BestSends Guide · Reviewed by Carlos Gil
7 Best Constant Contact Alternatives in 2026
Seven tools small businesses and nonprofits move to when the Constant Contact renewal arrives, compared on price, automation and support.
Key takeaways
- MailerLite is my pick for most small businesses: $89 a month at 10,000 contacts against $102 on Constant Contact Lite billed yearly.
- Brevo bills by emails sent, which suits big donor or member lists mailed once a month.
- ActiveCampaign is the upgrade if you need follow-up that branches on behavior.
- AWeber is the only alternative here that matches Constant Contact on phone support.
- Templates do not transfer; rebuild the two or three you send most.
The Constant Contact renewal is where loyalty gets expensive. At 10,000 contacts you pay $102 a month on its Lite plan billed yearly, while MailerLite runs the same newsletter for $89 on monthly billing, with a newer editor and landing pages included. Phone support is the one thing worth staying for. If you never call it, my pick is MailerLite. Prices on this page are list prices as of October 2026.
At a glance
| Tool | Best for | From | Free plan | Rating | Try |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLiteTop pick | Small businesses and nonprofits | $12/mo | 250 subs | 4.4 | Visit → |
| Brevo | Large but quiet lists | $9/mo | 300 emails/day | 4.3 | Visit → |
| ActiveCampaign | Teams that outgrew simple sends | $15/mo (annual) | No (14-day trial) | 4.7 | Visit → |
| Mailchimp | Teams that want no surprises | $13/mo | 250 contacts | 3.8 | Visit → |
| Kit | Newsletters, courses, memberships | Free | 10K subs | 4.2 | Visit → |
| GetResponse | Event driven organizations | $19/mo billed monthly | Free plan (2,500 messages/mo) | 4.5 | Visit → |
| AWeber | Teams who call support | $15/mo | No (14-day trial) | 4.1 | Visit → |
What we love · what we don't
What we love
- Every platform on this list imports a CSV exported from Constant Contact.
- Most alternatives here cost less than Constant Contact at the same list size, per the October 2026 prices below.
- Editors have improved enough that emails stop looking like 2014.
What we don't
- Nothing here matches Constant Contact phone support except AWeber.
- Event and survey features are thinner outside GetResponse.
The ranking
1. MailerLite
MailerLite is the like-for-like switch: simple enough that nobody needs training, modern enough that the emails look current.
Landing pages, forms and a basic site builder are included, which covers the extras small teams were paying separately for.
Automation is straightforward rather than deep, which matches how most small businesses send.
Sources: MailerLite pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
Pros
- Modern drag and drop editor
- Cheaper than Constant Contact at 1K to 50K contacts
- Landing pages included
- Real free plan
Cons
- Light automation for complex funnels
- Approval process for new accounts
Who it's for
Small businesses, nonprofits, local services.
Skip it if
You need branching lifecycle automation.
2. Brevo
Constant Contact charges by contacts, which punishes organizations with big member or donor lists that only get mailed monthly. Brevo flips that model.
SMS and a simple CRM are included, useful for event reminders and donor follow up.
Templates are fine but the editor is less friendly than MailerLite.
(Disclosure: I've done a paid partnership with Brevo.)
Sources: Brevo pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
Pros
- Pay per send pricing
- SMS and CRM included
- Strong free tier
Cons
- Editor less polished
- Daily cap on the free plan
Who it's for
Nonprofits and associations with large lists.
Skip it if
You send high volume every week to everyone.
Code CARLOSGIL50: 50% off Starter or Standard for the first three months for eligible new paying customers, per the vendor’s offer page (checked Oct 16, 2026).
Read full Brevo review
3. ActiveCampaign
If you are leaving because you cannot build the follow up sequence you want, this is the honest upgrade.
Conditional logic, lead scoring and sales pipelines all live together, so follow up stops living in a spreadsheet.
It is more tool than a simple newsletter needs, and the learning curve is real.
Sources: ActiveCampaign pricing (checked Oct 7, 2026)
Pros
- Deep, branching automation
- CRM included
- Lead scoring and site tracking
Cons
- Learning curve
- Costs more
Who it's for
Growing businesses with a sales motion.
Skip it if
You only send a monthly newsletter.
4. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the least disruptive move if your team just wants a nicer version of what they already do.
Reporting and templates are stronger than Constant Contact, automation only slightly.
Watch the pricing, because it climbs on contacts the same way and the free plan keeps shrinking.
Sources: Mailchimp pricing (checked Oct 7, 2026)
Pros
- Familiar workflow
- Large template library
- Broad integrations
Cons
- Contact based pricing climbs
- Free plan keeps shrinking
Who it's for
Campaign led teams wanting a soft landing.
Skip it if
Price is your main reason for leaving.
5. Kit
Kit treats subscribers as people with tags rather than rows in a list, which makes segmenting by interest trivial.
Paid newsletters and digital products are native, so a nonprofit or educator can sell without another tool.
Templates are deliberately plain, which suits text heavy sends and hurts glossy ones.
Sources: Kit pricing (checked Oct 7, 2026)
Pros
- 10K free subscribers
- Native paid subscriptions
- Tag based segmentation
Cons
- Plain templates
- Not built for event marketing
Who it's for
Educators, writers, membership organizations.
Skip it if
You need heavily designed promotional emails.
6. GetResponse
A lot of Constant Contact accounts exist to promote events. GetResponse hosts the webinar and sends the reminders in one subscription.
Funnels and landing pages are included, which covers registration pages.
Feature coverage is wide rather than deep in any one area.
(Disclosure: I was GetResponse's U.S. Brand Evangelist from 2024 to 2025.)
Sources: GetResponse pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
Pros
- Native webinars
- Funnels and landing pages
- Good value
Cons
- Shallow in places
- Interface feels busy
Who it's for
Associations, coaches, event teams.
Skip it if
You never run live events.
7. AWeber
AWeber is the other veteran in this space, and phone support is still a first class feature.
Automation is basic but reliable, and the migration team will move your lists for you.
Nobody picks AWeber for the modern feature set.
Sources: AWeber pricing (checked Oct 8, 2026)
Pros
- Phone support
- Free migration help
- Simple and stable
Cons
- Basic automation
- Dated interface
Who it's for
Small teams that value support over features.
Skip it if
You want modern automation.
Best for...
Best for most small businesses
MailerLite
Modern and simple: $89 a month at 10,000 contacts vs $102 on Constant Contact.
Best for nonprofits with big lists
Brevo
Pay per send instead of per contact.
Best for automation
ActiveCampaign
The upgrade if follow up is the problem.
Best for familiar workflow
Mailchimp
Softest landing for the team.
Best for audiences and memberships
Kit
Native paid subscriptions and tags.
Best for events
GetResponse
Webinars and registration built in.
Sources
- Constant Contact pricing (checked Oct 8, 2026)
- MailerLite pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Brevo pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- ActiveCampaign pricing (checked Oct 7, 2026)
- Mailchimp pricing (checked Oct 7, 2026)
- Kit pricing (checked Oct 7, 2026)
- GetResponse pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- AWeber pricing (checked Oct 8, 2026)
Pricing at every list size
Estimated monthly cost at each list size, from each vendor's pricing page. Where a vendor publishes only annual-billing rates, the cell says so.
| Tool | 1,000 | 10,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | $19 (Comfort) | $89 | $319 | $439 |
| Brevo Starter (billed per email, 1 send/mo) | $17 (10K emails) | $32 (20K emails) | $56 (50K emails) | $82 (100K emails) |
| Mailchimp | $26.50 (Essentials, 1,500 tier) | $110 | $385 | $800 (Standard) |
| AWeber | $15 (Lite, 500 subs) | $100 (Lite) | See AWeber pricing | See AWeber pricing |
| Constant Contact | $25.50 (Lite, annual) | $102 (annual) | $365.50 (annual) | Contact sales |
List prices as of October 2026, from each vendor’s pricing page, checked October 7 to 9, 2026. Monthly billing, except Constant Contact, which publishes annual-billing prices only. Brevo bills by emails sent, with a contact cap on each tier (500 contacts at 5,000 emails a month, up to 500,000 from 20,000 emails): its row assumes one send a month to the whole list, on the smallest Starter tier that stores that many contacts. Mailing 10,000 contacts four times a month is 40,000 emails, which is $46 on Starter.
Should you switch?
Constant Contact still does the basics, and its phone support is real. Switch when price or automation is costing you more than the support is worth.
Switch if
- Your list has grown past a few thousand contacts and the annual bill climbs every renewal. MailerLite is $89 a month at 10,000 contacts against $102 on Constant Contact Lite billed yearly.
- You need follow-up sequences that branch on what people do. ActiveCampaign is built for that.
- Your member or donor list is large but mailed monthly. Brevo bills by emails sent, with a contact cap on each tier (500 contacts at 5,000 emails a month, up to 500,000 from 20,000 emails).
- You run events or webinars and pay for a second tool to host them. GetResponse hosts webinars in the same subscription. (Disclosure: I was GetResponse's U.S. Brand Evangelist from 2024 to 2025.)
Stay put if
- Phone support is the reason your team stays productive. Only AWeber matches it on this list.
- You use Constant Contact's event and survey tools heavily.
- Your list is small and the bill is not the problem.
Step-by-step migration guides
Support you call twice a year is worth paying for. Support you are paying for because the tool is hard to use is a tax, and every renewal is your chance to stop paying it.
Frequently asked questions
Three common reasons: the automation builder feels dated, the editor makes dated looking emails, and pricing rises on contacts as the list grows even if send volume does not.
MailerLite. Its drag-and-drop editor and short menus make it my pick for teams with no email specialist.
Yes. MailerLite is free to 250 subscribers, Brevo is free with a daily send cap, and Kit is free to 10,000 subscribers if your list is an audience.
Not directly. Templates do not transfer between platforms, so rebuild the two or three you send most. Most people take the chance to simplify the design.
Only if you move everything at once. Authenticate the domain first, send to your most engaged contacts for two weeks, then bring the rest of the list over.
Keep reading
Our top pick
MailerLite leads our ranking
Evaluated using official vendor pricing pages, documentation, help centers and policies, plus editorial judgment.
Still deciding?
Put any two platforms head-to-head on price, automation, and deliverability.
Related reading
About the Author
Carlos Gil is the Founder & Editor of BestSends and former U.S. Brand Evangelist at GetResponse. He has worked on email marketing education, audience growth, partnerships, and automation strategy, bringing experience from both the software company side and the businesses evaluating those tools.
Read more about Carlos