That Marketing Buddy

Alternatives

Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill

By Joonas Rotko, ex-agency co-owner, 10+ years spending real marketing budgets

Prices verified · How I choose, and how I earn from this page

If Constant Contact costs more each month than your list justifies, I'd start with MailerLite. Comfort is $33/month billed monthly for a list of a few thousand, its pricing page shows the price for every list size, and smaller lists can stay on its free plan. Sender and Brevo are the picks if you'd rather pay nothing. Prices checked 30 Sep 2026.

Every price below is for one small business list. Constant Contact is the tool being left, so it isn't in the table:

  • 1 business
  • about 2,500 contacts
  • a newsletter or offer a few times a month
  • 1 person sending

Who this is for. Small business owners paying Constant Contact month to month, where only a starting price is published and the band prices on its fee schedule assume a year paid up front, and anyone who wanted a free plan but found only a trial.

My picks for different needs

Find the line that sounds like you. Each pick links to the full reasoning below.

  1. I want a lower monthly bill and a price I can see

    Comfort lists its monthly price for every list size.

    Why this one
    MailerLite logo

    MailerLite

    My default

    $29.70/moannual

    See MailerLite plansAffiliate link

  2. I want a free plan with SMS

    Free stores a large list, and SMS comes on every plan.

    Why this one
    Brevo logo

    Brevo

    $22.50/moannual

    See Brevo plansAffiliate link

  3. I want this list free, with automation

    Free Forever covers a list of a few thousand.

    Why this one
    Sender logo

    Sender

    $0

    See Sender plansAffiliate link

  4. A few of us share the account

    Several users on Starter, with a free account behind it.

    Why this one
    GetResponse logo

    GetResponse

    $23.78/moannual

    See GetResponse plansAffiliate link

  5. I mostly send a newsletter

    A large free plan with no sending limits.

    Why this one
    Kit logo

    Kit

    $0

    See Kit plansAffiliate link

  6. I want the cheapest custom automations

    Pro, with unlimited emails, priced by contacts.

    Why this one
    Moosend logo

    Moosend

    $26/moannual

    See Moosend plansAffiliate link

What you gain and give up by leaving Constant Contact

Constant Contact bundles email with event registration and payments, and it charges for the bundle. Lite starts at $12/month billed monthly for the smallest band, but for bigger lists the fee schedule lists only prices billed yearly, so a growing list doesn't know its monthly bill in advance. There is no free plan, only a trial.

What you gain

  • A free plan. Sender holds 2,500 subscribers free and Brevo stores 100,000 contacts, while Constant Contact asks you to pay once the trial ends.
  • A price you can read before you sign up, on either billing. MailerLite, GetResponse and Moosend publish monthly and yearly prices for every list size.
  • More automation for the money. Constant Contact Lite includes 1 automation template, while MailerLite Comfort has 50 automations and Sender's free plan unlimited workflows.

What you give up

  • Events, registrations and payments in the same account, which Constant Contact includes on every plan.
  • SMS messages included each month on Premium, for US customers. Of these picks, Brevo, Sender and Kit offer SMS, and only Brevo on its free plan.
  • A 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan, which only some picks match.

When to stay. If you run events or take payments through Constant Contact, or your team relies on Premium's unlimited users, the bill buys real work. Stay too if you prepay yearly and your list is small. Leave when you pay monthly for a list in the thousands and mostly use it to send newsletters.

The tools side by side

Each row is the plan that holds this list, with its monthly and yearly cost, its logins and its automation.

Brevo: I priced Starter. Free's limit of 300 emails a day spreads one campaign to this list over several days.

one small business list, monthly bill first: plan priced, monthly and annual cost, Logins on this plan, Automation, How to start
Tool and planCost per monthLogins on this planAutomationHow to start
MailerLiteComfort

$29.70annual

$33 monthly

350Free plan and a 14-day trial
BrevoStarter

$22.50annual

$25 monthly

1Limited to 2,000 contactsFree plan
SenderFree ForeverFree1Email automation included: unlimited workflows, triggers and automation steps (no SMS automation, no auto-resend to non-openers)Free plan and a 14-day trial
GetResponseStarter

$23.78annual

$29 monthly

31 custom automation workflowFree account and a 14-day trial
KitFreeFree1NoFree plan and a 14-day trial
MoosendPro

$26annual

$32 monthly

5Yes30-day trial

Six picks, in the order I'd consider them

Each one says who it is for, what it costs for a small business list, and what you give up.

MailerLite logo

MailerLite

Best replacement on monthly billing

Desk research

Choose it if

You want to pay month to month and know the price before your list grows into the next band.

Consider GetResponse instead if

You need several logins and an even lower bill.

Why it fits a small business list

MailerLite's pricing page shows the monthly and yearly price for every band, so a growing list is no surprise. Comfort for this list is $33/month billed monthly and includes 50 automations, against Constant Contact Lite's 1 automation template, plus 10 websites and landing pages.

The plan I priced

Comfort is $33/month billed monthly for this list, or $29.70/month billed annually. A 14-day trial of paid features needs no card.

Closest alternative

Moosend becomes the better choice when you send weekly or more and want unlimited emails.
MailerLite homepageSee MailerLite plans
MailerLite homepage, captured

A small business list: Comfort

Billed annually

$29.70/mo

Billed monthly

$33/mo

Above 200,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

No SMS and no event tools, and Comfort includes 3 users where Constant Contact Premium has unlimited. The free plan stops at 250 subscribers, so this list pays.
What my review says

Best for: A Constant Contact customer paying monthly who wants a lower bill and a published price.

Skip it if events and payments are a big part of how you use Constant Contact.

Strengths

  • Monthly prices published for every list size.
  • Far more automation than Constant Contact Lite.

Limits

  • No SMS or event tools.
  • A small free plan.
See MailerLite plansMy MailerLite reviewMailerLite pricingAffiliate link
Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill
Brevo logo

Brevo

Best for SMS, with a free plan to start

Hands-on

Choose it if

You want a free plan and liked having SMS close to your email.

Consider Sender instead if

You want the whole list mailed on one day without paying.

Why it fits a small business list

Constant Contact keeps SMS to paid US plans; Brevo includes SMS campaigns on every plan, free included, with credits bought by volume. Its free plan stores 100,000 contacts, and paid plans price by emails sent, so a list mailed a few times a month stays in a low band.

The plan I priced

Starter is the plan I priced, since it sends to the whole list at once. Its bill follows the emails you send, starting at $9/month billed monthly for the smallest band.

Closest alternative

Sender becomes the better choice when you want this list on a free plan with no daily cap.
Brevo homepageSee Brevo plans
Brevo homepage, captured

A small business list: Starter

Billed annually

$22.50/mo

Billed monthly

$25/mo

The trade-off

Free sends 300 emails a day, so this list needs several days to receive one campaign, and automation on Free and Starter covers only part of it (Limited to 2,000 contacts). Starter includes 1 login.
What my review says

Best for: A Constant Contact user who wants SMS and a free plan in one account.

Skip it if you want every campaign to reach the whole list on the same day for free.

Strengths

  • SMS on every plan, free included.
  • A free plan that stores a large list.

Limits

  • A daily send cap on Free.
  • Automation capped by contact count on cheaper plans.
See Brevo plansMy Brevo reviewBrevo pricingAffiliate link
Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill
Sender logo

Sender

Best free plan for the whole list

Desk research

Choose it if

You'd rather pay nothing than a smaller bill.

Consider Kit instead if

Your list will soon outgrow Sender's free plan and you mostly send a newsletter.

Why it fits a small business list

Sender's free plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month, enough to mail this list several times a month, with unlimited workflows and a Shopify app. Constant Contact asks for a paid plan once its trial ends.

The plan I priced

Free Forever covers this list. Standard starts at $9/month billed monthly for the smallest band, and first-time customers get 30% off a first yearly plan.

Closest alternative

Brevo becomes the better choice when you want SMS and room for more contacts.
Sender homepageSee Sender plans
Sender homepage, captured

A small business list: Free Forever

Free plan

$0

Above 2,500 subscribers: Standard (+$39/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Free carries Sender branding and has 1 user, and SMS starts on paid plans. The list sits at the free ceiling, so a growing list moves to Standard soon.
What my review says

Best for: A Constant Contact customer with a list of a few thousand who wants to stop paying.

Skip it if a growing list would push you onto a paid plan within months.

Strengths

  • This list fits the free plan.
  • Unlimited workflows for free.

Limits

  • Branding and one login on Free.
  • Little room left on the free plan.
See Sender plansMy Sender reviewSender pricingAffiliate link
Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill
GetResponse logo

GetResponse

Best for a small team on a smaller bill

Desk research

Choose it if

You share the account with colleagues and Lite's single login doesn't work.

Consider MailerLite instead if

You need many more automations.

Why it fits a small business list

Constant Contact gives Lite 1 user and saves more for Standard. GetResponse Starter includes 3 users and costs $29/month billed monthly for this list, and a free account stays open if you stop paying.

The plan I priced

Starter for this list: $29/month billed monthly, or $23.78/month billed annually, after a 14-day trial.

Closest alternative

Moosend becomes the better choice when you want more automation and more logins for a similar bill.
GetResponse homepageSee GetResponse plans
GetResponse homepage, captured

A small business list: Starter

Billed annually

$23.78/mo

Billed monthly

$29/mo

Above 100,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

Starter allows 1 custom automation workflow, about as thin as Constant Contact Lite, and cart emails start on Marketer. SMS is Enterprise only.
What my review says

Best for: A small team leaving Constant Contact that needs several logins on a lower bill.

Skip it if you need automation more than logins.

Strengths

  • Several users on the entry plan.
  • A free account if you stop paying.

Limits

  • One custom workflow on Starter.
  • No cart emails on Starter.
See GetResponse plansMy GetResponse reviewGetResponse pricingAffiliate link
Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill
Kit logo

Kit

Best free plan for a newsletter-led business

Desk research

Choose it if

A regular newsletter is most of what you send through Constant Contact.

Consider Sender instead if

You need welcome series and cart emails on a free plan.

Why it fits a small business list

Kit, formerly ConvertKit, holds 10,000 subscribers on its free plan with unlimited emails, so this list costs nothing however often you mail it. Constant Contact caps Lite's monthly sends at 10x contacts and bills overage per email.

The plan I priced

This list fits the free plan. Creator starts at $39/month billed monthly for the smallest list, with a 30-day refund window.

Closest alternative

Sender becomes the better choice when you want automations without paying.
Kit homepageSee Kit plans
Kit homepage, captured

A small business list: Free

Free plan

$0

Above 10,000 subscribers: Creator (+$141/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Free has no automations and keeps Kit branding. Creator adds automations and SMS but costs more than most picks here.
What my review says

Best for: A Constant Contact customer who mainly sends a newsletter and wants to stop paying.

Skip it if you rely on automated welcome or cart emails.

Strengths

  • Unlimited emails on the free plan.
  • A free plan far bigger than this list.

Limits

  • No automations on Free.
  • Creator is pricier than most picks.
See Kit plansMy Kit reviewKit pricingAffiliate link
Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill
Moosend logo

Moosend

Lowest price for custom automation

Desk research

Choose it if

You want the custom automations Constant Contact keeps for Premium, without Premium's price.

Consider MailerLite instead if

You also want landing pages and a website.

Why it fits a small business list

Custom automations on Constant Contact need Premium. Moosend Pro includes the full workflow builder, unlimited emails and 5 users, and for this list it costs $26/month billed annually.

The plan I priced

Pro: $32/month billed monthly for this list, or $26/month billed annually; a twice-yearly plan falls between.

Closest alternative

GetResponse becomes the better choice when you want a free account to fall back on.
Moosend homepageSee Moosend plans
Moosend homepage, captured

A small business list: Pro

Billed annually

$26/mo

Billed monthly

$32/mo

Above 1,000,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

No free plan after the 30-day trial, no SMS and no event tools.
What my review says

Best for: A Constant Contact customer who wants custom automations for a small bill.

Skip it if you need a free plan or event tools.

Strengths

  • Full automation without a premium tier.
  • Unlimited emails.

Limits

  • No free plan.
  • No SMS or events.
See Moosend plansMy Moosend reviewMoosend pricingAffiliate link
Constant Contact alternatives with a free plan or a smaller monthly bill

What a small business list really costs

Bars show each plan's monthly cost on yearly billing where sold; the table above has the month-to-month price. Free plans sit at zero.

Brevo: priced on Starter. Free's limit of 300 emails a day spreads one campaign to this list over several days.

Dollar prices, per month (billed annually where sold)

Pay monthly or yearly?

What yearly billing saves on the same plan.

  • MailerLite$33 monthly, $29.70 yearly: 10% less
  • Brevo$25 monthly, $22.50 yearly: 10% less
  • GetResponse$29 monthly, $23.78 yearly: 18% less
  • Moosend$32 monthly, $26 yearly: 19% less

When you'll outgrow the plan

The first limit you hit, and the next plan up.

  • MailerLite: above 200,000 subscribers, no bigger plan is published
  • Sender: above 2,500 subscribers, Standard (+$39/mo)
  • GetResponse: above 100,000 subscribers, no bigger plan is published
  • Kit: above 10,000 subscribers, Creator (+$141/mo)
  • Moosend: above 1,000,000 subscribers, no bigger plan is published
How I calculated this

Workload: 1 business, about 2,500 contacts, a newsletter or offer a few times a month, 1 person sending.

Each tool is priced on the cheapest plan that holds a list of a few thousand contacts and can mail all of it in one go.

    Other options, and why they missed the list

    I kept to tools that either hold this list on a free plan or publish a monthly price for it below what Constant Contact Lite charges at that size on yearly billing.

    • EmailOctopus logo

      EmailOctopus

      Free for a list this size and simple, but its free sequences are short and there's no native Shopify app, so it replaces less of Constant Contact than Sender does.

    • ActiveCampaign logo

      ActiveCampaign

      Deeper automation than Constant Contact, but no free plan, and the plan with unlimited actions costs more than Constant Contact Lite for this list.

    How I chose, and how I earn from this page

    Joonas Rotko

    Who is behind this guide

    Joonas Rotko

    I co-ran a marketing agency in Finland and spent more than ten years buying SEO and marketing software with real client budgets. I write these guides for the person who has to pay for the tool and use it.

    More about me and how I review

    Affiliate disclosure

    Some links on this page are affiliate links, and I earn a commission if you buy through them, at no cost to you. Constant Contact and all six picks have affiliate programs, so a switch doesn't pay me more than staying. The order follows the bill and what it buys for one small business list.

    How this guide was prepared

    What I did

    • I priced one small business list of a few thousand contacts, a few sends a month and one person running it, from each pricing page on the date beside its source.
    • Picks are priced on the cheapest plan that holds the list and can mail it in one go, on monthly and yearly billing. Free plans count where they hold the list, with the catches on each card.
    • The order puts a lower monthly bill and a published price first, then free plans, then extras such as logins and automation.
    • Brevo is a tool I use hands-on. Constant Contact and the other picks are desk research from their published plans and help pages.

    What to keep in mind

    • Constant Contact publishes monthly prices only for its smallest band, so I compare it on its yearly fee schedule.
    • Constant Contact's pricing page doesn't state a trial length, so I don't quote one.
    • Contact-band prices change often, so check your own list size before you buy.
    Sources and verification dates

    Prices and limits checked on 10 vendor pages. Oldest check: 30 Sep 2026.

    • : Rebuilt for Constant Contact customers paying a high monthly bill with no free plan, with every pick priced for one list from October 2026 vendor prices.
    Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

    Software sites change almost every week, and I want every claim on this page to be factually correct. If you are a vendor or a reader, send me the correct fact and a link to the official page. I will check it and update the page. The opinions and rankings stay mine.

    I only change a fact when the official page shows it.

    Free. I use your details only to follow up. Privacy

    Questions people ask

    What is the best Constant Contact alternative?

    MailerLite, if a lower monthly bill is the goal: Comfort is $33/month billed monthly for a list of a few thousand. If you'd rather pay nothing, Sender's free plan holds 2,500 subscribers with unlimited workflows.

    Is there a cheaper alternative to Constant Contact?

    Yes. Sender, Brevo and Kit all have free plans, and Sender and Kit hold a small business list on them; Constant Contact has no free plan. Among paid plans, GetResponse Starter is $29/month billed monthly for this list.

    Does Constant Contact have a free plan?

    No. It offers a free trial without a card, then Lite from $12/month billed monthly for the smallest band. Sender, Brevo, Kit, MailerLite and GetResponse all keep a free plan.

    How much does Constant Contact cost per month?

    Lite starts at $12/month billed monthly and Standard at $35/mo for the smallest band. Past that band, the fee schedule lists only prices billed yearly, so the monthly cost of a larger list isn't published before you sign up.

    Which Constant Contact alternative has the best automation?

    For this list, Moosend Pro includes the full workflow builder at $26/month billed annually, and MailerLite Comfort includes 50 automations. On Constant Contact, custom automations need Premium.

    What's the best free alternative to Constant Contact?

    Sender, because its free plan holds a list of a few thousand with unlimited workflows. Kit holds a bigger list for free but without automations, and Brevo includes SMS but caps daily sends.

    Compare two of them head to head

    WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

    The SEO and AI visibility software worth your money, and the ones that are not

    Every week: which SEO and AI visibility tools actually move the needle, what they really cost when the intro discount ends, and which ones to skip. Written for people running their own marketing, not for engineers. No fluff, no daily spam.

    Join for free. One email a week, unsubscribe anytime. I use your email only for this. Privacy policy