Best Email Marketing Platform for Small Business

Q: What is the best email marketing platform for a small e-commerce business?

Klaviyo. It's built specifically for e-commerce, with native Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, behavioral segmentation based on purchase data, and revenue attribution so you can see exactly what your email program generates. It has a free tier for up to 250 profiles, so you can start without paying anything.

Q: What email marketing platform should I use if I'm not in e-commerce?

For service businesses, B2B, or SaaS, look at ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit (now Kit). Both have stronger automation capabilities than Mailchimp and are built for businesses that need to nurture leads over time rather than drive product purchases. Mailchimp works too if you want something simple, but it's the weakest option for automation.

Q: Is Mailchimp good for small businesses?

Mailchimp is fine for basic email sends, but it's weak on segmentation, automation, and e-commerce reporting. Most businesses that start on Mailchimp eventually outgrow it and switch to something more capable. If you're in e-commerce, skip Mailchimp and start on Klaviyo—switching platforms later is expensive and time-consuming.

Q: Do I need an agency to manage my email marketing?

Not at the beginning. When you're small, set up your basic flows (welcome series, abandoned cart) and send a few campaigns per month. As email starts driving meaningful revenue—typically when it accounts for 25-40% of total revenue—most brands benefit from hiring an agency or in-house email marketer to manage the program properly.

We're an email marketing agency that manages 50+ accounts across Klaviyo, and we've migrated brands off Mailchimp, Omnisend, and other platforms. This isn't a balanced comparison of 15 tools we've never used. It's a short, honest answer based on what actually works.

The Best Email Marketing Platforms, Ranked

If you sell products online, use Klaviyo. Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce—doesn't matter. Klaviyo is built for e-commerce and it's the clear best option. It has a free tier for up to 250 profiles, so start there.

If you're not in e-commerce (service business, B2B, SaaS), use ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. Both have better automation than Mailchimp and are designed for lead nurturing rather than product sales.

That's it. The rest of this post is the reasoning.

Why Klaviyo Wins for E-Commerce

Three things separate Klaviyo from everything else when you're selling products online:

Revenue attribution. You can see exactly how much money your email and SMS programs generate—by flow, by campaign, by individual send. This matters because you need to know whether your email program is pulling its weight. Mailchimp gives you open rates. Klaviyo tells you that your abandoned cart flow generated $14,000 last month.

Behavioral segmentation. Klaviyo segments on what people actually buy, browse, and add to cart—not just whether they opened an email. You can build a segment like "customers who bought Product A more than 60 days ago but haven't bought Product B" and send them a targeted campaign. Use our free Audience Builder to see how this works.

Native SMS. Klaviyo's SMS shares the same data, segments, and flow triggers as email. You're not managing two platforms with two data sets. Everything works together. If you want the full breakdown, read our detailed Klaviyo review.

What About Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is the platform most people have heard of, and it's fine for basic email sends. But for e-commerce, it's weak where it counts: segmentation is limited, automation is basic, and revenue reporting barely exists. Most brands we work with that started on Mailchimp eventually switched to Klaviyo because they hit the ceiling.

The problem with starting on Mailchimp to "save money" is that switching platforms later is expensive. You have to rebuild all your flows, segments, and templates from scratch. We've quoted migration projects at $8,000+. Starting on the right platform from day one—even on a free tier—saves you real money long-term. We cover more alternatives in our Klaviyo alternatives comparison.

If You're Not in E-Commerce

Klaviyo is purpose-built for online stores. If you're a service business, SaaS company, or B2B without an e-commerce component, there are better fits:

ActiveCampaign — Strong automation and lead scoring. Good for businesses with longer sales cycles where you need to nurture contacts over weeks or months before they convert. More capable than Mailchimp for complex workflows.

ConvertKit (now Kit) — Built for creators and content-driven businesses. Clean interface, solid automation, good for building audiences around content. If your business model involves courses, memberships, or digital products, ConvertKit is a natural fit.

Mailchimp — Works if you need something simple and don't require advanced automation. It's the most recognizable name, but it's the weakest of these three for anything beyond basic email sends.

A note on Substack and Beehiiv: these are newsletter platforms, not business email marketing tools. They're built for growing a media audience, not for sending promotional campaigns or automating customer communication. Different use case entirely.

How to Start Without Overspending

Every platform mentioned above has a free tier or trial. Use it. But use the free tier of the platform you'll actually grow into—don't chase the cheapest option now and pay for migration later.

If you're on Shopify, here's the minimum to get running on Klaviyo without spending anything:

Install Klaviyo from the Shopify App Store (free tier covers 250 profiles)
Set up a welcome flow — even text-only emails work
Set up an abandoned cart flow
Send 1-2 campaigns per month

That's enough to start generating revenue from email. As you grow, you can add more flows, refine your Klaviyo + Shopify setup, and expand into SMS. For a full walkthrough of what Klaviyo does, read our complete Klaviyo guide.

Need Help Getting Started?

We set up and manage Klaviyo for e-commerce brands doing $500K-$20M+ in revenue. If you want it done right from the start, let's talk.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best email marketing platform for a small e-commerce business?

Klaviyo. It's built for e-commerce with native Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, behavioral segmentation based on purchase data, and revenue attribution. It has a free tier for up to 250 profiles.

What email marketing platform should I use if I'm not in e-commerce?

ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. Both have stronger automation than Mailchimp and are built for businesses that nurture leads over time rather than drive product purchases. Mailchimp works for basic sends but is the weakest for automation.

Is Mailchimp good for small businesses?

It's fine for basic email sends, but weak on segmentation, automation, and e-commerce reporting. Most businesses that start on Mailchimp outgrow it. If you're in e-commerce, skip it and start on Klaviyo—switching later is expensive.

Should I start with a free email marketing platform?

Yes, but start on the platform you'll grow into. Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and ConvertKit all have free tiers or trials. Don't pick a cheap platform just to save money now—migration projects can cost $8,000+. Use the free tier of the right platform from day one.

Do I need an agency to manage my email marketing?

Not at the beginning. Start with basic flows (welcome series, abandoned cart) and a few campaigns per month. As email starts driving 25-40% of your total revenue, most brands benefit from hiring an agency or in-house email marketer to manage it properly.