VETTED SAAS
Alternatives · Email

Best Campaign Monitor alternatives

The email tools we would weigh against Campaign Monitor when the contact based pricing, the missing free plan, or the lighter automation start to bite.

Campaign Monitor is a polished, design first sender with a strong template builder, now part of Marigold, which suits brands that care about how an email looks. Buyers most often look elsewhere for one of three reasons: pricing that climbs steeply with contact count across every tier, no permanent free plan, only a trial, and automation that stays lighter than a dedicated engine until you reach the higher tiers. The four below cover the usual exits, from a value tool with a free plan to a send based model to a deeper automation platform. Each carries our editorial score and a verified entry price so you can match the tradeoff to your team.

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Reviewed by ·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet
The shortlist

Four email tools we would weigh first

Email 84 GetResponse An all in one that adds automation, webinars and funnels. Read verdict → Email 89 Brevo Pay by emails sent with unlimited contacts and SMS in the box. Read verdict → Email 90 MailerLite A clean editor and low prices with a genuine free plan. Read verdict → Email 92 ActiveCampaign Deeper automation and a CRM when design is not the priority. Read verdict →
At a glance

How they compare

Scores are editorial assessments against our email marketing rubric. Price from as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Tool Best for Price from Score
ActiveCampaign Deep automation and CRM $19 92
MailerLite Value with a free plan Free / $10 90
Brevo Send based pricing with SMS Free / $9 89
GetResponse All in one with webinars Free / $19 84
Decision framework

Which one fits you

MailerLite you want Campaign Monitor's clean design but lower prices and a genuine free plan, with strong landing pages and forms.
Brevo you keep a large list but mail it less often than its size suggests, and would rather pay by emails sent with unlimited contacts and SMS included.
ActiveCampaign automation is the priority and you need conditional workflows, a built in CRM and lead scoring rather than a design first sender.
GetResponse you want one tool for email, automation, webinars and funnels rather than email and templates alone.
Common questions

Campaign Monitor alternatives FAQ

What is the best Campaign Monitor alternative?

It depends on the gap. MailerLite matches the clean design at a lower price with a free plan, Brevo wins on send based pricing with SMS, ActiveCampaign goes deepest on automation, and GetResponse bundles webinars and funnels. Scores are editorial against our email rubric. Pricing as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Campaign Monitor?

Often, yes, especially as your list grows. Campaign Monitor prices every tier by contact count, while Brevo charges by emails sent and MailerLite by subscriber with a free plan, both of which can cost less at scale. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Which alternative has a free plan?

MailerLite, Brevo and GetResponse all offer free tiers, which Campaign Monitor does not. The free plans are limited by contacts or sends, but they let you start without a paid commitment. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Which alternative is best for design and templates?

MailerLite is the closest on a clean, design led editor at a lower price. For more marketing tools around the template builder, GetResponse and ActiveCampaign both go further, though with a different look and feel than Campaign Monitor.

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