ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a tiny bookshop, I’d start with MailerLite.

• MailerLite: Free up to 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month, with newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations. Paid starts at $12/month when you outgrow it. MailerLite MailerLite
• Mailchimp: Also free up to 250 contacts, but its paid structure is more feature/tier-driven. Mailchimp
• Brevo: Worth considering if you expect to send lots of emails; its pricing is more send-volume oriented. Brevo

My pick: MailerLite for author-event invitations + a monthly newsletter. It should be simple enough for a small team without paying much initially. MailerLite

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist MailerLite, Brevo, and Mailchimp. Based on their current 2026 plans, the biggest question is how large your mailing list is and how often you’ll send.

MailerLite's current free plan includes campaign sending, signup forms, landing pages, and 3 automations, and its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails per day and can store up to 100,000 contacts, while its Starter plan begins at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

Mailchimp's free plan currently caps the audience at 250 contacts, and its free sending is quite restricted; paid Essentials starts at $13/month on the pricing page. Mailchimp Mailchimp

What I'd choose

Start with MailerLite if you're likely to have a few hundred regular customers on the list. It's inexpensive, has the features you'd actually use for author events and a monthly newsletter, and doesn't force you into a complicated marketing system.

A typical setup could be:

• "Bookshop Newsletter" — monthly news, new arrivals, staff picks.
• "Author Events" — invitations and reminders.
• A signup form at the till/checkout and on your website.
• An automated welcome email when someone joins.
• A simple branded newsletter template you reuse each month.

One important caveat: MailerLite changed its Free plan in June 2026 from 500 to 250 active subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails, so I'd factor that into your expected growth. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 150, 500, 2,000) and how many emails you'd send per month, I can give you a much more precise cost comparison.

What I'd choose

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d shortlist Brevo and MailerLite rather than paying for something heavyweight like Mailchimp.

My pick: Brevo

brevo.com

Why it fits a bookshop:

• Its pricing is primarily based on emails sent rather than contacts stored, which is excellent if your mailing list grows but you only send a few campaigns each month. ToolSkeptic SMB Compare
• The free tier currently allows 300 emails per day, with a large/unlimited contact allowance depending on the plan details. SMB Compare
• You can keep separate lists/segments such as “newsletter,” “author events,” and “VIP/book club.”
• It includes basic CRM functionality, so you can keep some customer/contact organization in the same place. Mailercloud

For example, if you have 800 subscribers and send one newsletter plus two event invitations a month, send-based pricing can be considerably friendlier than a platform that charges simply because you have 800 contacts.

The alternative: MailerLite

mailerlite.com

I'd choose MailerLite if ease of creating attractive emails matters more to you than keeping the cost tied to how much you send. It is particularly well regarded for its clean editor and straightforward automation. Mailercloud

What I'd skip

Mailchimp is perfectly usable, but for a tiny shop starting from scratch, I don't think its pricing gives you enough advantage to justify choosing it. Recent comparisons put its entry pricing above Brevo/MailerLite, and its contact-based pricing becomes less attractive as your list grows. ToolSkeptic LetterDuck

Bottom line: For your particular use case, I'd start with Brevo's free plan, build one newsletter template, and create a separate “Author Events” segment. You can always move up to a paid plan once your list or sending frequency makes it worthwhile. SMB Compare

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your mailing list (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000), I can tell you which one is likely to be cheapest for your actual numbers.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

• MailerLite — best overall for you. The current free plan supports 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with signup forms, basic automations, landing pages, and a drag-and-drop editor. Its paid plan starts at $12/month if you outgrow the free tier. MailerLite MailerLite
• Brevo — best if your list is already bigger. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts but only 300 email sends per day. Paid Starter begins at $9/month. That makes it particularly attractive if you have, say, 500–2,000 people but only email them occasionally. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Mailchimp — good, but I'd skip it for a very small shop. Its free tier is also limited to 250 contacts, with 500 sends/month, while paid Essentials starts at $13/month. Mailchimp Mailchimp

So my rule of thumb:
If your mailing list is under 250, choose MailerLite. If you're already over 250 subscribers, choose Brevo.

For author events specifically, I'd also set up separate groups such as “Events,” “Monthly newsletter,” and “Authors/genres of interest.” That lets you send an event invitation only to genuinely interested readers rather than blasting the whole list.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 150, 500, 2,000), I can tell you which one is cheapest and easiest at your size.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations and one newsletter a month, I’d start with Brevo.

Why I'd pick Brevo

Your use case is occasional bulk email, not complicated marketing automation. Brevo's free tier is unusually generous on contacts, and its drag-and-drop editor, templates, basic analytics, and email campaigns are included. Brevo Help

The important catch: the free plan allows 300 sends per day. So if you had 800 newsletter subscribers, you couldn't send the whole newsletter in one day on the free tier. Brevo Help

If your list is, say, under 300–500 people, I'd be especially inclined to use Brevo and keep the cost at $0 initially.

brevo.com

One thing I'd avoid: choosing Mailchimp simply because it's the famous option. Its current free tier is only 250 contacts, while paid plans are based partly on your contact count. Mailchimp Mailchimp

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 150, 500, 2,000), I can give you a much more precise recommendation and estimate the monthly cost.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d shortlist these:

• brevo.com — my pick for most small bookshops. Its free plan allows 300 emails/day, includes a drag-and-drop editor, templates, basic analytics, and up to 100,000 stored contacts. If your list grows, paid Starter starts at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo
• mailchimp.com — easiest mainstream choice. The free plan currently covers up to 250 contacts and 500 sends/month, with basic templates and reporting. It becomes more expensive as your contact list grows. Mailchimp Mailchimp
• buttondown.com — nicest if the newsletter itself is the priority. It's free for the first 100 subscribers, with a very simple editor and custom-domain sending. But useful extras such as tagging/segmentation cost extra, so I'd favor Brevo for event invitations. Buttondown Buttondown

My recommendation

Start with Brevo. For your use case, the combination of low cost + attractive emails + contact management + occasional event campaigns is a better fit than paying for a more elaborate marketing platform.

One caveat: if you have fewer than 250 subscribers and expect to stay there, Mailchimp's free tier is perfectly adequate, so simplicity may outweigh the difference.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can compare the actual monthly cost of 3–4 options for your bookshop.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one monthly newsletter, I’d pick MailerLite.

MailerLite’s free plan includes newsletter campaigns, signup forms, landing pages, and 3 automations—plenty for collecting subscribers, sending monthly news, and automatically welcoming new readers. Its current paid plan starts at $12/month if you outgrow the free tier. MailerLite MailerLite

Why I'd choose it for you: author events usually mean you'll want a simple signup form and perhaps an automated “Thanks for joining the bookshop list” email. MailerLite gives you those without making the system feel overly enterprise-y.

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free limit in June 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. MailerLite If you expect your list to grow beyond 250 fairly quickly, Brevo may actually be the better long-term low-cost choice: its free plan allows unlimited contacts and 300 email sends per day, with paid plans starting at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

My ranking for your use case:

1. 🥇 MailerLite — easiest/simplest choice
2. 🥈 Brevo — best if your subscriber list is growing
3. 🥉 Mailchimp — polished, but I'd choose the others on price/features for a tiny shop

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000) and how often you send event invitations, I can tell you which one will be cheapest over the next year.

Why I'd choose it for you: author events usually mean you'll want a simple signup form and perhaps an automated “Thanks for joining the bookshop list” email. MailerLite gives you those without making the system feel overly enterprise-y.

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free limit in June 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. If you expect your list to grow beyond 250 fairly quickly, Brevo may actually be the better long-term low-cost choice: its free plan allows unlimited contacts and 300 email sends per day, with paid plans starting at $9/month.

My ranking for your use case:

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invites and one newsletter a month, I’d pick MailerLite.

MailerLite’s current free plan gives you 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, plus signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

Why I’d choose it for a bookshop: your use case is simple—collect subscribers at the counter/website, send a nice-looking monthly newsletter, and occasionally announce an author event. You probably don't need a complicated CRM or sophisticated marketing automation.

One caveat: if you already have more than 250 subscribers, look at Brevo instead. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day, so it's much more forgiving as your mailing list grows. Brevo Help Brevo Help

mailerlite.com
brevo.com
mailchimp.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect) and whether you need event RSVPs/ticketing, I can narrow it down to the cheapest practical setup.

For a tiny independent bookshop, I’d pick MailerLite—especially if you’re sending a monthly newsletter plus occasional author-event invitations.

My shortlist

Why MailerLite: its free plan gives you newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, basic automations, and 2,500 monthly sends. The catch is the 250-subscriber limit, which is fairly restrictive for a growing bookshop. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo is the interesting alternative: its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, with a 300-email-per-day sending limit. So if you have, say, 800 readers but only send one newsletter a month, Brevo can be substantially better value. Brevo Help Brevo Help

I wouldn't choose Mailchimp purely for cost. Its current free tier is also capped at 250 contacts, but only 500 sends/month, making it less attractive for your particular use case. Mailchimp Mailchimp

What I'd do in your shoes

• Under 250 subscribers: MailerLite.
• 250–2,000+ subscribers but only occasional newsletters: Brevo.
• If you expect rapid growth and want more sophisticated marketing later: I'd still start with MailerLite or Brevo rather than paying for Mailchimp immediately.

For author events, you can have a simple “Bookshop News & Author Events” signup form, then tag/segment people interested in particular genres or events. That lets you send the monthly newsletter to everyone while sending a specific author-event invitation only to the relevant readers.

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your mailing list now and how many emails you send per month, I can tell you which one will actually be cheapest for you.

I wouldn't choose Mailchimp purely for cost. Its current free tier is also capped at 250 contacts, but only 500 sends/month, making it less attractive for your particular use case.

What I'd do in your shoes

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invites plus a monthly newsletter, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

• 🥇 MailerLite — best fit

• Free up to 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month.
• Includes newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations.
• If you grow beyond the free tier, the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• The interface is relatively focused on straightforward email marketing rather than trying to be an entire CRM.
• 🥈 Brevo — best if your event list gets bigger

• Free plan allows unlimited contacts, but only 300 email sends per day.
• Paid Starter starts at $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month in the entry tier. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• This is attractive if you have, say, 800–2,000 people on your list but only send one or two campaigns a month.
• 🥉 Mailchimp — good, but I'd skip it for a tiny shop

• Its free tier is currently limited to 250 contacts, and its paid plans start adding cost fairly quickly as you grow. Mailchimp Mailchimp
• It's polished and widely used, but you're likely paying for complexity you don't need.

What I'd do

Start with MailerLite Free if your mailing list is under 250 people. Have one list with segments/tags such as:

• Newsletter
• Author events
• Children's events
• Book club
• Local customers

Then send the monthly newsletter to everyone who opted into it, while targeting event invitations to the relevant groups.

One important point: don't use ordinary Gmail/Outlook BCC for this. A proper email-marketing service handles unsubscribe links, list management, and deliverability much more safely.

mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your mailing list (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can tell you which of these is actually cheapest for your specific shop.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

• MailerLite — best overall for you. Its current free plan supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with signup forms, landing pages, and 3 automations. That’s plenty if your list is still small. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• Brevo — best if your list is already bigger. The free plan allows unlimited contacts (up to 100,000 stored) and 300 email sends per day, so it can be attractive for a bookshop with a large customer list but relatively infrequent newsletters. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Mailchimp — perfectly good, but I wouldn't choose it first for a tiny shop. Its free plan is limited to 250 contacts and 500 sends/month, and the paid tiers can become comparatively expensive as you grow. Mailchimp Mailchimp

What I'd do

Start with MailerLite Free if you're under 250 subscribers. Set up:

1. A simple “Join our bookshop newsletter” signup form.
2. A monthly newsletter featuring new books, upcoming author events, and staff picks.
3. A separate author-event email you can send to the whole list—or to a tagged “Events” group.
4. An automatic welcome email for new subscribers.

One important caveat: if you already have more than 250 subscribers, I'd lean toward Brevo rather than immediately paying for MailerLite.

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your list now (e.g. 150, 800, 3,000), I can tell you which is cheapest and simplest for your specific situation.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d shortlist Brevo and MailerLite—and I’d probably pick Brevo if your mailing list is already more than a few hundred people.

Brevo's free plan is particularly interesting for you: it allows 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day, along with templates, a drag-and-drop editor, basic analytics, and some automation. Brevo Help Brevo Help

MailerLite is very nice for newsletters, but its free tier was tightened in 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

What I'd do: start with Brevo if you expect your event/newsletter list to grow beyond 250 people. Create separate tags for Newsletter, Author Events, and perhaps individual interests (fiction, children's books, local authors, etc.). Then you can invite just the relevant readers to an event rather than emailing everyone.

brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 150, 800, 3,000) and whether you need RSVP/event registration, I can give you a much more specific recommendation.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations and one newsletter a month, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

Why MailerLite: its free tier gives you 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, plus signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations. That is plenty for a small shop sending a monthly newsletter and occasional event announcements. MailerLite MailerLite

One important 2026 change: MailerLite reduced its free subscriber limit from 500 to 250 in June 2026, so I'd keep that ceiling in mind as your mailing list grows. MailerLite

Brevo is particularly interesting if your list is larger but you don't send very often: its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, but you're limited to 300 email sends per day. Brevo Help Brevo Help

Mailchimp is still perfectly usable, but its free plan is currently 250 contacts and only 500 sends/month, so it gives you less headroom for essentially the same audience size. Mailchimp

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite Free if you're under 250 subscribers. Create:

• one signup form at the till/website: “Get our monthly books & events”
• one regular monthly newsletter
• separate event emails when authors visit
• a simple automated welcome email for new subscribers

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 150, 500, 2,000) and whether you need RSVP/ticketing, I can tell you which option will be cheapest in practice.

Why MailerLite: its free tier gives you 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, plus signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations. That is plenty for a small shop sending a monthly newsletter and occasional event announcements. MailerLite MailerLite

One important 2026 change: MailerLite reduced its free subscriber limit from 500 to 250 in June 2026, so I'd keep that ceiling in mind as your mailing list grows. MailerLite

Brevo is particularly interesting if your list is larger but you don't send very often: its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, but you're limited to 300 email sends per day.

Mailchimp is still perfectly usable, but its free plan is currently 250 contacts and only 500 sends/month, so it gives you less headroom for essentially the same audience size.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite Free if you're under 250 subscribers. Create:

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invites + one monthly newsletter, I’d shortlist MailerLite and Mailchimp, with MailerLite as my pick.

Why MailerLite: its free plan includes campaigns, signup forms, a landing page, and 3 automations, with 2,500 monthly emails. Its first paid tier starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

For your use case, that means you could have:

• A “Join our bookshop newsletter” signup form at the register and on your website.
• A monthly newsletter featuring new arrivals, staff picks, and upcoming events.
• Separate tags/groups for event attendees, general newsletter readers, etc.
• An automated welcome email when someone joins.
• Occasional targeted author-event invitations without blasting everyone.

Mailchimp is still a perfectly reasonable choice, particularly if you expect to want its broader marketing ecosystem. But its current free plan is capped at 250 contacts and 500 sends/month, so you could hit that sending limit surprisingly quickly—for example, one newsletter to 250 people plus two event reminders would already be 750 sends. Mailchimp Mailchimp

Kit is the interesting wildcard: its free plan now allows up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, but it's designed much more around creators/newsletter businesses. Kit Kit Help

My recommendation

Start with MailerLite Free. It's inexpensive, straightforward, and has the specific tools a small independent bookshop needs. If you tell me roughly how many people are currently on your email list (e.g. 300, 1,000, 3,000) and whether you already use Square, Shopify, or another POS, I can tell you which option will be cheapest and easiest for your particular setup. mailerlite.com mailchimp.com

For a tiny bookshop doing author-event invitations + one newsletter a month, I’d pick Brevo.

My shortlist

• brevo.com — Best overall for you. The free plan allows unlimited contacts and up to 300 email sends per day, with a drag-and-drop editor, templates, basic reporting, and automation. If you outgrow it, paid plans start at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• mailchimp.com — Easiest familiar option, but less attractive on price. Its current free plan is only 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends; paid Essentials starts at $13/month. Mailchimp Mailchimp
• buttondown.com — Worth considering if the newsletter itself is the main thing. It's deliberately newsletter-focused, rather than a broader small-business marketing platform. Buttondown

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Brevo's free plan. For example, if you have 400 readers and send one monthly newsletter plus occasional author-event invitations, you can remain free as long as your individual sends stay within the 300/day limit. For a 400-person event announcement, you'd simply need to split the send across days or move to the $9/month Starter plan. Brevo Help

One important distinction: author invitations to people who haven't opted into your newsletter are a different use case from newsletters to subscribers. I'd keep your opted-in customer list separate and make sure event outreach complies with applicable email-marketing rules.

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your list (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you want RSVPs for events, I can tell you exactly which plan I'd choose and what it would cost.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist Brevo and Kit—and I’d lean Brevo if keeping costs down is the priority.

Brevo's current free plan allows 100,000 stored contacts but limits sending to 300 emails per day; its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month. Brevo Help Kit is unusually generous for a newsletter: its free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, though more sophisticated automations require a paid plan. Kit Help Center Kit Mailchimp's current free plan is limited to 250 contacts. Mailchimp

My pick for you

Start with Brevo if you're mainly doing:

• Monthly newsletter
• Author-event invitations
• Occasional announcements
• A few hundred to a few thousand customers
• Simple signup forms and segmentation
• Keeping the monthly bill as close to $0 as possible

I'd choose Kit instead if you want to build a more editorial, community-oriented newsletter—e.g. “Staff Picks,” reading recommendations, author interviews, and regular bookish content. Its free plan is exceptionally generous for that use case. Kit Help Center

One important caveat: don't simply upload a spreadsheet of everyone who's ever bought a book. For marketing emails, use people who have actually opted in to receive them, and keep event invitations/newsletters appropriately consent-based.

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your mailing list now (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000) and how often you send, I can tell you which will be cheapest over the next year.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

• 🥇 MailerLite — best overall for a small bookshop. Its current free plan allows 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with campaigns, signup forms, a landing page, and basic automations. Once you grow, the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• 🥈 Brevo — best if your list is already bigger. The free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts, but limits you to 300 email sends per day. Paid Starter starts at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• 🥉 Kit — excellent newsletter tool, but probably more than you need. Its free tier is unusually generous—up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts—but it's oriented more toward creators/newsletter businesses than a local shop's event marketing. Kit Help Center Kit
• Mailchimp — familiar, but I'd skip it for this use case. Its current free tier is only 250 contacts, and paid plans start at $13/month for Essentials. Mailchimp

For your specific situation: start with MailerLite Free if your customer list is under 250 people. It's inexpensive, relatively simple, and gives you the pieces you'd actually use: a newsletter template, signup form for the counter/website, and basic automation.

One important detail: keep event invites and newsletter subscribers in the same permission-based mailing list, but use a tag/segment such as “Author Events” so you can invite interested readers without emailing everyone about every event.

mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can tell you which one is cheapest at your actual size.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one monthly newsletter, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

• MailerLite — best overall for you. Its current free plan allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with signup forms, landing pages, and 3 basic automations. The paid plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• Brevo — best if your list may grow quickly. Its free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts but limits you to 300 email sends per day. Paid plans start at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Mailchimp — polished, but I wouldn't choose it first for a tiny shop. Its free tier is also capped at 250 contacts, and sending pauses when you exceed the plan's limits. Mailchimp Mailchimp

Why MailerLite: your use case is straightforward—collect readers' emails, send a monthly newsletter, announce author events, and perhaps automate a welcome email. You don't need a heavyweight marketing system yet.

One important catch: 250 subscribers is a pretty small ceiling. If your shop already has, say, 500–1,000 readers, I'd lean toward Brevo instead because its pricing structure is much friendlier to a large contact list with relatively infrequent sends.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (and whether you expect 500+ soon), I can tell you which one will be cheapest over the next year.

For a tiny bookshop sending author event invitations + a monthly newsletter, I’d avoid paying for a big marketing suite. You mainly need:

• a nice-looking newsletter builder
• simple signup forms (website + in-store QR code)
• tags/segments (e.g., “mystery fans,” “kids books,” “event attendees”)
• basic automation (welcome email, event reminders)
• affordable scaling as your reader list grows

My shortlist:

My recommendation for your shop

I’d start with MailerLite. It fits the indie bookstore workflow well:

• Create a “Monthly Bookshop News” newsletter.
• Add signup forms: - checkout counter QR code
• website popup/form
• event RSVP form
• Use tags: - “attended author event”
• “fiction”
• “children’s books”
• “local authors”
• Send: - monthly newsletter
• event announcements 2–4 weeks before
• reminder the day before an event

If you have under ~1,000 readers, you can likely stay very inexpensive at first. MailerLite

One extra tip for bookstores: don’t put every customer on the list automatically—use a clear opt-in at checkout or on event signups. A smaller list of people who actually want book news will usually outperform a much larger generic list.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g., 300, 2,000, 10,000) and whether you sell online or only in-store, I can narrow it down further.

For a tiny bookshop doing author-event invitations + one monthly newsletter, I’d keep it simple and start with MailerLite.

My pick: MailerLite

• Free: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. It includes drag-and-drop email creation, signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations. MailerLite MailerLite
• Paid: starts at $12/month if you outgrow the free tier. MailerLite
• It's particularly well suited to a shop because you can have a general newsletter list and separate groups/tags such as “author events,” “children’s books,” “mystery,” etc.
• Two staff members can use the free account, which is handy for a tiny shop. MailerLite

Two alternatives worth considering

• Brevo — best if your event emails sometimes go to a larger list. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts but limits you to 300 email sends per day. Paid plans start at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Kit — surprisingly generous if you expect the newsletter to become a major audience-building project. Its free plan now supports up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, but it's more creator/newsletter-oriented than shop-oriented. Kit Help Center Kit

Bottom line: I'd choose MailerLite for a small independent bookshop. It's inexpensive, straightforward, and gives you the features you'll actually use without turning email marketing into another job.

If you tell me roughly how many customers are on your list (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000), I can tell you which one is cheapest for your specific situation.

For a tiny bookshop sending author event invites and a monthly newsletter, I’d avoid paying for a big marketing suite. You mainly need:

• a nice-looking newsletter builder
• signup forms (website + in-store QR code)
• audience tags (e.g., “mystery readers,” “kids,” “local authors”)
• event reminders
• basic open/click tracking

My shortlist:

My pick for your situation

Start with MailerLite if you are:

• under ~5,000 subscribers
• sending 1–4 emails/month
• mostly promoting events, new arrivals, staff picks, and book recommendations

Choose Brevo if:

• you have a big customer list collected over years
• you send infrequently
• keeping monthly costs extremely low matters most

Choose Constant Contact if:

• your calendar has many author talks, signings, workshops, and RSVP needs
• you value phone support over squeezing out the lowest price

A simple setup I’d use for a tiny shop:

1. Create one signup form: “Get author events + monthly picks.”
2. Add tags: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Kids, Local Authors, Events.
3. Send: - monthly newsletter
4. separate event emails only to interested readers
5. reminder email 1–2 days before big events

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g., 300, 2,000, 10,000) and whether you need RSVP/ticket handling, I can narrow it to one.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d pick Brevo.

brevo.com is particularly well suited to your mix of monthly newsletters + occasional author-event announcements:

• Very low starting cost: the free plan is $0 and allows 300 emails/day with up to 100,000 contacts stored. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Good for an event-driven list: you can keep one audience and segment people—for example, “fiction,” “children’s books,” or “author events.”
• You don't pay simply because your subscriber list grows. That's a big advantage for a bookshop that might accumulate several thousand readers but only email them once or twice a month.
• If you outgrow the free tier, Starter begins at $9/month and includes 5,000 monthly email sends. Brevo Help
• It has a drag-and-drop editor and reusable templates, so you don't need much technical expertise. Brevo

What about Mailchimp?

mailchimp.com is still perfectly usable, and its interface/templates are arguably a little more polished. But its current free plan is limited to 250 contacts, and its paid plans start at $13/month. Mailchimp

For a tiny shop, I'd therefore rank them:

1. Brevo — best overall value
2. MailerLite — worth considering if you prioritize a particularly simple newsletter experience
3. Mailchimp — good, but harder to justify on a tight budget

One important distinction: if by “author event invites” you mean promotional emails to people who have explicitly signed up to hear from the shop, these tools are a great fit. Don't use them for unsolicited bulk invitations to authors or other people who haven't opted in.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 300, 1,000, 3,000) and how often you expect to email, I can tell you which will actually be cheapest for your shop.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one newsletter a month, I’d pick Brevo.

My recommendation: Brevo

brevo.com

Why it fits a bookshop particularly well:

• Very cheap to start: the free plan is $0 and allows 300 emails per day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Good for occasional bursts: an author event might mean sending 800–1,500 invitations one week, then relatively little the next. Brevo's pricing is based largely on emails sent rather than simply the size of your contact list, which can work nicely for that pattern. Brevo
• Easy newsletters: drag-and-drop editor, templates, signup forms and basic reporting are included. Brevo
• Room to grow: if you outgrow the free daily limit, Starter begins at $9/month and includes 5,000 emails/month. Brevo Help

What about Mailchimp?

mailchimp.com

Mailchimp is still perfectly usable and arguably a little more familiar/polished, but its current free plan is limited to 250 contacts and 500 email sends, so I wouldn't choose it for a bookshop expecting its event list to grow. Mailchimp

Bottom line: Start with Brevo Free. For your use case, I'd only pay for something else if you later need sophisticated automation, ticketing/event integration, or more elaborate customer segmentation.

One important distinction: use a proper email-marketing service like Brevo for opt-in newsletters and event announcements, rather than sending a big BCC from your normal shop email account.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d pick Brevo.

Why it fits your use case:

• Very cheap to start: the free plan is $0 and allows up to 300 email sends per day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. help.brevo.com
• Good for author events: you can create signup forms, segment your list, and send targeted announcements—for example, “people interested in mystery” or “customers near the store.” www.brevo.com
• Good for monthly newsletters: drag-and-drop templates and basic reporting are included. help.brevo.com
• When you outgrow the free tier, Starter starts at $9/month and removes the 300/day sending constraint, with 5,000 emails/month at the entry tier. www.brevo.com

How I'd rank the alternatives

One important distinction: don't choose based simply on “number of contacts.” For a bookshop, what matters is how many emails you actually send. If you have 800 subscribers but only send one newsletter a month plus occasional event invites, a send-based pricing model can be much more economical.

My recommendation: start with Brevo Free, build one master subscriber list with tags such as Mystery, Kids, Poetry, Author Events, etc., and move to Starter only when the 300-emails/day limit becomes inconvenient.

Brevo's official pricing

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 300, 1,000, 3,000) and how many author-event emails you send per month, I can tell you which option will be cheapest in actual dollars.

For a tiny bookshop doing author-event invitations + one monthly newsletter, I’d pick MailerLite.

My recommendation: mailerlite.com

It’s a particularly good fit because you probably care more about simple newsletters, signup forms, and keeping costs predictable than sophisticated CRM features.

• Free: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. That’s plenty for a small starting list. MailerLite MailerLite
• You get a drag-and-drop newsletter editor, signup forms, landing pages, basic automations, and reporting. MailerLite
• When you outgrow free, the current paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite
• It would let you create separate groups such as “Monthly newsletter,” “Author events,” and “Local events”, so you don't have to invite everyone to every event.

The other one I'd consider: brevo.com

Brevo is arguably better if your mailing list gets much larger but you don't send very often. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts but only 300 email sends per day; paid Starter begins at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

For example, if you had 2,000 subscribers but only sent one newsletter a month, Brevo's contact-based approach could be attractive.

What I'd skip

Mailchimp wouldn't be my first choice for a tiny shop starting today. Unless you already use it, there are cheaper/simple alternatives; recent comparisons specifically identify MailerLite as a strong value for small businesses. ToolSkeptic

Bottom line: Start with MailerLite Free if you're under 250 subscribers. It's probably the least-fussy setup for a bookstore, and you can move to the $12/month tier as your audience grows.

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your mailing list now (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can tell you which one is cheapest for your actual sending pattern.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d lean toward Brevo.

My pick: Brevo

brevo.com is particularly well suited to your use case because you’re likely sending occasional author-event announcements plus one newsletter a month, rather than hundreds of campaigns.

• Free: $0/month, with unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails/day. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month and up to 500 contacts. Brevo Help
• It has drag-and-drop templates, scheduling, basic analytics, and automation—enough for event invitations, newsletters, and welcome emails without being overkill. Brevo Help
• Its pricing is based primarily on emails sent, which can be advantageous for a bookshop with a growing list but relatively infrequent sends.

How I'd compare the main options

Mailchimp's current free plan is capped at 250 contacts, while its Essentials plan starts at $13/month. Mailchimp

One important distinction: if your list is, say, 300–1,000 local readers, and you're only emailing once or twice a month, I'd choose Brevo. If what you really care about is making beautiful newsletters with the least possible fiddling, I'd seriously consider MailerLite instead.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (and whether you expect 500, 1,000, or 5,000+), I can tell you which one is cheapest for your actual sending pattern.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d pick MailerLite.

MailerLite's current free plan includes newsletter campaigns, signup forms, landing pages, basic automations, A/B testing, and two user seats. MailerLite MailerLite

My recommendation

Start with MailerLite if you're under 250 subscribers. For your use case, you can have:

• A monthly "what's happening at the shop" newsletter
• Separate announcements for author events
• A signup form on your website
• An automated welcome email for new subscribers
• Basic reporting to see which newsletters people actually read

Once you exceed 250 active subscribers, MailerLite's paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite

One caveat: if you already have more than 250 subscribers, I'd choose Brevo instead. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends per day, although that daily sending limit can make a large monthly newsletter a little cumbersome. Brevo Help Brevo Help

I wouldn't choose Mailchimp for a new tiny-shop setup unless you particularly like its interface: its free plan is also capped at 250 contacts but only allows 500 sends/month, and sending pauses if you exceed the limits. Mailchimp Mailchimp

Bottom line: MailerLite for a small list; Brevo if you've already outgrown 250 subscribers.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d pick MailerLite as the default.

Why MailerLite

• Its free plan currently covers up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month—plenty for a small shop starting out. www.mailerlite.com
• You get newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, basic automations and reporting, so you can have a simple “Join our events & newsletter” form on your website. www.mailerlite.com
• If you outgrow the free tier, the Comfort plan starts at $12/month, making the transition relatively painless. www.mailerlite.com
• It's particularly well suited to a small team rather than a complicated marketing operation.

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is interesting if your list grows substantially or you send infrequent but large event blasts. Its pricing is more oriented around email volume, and its free tier allows 300 sends/day with unlimited contacts. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

For example, if you have 800 people on your list but only send one monthly newsletter plus occasional author-event invitations, Brevo can make more economic sense than a subscriber-count-based service.

My recommendation: Start with MailerLite, unless you already know your audience will quickly exceed 250 subscribers. In that case, I'd seriously consider Brevo from day one.

MailerLite pricing
Brevo pricing

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invites plus a monthly newsletter, I’d pick MailerLite.

MailerLite's free tier includes newsletters, signup forms, basic automations, landing pages and A/B testing—plenty for an independent bookshop. www.mailerlite.com

Brevo is particularly interesting if your mailing list gets large but you only send occasionally: its free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts, although you're limited to 300 sends per day. help.brevo.com

I wouldn't choose Mailchimp as the default for a tiny shop unless you specifically need one of its integrations or are already comfortable with it. Its current free tier is also capped at 250 contacts, while paid plans start at higher prices. mailchimp.com

My recommendation: start with MailerLite Free. When your list grows beyond 250 people, its $12/month Comfort plan is a sensible next step. www.mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you need event RSVPs/ticket sales, I can tell you which one is cheapest for your actual situation.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist Brevo and MailerLite—and I’d lean Brevo if keeping costs down is the priority.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Brevo. Your use case—monthly newsletter + occasional author-event announcements—doesn't require sophisticated marketing automation. Brevo's free plan gives you 300 sends/day, so a 200-person list could receive your monthly newsletter free, with room for occasional event emails. help.brevo.com

Once you're consistently over the free limit, Brevo's paid plans start around $9/month, and its send-based pricing can be particularly attractive for a shop that emails relatively infrequently. www.sasanova.com

One important consideration: don't import a pile of old customer addresses without permission. For event/newsletter marketing, build a clearly opted-in mailing list at the register, on your website, and at events.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 200, 1,000, 3,000) and whether you want pretty book-cover-heavy emails or just simple announcements, I can tell you which one I'd pick and what you'd actually pay.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist MailerLite and Brevo rather than defaulting to Mailchimp.

My pick: MailerLite

It’s probably the best fit if you want author-event announcements + a monthly newsletter without spending much time managing the software.

• Free: up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com
• Easy drag-and-drop newsletter editor.
• Signup forms, landing pages, basic automations, and A/B testing are included. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com
• Paid plans start at $12/month if you outgrow the free tier. www.mailerlite.com
• Particularly nice for a shop where you might want a simple signup form like “Join our bookshop newsletter” at the register and on your website.

MailerLite pricing

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is more attractive if your mailing list is already fairly large but you only send occasionally. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts and 300 email sends per day; its Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

That pricing model can be excellent for a bookshop with, say, 1,000–2,000 subscribers who only get one newsletter a month.

Brevo pricing

For your particular use case

Bottom line: I'd start with MailerLite, unless your existing list is already over 250 people. Don't pay for more sophistication than a bookshop needs—you mainly need a nice newsletter, signup forms, basic segmentation (e.g. fiction / children's / author events), and perhaps an automated welcome email.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and how often you expect to send event invites, I can tell you which one will actually be cheapest for your shop.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist MailerLite and Brevo. My pick would be MailerLite if your main jobs are author-event invitations and a monthly newsletter.

MailerLite's free plan includes campaigns, automations, signup forms, landing pages and reporting; its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month for up to 500 subscribers. www.mailerlite.com

Brevo is particularly attractive if you're very price-sensitive: its free plan is genuinely free and allows 300 emails per day, while Starter begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. help.brevo.com

What I'd do for your shop

Start with MailerLite if you have fewer than ~250 regular readers. Put everyone into one audience, with simple tags such as:

• Newsletter
• Author events
• Children's books
• Mystery
• Local authors

Then you can send the monthly newsletter to everyone and event invitations only to people interested in events or a particular genre.

I'd skip Mailchimp for a tiny shop unless you already use it. Its current paid Standard plan starts at $20/month for 500 contacts, making it harder to justify on a small budget. mailchimp.com

Bottom line: MailerLite = best overall fit; Brevo = best bargain if keeping the monthly bill as low as possible is the priority.

MailerLite pricing · Brevo pricing · Mailchimp pricing

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations and a monthly newsletter, I’d choose MailerLite.

Why MailerLite fits

• Very low cost: its current free plan supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.com
• Easy newsletters: drag-and-drop editor, templates, signup forms, reporting, and A/B testing are included. www.mailerlite.com
• Useful for events: you can create signup forms and simple automations—for example, a welcome email when someone joins your bookshop list. www.mailerlite.comhelp.kit.com
• Room to grow: the next paid tier starts at $12/month, so you don't face a huge jump if your list grows. www.mailerlite.com
• It supports two user seats on the free plan, which is handy for a tiny shop with two people managing communications. www.mailerlite.comhelp.kit.com

One alternative worth considering

Kit is unusually generous if your list is likely to grow quickly: its free Newsletter plan currently allows up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited email sends. help.kit.com But it's designed more around individual creators/newsletters than a local retail business, so I'd still favor MailerLite for a bookshop.

My pick: MailerLite — especially if you're starting with a few hundred readers and mainly need “Upcoming author events + what's new this month” without making email marketing another job.

MailerLite pricing

For a tiny bookshop, I’d pick MailerLite unless your mailing list is already fairly large.

My pick: MailerLite. Its free plan includes newsletters, signup forms, basic automations, A/B testing and reporting, and its paid plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

For a bookstore, that gives you a nice setup: a “Join our mailing list” form, a monthly newsletter, and occasional separate emails for author events without needing a complicated marketing system.

One caveat: MailerLite's free tier is only 250 active subscribers. If you expect to grow beyond that quickly, Brevo may actually be the better bargain: its free plan allows unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails per day, though the daily cap can make a large one-time event announcement cumbersome. help.brevo.com

MailerLite pricing
Brevo pricing

If you tell me roughly how many customers are on your list (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000) and how often you'd send event emails, I can tell you which will be cheapest in practice.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist MailerLite and Brevo—and I’d lean MailerLite if your main needs are monthly newsletters and author-event announcements.

MailerLite's free plan is particularly attractive for a bookshop: you get newsletters, signup forms, basic automation and reporting, and can stay free until you reach 250 active subscribers. Its paid plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

Brevo is potentially cheaper as your list grows because it doesn't price the free plan primarily around contact count. Its free plan allows 300 sends per day, while paid plans start at $9/month for 5,000 monthly emails. The catch is that the 300/day limit can make a big event announcement awkward if you have a larger list. help.brevo.com

My pick: MailerLite

For your use case, I'd choose it if you're likely to have a few hundred regular customers/subscribers and want something staff can learn quickly. You could have:

• a Monthly Newsletter list
• an Author Events segment
• a simple signup form at the register and on your website
• an automated welcome email for new subscribers
• occasional event-specific emails without rebuilding everything

I wouldn't pay for a sophisticated CRM or marketing platform yet. Start free, learn what your audience actually responds to, and upgrade only when the list grows.

MailerLite pricing

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you already use Square, Shopify, or another POS, I can tell you which one will be cheapest for your actual setup.

For a tiny bookshop, I’d shortlist Brevo and Buttondown rather than defaulting to Mailchimp.

My pick: Brevo

Brevo is probably the best fit if you want to handle both author-event announcements and a regular newsletter.

• Free: up to 300 emails/day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. help.brevo.com
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month and no daily sending limit. help.brevo.comwww.brevo.commailchimp.com
• Easy drag-and-drop newsletter editor and templates. help.brevo.comwww.brevo.commailchimp.com
• Signup forms make it straightforward to collect newsletter subscribers in the shop and on your website. www.brevo.com
• You can send occasional event invitations without having to pay based purely on the size of your contact database.

For a bookstore, that last point matters: if you have, say, 1,500 people on your list but only send one newsletter and a couple of event announcements each month, Brevo's send-volume pricing can be quite economical.

The alternative: Buttondown

Buttondown is especially appealing if your newsletter is more literary/editorial than marketing-heavy. The first 100 subscribers are free, and it has a wonderfully simple writing-focused interface. buttondown.com

I'd choose Buttondown if you mostly want:

“Here's what we're reading, here's what's happening at the shop, here are three upcoming author events.”

I'd choose Brevo if you also want beautiful event invitations, signup forms, segmentation, automations, and more conventional marketing tools.

And Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is perfectly capable, but I wouldn't make it my first choice for a tiny shop on a tight budget. Its current pricing is more oriented around contact counts and its Standard plan starts at $20/month after the trial. mailchimp.com

Bottom line:
Brevo = best all-around value for your use case.
Buttondown = best if you want a beautifully simple, writerly newsletter.
Mailchimp = good, but harder to justify on cost for a very small shop.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or expect) and how many emails/events you send per month, I can tell you which one is likely to cost you the least.

For a tiny bookshop sending author-event invitations plus one monthly newsletter, I’d pick Brevo.

Why Brevo fits you

• Very low cost: its free plan is $0 and allows up to 300 email sends per day, with up to 100,000 contacts stored. help.brevo.com
• Your use case is low-volume: if you have, say, 400 subscribers, you can still send a monthly newsletter—you'd just need to spread the campaign over more than one day on the free plan.
• Good for event invites: you can maintain a subscriber list, make attractive emails with a drag-and-drop editor, and track basic opens/clicks. help.brevo.com
• Cheap when you outgrow free: Starter begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month, with no daily sending limit. help.brevo.com
• Pay-per-sends model: this is particularly nice for a bookstore because you can have a reasonably large customer list without paying simply because you've accumulated subscribers.

The alternatives

For your particular situation, I wouldn't start with Mailchimp just because it's the famous name. Brevo's pricing is more favorable when you have a growing contact list but only email people occasionally. toolskeptic.com

One important caveat: don't use your normal Gmail/Outlook account to blast invitations to your customer list. Use an email-marketing platform with proper unsubscribe/consent handling.

If you tell me roughly how many people are on your mailing list (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000), I can tell you which plan would actually be cheapest and whether I'd choose Brevo or MailerLite for the shop.

For a tiny independent bookshop, I’d lean toward Brevo.

My pick: Brevo

Brevo

It’s particularly good if your list is modest but you occasionally need to send a big author-event invitation. The free plan allows unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails/day, while the Starter plan begins at $9/month with no daily sending limit. help.brevo.com

That means you can use it for:

• monthly newsletters
• author-event announcements and reminders
• signup forms for your mailing list
• basic audience segmentation and reporting
• occasional higher-volume sends without paying simply because your contact list is large

Two alternatives worth considering

MailerLite — probably the nicest choice if you care most about making beautiful newsletters easily. Its current free tier is only 250 active subscribers / 2,500 emails per month, with paid plans starting at $12/month, so I’d choose it over Brevo mainly for its newsletter-focused ease of use rather than price. www.mailerlite.com

Constant Contact — worth paying extra for if event management is central to the shop. It has built-in event registration, invitations, RSVPs, ticketing and payments, but starts at $12/month and gets substantially more expensive as your contact list grows. www.mailerlite.comwww.constantcontact.com

Bottom line:

• 💰 Best value: Brevo
• ✍️ Best for newsletters/ease of use: MailerLite
• 🎟️ Best if you need serious built-in event registration: Constant Contact

For a bookshop doing monthly newsletters + free/low-cost author events, I'd start with Brevo's free plan and only upgrade when the 300-emails-per-day ceiling becomes inconvenient. help.brevo.com