ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a one-person marketing operation doing basic email automations, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo vs. Kit.

My practical pick: MailerLite. Its Comfort plan starts at $12/month and is specifically positioned for regular newsletters and automations. The free plan also gives you 3 automations, so you can test the workflow before paying. MailerLite

If absolute monthly cost is the priority, Brevo wins: its Starter plan starts at $9/month, while the free plan includes marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Brevo Help

Kit is interesting if you're primarily a newsletter/creator business: its free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, but visual automations and email sequences require a paid plan. Kit Help Center

Bottom line

• Easiest UI + inexpensive: MailerLite
• Cheapest paid option: Brevo
• Best if you're building around a newsletter: Kit
• If you have ≤250 subscribers and very basic needs: start with MailerLite Free at $0.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect in the first year) and what automations you need (e.g. welcome sequence, lead magnet, abandoned cart, nurture), I can compare the actual monthly cost at your scale.

If absolute monthly cost is the priority, Brevo wins: its Starter plan starts at $9/month, while the free plan includes marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

MailerLite's current free plan includes 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, and 3 automations. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails/day and up to 2,000 contacts entering active automations. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

Kit is attractive if you're primarily a creator/newsletter operator, but its free plan doesn't include automated sequences or visual automations; those start on the $33/month Creator plan. Kit Help Center Kit

My practical take

Pick MailerLite if your priorities are:

• easiest interface
• newsletters + signup forms
• simple welcome/nurture sequences
• landing pages
• minimal setup/maintenance
• staying inexpensive as a small list grows

Pick Brevo if your priority is keeping costs low as your contact database gets large, while sending relatively few emails per contact. Its pricing is much more favorable when you have lots of contacts but modest sending volume. Brevo Help

For example, a basic solo-business setup like:

Lead magnet → welcome email → 3–5 follow-ups → occasional newsletter

would make MailerLite my first platform to try. Its current free tier actually includes enough automation functionality to build that without immediately paying. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and how many emails/month you expect to send, I can calculate the likely monthly cost of MailerLite, Brevo, and 2–3 other cheap options at your actual scale.

For a one-person marketing operation doing newsletters + basic automations, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My practical comparison

MailerLite's current free plan includes 3 visual automations, 2,500 emails/month, landing pages, forms, and its drag-and-drop editor. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and expands that to 50 automations. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo currently starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month, while its free plan allows up to 300 emails/day. It also brings CRM, SMS, and broader marketing functionality into the platform. Brevo

What I'd choose

If your priority is "I don't want to think about the software": MailerLite.

The interface and workflow are geared toward the exact solo-marketer use case: build a form → add subscribers → create a sequence → send newsletters. You can actually stay on the free plan while you're small.

If your priority is "I want the lowest paid monthly price": Brevo.

At $9/month, it's currently cheaper than MailerLite's $12/month paid entry point. Brevo MailerLite

One important distinction: Brevo's pricing is more send-volume oriented, whereas MailerLite's paid pricing is more subscriber-tier oriented. So which is cheaper long-term depends on whether you have a large list, send frequently, or both.

For a typical one-person operation, I'd start with MailerLite Free and only move to paid when you hit the 250-subscriber ceiling. That gives you basic automation without paying anything initially. MailerLite

mailerlite.com · brevo.com

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite if your priorities are easy UI + basic automations + low cost.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite's current free plan gives you up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 automations. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and adds substantially more automation capacity. MailerLite

The reason I'd choose it over Brevo for your use case isn't just price: the interface is particularly straightforward, and its visual automation builder is well suited to simple sequences such as:

• New subscriber → welcome email
• Wait 2 days → educational email
• Wait 3 days → offer
• Clicks link → add tag
• Doesn't open → resend/follow-up

Brevo starts cheaper at $9/month, and its pricing is based more on email volume than subscriber count. That's potentially a better deal if you have a relatively large list but send infrequently. Its free plan also includes automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Brevo Help

So I'd use this rule:

• Small list + want the easiest experience: → MailerLite
• Large list + low sending volume + absolute lowest cost: → Brevo
• Creator-focused business/newsletter: → Kit
• Want maximum simplicity and don't mind paying a little more: → MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect in year 1) and how many emails you'll send per month, I can calculate which one is actually cheapest for you.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

1. MailerLite — best overall

• $0/month up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month.
• Free tier includes 3 visual automations, forms, landing pages, and a drag-and-drop editor. MailerLite MailerLite
• Paid Comfort starts at $12/month, with 50 automations and substantially more functionality. MailerLite
• The interface is relatively straightforward and automation is visual, which is particularly nice when you're doing everything yourself.
• Best fit if: you want newsletters + welcome sequences + lead magnets + simple nurture funnels without a lot of complexity.
• Brevo — cheapest once your list grows

• Free plan, with 300 email sends/day and automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Brevo Help
• Paid Starter starts at $9/month. Brevo Help
• Its pricing is more send-volume-oriented than subscriber-oriented, which can be advantageous if you have a relatively large list but don't email constantly.
• Downside: I find the overall product a little less clean/intuitive than MailerLite for a solo marketer.
• Kit — worth considering for creator businesses

• Particularly good if your business revolves around content, newsletters, lead magnets, and selling digital products.
• I'd choose it over MailerLite if your email list itself is becoming the core product/business asset.

The short answer

If your priorities are easy UI + basic automations + lowest cost, I'd start with MailerLite Free.

A typical solo setup could be:

Lead magnet → signup form → 5-email welcome sequence → tag/segment → occasional newsletter

You can do that without paying anything until you exceed 250 active subscribers. MailerLite

Once you're over that threshold, MailerLite's $12/month Comfort plan is still inexpensive for what you get. MailerLite

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026, reducing the limit from 500 to 250 subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails, so some older recommendations online are now outdated. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or expect in year 1) and what automations you need, I can give you a much more precise MailerLite vs. Brevo vs. Kit recommendation.

For a one-person marketing operation where you care about low cost + easy UI + basic automations, I’d narrow it to these:

MailerLite etropo## My pick for most one-person businesses: MailerLite

mailerlite.com

Why:

• The interface is one of the least intimidating for beginners.
• The drag-and-drop email builder is simple.
• You can set up the automations most solo marketers actually need: - welcome email sequence
• lead magnet delivery
• “wait X days → send next email”
• basic tagging/segments
• abandoned form/follow-up flows
• The free plan is enough to test the workflow, and the paid plans remain inexpensive as you grow. MailerLite

When I’d choose something else

Choose Brevo if:

• you may build a large list but don’t email constantly
• you care more about cost at scale than the prettiest interface

Brevo’s pricing model is more send-volume oriented rather than purely subscriber-count oriented, which can be cheaper for some businesses. etropo

brevo.com

Choose Kit if:

• you are a creator, consultant, coach, writer, or personal brand
• your emails are more relationship/content focused than promotional

kit.com

Platforms I would probably skip for a solo operator

• Mailchimp — familiar name, but it often becomes expensive quickly and the automation experience is not as pleasant for simple workflows.
• ActiveCampaign — powerful, but usually overkill unless you need complex sales funnels and CRM-style automation.
• HubSpot Marketing Hub — excellent ecosystem, but pricing/features can be more than a solo marketer needs.

Bottom line:

• Simplest + cheapest + good enough automation: MailerLite
• Absolute lowest cost for a big list: Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business: Kit

For a one-person marketing shop, I’d start with MailerLite’s free plan and only upgrade when the list or automation needs force it. MailerLite

For a one-person marketing operation that needs low cost + easy UI + basic automations (welcome emails, follow-ups, simple nurture sequences), I’d narrow it to these:

Brevo Help MailerLite## My pick for most one-person businesses: MailerLite

mailerlite.com

Why:

• The interface is probably the least intimidating for a non-email-marketing specialist.
• The drag-and-drop editor is simple.
• Setting up a basic automation (example: “someone joins my list → send email 1 → wait 3 days → send email 2”) is straightforward.
• It includes forms, landing pages, newsletters, and automation tools in one place. MailerLite

Typical solo setup:

• Lead magnet signup form
• Welcome email
• 3–5 email nurture sequence
• Monthly newsletter

You can run that without paying for a complicated CRM.

Cheapest if you expect a bigger list: Brevo

brevo.com

Brevo is attractive because it prices more around email volume rather than just number of contacts. Its free plan supports unlimited contacts with sending limits, and paid plans start around $9/month. Brevo Help

Choose Brevo if:

• You may collect thousands of contacts but email them occasionally.
• You want transactional emails (receipts, confirmations, etc.) alongside marketing.
• You don’t mind a slightly more business-oriented interface.

I would skip for your use case:

• Mailchimp — familiar name, but often more expensive and less pleasant for simple solo workflows.
• ActiveCampaign — excellent automation, but usually overkill for a one-person operation.
• HubSpot — powerful, but you’ll pay (in time or money) for features you likely won’t use.

Simple recommendation:

• Under ~5,000 subscribers: MailerLite
• Growing list where cost matters most: Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business: Kit

If you tell me what kind of marketing you’re doing (local service, ecommerce, consulting, newsletter, course, etc.) and your expected list size, I can narrow it to one.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite is probably the best fit if your priorities are easiest UI + inexpensive basic automations. Current comparisons consistently rate it as the simpler, cleaner interface, while its automation builder is available even on the free tier. Mailercloud Mailercloud

The important catch: Brevo is cheaper if you have a large contact list but don't email very often, because it charges primarily by sends rather than stored contacts. Its Starter plan begins around $9/month. EveryAny.One AutoMarketer

MailerLite's advantage is that you spend less time figuring out the software. Its current free plan includes basic automation, while paid plans expand the number and complexity of workflows. Mailercloud

What I'd choose by scenario

• <250 subscribers: MailerLite free — easiest place to start.
• 250–2,000 subscribers: MailerLite — I'd pay the ~$12/month rather than optimize for the absolute lowest dollar.
• 5,000+ subscribers but relatively few emails: Brevo — its send-based pricing can become dramatically cheaper. EveryAny.One
• Creator/newsletter business: Kit is worth considering because its free tier goes up to 10,000 subscribers, but you pay substantially more once you need its full automation features. etropo Mailercloud
• Complex sales/CRM automation: I'd skip all of these and look at ActiveCampaign—but that's usually overkill for a solo operator.

Bottom line: If you want “I can set this up myself in an afternoon and not think about the software again,” I'd pick MailerLite. If your overriding goal is the lowest possible monthly bill as your list gets large, I'd pick Brevo. Mailercloud EveryAny.One

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and what 2–3 automations you need (e.g. welcome sequence, lead magnet, abandoned inquiry), I can tell you which one is actually cheapest for your situation.

MailerLite's advantage is that you spend less time figuring out the software. Its current free plan includes basic automation, while paid plans expand the number and complexity of workflows.

For a one-person marketing operation where you want low cost + an easy UI + basic automations (welcome emails, lead magnets, simple nurture sequences), I’d narrow it to these:

etropo EmailCloud## My pick: MailerLite

For a solo marketer, I’d usually choose MailerLite because it hits the sweet spot:

• Very clean drag-and-drop email editor
• Easy visual automation builder
• Landing pages and forms included
• Good enough segmentation for basic funnels
• Less overwhelming than enterprise tools
• Affordable as you grow EmailCloud

Typical automations you can build quickly:

• New subscriber → send welcome email
• Download lead magnet → send 5-email sequence
• Customer tag added → send follow-up campaign
• Birthday/date reminders
• Simple sales funnel

Choose Brevo instead if:

• You expect a large contact list
• You email infrequently
• You want SMS or transactional email features

Brevo’s pricing model is based more on sending volume than stored contacts, which can make it cheaper for some businesses with big lists. EmailCloud TechRadar

Choose Kit if:

• Your business is mostly newsletter + audience building
• You are a creator, consultant, coach, writer, or personal brand
• You care more about subscriber journeys than traditional marketing campaigns Rework Resources

I would avoid initially:

• Mailchimp: familiar, but many solo operators find it becomes expensive and more complex as needs grow. etropo
• ActiveCampaign: excellent automation, but probably more tool than a one-person operation needs at the beginning. CompareTiers

Simple recommendation:

• Starting from zero → MailerLite free plan
• Under ~5,000 subscribers → MailerLite paid
• Large list + occasional sends → Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business → Kit

For most one-person marketing teams, I’d start with MailerLite and only switch when a specific limitation appears.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My recommendation: MailerLite

Its current free plan gives you 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations. The interface is particularly straightforward for simple funnels like:

Signup → welcome email → wait 2 days → follow-up → tag/segment.

When you outgrow free, the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and includes up to 50 active automations. MailerLite MailerLite

One important wrinkle: MailerLite reduced its free limit from 500 to 250 subscribers in June 2026, so I'd make the decision based on the current limits rather than older reviews. MailerLite

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is arguably the better bargain if you expect a large contact database but relatively few sends. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and includes automation for up to 2,000 contacts, although you're limited to 300 email sends per day. Paid Starter begins at $9/month. Brevo Help

So, in one sentence:

MailerLite = easiest UI + simplest small-business setup. Brevo = cheapest if your contact list gets large.

For a solo marketer starting from scratch, I'd start with MailerLite Free and not pay anything until you hit 250 subscribers or need more than three automations. MailerLite

mailerlite.com · help.brevo.com

For a one-person marketing operation where you care about easy UI + low monthly cost + basic automations, I’d narrow it to these:

My pick: MailerLite

For your situation, I’d start with MailerLite. It has one of the cleaner interfaces, a simple drag-and-drop email builder, landing pages/forms, and visual automations without feeling like a CRM project. Its free plan includes basic campaigns and automations; paid plans start around the low end for small lists. MailerLite MailerLite

Typical one-person setup:

• Welcome email when someone subscribes
• 3–5 email nurture sequence
• Newsletter broadcasts
• Simple tagging/segmentation
• Basic lead magnet delivery

You can run that without paying for a while. MailerLite

Cheapest option: Brevo

If you expect a large contact list but don’t send constantly, Brevo can be cheaper because it focuses more on send volume than contact count. Its free tier includes a daily sending allowance, and paid plans start around $9/month. Brevo Help

Tradeoff: the interface is a bit more “business software” and less creator-friendly than MailerLite.

If you are a content creator: Kit

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is excellent for:

• newsletters
• creators
• personal brands
• simple funnels

But for a small business doing lead capture + marketing emails, I’d usually choose MailerLite first.

I would avoid starting with:

• Mailchimp — familiar name, but many solo operators find it more expensive and less intuitive once they need automations.
• ActiveCampaign — powerful, but probably overkill for a one-person operation.

Simple recommendation:

• Under ~5,000 subscribers → MailerLite
• Lots of contacts, low sending frequency → Brevo
• Newsletter/personal brand business → Kit

If you tell me whether this is for service business, ecommerce, coaching, SaaS, or a newsletter, I can narrow it to the best fit.

But for a small business doing lead capture + marketing emails, I’d usually choose MailerLite first.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

Why MailerLite

Its interface is particularly straightforward, and the free tier includes 3 automations, while the $12/mo Comfort plan includes 50 automations and a visual automation builder. MailerLite

For the kind of basic automation most solo marketers need—things like:

• New subscriber → welcome email
• Download lead magnet → 3–5 email sequence
• Link clicked → add tag
• Tag added → start another sequence
• Customer → stop prospect emails

—you don't really need the complexity of ActiveCampaign.

mailerlite.com

The one reason I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo starts at $9/month, and its pricing is based more on email volume than subscriber count. Its free plan also includes marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Brevo Help

So if you expect to have a large list but send relatively few emails, Brevo can be considerably cheaper.

brevo.com

My rule of thumb:
MailerLite = easiest/least annoying.
Brevo = potentially cheapest as your list grows.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or expect in 12 months) and how many emails/month you'll send, I can calculate which one is actually cheapest for you.

For a one-person marketing operation where you want low cost + easy UI + basic automations (welcome emails, simple drip sequences, lead magnets, follow-ups), I’d narrow it to these:

MailToolFinder InboxArmy## My pick for most one-person businesses: MailerLite

For a solo operator, I’d usually choose MailerLite because:

• The interface is among the easiest to learn.
• The email editor is clean and beginner-friendly.
• Setting up a lead magnet → welcome sequence → nurture emails is straightforward.
• It includes the things a solo marketer typically needs: forms, landing pages, segmentation, and basic automation. G2 Learning Hub

Typical automations you can build:

• New subscriber → send free guide immediately
• Wait 2 days → send case study
• Wait 5 days → send offer
• Tag people who click a link → send targeted follow-up

If minimizing monthly cost is the #1 priority: Brevo

Choose Brevo if:

• You expect a large contact list but don’t email every day.
• You want to avoid paying more just because your list grows.
• You need simple campaigns and a few workflows.

Its pricing model is attractive for small businesses because it emphasizes email volume rather than charging heavily by stored contacts. etropo

What I would avoid for this use case

• Mailchimp: familiar, but it’s often no longer the cheapest option once you need automation and a growing list. MailToolFinder
• ActiveCampaign: excellent automation, but usually overkill and expensive for a one-person operation.
• Klaviyo: great for ecommerce, but unnecessary if you just need newsletters and nurture sequences.

Simple recommendation

• Freelancer / consultant / small service business: MailerLite
• Newsletter creator: Kit
• Lowest possible cost as you scale: Brevo
• Selling products through Shopify: consider Klaviyo instead

If you tell me your approximate list size (0–500, 500–5,000, 5,000+) and whether you’re selling services, products, or content, I can narrow it to one choice.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

mailerlite.com is probably the best combination of easy UI + low cost + useful basic automation.

• $0/month up to 250 active subscribers, with 2,500 emails/month and 3 visual automations. MailerLite MailerLite
• Paid starts at $12/month on the Comfort plan. MailerLite
• The automation builder is visual and supports common things like welcome sequences, lead-magnet delivery, nurturing, re-engagement, and drip campaigns. MailerLite
• The interface is relatively uncluttered and designed around the things a small marketer actually does.

For a solo operator, I'd choose MailerLite unless you have a reason to need something more specialized.

The alternatives

Brevo is particularly interesting if your subscriber list is large but your sending volume is modest: its free plan allows up to 100,000 contacts and includes automation for up to 2,000 contacts, although you're limited to 300 email sends/day. Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

Kit has an unusually generous free plan—up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts—but its actual visual automations and email sequences require the $33/month Creator plan. Kit Help Center Kit So I wouldn't pick it if low-cost automation is the priority.

Bottom line

If you're talking about something like:

landing page → signup → welcome email → 3–5-email nurture sequence → tag/segment → occasional newsletter

I'd go MailerLite. It's inexpensive enough that you can start free, and its automation capabilities are much less complicated than something like ActiveCampaign.

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have (or expect within a year) and how many emails/month, I can tell you which one is actually cheapest—not just the cheapest advertised plan.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

mailerlite.com is probably the best fit if your priorities are easy UI + basic automations + low cost.

Why MailerLite: its current free plan includes up to 250 active subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

The UI is also particularly well suited to a solo operator: drag-and-drop email creation, visual automation workflows, landing pages/forms, and straightforward list management without the feeling of operating a full-blown CRM.

One important alternative: Brevo

brevo.com becomes more attractive if you expect your contact list to grow substantially but don't send emails very often.

Its free plan allows 100,000 stored contacts, although you're limited to 300 emails/day. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month, and Standard starts at $18/month with unlimited-contact marketing automation. Brevo Help

So I'd use this rule:

• <250 subscribers and simple marketing: MailerLite free
• 250–5,000-ish subscribers and want the easiest experience: MailerLite
• Large contact database + relatively low email volume: Brevo
• Sophisticated behavioral automation: ActiveCampaign
• Primarily a newsletter/creator business: Kit

Bottom line: If you told me “I'm one marketer, I don't want to learn a complicated system, and I need welcome sequences, follow-ups, tagging/segments, and basic nurture campaigns,” I'd start with MailerLite. Its current free plan is unusually capable for that use case. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have now and how many emails you send/month, I can give you the cheapest 2–3 options at your actual scale, including what you'll pay at 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 contacts.

The UI is also particularly well suited to a solo operator: drag-and-drop email creation, visual automation workflows, landing pages/forms, and straightforward list management without the feeling of operating a full-blown CRM.

One important alternative: Brevo

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite is probably the best fit if your priorities are easy UI + inexpensive basic automations.

• Easiest UI: MailerLite consistently gets the nod for its clean, beginner-friendly editor and visual automation builder. InboxArmy TheGuideX
• Good basic automations: welcome sequences, lead magnets, tagging/segmentation, follow-ups, etc., without the complexity of ActiveCampaign.
• Low cost: current paid pricing is roughly $12/month starting out, depending on billing/list size. TheGuideX Hostinger
• Free plan: currently quite limited at 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month, so I'd treat the free tier mainly as a trial. TheGuideX Hostinger

mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is the better cost-minimization choice if you expect to have a relatively large list but send relatively few emails.

Its pricing is primarily based on emails sent rather than contacts stored, with paid plans starting around $9/month. The free tier also allows a very large contact database, though with a daily sending limit. TheGuideX Hostinger

The tradeoff is that I find MailerLite's interface more straightforward for a solo marketer.

brevo.com

The short version

Current comparisons also put MailerLite ahead specifically on ease of use, while Brevo tends to win on raw value and send-based pricing. Omid Saffari Compare BizTech

So if I were running a one-person marketing operation, I'd start with MailerLite. If your overriding goal is “spend as close to $0 as possible for as long as possible,” I'd seriously consider Brevo.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and what automations you need, I can calculate which is actually cheapest for your situation.

For a one-person marketing operation that wants low cost + easy UI + basic automations, I’d narrow it to three:

InboxArmy EmailCloud## My recommendation: MailerLite

For a solo marketer, I’d usually pick MailerLite because it hits the sweet spot:

• Very simple drag-and-drop email builder
• Easy visual automation flows: - new subscriber → welcome email
• wait 3 days → send follow-up
• link clicked → tag subscriber
• move people into a sales sequence
• Landing pages and signup forms included
• Less “marketing automation software” overhead than tools like ActiveCampaign
• Affordable as you grow EmailCloud TechRadar

A typical solo setup might be:

1. Signup form
2. 5-email welcome sequence
3. Weekly newsletter
4. Occasional promotion campaign

MailerLite handles that without much learning curve.

When I’d choose Brevo instead

Pick Brevo if:

• You expect a large contact list but don’t email constantly
• You care about transactional emails (receipts, notifications, etc.)
• You want CRM features included

Brevo’s pricing model is based more on emails sent rather than the number of contacts stored, which can be cheaper for some businesses. MailCompared

When I’d choose Kit instead

Pick Kit if your business is centered around:

• A newsletter audience
• A personal brand
• Courses, memberships, or digital products

Its automation concepts are very creator-friendly, but it tends to become pricier as you need more features. automarketer.com

Platforms I’d probably skip for your situation

• Mailchimp — familiar, but many solo users find the pricing/features less attractive now.
• ActiveCampaign — excellent automation, but likely overkill for a one-person operation.

resources.rework.comBottom line:

• Simplest + best value: MailerLite
• Cheapest for a big but quiet list: Brevo
• Best for a newsletter creator: Kit

For a solo marketer doing basic lead capture and nurture, I’d start with MailerLite’s free plan and only upgrade when the list or automation needs justify it.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

It hits the best combination of easy UI + cheap + genuinely useful basic automations.

My recommendation: MailerLite

The free plan currently gives you 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations. That's enough for things like:

• New subscriber → welcome email
• Welcome email → wait 2 days → follow-up
• Link click → tag subscriber
• Form submission → start a short nurture sequence

MailerLite MailerLiteWhen you outgrow it, Comfort starts at $12/month and gives you up to 50 active automations. MailerLite

The big advantage is that MailerLite is designed around the sort of workflows a solo marketer actually needs, rather than making you learn a mini marketing-automation CRM.

Runner-up: Brevo

Brevo is worth considering if your list might become large but you don't send very frequently. Its free plan has no time limit, allows one user, and permits up to 2,000 contacts to enter active automations, although sending is capped at 300 emails/day. Brevo Help

I'd choose Brevo over MailerLite if you also want CRM, SMS, or transactional email.

I'd skip Kit for this particular use

Kit has an exceptionally generous free plan—up to 10,000 subscribers—but automated sequences and visual automations aren't included on free. Its paid Creator plan is substantially more expensive. Kit Help Center Kit

It's excellent for a creator/newsletter business, but overkill if your priority is cheap basic marketing automation.

Bottom line: Start with MailerLite Free. If you pass 250 subscribers or need more automation capacity, the $12/month tier is probably the sweet spot for a one-person operation.

mailerlite.com

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick mailerlite.com.

My ranking

1. MailerLite — best overall

• $0 for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month.
• Free plan includes 3 visual automations, landing pages, signup forms, and a drag-and-drop editor.
• Paid Comfort starts at $12/month, with 50 automations. MailerLite MailerLite
• The UI is particularly well suited to a solo marketer: simple campaign creation + visual automation builder without feeling like a full CRM.
• brevo.com — cheapest paid option

• Free plan has 300 emails/day and up to 100,000 stored contacts, with marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts.
• Paid Starter starts at $9/month. Brevo Help
• Better if you care about CRM/SMS/transactional email, but I find it somewhat less streamlined for a simple newsletter + automation workflow.
• Kit — worth considering for creators

• I'd choose it over the above if your business is primarily a creator/newsletter business rather than conventional marketing.
• Its tagging and subscriber journeys are excellent, but I wouldn't pay extra complexity for those features if you only need basic lead nurture.

What I'd actually do

If you're starting small, start with MailerLite Free. You can build something like:

Signup → welcome email → wait 2 days → educational email → wait 3 days → offer email → tag/segment based on click

That is comfortably within its free automation capabilities. MailerLite

Once you exceed 250 subscribers, $12/month for MailerLite Comfort is a very reasonable solo-operator setup. MailerLite

Bottom line:
Easiest UI: MailerLite
Lowest paid starting price: Brevo ($9/mo)
Lowest cost overall: MailerLite ($0 to start)
Best for a one-person marketing operation: MailerLite

One important caveat: MailerLite changed its free-plan limits on June 16, 2026, so some older comparisons online are now inaccurate. The current limit is 250 active subscribers / 2,500 monthly emails. MailerLite

For a one-person marketing operation needing basic automations (welcome emails, lead magnets, simple nurture sequences, abandoned-cart-style flows), I’d narrow it to these:

Brevo Help MailerLite## My recommendation: MailerLite

For a solo operator, I’d pick MailerLite unless you have a special use case.

Why:

• Very clean drag-and-drop editor
• Easy visual automation builder
• Good templates without a marketing team
• Landing pages, forms, tags, and simple funnels included
• Free plan lets you test the workflow before paying MailerLite

A typical setup would be:

1. Landing page collects email
2. Subscriber gets instant welcome email
3. Wait 2 days → send helpful content
4. Wait 5 days → send offer/call-to-action
5. Tag engaged subscribers for follow-up

That is exactly the level where MailerLite feels comfortable.

When I’d choose Brevo instead

Pick Brevo if:

• You expect a large contact list but only email occasionally
• You send transactional emails (receipts, notifications)
• You want CRM-ish features alongside email

Brevo’s pricing is based more around email volume than number of contacts, and its free plan allows unlimited contacts with daily sending limits. Brevo Help

Platforms I’d avoid for your situation

• Mailchimp — familiar, but often becomes expensive quickly and the automation experience is not the simplest for a solo operator.
• ActiveCampaign — powerful, but probably overkill unless you need complex customer journeys.
• HubSpot — excellent ecosystem, but a lot of the value comes when you need a larger CRM workflow.

Bottom line:

• Cheapest + easiest: MailerLite free plan
• Best $10–15/month upgrade: MailerLite paid
• Cheapest for a big list: Brevo
• Best for creator newsletters: Kit

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d start with MailerLite and only switch when your automation needs become genuinely complex.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite is probably the best fit if your priorities are easy UI + inexpensive + basic automations.

MailerLite's free tier gives you 2,500 emails/month, 3 visual automations, forms, landing pages, and a drag-and-drop editor. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is the better bargain if you expect to have a large contact database but don't email everyone frequently. Its pricing is based more on email volume than contact count.

The free plan allows unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day, and marketing automations for up to 2,000 contacts. Paid plans start at $9/month. Brevo Help Brevo Help

brevo.com

What I wouldn't pick: Kit

Kit has a particularly nice creator-oriented interface, and its free plan is unusually generous—up to 10,000 subscribers. But the free tier doesn't include the visual automations and email sequences you'd probably want for a real automated funnel. Its paid Creator plan is much more expensive than MailerLite. Kit Help Center Kit

kit.com

Bottom line: I'd start with MailerLite. For a solo marketer doing things like lead magnet → welcome email → 3–5-email nurture sequence → occasional newsletter, it's hard to beat the combination of simple UI, visual automation builder, and $0/$12 pricing.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect within a year), I can tell you which one will actually be cheapest over the next 12 months.

For a one-person marketing operation doing basic email automation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

Why MailerLite: its interface is particularly straightforward, and the automation builder is visual and easy to understand. The free tier currently allows 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 automations. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and gives you up to 50 automations. MailerLite MailerLite

For a typical solo setup—lead magnet → welcome email → 3–5-email nurture sequence → occasional newsletter—that's more than enough.

But there's one important alternative

If you expect your list to grow substantially, I'd seriously consider Brevo. Its pricing is based primarily on email volume rather than number of contacts. The free plan allows unlimited contacts and 300 sends/day, while paid Starter starts at $9/month. help.brevo.com help.brevo.com

So:

• <250 subscribers + simplest UI: MailerLite Free
• 250–1,000-ish subscribers + easiest experience: MailerLite Comfort
• Lots of contacts but relatively few emails: Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business with sophisticated subscriber journeys: Kit
• Complex behavioral automation: ActiveCampaign

My pick for you: MailerLite. It's probably the best combination of cheap + genuinely easy + enough automation without paying for a bunch of marketing machinery you don't need.

mailerlite.com
help.brevo.com

But there's one important alternative

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

1. MailerLite — best overall

• Free: up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 active automations. MailerLite MailerLite
• Paid: starts at $12/month for the Comfort plan. MailerLite
• The big advantage is the UI: its visual automation builder is straightforward, and the platform is deliberately focused on email rather than burying you in CRM features.
• Great for: welcome sequences, lead-magnet delivery, nurture sequences, tagging/segmentation, newsletters, and simple follow-ups.
• Brevo — cheapest if you send a lot

• Free: $0, with 300 emails/day and marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month. Brevo Help
• Its pricing is based more on email volume than subscriber count, which can make it exceptionally cheap if you have a large list but don't email frequently.
• Downside: it's a broader CRM/SMS/marketing platform, so I find it a little less pleasant if your only goal is "make my email marketing easy."
• Kit — best if you're primarily a creator/newsletter

• Very attractive if your business revolves around a newsletter, audience, and creator-style funnels.
• I'd choose it over MailerLite if your marketing model is fundamentally content → subscribers → products, rather than conventional small-business marketing.

The short answer

If your priority is "I want the easiest thing to operate myself": MailerLite.

If your priority is "I want to spend as little as possible": Brevo.

The distinction is pretty meaningful: an independent 2026 comparison similarly found MailerLite strongest on simplicity/design, while Brevo wins when you value CRM, SMS, and send-based pricing. Mailercloud

For a solo marketer, I'd start with MailerLite's free plan. You can build a real welcome/nurture system before paying anything, and you don't have to learn a complicated marketing-automation system first. MailerLite

mailerlite.com · help.brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect) and what 2–3 automations you need, I can tell you which is cheapest for your actual use case.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite is probably the best fit if your priorities are easy UI + basic automations + low cost.

• Free: $0, up to 2,500 emails/month, with 3 visual automations. MailerLite MailerLite
• Paid: starts at $12/month, with 50 visual automations and substantially more functionality. MailerLite
• The automation builder is visual and supports straightforward triggers such as signup, link clicks, purchases, and segment membership. MailerLite
• Its interface is generally regarded as simpler and more design-friendly than broader platforms. Mailercloud

mailerlite.com

The cheaper alternative: Brevo

Brevo is worth considering if you have a relatively large contact list but don't email them constantly.

• Free: $0, up to 300 emails/day, with automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Brevo Help Brevo Help
• Starter: from $9/month, with 5,000 emails/month. Brevo Help
• However, the more advanced unlimited multi-step automation features are on Standard at $18/month, rather than the $9 Starter tier. Brevo

brevo.com

What I'd choose

Bottom line: I'd start with MailerLite Free. For a solo marketer doing things like lead magnet → welcome email → 3–5 email nurture sequence → occasional newsletter, it gives you enough automation without making you learn a complicated marketing platform. The free tier is unusually capable for this use case. MailerLite MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect) and what 2–3 automations you need, I can tell you which one will actually be cheapest for your setup.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

MailerLite is the sweet spot. Its free plan gives you up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, plus a visual automation builder with up to 3 active automations. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

For the kinds of automations a solo marketer normally needs—welcome sequence → wait → email → tag/segment → follow-up, lead-magnet delivery, re-engagement, etc.—MailerLite is particularly straightforward. MailerLite

mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

If you're likely to have thousands of contacts but don't email them constantly, I'd seriously consider Brevo. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, with 300 email sends/day and marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts. Paid Starter starts at $9/month. Brevo Help

The tradeoff is that MailerLite feels more purpose-built for a small marketer who just wants to get campaigns and automations done, whereas Brevo is broader and includes CRM, SMS, transactional email, etc.

help.brevo.com

Bottom line

If your priorities are exactly “one person + inexpensive + easiest UI + basic automations,” I'd start with MailerLite.

I'd only pick Brevo over it if contact-list size is your primary cost concern or you want the built-in CRM/SMS capabilities.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and how many emails you send per month, I can tell you which one is actually cheapest at your size.

For a one-person marketing operation that wants low cost + the easiest UI + basic automations (welcome emails, follow-ups, simple nurture sequences), I’d narrow it to these:

www.sequenzy.comemailcloud.com

My pick for most one-person businesses: MailerLite

Why:

• The interface is probably the least intimidating for a solo operator.
• Drag-and-drop email creation is simple.
• Automation flows are visual and easy to understand.
• It covers the common needs: lead magnet delivery, welcome series, onboarding emails, simple customer journeys.
• It stays inexpensive as you grow from a few hundred to a few thousand subscribers. resources.rework.com

Typical setup:

1. Landing page collects email
2. Subscriber gets instant welcome email
3. 3–5 email nurture sequence runs automatically
4. Occasional newsletters go out manually

MailerLite handles that without making you learn a complicated marketing system.

Cheapest option: Brevo

Pick Brevo if:

• You have a larger contact list but don't email very often.
• You care about keeping monthly cost low.
• You might eventually want SMS or transactional emails.

Brevo prices more around email volume rather than just subscriber count, which can be advantageous for some solo operators. emailcloud.com

Pick Kit if you are a creator

If your marketing is mostly:

• newsletter
• audience building
• courses
• paid downloads
• personal brand

Kit is very pleasant to use and built around creator workflows. www.techradar.com

I would avoid starting with:

• ActiveCampaign: excellent automation, but probably too much complexity and cost for a one-person operation.
• HubSpot Marketing Hub paid tiers: powerful, but the jump in cost is hard to justify early.
• Klaviyo: great for ecommerce, unnecessary for basic marketing automation.

Simple recommendation:

• Small business/service provider: MailerLite
• Newsletter/creator: Kit
• Absolute lowest cost: Brevo
• Ecommerce store: consider Klaviyo later

For a solo marketer who just wants to “set it and forget it,” I’d start with MailerLite’s free plan, build your first 3–5 automated emails, and only upgrade when the list size forces you to. resources.rework.com

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite, Brevo, and Kit. For your specific priorities—easy UI + low monthly cost + basic automations—my pick is MailerLite.

🥇 My recommendation: MailerLite

MailerLite

It's probably the best fit if you're doing things like:

• New subscriber → welcome email → 2–3 follow-ups
• Lead magnet delivery
• Simple nurture sequences
• Segmenting subscribers based on interests
• Occasional newsletters
• Basic landing pages/forms

The free plan currently gives you 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations with up to 5 steps each. When you outgrow it, the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

That's unusually good for a solo operator because you don't have to learn a complicated automation system just to do a basic funnel.

🥈 Brevo if your list gets bigger

Brevo

Brevo's free plan allows 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails/day, with automation available for up to 2,000 contacts. Its Starter plan starts at $9/month. help.brevo.com

The catch: Brevo is more of an all-in-one marketing/CRM platform, so I find it somewhat less pleasant than MailerLite if all you really want is "send emails and build simple sequences."

🥉 Kit if you're primarily a newsletter/creator

Kit

Kit's free plan is surprisingly generous—up to 1,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, and one basic visual automation. But unlimited visual automations and email sequences require the $33/month Creator plan. kit.com

So I'd choose Kit if your business revolves around content/newsletters, rather than conventional lead-generation marketing.

Bottom line: If you told me "I don't want to become an email-marketing technician; I just need a stupidly simple welcome/nurture funnel for the least money possible," I'd start with MailerLite.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect within a year) and the 2–3 automations you need, I can tell you which one is actually cheapest for your situation.

For a one-person marketing operation that wants low cost + easy UI + basic automations (welcome emails, lead magnets, simple nurture sequences, newsletters), I’d narrow it to these:

etropo EmailCloud## My pick for most one-person businesses: MailerLite

I’d choose MailerLite if you are doing things like:

• collecting website leads
• sending a weekly newsletter
• creating a welcome sequence
• offering a free download
• running simple customer follow-ups

Why:

• The interface is among the easiest for non-marketers.
• The automation builder is visual and straightforward.
• Templates are clean without much design work.
• It avoids the complexity of heavier systems like ActiveCampaign. EmailCloud

When I’d choose Brevo instead

Pick Brevo if you expect:

• a large contact list,
• relatively infrequent emails,
• or you also need transactional email/SMS features.

Brevo’s pricing model is based more on email volume than number of stored contacts, which can be cheaper as your list grows. EmailCloud TechRadar

When I’d choose Kit

Pick Kit if you are:

• a consultant,
• writer,
• coach,
• course creator,
• personal brand.

Its automation model is built around creators (tags, sequences, funnels), but it is usually less attractive purely on price for a basic business newsletter. Resources Rework

What I would avoid for your use case

• ActiveCampaign: excellent automation, but overkill and more expensive for a solo operator who only needs basic flows. Resources Rework
• HubSpot Marketing Hub: powerful, but pricing complexity makes it a poor fit for a tiny operation.
• Mailchimp: easy to recognize, but many solo users find it less intuitive and less cost-effective once they grow. EmailCloud

Bottom line:

• Cheapest/easiest overall: MailerLite
• Cheapest at larger lists: Brevo
• Best for creator businesses: Kit

For a typical one-person marketing operation, I’d start with MailerLite and only switch if your needs become more specialized.

For a one-person marketing operation where ease of use and low cost matter most, I’d pick MailerLite.

My recommendation: MailerLite

It hits the sweet spot if your automations are things like:

• New subscriber → welcome email → 2–3 follow-ups
• Lead magnet → delivery → nurture sequence
• Tag someone based on what they clicked
• Move people into different sequences
• Simple newsletters
• Basic forms/landing pages

Its visual automation builder is particularly approachable, and multiple 2026 comparisons rate it as one of the easiest platforms for small businesses. www.mailercloud.com

MailerLite

The interesting alternative: Brevo

If lowest possible monthly cost is more important than having the nicest UI, I'd seriously consider Brevo. Its pricing is primarily based on emails sent rather than contacts stored, and its free plan allows unlimited contacts with a daily sending limit. Paid plans start around $9/month. www.capterra.com

Brevo

The tradeoff is that Brevo feels more like a marketing/CRM platform, whereas MailerLite feels more like "I need to send emails and build a few automations." The latter is probably what you want as a solo operator.

Bottom line:

• Easiest UI + inexpensive: MailerLite
• Cheapest if your sending volume is modest: Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business: Kit
• Sophisticated automation: ActiveCampaign

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (and expected in 12 months) and what 2–3 automations you need, I can tell you which one will actually be cheapest for your specific situation.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

Why MailerLite: its UI is particularly straightforward, and the automation builder is visual and relatively uncluttered. The free plan currently supports up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 active visual automations, which is plenty for a small operation getting started. www.mailerlite.com

Once you outgrow that, Comfort starts at $12/month and gives you up to 50 active automations and 100 steps per automation. www.mailerlite.com

MailerLite pricing

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is arguably the better pure price play if you have a relatively large contact list but don't send very frequently. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts and 300 emails/day, while Starter begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. help.brevo.com

The catch: its interface is more of an all-in-one marketing/CRM platform, whereas MailerLite feels more focused and less overwhelming for a solo marketer.

Brevo pricing

My recommendation

If your needs are basically:

lead magnet → welcome email → 3–7 email nurture sequence → occasional newsletters → simple tagging/segmentation

I'd use MailerLite. It's probably the best combination of cheap + easy UI + genuinely usable automations.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect in the next year) and how many emails/month you send, I can tell you which is actually cheapest for your specific situation.

For a one-person marketing operation doing basic email automation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite pricing

The free plan currently gives you 250 active subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations. That's enough for things like:

• New subscriber → welcome email → wait 2 days → follow-up
• Lead magnet delivery
• Basic nurture sequence
• Tag/segment subscribers
• Simple signup forms and landing pages

The UI is particularly good for a solo operator because the automation builder is visual and relatively uncomplicated. The paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month, with 50 visual automations and 5,000 monthly emails. www.mailerlite.com

The runner-up: Brevo

Brevo pricing

Brevo is actually cheaper once you exceed MailerLite's free 250-subscriber limit: its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails/day, while its Starter plan starts at $9/month. Its automation system supports up to 2,000 contacts on the free plan. help.brevo.com

The catch is that Brevo feels more like an all-in-one business/CRM platform, whereas MailerLite feels more focused and less cluttered. An independent 2026 comparison also found MailerLite preferable for simplicity/design, while Brevo wins if you want CRM, SMS, and send-based pricing. www.mailercloud.com

What I would not choose

Kit is excellent for creators, but it's expensive for your use case: its paid Creator plan starts at $39/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. help.kit.com

Bottom line:
MailerLite → easiest UI + $0 to start + enough automation for most solo marketers.
Brevo → choose instead if you expect a larger contact database and relatively low email volume.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or expect within a year) and how many emails/month you'll send, I can tell you which one will be cheapest over the next 12 months.

For a one-person marketing operation doing basic automations, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite

Why: it has one of the cleanest, easiest-to-understand interfaces, and its visual automation builder is particularly friendly for simple sequences like:

Form signup → welcome email → wait 2 days → email #2 → wait 3 days → email #3

Recent comparisons consistently favor MailerLite for simplicity and ease of automation. www.mailercloud.com

Current ballpark: paid plans start around $10/month, though pricing depends on subscriber count. The free tier is now relatively small (around 250 subscribers), so I wouldn't choose it primarily for the free plan. www.hostinger.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo

Brevo is probably the lowest-cost option if your list gets large but you don't email very frequently, because it charges primarily based on email volume rather than number of contacts. Its entry paid tier is around $9/month, and its free plan allows a very large contact database but limits daily sending. www.stackscored.com

The tradeoff is that I find its UI/workflow experience less straightforward than MailerLite.

Quick decision

I wouldn't choose Mailchimp for this use case. It's familiar and capable, but its current pricing/value proposition is considerably less attractive for a solo operator. www.hostinger.comtoolskeptic.com

Bottom line: start with MailerLite unless you expect your contact list to grow much faster than your email-sending volume. It's probably the closest match to “I don't want to spend my life managing my email software.” www.mailercloud.com

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have now and how many emails you expect to send per month, I can tell you which is actually cheapest at your scale.

For a one-person marketing operation that wants cheap + easy UI + basic automations (welcome emails, follow-ups, simple drip sequences), I’d narrow it to these:

help.brevo.comwww.mailerlite.com

My pick for most one-person businesses: MailerLite

Why:

• The interface is probably the least intimidating for a solo operator.
• Drag-and-drop email creation is simple.
• Automations are visual and easy to understand.
• Good for the common solo-business flows:
  • New subscriber → welcome email → wait → send offer
  • Lead magnet delivery
  • Newsletter signup sequences
  • Basic customer nurture campaigns

Its free plan is enough to test the workflow, and paid plans add more automation capacity and features. help.brevo.comwww.mailerlite.com

Pick Brevo instead if:

• You may have thousands of contacts but don’t email them constantly.
• You care about keeping the monthly bill low as your list grows.
• You might want SMS, CRM, or transactional email later.

Brevo’s pricing is based more around sending volume rather than simply the number of contacts, which can be advantageous for some small operations. help.brevo.com

I’d avoid starting with:

• Mailchimp: easy at first, but many solo operators find the pricing climbs quickly as lists grow.
• ActiveCampaign: powerful, but probably overkill if you only need a few basic sequences.

Simple recommendation:

• Under ~5,000 subscribers and you want the easiest experience → MailerLite
• Large list, low sending frequency, lowest cost → Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business → Kit

For a one-person marketing shop, I’d start with MailerLite unless you already know you’ll have a large database.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite. It hits the sweet spot of easy UI + genuinely useful automations + low cost.

My recommendation: MailerLite

MailerLite

The free plan currently gives you 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, plus visual automations. The paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and expands you to 50 automations and 5,000 monthly emails. www.mailerlite.com

For a solo operator, its main advantage is that you don't have to learn a complicated marketing-automation system. You can build things like:

Lead magnet → welcome email → wait 2 days → educational email → wait 3 days → offer

with a visual workflow builder.

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo

Brevo is particularly attractive if your contact list is large but you don't email everyone frequently. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails/day; its Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

The catch: unlimited multi-step marketing automation starts with the $18/month Standard plan, rather than the $9 Starter plan. www.brevo.com

Why I wouldn't pick Kit for this

Kit

Kit is excellent if you're primarily a creator, newsletter publisher, course seller, or personal brand. But for a conventional small-business marketing operation, it's relatively expensive once you need serious automation: its current paid Creator plan is $33/month at 1,000 subscribers. kit.com

Bottom line:

• <$0–$12/mo + easiest UI: MailerLite
• Lots of contacts + relatively low sending volume: Brevo
• Creator/newsletter business: Kit

If you're doing things like lead magnets, nurture sequences, appointment follow-ups, and occasional promotional campaigns, I'd start with MailerLite and wouldn't overthink it.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

Why MailerLite wins: its interface is particularly straightforward for the things a solo marketer usually needs—forms, newsletters, segments, and visual automations. Its current free tier allows 250 active subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations. www.mailerlite.com

Once you outgrow free, MailerLite Comfort starts at $12/month, with 50 visual automations and substantially more functionality. www.mailerlite.com

Brevo is the runner-up. Its big advantage is that pricing is based primarily on emails sent rather than contacts stored. The free plan gives you unlimited contacts and 300 sends/day, while paid Starter starts at $9/month. help.brevo.com The downside for your particular requirement is that its interface feels more like a broader marketing/CRM platform than a laser-focused email tool.

Kit is excellent if you're primarily a creator building a newsletter. Its free plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers and includes one basic visual automation; paid Creator is currently $33/month at 1,000 subscribers. kit.com So I'd only choose it over MailerLite if the creator/newsletter model is central to your business.

Bottom line

If your workflow is something like:

Landing page → signup → welcome email → 3–5 email nurture sequence → tag/segment → occasional newsletter

go with MailerLite. It's probably the best combination of easy UI + genuinely useful automation + very low cost right now. www.mailercloud.com

MailerLite pricing

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have now and what automations you want, I can tell you which platform will be cheapest at your actual scale.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

🥇 My pick: MailerLite

Its free plan currently gives you 250 active subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations. That's enough for the basic setup most solo marketers need: www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

For example:

Lead magnet → welcome email → 2–3 follow-ups → tag/segment → occasional newsletter

The automation builder is visual and straightforward, and the free plan actually includes automation rather than merely offering a trial. www.mailerlite.com

Once you outgrow it, the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month, which is still inexpensive for a solo operation. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

MailerLite pricing

🥈 Brevo if your list will get big

Brevo is unusually attractive if you care more about number of contacts than sending volume. Its free plan supports up to 100,000 contacts and includes marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts, but you're limited to 300 emails/day. Paid Starter starts at $9/month. help.brevo.com

The tradeoff is that I find MailerLite's interface more natural for a solo marketer who mainly wants email + simple funnels, whereas Brevo feels more like a broader marketing/CRM platform.

Brevo pricing

🥉 Kit

Kit is excellent if you're primarily a creator building a newsletter/audience. Its free plan goes up to 1,000 subscribers and includes one basic visual automation, but its paid Creator plan starts at $33/month. kit.com

So for a conventional small-business marketing operation, I wouldn't pay the premium.

Bottom line: Start with MailerLite Free. If you have ≤250 subscribers, you can probably run your entire basic email operation for $0/month. When you exceed that, $12/month is a very reasonable next step. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (or expect) and what 2–3 automations you need, I can tell you which platform is cheapest for your exact setup.

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo.

My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite is probably the best combination of easy UI + low cost + straightforward automations.

MailerLite's free tier includes a drag-and-drop editor, signup forms, landing pages and 3 visual automations—enough for things like a welcome sequence, lead-magnet delivery and a basic nurture sequence. www.mailerlite.com

Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and gives you up to 50 active automations, 5,000 monthly emails at the entry tier, more forms/landing pages, and other useful marketing features. www.mailerlite.com

Brevo is the better value if you expect to have a large contact list but relatively modest email volume. Its free plan supports up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 sends/day, while the Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

What I'd choose

• Just starting / <250 subscribers: MailerLite Free
• 250–1,000-ish subscribers: MailerLite Comfort ($12+)
• Thousands of contacts, but not many emails: Brevo
• You want the absolute simplest interface: MailerLite
• You primarily need sophisticated creator/newsletter features: Kit is worth considering, but its paid plans are considerably more expensive. kit.com

Bottom line: Unless you have an unusually large list, I'd start with MailerLite. It's inexpensive enough that you don't have to sacrifice usability to save a few dollars, and its visual automation builder is particularly well suited to a one-person operation.

MailerLite pricing
Brevo pricing

For a one-person marketing operation, I’d pick MailerLite.

🥇 My pick: MailerLite

MailerLite currently gives you up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month for free, including a visual automation builder. The free tier allows 3 active automations, which is plenty for a basic solo marketing setup. www.mailerlite.com

For example, you could have:

1. Lead magnet → welcome email → 3-day follow-up → sales email
2. New customer → onboarding sequence
3. Inactive subscriber → re-engagement sequence

When you outgrow the free tier, its Comfort plan starts at $12/month and gives you up to 50 automations. www.mailerlite.com

The other big advantage is the interface. MailerLite is deliberately built around a relatively simple drag-and-drop editor and visual automation builder, which makes it particularly well suited to someone who doesn't want to become an email-marketing-platform administrator.

MailerLite pricing

🥈 When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is potentially even cheaper if your list gets large but you don't email people very frequently. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts, but limits you to 300 email sends per day. Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month. help.brevo.com

So, for example, if you eventually have 5,000 contacts but only send a couple of newsletters a month, Brevo's pricing model can be considerably more attractive than subscriber-based pricing.

The tradeoff is that I'd give MailerLite the edge for UI simplicity.

Brevo pricing

🥉 Kit

Kit is very good if your business is primarily you + an audience + newsletters/content. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers and includes one basic visual automation. But its paid Creator plan starts at $33/month for 1,000 subscribers, so I wouldn't choose it if low ongoing cost is the priority. kit.com

Kit pricing

Bottom line:
If you're a solo marketer and want "I can figure this out myself in 10 minutes" + cheap + good enough automation, go with MailerLite. If you expect to build a large list and send relatively infrequently, I'd seriously consider Brevo instead.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or expect within a year) and how many emails/month you'll send, I can tell you which will actually be cheapest at your scale.

For a one-person marketing operation that needs low cost + easy UI + basic automations, I’d narrow it to these:

www.mailerlite.comhelp.brevo.com

My pick: MailerLite

For a one-person marketing shop, I’d start with MailerLite. It has probably the best balance of:

• simple drag-and-drop email builder
• easy visual automation flows
• landing pages/forms included
• low learning curve
• affordable upgrade path

Its free tier includes basic campaigns, signup forms, landing pages, and visual automations; paid plans start around the low-teens per month depending on the plan and subscriber count. www.mailerlite.com

Typical automations you can set up easily:

• New subscriber → welcome email series
• Lead magnet download → nurture sequence
• Customer → follow-up emails
• Re-engagement campaign
• Simple segmentation/tagging

If your priority is absolute lowest cost

Choose Brevo if you expect a big contact list but only send occasionally. Its pricing is based more on email volume than number of contacts, and the free plan allows many stored contacts but limits daily sends. www.mailerlite.comhelp.brevo.com

I would avoid for your situation

• Mailchimp: familiar name, but often becomes expensive and restrictive as you grow.
• ActiveCampaign: excellent automation, but overkill unless you need complex sales funnels, CRM logic, lead scoring, etc.
• HubSpot Marketing Hub: great ecosystem, but costly for a solo operator once you need automation.

Simple recommendation:

• Under ~5,000 subscribers → MailerLite
• Large list + occasional newsletters → Brevo
• Newsletter/content creator business → Kit
• Complex funnels/sales automation → ActiveCampaign

For a solo marketing operation, MailerLite is the one I’d choose first.