The Best Email Marketing Software for Sales Funnels (2026)

The best email marketing software for funnels is AWeber for most people: a free plan for 500 subscribers, paid plans from $15 a month, landing pages, automations, 750+ integrations and human support on every plan. Moosend is the best low-cost option for email automation, from $9 a month with a 30-day free trial, and Systeme.io is the best pick if you want funnels, checkout and unlimited emails in one account, free for up to 2,000 contacts.

This guide compares the top three in depth, then covers Kit, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, MailerLite and Mailchimp. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on November 11, 2026.

Email Marketing Software at a Glance

What Email Software Does in a Funnel

A sales funnel turns a visitor into a lead and a lead into a buyer. The funnel pages capture the email address; the email software does almost everything after that. It delivers the lead magnet, sends a welcome sequence, reminds people about a webinar, follows up after an abandoned checkout and pitches the next offer to existing buyers.

That is why the best email tool for funnels is not always the one with the prettiest newsletter editor. What matters is how well it reacts to funnel events, such as an opt-in, a purchase or a webinar attendance, and how cleanly it connects to the tools that create those events.

If you are new to funnels, our guide to what a sales funnel is explains the stages these emails support.

What to Look for in Email Software for Funnels

• Tags and segments. You need to mark people by what they did: opted in, bought, attended, clicked. Without tags, every lead gets the same emails.
• Automations triggered by funnel events. Look for workflows that start when a tag is added, a form is submitted or a purchase happens.
• Integrations. Check that your funnel builder, checkout and webinar tool can send data to the email tool, natively or through Zapier.
• Landing pages and forms. Built-in pages let you run a simple funnel without a separate builder.
• Selling features. Some tools take payments for digital products directly, which helps for small offers.
• Send limits and pricing by subscribers. Most tools charge by list size and some cap monthly sends, so price your plan at the list size you expect in a year.
• Support. When an automation breaks during a launch, fast human support matters.

How We Chose These Picks

The picks are based on facts each vendor publishes, not on deliverability or revenue claims that cannot be checked. Each tool was assessed on:

• Funnel fit: tags, automations triggered by opt-ins and purchases, and landing pages or forms for lead capture.
• Connections: native integrations or Zapier support for funnel builders, checkouts and webinar tools.
• Price at real list sizes: monthly cost at 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers, plus annual discounts.
• Plan limits: automation counts, send caps, users and branding on lower tiers.
• Low-risk testing: free plans, trial length and whether a credit card is required.
• Support: which channels are available on entry plans.

AWeber, Moosend and Systeme.io each win on a different combination of these, which is why the right choice depends on whether you value simplicity and support, low cost per subscriber or one all-in-one account.

1. AWeber - Best Overall for Funnel Builders

AWeber is an email marketing platform for small businesses, founded in 1998. Its homepage summarizes the product as "email, landing pages, automations, signup forms, and ecommerce in one account," with AI builders for pages, forms and emails, and a connector for ChatGPT and Claude.

Why AWeber Suits Funnels

• A real free plan. Up to 500 subscribers and 3,000 emails a month, with one landing page and one automation, no time limit and no credit card. Free sends carry AWeber branding.
• Integrations. AWeber lists 750+ app integrations, and webinar tools such as Demio connect to AWeber directly to add registrants to lists.
• Landing pages and forms. You can capture leads without a separate page builder, which suits simple lead magnet funnels.
• Selling. You can sell a product, class or subscription from a landing page and get paid through Stripe. AWeber lists transaction fees of 1.0% on Lite and 0.6% on Plus.
• Support. AWeber says real people help by phone, chat and email on every plan, including Free, and it offers a free migration service.

AWeber Pricing

Annual billing lowers the entry prices to $12.50 a month for Lite and $20 a month for Plus, and AWeber advertises "up to 4 Months Free" on yearly plans. Paid plans come with a 14-day free trial.

Lite or Plus?

Lite allows 1 email list, 3 landing pages, 3 email automations, 3 users and 1 custom segment, with sends of 10 times your subscriber maximum each month. Plus removes those limits with unlimited lists, landing pages, automations, segments and users, 12 times sends, advanced reporting and priority support. For a funnel business with several lead magnets and sequences, Plus is usually the right tier; Lite fits a single funnel.

Best For

• Coaches, creators and small businesses that want a straightforward tool with phone, chat and email support.
• Lead magnet funnels that need landing pages and forms without a separate builder.
• Webinar funnels that use Demio or another tool with a native AWeber integration.
• Anyone who wants to start free and upgrade only when the list grows past 500.

Watch Out For

Lite's limit of 3 automations fills up fast once you add a welcome sequence, a sales sequence and a webinar sequence. If you need very complex branching logic, compare AWeber's automation builder with ActiveCampaign's during the trial. Our Systeme.io vs AWeber comparison covers how it stacks up against an all-in-one.

2. Moosend - Best Low-Cost Email Automation

Moosend is an email marketing platform focused on campaigns, automation and landing pages. Its pricing page notes that "Moosend is now a Constant Contact company." Its standout feature for funnel builders is price: automation workflows, landing pages and unlimited sends at a low cost per subscriber.

Why Moosend Suits Funnels

• Automation workflows with recipes. Moosend lists a workflow builder and pre-built automation templates it calls recipes, which speed up common funnel sequences.
• Unlimited email sends on paid plans, so frequent launch emails do not hit a monthly cap.
• Landing pages and subscription forms for simple lead capture.
• Ecommerce tracking. Moosend lists tracking for product views, carts and purchases, plus custom events.
• 80+ integrations and API access, with an SMTP server for transactional email.

Moosend Pricing

Yearly billing saves 20% and six-monthly billing 15%. The Pro plan includes 5 team members. Above Pro, Moosend+ lets you build a plan with add-ons, and Enterprise adds features such as SSO and an account manager.

The 30-Day Free Trial

Moosend's trial runs 30 days with no credit card. It covers the email builder, templates, AI Writer, automations, segmentation and landing page and form design, with unlimited sends for up to 1,000 contacts. The trial allows one published automation workflow, and one subscription form and one landing page that stay unpublished until you upgrade.

Best For

• Budget-conscious marketers who want automation workflows without paying premium prices.
• Lists that send often, since paid plans include unlimited sends.
• Ecommerce and product funnels that use cart and purchase triggers.
• Anyone who wants a long, no-card trial to build sequences before paying.

Watch Out For

The trial's limits mean you cannot run a live lead capture funnel on it, so treat it as a build-and-test period. Moosend has no permanent free plan, and it does not include funnel pages with checkout, so you still need a funnel builder or cart for paid offers.

3. Systeme.io - Best All-in-One Funnel and Email Tool

Systeme.io combines funnels, email marketing, checkout, courses, webinars, a blog and an affiliate program in one account. For many solo funnel builders, that removes the need for a separate email tool altogether.

Why Systeme.io Suits Funnels

• Unlimited emails on every plan, including Free.
• No integration needed. Opt-ins, purchases and course enrollments happen in the same account as your email, so tags and automations trigger directly from funnel events.
• 0% transaction fees on every plan when you sell through Stripe or PayPal.
• Evergreen webinars on the Webinar and Unlimited plans.

Systeme.io Pricing

Annual billing is cheaper, at about $14.17, $39.17 and $80.90 a month for Startup, Webinar and Unlimited. See our Systeme.io pricing guide for every plan limit.

Best For

• Solo founders selling courses, coaching or digital products from one account.
• Beginners who would rather not connect a funnel builder, cart and email tool with Zapier.
• Evergreen webinar funnels on the Webinar plan.
• Lists up to 2,000 contacts that want unlimited emails for free.

Watch Out For

Email is one feature among many, so the editor, templates and reporting are simpler than in AWeber or Moosend. The free plan cannot remove the "Sent with systeme.io" email footer, and support is by email only. If email is the core of your business, a dedicated tool gives you more control.

Other Email Marketing Software Worth Considering

Kit (Formerly ConvertKit)

Kit is popular with creators and newsletter writers. Its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, with landing pages, forms, broadcasts and tagging, but no visual automations or email sequences. Creator costs $39 a month, or $33 a month billed yearly, for 1,000 subscribers, and adds unlimited automations and sequences. There is a 14-day trial with no credit card. Our ClickFunnels vs Kit comparison explains how it pairs with a funnel builder.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is the pick for advanced automation and CRM features. At 1,000 contacts, Starter costs $19 a month ($15 a month billed yearly) and Plus $59 a month ($49 yearly). There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and landing pages start on Plus rather than Starter. See GoHighLevel vs ActiveCampaign for how it compares with an all-in-one CRM.

GetResponse

GetResponse adds funnel and webinar features to email. Starter costs $19 a month ($15.58 yearly), Marketer $59 ($48.38) and Creator $69 ($56.58). Conversion funnels start on Marketer, and webinars for up to 100 attendees come with Creator. It has a limited free account and a 14-day trial of premium features.

MailerLite

MailerLite is a budget-friendly tool with a free plan for 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, including automations, a website, a landing page and forms. Paid plans start at $12 a month (Comfort) and $25 a month (Power), with a 14-day trial and no card needed. Our Systeme.io vs MailerLite page compares it with an all-in-one.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp's free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Paid plans start at $13 a month (Essentials) and $20 a month (Standard), and the 14-day trial requires payment details. It is familiar and easy to start with, but its free plan is small for a growing funnel.

Cost Comparison at Common List Sizes

Most email tools charge by list size, so compare prices at the size you expect, not the entry price. Here is what each tool costs on monthly billing at 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers, using the cheapest plan that includes automations where possible.

Systeme.io stays cheapest because its price depends on contact caps rather than smooth tiers, and emails are unlimited. Moosend is the cheapest dedicated email tool here at both sizes. ActiveCampaign is competitive at 1,000 contacts but rises faster as the list grows.

Do You Need a Separate Email Tool?

Many funnel builders already send email:

If you run one funnel and one product, the email built into your funnel builder is usually enough. A dedicated tool earns its cost when you run several funnels or brands, need advanced automation or segmentation, or want your list to stay put if you change funnel builders. Our best sales funnel software guide covers the builders themselves.

How to Connect Email Software to Your Funnel

The Core Funnel Sequences

All three picks can run these sequences, but limits differ. AWeber Lite allows 3 automations, Systeme.io Free allows 1 automation rule, and Moosend Pro lists automation workflows with recipes. If you run webinars, our guide to the best webinar software for funnels covers tools that send registrations straight to your email list.

Email Deliverability Basics for Funnels

Even the best automation fails if emails land in spam. Whichever tool you pick, a few basics apply:

• Send from your own domain and complete the authentication steps your tool provides, such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. Major mailbox providers expect authenticated mail from bulk senders.
• Use a clear opt-in. Tell people on the funnel page what they will receive, and consider double opt-in for lead magnets that attract fake sign-ups.
• Deliver the promised freebie immediately. The first email sets engagement, and engagement affects future inbox placement.
• Clean your list. Remove addresses that bounce and people who never open after a long period.
• Avoid sudden blasts to old lists. Re-engage cold contacts gradually instead of importing and emailing everyone at once.

These steps matter more than small differences between tools, so treat any vendor's deliverability claims as marketing until your own results confirm them.

Switching Email Tools Without Losing Your Funnel

Moving lists is common once a funnel grows. AWeber offers a free account migration service, and Systeme.io offers free migration with its Unlimited monthly plan or any annual plan. A safe switch looks like this:

1. Export contacts with their tags and opt-in dates from the old tool.
2. Recreate tags and sequences in the new tool before importing anyone.
3. Import contacts, mapping old tags to new ones, and keep unsubscribed contacts suppressed.
4. Reconnect every form, funnel builder, checkout and webinar integration.
5. Run both tools in parallel for a short period so no in-progress sequence is cut off.
6. Send a test lead through every path before cancelling the old account.

Which Email Marketing Software Should You Choose?

Common Mistakes When Choosing Email Software

• Choosing by the free plan alone. Free plans cap automations, sends or branding. Check the plan you will need once your funnel works.
• Ignoring automation limits. A funnel needs several sequences. AWeber Lite's 3 automations and Systeme.io Free's single automation rule fill up quickly.
• Paying twice for email. If your funnel builder already includes email, make sure a separate tool adds something you will use.
• Skipping tags. Without tags for opt-ins, buyers and webinar attendees, you cannot stop pitching people who already bought.
• Forgetting price at scale. Compare costs at 5,000 or 10,000 subscribers, not only the entry price.

Our Verdict

For most funnel builders, AWeber is the best email marketing software. Its free plan lets you start without a card, paid plans start at $15 a month, and it covers landing pages, automations, Stripe selling and 750+ integrations, with human support on every plan. Choose Plus once you run more than one funnel, because Lite's limits are tight.

If cost per subscriber matters most, Moosend delivers automation, landing pages and unlimited sends from $9 a month, with a generous 30-day trial. And if you would rather not manage separate tools, Systeme.io puts funnels, checkout and unlimited email in one account, free up to 2,000 contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions