1. Check the pricing curve
Look at pricing not just for your current list size, but for 2-3x that size. Some tools stay cheap early and become expensive fast at scale.
2. Check deliverability reputation
A cheap tool with poor deliverability means your emails land in spam. Look for providers with strong sender reputation and authentication support (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
3. Check automation depth
- Welcome sequences and drip campaigns
- Behavior-based triggers
- List segmentation options
4. Check your exit route
Verify you can export your full subscriber list and campaign history if you switch providers later.
Check an option
Recommended Email Marketing Tool
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) offers a generous free plan up to 10,000 subscribers, visual automation, and built-in landing pages — a strong starting point if you're building a list without wanting to overpay early.
Where the price changes: Kit is free for up to 10,000 subscribers. If you grow past that threshold, you automatically switch to a paid tier — so calculate your costs not just for your current list size, but for where you project to be in 12 months.
Check Kit's Current Pricing →