: ActiveCampaign, Brevo, Mailchimp. The table puts them side by side.
| Tool | Best for | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | Best for automation and CRM | 4.3 / 5 | G2 4.4 | 14-day free trial. Starter $15, Plus $49, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts. |
| Brevo | Best low-cost volume and channels | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.5 | Free plan. Starter $8.08, Standard $16.17 and Professional $449.08 a month on annual billing ($9, $18 and $499 monthly); Enterprise from $2,499 a month. |
| Mailchimp | Best easy start | 4.1 / 5 | G2 4.4 | Free for 250 contacts. Essentials $13, Standard $20 and Premium $350 a month at the smallest contact tier (500 contacts, 10,000 for Premium); prices rise with contacts. |
How did we choose the best email marketing tools?
We included platforms with public pricing, substantial review-site evidence, and common use among agencies. Pricing and features come from each vendor page, and ratings come from G2.
We left out tools whose paid prices were not visible on their public pages. Scores reflect fit for agencies running several client lists.
What we looked for
- Pricing model: by contacts or by send volume.
- Automation depth and CRM features.
- Channels: email, SMS, WhatsApp, and transactional sending.
- Published security and support evidence.
- Free plan or trial availability.
- Public evidence: review-site ratings and review counts.
Is ActiveCampaign a good email marketing tool for agencies?
Best for automation and CRM: ActiveCampaign offers unlimited automation actions from Plus, 950 or more recipes, a built-in CRM, 1,000 or more integrations, and SOC 2 evidence. It is priced by contacts, shown annually only, and seats are limited on lower plans.
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, multi-step automation, a built-in CRM, landing pages and SMS (as an add-on) with more than 1,000 integrations and 950 automation recipes. It sells Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact tier, each with a 14-day trial.
Who it suits: Agencies that build detailed automation and lifecycle journeys for clients and want a CRM alongside email.
ActiveCampaign pros
- Plans from $15 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts, with a 14-day trial.
- More than 1,000 integrations and 950+ automation recipes.
- Unlimited automation actions from Plus, plus landing pages and a CRM.
- MFA on every account, SSO, and a SOC 2 report through its Trust Center.
ActiveCampaign cons
- Prices shown are annual at 1,000 contacts; monthly prices were not shown.
- Starter limits automations to 5 actions and includes only 1 user.
- SMS and pipelines are paid add-ons.
- Client accounts for agencies and data hosting regions were not stated.
Is Brevo a good email marketing tool for agencies?
Best low-cost volume and channels: Brevo prices by send volume, includes transactional email on every plan, and adds SMS and WhatsApp. Security detail was not captured and the step to Professional is large.
Brevo is a customer platform with email marketing, SMS, WhatsApp, marketing automation, transactional email and sales tools. It has a free plan with 300 emails a day and priced plans by send volume, from Starter to Professional and Enterprise.
Who it suits: Agencies that want low-cost email with SMS and transactional sending, especially for EU-focused clients.
Brevo pros
- A free plan with 300 emails a day and transactional email features on every plan.
- Starter from $8.08 a month on annual billing.
- Unlimited automated multi-step workflows from Standard.
- Email, SMS and WhatsApp channels, with 150+ integrations.
Brevo cons
- Professional costs $449.08 a month on annual billing and Enterprise starts at $2,499 a month.
- Starter has basic reporting and no marketing automation.
- Security certifications and hosting regions were not captured (the security page returned an error).
- Only Professional lists phone support, and a mobile app was not stated.
Is Mailchimp a good email marketing tool for agencies?
Best easy start: Mailchimp has a free plan, more than 300 integrations, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 evidence, and 24/7 support on paid plans. Prices rise with contacts and automation is limited on lower plans.
Mailchimp is an email marketing platform with campaigns, automation flows, pop-up forms, templates and more than 300 integrations. It sells Free, Essentials, Standard and Premium plans priced by contact count, with a 14-day trial on paid plans.
Who it suits: Agencies that run newsletters and simple automation for small-business clients and want a familiar, easy tool.
Mailchimp pros
- A free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month.
- Entry paid plans from $13 a month for 500 contacts, with 24/7 email and chat support.
- More than 300 integrations and 100+ pre-built templates.
- SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 and 2FA; enterprise SSO on Premium.
Mailchimp cons
- Prices scale with contacts and the stated figures are for the smallest tier.
- Free has no automation, and Essentials limits flows to 4 steps.
- Premium costs $350 a month from 10,000 contacts.
- Data is hosted in US data centers, and client accounts for agencies were not stated.
How much do the best email marketing tools cost?
Pricing models differ. ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp price by contact count, while Brevo prices by send volume. A large, quiet list favors Brevo, while a small, engaged list with heavy automation can favor ActiveCampaign. Compare at your real list size and sending frequency.
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | Starter | $15 per month (annual billing) | 1,000 contacts; 1 user; limited segmentation; 5 actions per automation |
| ActiveCampaign | Plus | $49 per month (annual billing) | 1,000 contacts; 1 user; unlimited automation actions; landing pages |
| ActiveCampaign | Pro | $79 per month (annual billing) | 1,000 contacts; 3 users; advanced segmentation; predictive and conditional content; attribution |
| ActiveCampaign | Enterprise | $145 per month (annual billing) | 1,000 contacts; 5 users; premium segmentation; custom objects; SSO; dedicated account team |
| Brevo | Free | $0 per month (monthly billing) | 300 emails a day; transactional email features |
| Brevo | Starter | $8.08 per month (annual billing); $9 monthly | From 5,000 emails a month; email and SMS; AI content generator; no Brevo logo |
| Brevo | Standard | $16.17 per month (annual billing); $18 monthly | Starter plus marketing automation, A/B testing, landing page, AI send-time optimization |
| Brevo | Professional | $449.08 per month (annual billing); $499 monthly | From 150,000 emails a month; 10 seats; WhatsApp, push and popups; phone support; 3 hours of deliverability support a year |
| Brevo | Enterprise | From $2,499 a month | Multi-account management, dedicated IP, SSO and SAML, CSM support |
| Mailchimp | Free | $0 per month (monthly billing) | 250 contacts, 500 sends a month, 1 seat, 1 audience, no automation |
| Mailchimp | Essentials | $13 per month (monthly billing) | Starts at 500 contacts; 3 seats, 3 audiences, 24/7 email and chat support, flows up to 4 steps |
| Mailchimp | Standard | $20 per month (monthly billing) | Starts at 500 contacts; 5 seats, 5 audiences, 200 flows with branching, dynamic content, custom reports |
| Mailchimp | Premium | $350 per month (monthly billing) | Starts at 10,000 contacts; unlimited seats and audiences, enterprise SSO, phone support, onboarding specialist |
What do reviewers say about these email marketing tools?
G2 evidence is strong for all three. ActiveCampaign has the largest base, Mailchimp a large one, and Brevo scores highest. Scores are close, so use trials and free plans to separate them.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 14,813 |
| Brevo | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 2,768 |
| Mailchimp | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 5,436 |
Reviewer themes for ActiveCampaign
- G2 shows ActiveCampaign at 4.4 from 14,813 reviews.
- G2 data shows 68% of reviewers give five stars and 25% give four.
Reviewer themes for Brevo
- G2 shows Brevo at 4.5 from 2,768 reviews.
- Reviewers cite solid deliverability, automation without custom code and an EU-hosted service that fits GDPR needs.
Reviewer themes for Mailchimp
- G2 shows Mailchimp at 4.4 from 5,436 reviews.
- G2 data shows 30% of reviewers give four stars.
How do you choose the right email marketing tool for your agency?
Start by deciding how much automation your clients need. Heavy automation points to ActiveCampaign, high volume points to Brevo, and simple newsletters point to Mailchimp.
Whichever you shortlist, move one real list into a trial and send a campaign before you commit.
A quick decision guide
- Deep automation and a CRM: ActiveCampaign.
- Low-cost volume, SMS, and transactional email: Brevo.
- Simple newsletters and an easy start: Mailchimp.
- A CRM-led approach instead: see the CRM guide.
- Compare all three at your real list size.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best email marketing tool for agencies?
- ActiveCampaign for automation, Brevo for low-cost volume, and Mailchimp for an easy start.
- Which tool is cheapest?
- Brevo for large lists, and Mailchimp has a free plan for small ones.
- Which tool has SMS?
- Brevo includes SMS and WhatsApp channels, and ActiveCampaign offers SMS as an add-on.
- Which tool has a free plan?
- Mailchimp and Brevo.
- How were the tools rated?
- Ratings come from G2, and the editorial scores are our own judgement of fit for agencies.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- ActiveCampaign pricing page
- Brevo pricing page
- Mailchimp pricing page
- G2